The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1866

"Yulia!"

"Yulia, honey."

Elizabeth and Alyssa were startled by her sudden dash. With Alyssa's mobility limited, Elizabeth quickly passed little Anya into Royce's arms, who was sitting nearby.

Elizabeth got up and hurried around the couch to check on Yulia, only to see a figure flash past her. Nathan was already hot on Yulia's heels. Elizabeth paused, then followed suit.b2

Alyssa watched anxiously toward the bathroom, "What in the world happened all of a sudden?"

Chloe furrowed her brow slightly, replaying the day’s events since she had seen Yulia. Her gaze finally settled on the fruit bowl. She picked up a slice of mango and popped it into her mouth.

Mangoes can be quite the divisive fruit. Some adore them, while others can hardly stomach the flavor. But since Yulia had chosen to eat one, it meant she wasn't averse to mangoes. Yet, the reaction it provoked was suspicious.

The sweetness of the mango clung to her taste buds, exceptionally fragrant. As she swallowed, Chloe turned to look at Damon, whose brow was deeply furrowed, his face clouded with a particularly nasty scowl.

Raising an eyebrow, a childish and ludicrous thought flashed through her mind. He couldn’t possibly be bothered by this, could he? Considering how he had gloated over Nathan earlier, it wouldn’t be surprising if his petty competitive streak was flaring up again.

With each person lost in their thoughts, Royce, suddenly left holding the child, sat back on the couch, cradling Anya in one arm, his gaze emotionless as he examined her. Upon closer inspection, one could see a mix of surprise and scrutiny in his eyes.

Anya hadn’t spent much time around him, and now sat quietly on his lap, looking up with wide, innocent eyes that shimmered as she stared at Royce.

Royce's impassivity and aloofness didn't scare her. After a long stare-off, Anya’s mouth suddenly split into a grin, revealing rows of tiny, bright teeth.

She propped herself against Royce's belly, climbed up, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Grandpa is so handsome."

Caught off guard, a range of emotions flickered across Royce's usually stoic face.

Grandpa?

His brow twitched. Although factual, why did he feel as if the title aged him by decades?

This little one truly was charming though, her ability to endear herself seemingly boundless.

She wasn’t like her father, who was either asking for a smack or a scolding every other day.

Grandpa it was, then. That day would come eventually.

With a slight tug at the corner of his mouth, Royce watched as Anya, after kissing him, settled down cross-legged on his lap, facing him with a broad smile. He stretched out a hand, indulgingly pinching her rosy cheek. "If you don't want to smile, then don't."

Anya's smile drooped slightly, her face the very picture of a well-behaved, pitiable child. "Handsome Grandpa. Is Yulipop okay?"

Royce chuckled softly, "She's fine."

Anya blinked, "Really?"

"Mhm."

Anya trusted Royce completely and beamed in relief. She gazed at Royce for a few seconds before exclaiming happily, "Daddy, Uncle, and Grandpa, all so handsome."

In his lifetime, Royce had only two sons and had never encountered such sweet flattery from a little girl. Her few words had the power to bewilder even the usually composed Royce.

Handsome Grandpa, successfully charmed.

Chloe looked at Anya with a mixture of love and urgency. She truly wished for a sweet, warm, and cuddly daughter of her own, just like Anya.

--

Yulia spent a while in the bathroom, getting rid of the little she had eaten for dinner.

Nathan came after her, supporting her back with his hands knotted in concern. He felt her neck for any sign of fever but found none.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere specific?"

Yulia leaned against the wall, feeling weak after vomiting. She covered her mouth and slowly stood up. "Please, step out." She didn't want Nathan to be offended by the smell.

But Nathan didn't heed her request. Seeing that she wasn't going to be sick again, he helped her over to the sink and turned on the tap.

Yulia bent over to rinse her mouth with water. Nathan kept soothing her, watching her every move, his brow furrowed, his expression grave.

Elizabeth asked with concern, "You looked off during dinner too, and you barely ate. Is it that the food didn't agree with you? Or is there something you can't eat?"

Yulia shook her head, "No, I'm not picky and I don't have any food aversions. Maybe I just got car sick on the way here."

Elizabeth nodded, "Car sickness can be awful. Why don't you go upstairs and rest a bit? I'll have the kitchen keep some broth warm for you. You can have it whenever you feel up to eating."

Elizabeth's care and attention touched Yulia deeply. "Thank you."

