?Chapter 245:
“Dani, your heart must be made of stone.”
That night, Alexander was ovee by a severe fever. After hours on an IV drip, he eventually began to recover. Following the ordeal, he allowed his hair to grow out, adopting an increasingly somber and withdrawn demeanor.
While working on various construction sites, Alexander asionally caught sight of Dani. But he never attempted to approach her again. Instead, he maintained his distance and observed her with a cold, detached expression.
Over time, he found himself spending more and more time with the Harper family, particrly growing closer to Katrina and Joyce.
On bright, sunny afternoons, his gaze often drifted to Joyce’s growing belly. One day, he asked, “So, when’s the babying? Have you decided on the hospital and doctor?”
He went as far as arranging for a top-notch medical team to admit Joyce into the hospital an entire month before her due date.
Rxing in her hospital bed the other day, Joyce took a bite of an apple.
“Mom, I think Alexander’s more excited about this baby than I am. It’s like he really wants to be with me.” Katrina narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher Alexander’s true intentions. He seemed genuinely invested in the child’s well-being.
Whenever Joyce went in for a checkup, Alexander appeared more nervous about the results than anyone else. But for anyone suspecting he harbored romantic feelings for Joyce, his actions suggested otherwise. He’d usually show up, sit silently, and hardly say a thing.
Joyce’s hopeful smile grew as she continued, “I guess Alexander likes me. And I like him too. Could you talk to Dad? Once the baby is born, we’ll get the inheritance, and Alexander can marry me.”
Compared to the string of unsuitable suitors Katrina had found for Joyce, Alexander seemed like a far better catch.
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Joyce had been waiting to hear from Katrina for quite a while, but no response came. Munching on an apple, she turned to Katrina with wide-eyed astonishment.
“Mom? What’s happening? Don’t you want Alexander to be your son-inw anymore?” Previously, whenever Joyce mentioned Alexander, Katrina would quickly concur with enthusiasm.
“You were always singing his praises, pushing me towards him, right?” Joyce queried, her expression a mix of surprise and bewilderment.
Katrina, meticulously peeling an orange, avoided eye contact, lost in her thoughts. She understood that Joyce showing any sign of weakness could be exploited by Alexander. It was crucial to be open with her daughter. Now that Joyce was the sole heiress to the Harper family fortune, they had no reason to feel daunted by anyone. Empowered by this thought, Katrina’s confidence surged.
She caught a glimpse of Alexander standing in the doorway from the corner of her eye, a slight smile ying on her lips. Refocusing on Joyce, she responded, “Alexander was a suitable match previously. However, since he’s lost the Elite Lux project, he’s no longer at his peak. His renewed interest in you? It’s merely because his prospects with Dani fell through, and now he’s recalling your worth.”
Joyce’s lips puckered in a pout at Katrina’s blunt words.
“Mom, do you really have to say it that way?”
Katrina remained unapologetic.
“I’m merely stating the facts. We are not anyone’s backup n. If he’s genuinely interested, he should adhere to the proper channels—a formal proposal, a meeting between both families, and ns for a proper engagement and marriage.
Yeah, we’re rich, but we’re not dumb enough to let anyone screw us over.”
Joyce came to understand that Katrina truly had her best interests at heart. She pressed her lips tightly together, choosing not to continue the argument.
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