Elizabeth sighed softly, "What's there to thank me for? I've spent my life raising two sons who give me nothing but worry. I'm just hoping they'll make something of themselves and bring home a couple of daughters-in-law. Having finally gained two daughters, it's only natural for me to care and dote on them, isn't it?"

Elizabeth's words made it awkward for Yulia to keep thanking her.

As they left the bathroom, a servant had already prepared some warm water. Elizabeth handed Yulia the cup and said gently, "Drink this and then head upstairs to rest."

"I'll take her to the hospital to have her checked out." Nathan's voice was unusually solemn and firm, leaving no room for argument.

Yulia turned to look at him, "I'm fine."

Alyssa, with her sharp eyes, considered the situation and nodded, "Nathan's right. It's best to have a checkup at the hospital."

"But Yulia just got car sick, didn't she? The back and forth could be more trouble. Why don't we have Jane take a look first? She lives right next door." Chloe spoke in a subdued tone, a trace of an elusive smile playing across her lips, leaving the others somewhat baffled.

Alyssa glanced at her, nodding in understanding, "Oh, that reminds me, I completely forgot about Dr. Jane. Quick, someone fetch Dr. Jane to check on Yulia."

A servant nearby responded promptly and dashed off.

Nathan, this time, stayed silent, wrapping an arm around Yulia as they settled onto the couch. His expression and aura were such a stark contrast to his usual pushover demeanor that no one would have guessed his true nature.

Chloe arched an eyebrow, shifting her position to lean against Damon.

"No wonder Yulia always acts so demure around Nathan. It seems your little brother has quite the commanding presence behind closed doors, huh?"

Damon's complexion remained on the sour side. Hearing her words, he shot her a glance, but his mood didn't seem to lift.

Chloe, exasperated yet amused, nestled closer in his arms and teased in a low voice, "Looks like Yulia's got her three sons all mapped out."

Damon's lips tightened into a straight line.

Suppressing her laughter, Chloe continued, "I bet Nathan's going to tire of being called 'Dad'."

Damon frowned and turned to give her a frosty look. "Even if she has three sons, they might not all be his. And it's not even certain yet."

"You and your negative thoughts; he's your own brother. Can't you hope for the best? Deep down, you don't really think that way, do you? Just comforting yourself with denial?"

"Keep it up, and we might as well go up to bed," Damon said gravely.

Chloe chuckled softly, "If it bothers you that much, we could always have a few more ourselves. They have four, we could go for five, maybe?"

Damon narrowed his eyes, looking at her, "At least four hundred times?"

Chloe blinked, confused, "What?"

"Based on the lowest probability of conception, to have the remaining four kids, wouldn't we need to have sex for at least four hundred times?"

Despite knowing his occasional crude humor, she was still taken aback by his words, wishing she could just disappear.

"Four hundred times, are you planning an early demise? Besides, why calculate using the lowest probability? We didn't need that for the first two."

Damon glanced at her round belly, expressionless, and said coldly, "The twins were an accident."

Chloe was flabbergasted.

Damon: "I never considered children. If I had, I would have made sure you didn't get pregnant so easily."

Chloe frowned at him, "Since it was an accident, maybe they shouldn't call you Dad. You seem to dislike the hassle."

Sensing her clear displeasure, Damon's lips pursed slightly, and he felt a twinge of concern.

He was screwed. He'd made his wife angry.

He shifted slightly closer to Chloe and cleared his throat, whispering, "I do like these two accidents."

Chloe forced a smile, "If you like them, what's wrong with having more?"

Damon pinched her slightly swollen leg, "It's too hard on you."

Her anger deflated in an instant. She turned to look at him, her eyes betraying her touched feelings.

Damon leaned in to touch his forehead to hers, "Let's talk about more kids later, okay? Let's focus on bringing these two into the world and getting you back to health."

Their tender exchange in the midst of everyone's teeth-gritting annoyance was something to behold.

Yulia was still feeling unwell, and their blatant display of affection was infuriating to the others.

Dr. Jane arrived shortly after.

Yulia was surrounded by the family, holding a cup of water, her complexion still pale.

Jane glanced at her, then looked at Chloe, who was being clung to by Damon, and rolled her eyes before approaching Yulia.

The servant had briefed her on the way, so Jane squatted down, Yulia giving her a faint, forced smile in return.

Jane pursed her lips, "Give me your hand."

Yulia handed it over.

Jane checked her pulse, casually asking, "How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Just now."

"About a week."

The first response was Elizabeth, cut off mid-sentence.

The second was Nathan's voice.

Elizabeth paused, "What?"

Nathan continued, "She's not been eating well these past few days, but this is the first time she's thrown up."

Elizabeth and Alyssa blinked, looking at Nathan, then at each other. When did this kid become so attentive? Even noticing someone else's appetite?

Impressive!

They turned back as Elizabeth smacked Nathan on the head. "You knew and said nothing?"

At that moment, a barely noticable smile appeared on Jane's mouth as she stood up.

Alyssa and Elizabeth watched her eagerly, a mix of anxiety and expectation in their voices, "Dr. Jane, what's the verdict?"

Jane raised an eyebrow, "She's fine. Just make sure she's well taken care of. In eight months, you'll be holding a chubby little grandchild."

The room fell silent for a beat.

Yulia's head shot up, "You mean... I'm..."

"Yes, congratulations, you're pregnant."

"Oh my gosh!"

"Good heavens!"

Elizabeth and Granny clasped hands, nearly jumping for joy and spinning around in excitement.

Royce, who was holding Anya, looked up with a rare show of interest.

Nathan, after a moment of stunned silence, looked at Yulia and planted a firm kiss on her face, laughing heartily as he stood up and fixed his gaze on Damon from across the room.

Chloe lifted an eyebrow and turned her head away.

Here we go. That goofball was at it again.

Damon's face darkened in an instant, as he realized that the fool was about to kick up a fuss again.

"Come on, bro, I've got a little one on the way that's been calling me 'daddy' from the womb—hahaha. Isn't my wife just amazing? She's always making me so proud.

"But hey, congrats to you too, man. You've got another nephew on the way. And, my two big nephews are about to become a big brother and sister."

Chloe facepalmed, that guy, can't he just chill out for once? What was there to be so excited about this, anyway?

Can't he just be happy about having a child?! Wasn't having another child awesome enough?

Seriously, who else would turn such a happy occasion into a reason for everyone to want to punch him?

He was truly a character, turning a celebration into something that made people want to hit him.

Everyone's thoughts were pretty much aligned with Chloe's. Just as they were basking in the joy of welcoming another child, Nathan had to ruin the moment, making them all want to give him a good smack.

Yulia, unable to take it anymore, tugged at his shirt, "Nathan, please. Don't be like this."

Nathan, in his unique bubble of joy, barely registered Yulia's plea. Elizabeth, on the other hand, couldn't stand it and punched him on the back. The punch landed with a solid "thud".

Nathan turned around, coughing, only to find Elizabeth glaring at him, "Is there anyone in the world more annoying than you? You actually have the talent to suppress people's happiness and make them want to punch you instead."

She punctuated her words with two more punches on his shoulder. "Yulia... being pregnant... isn't something... for you to brag about... and compete over!"

With every pause, Elizabeth's fist landed on Nathan, emphasizing her frustration.

Nathan winced in pain, dodging and weaving in a comical fashion.

Yulia couldn't help but feel amused. At such a moment, he still had the mood to think of other things.

Little Anya, who had been watching with wide eyes, looked up at Royce.

"Handsome grandpa. Does Yulipop being pregnant mean she's got a baby too?"

Royce softly stroked Anya's rosy cheek, his voice gentle, "Yes, Anya, you're going to have a little brother or sister soon."

Anya's eyes sparkled with happiness. She clasped her little hands together, "Wow, Yulipop has a baby. I'm going to be a sister."

Anya was so adorably excited that Royce couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement, "Yes, congratulations, Anya."

Anya clapped her hands joyfully, but soon her little brow furrowed in thought.

"So, I'm going to have lots of brothers and sisters, huh? From Aunt's twins and now Yulipop."

She paused, then suddenly turned to Yulia, "How many babies does Yulipop have?"

Her question brought a halt to the conversation, as all the adults turned to look at Jane.

Damon was no exception. If it turned out to be twins or even triplets, would that fool Nathan not be over the moon?

Jane sighed, rubbing her forehead, "We should probably get a proper check-up at the hospital for that."

There was a hint of disappointment, but Alyssa nodded in agreement, "Right. No matter what, a thorough check-up at the hospital is necessary. Yulia, are you feeling any better? Anything you crave, just let us know."