Chapter 65: The impatience

Elowen hesitated. She knew Theron regarded her with respect. But meeting his parents was different. It could easily be misunderstood.

Soren was already hostile toward him. If he discovered that she had gone to dinner with Theron and his parents, he would undoubtedly be upset.

And Elowen could never hide something like that from her husband.

"I..."

Theron read her hesitation in her expression. "It’s just a dinner. Only my parents and me. You can bring your daughter, too. They will love to meet her."

His gaze turned pleading. "Please don’t say no."

Elowen felt increasingly uncomfortable under his expectant look. "I’ll think about it. I need some time."

"Time..." Theron closed his eyes, trying to control his frustration.

He had waited so long for her. He had waited for a chance to be by her side since his previous life, wondering what might have happened if he had been the one beside her.

Even now, when he got another chance, she was still away from him.

Theron was losing his patience. He wanted to ask her how much longer she expected him to wait for something that should have been his in the first place.

But he couldn’t force her.

When he opened his eyes again, he regained some of his composure.

"Alright." He gave a slow nod and stepped back. "Take your time. Give me an answer tomorrow."

Elowen was relieved that he wasn’t making it hard for her.

"I’ll revise the design and send you the updated version." She rolled up the blueprint and walked out of the office in a hurry.

The moment the door closed behind her, Theron’s hands clenched into fists.

"Still hesitating?" he murmured under his breath. "You still want to be with the man who hurt you?"

He looked down at the place where her hand had rested beneath his.

"You don’t know how much I control myself in front of you. I’ve waited long enough, Elowen. And I don’t want to wait anymore. In this life, I’ll make you mine."

When Elowen returned to her desk, she received a call from Soren. She took a deep breath to calm herself before answering the call.

"Hello."

"I’m done here. I’m coming to pick you up," came Soren’s voice from the other side of the line.

His words reminded her of the doctor’s appointment that afternoon.

"Yes. I’m ready."

"Wait for me. I’ll be there in a while."

The call ended.

Several minutes later, her phone buzzed again. Soren’s text message popped up on the screen.

’I’m outside the office. Come quickly.’

Elowen gathered her things and headed out. When she came out of the office building, she found the familiar Rolls-Royce parked outside the entrance, gathering quite a bit of attention.

Several employees who were leaving for the day slowed down when they noticed a handsome man leaning against the expensive car.

Soren stood with endless confidence.

Naturally, people began wondering who he was and whom he was waiting for. Their curiosity soon transformed into surprise when they saw Elowen heading straight toward the man.

"Who is this man? How does Elowen know him?" one woman whispered.

"I have seen someone dropping her off daily. Could this be the same man?"

"Wait. Is he her husband?"

"What? Her husband?"

Their murmurs grew louder. They exchanged astonished glances. None of them had ever seen Elowen’s husband before.

"Wow! Elowen’s husband is so rich and handsome," a woman remarked admiringly.

"And he looks so young. They make a beautiful couple."

They simply stood there, watching the scene.

Soren straightened as he saw Elowen. The stern expression he usually wore softened into a smile.

He reached for her hand as she came closer.

"Shall we go?"

Elowen nodded.

Without caring about the curious onlookers, Soren opened the passenger door for her. He placed one hand above her head to protect her from hitting it against the roof as she got inside.

Once she was settled, he bent down and secured the seatbelt around her.

A chorus of gasps rose behind them.

"Oh, my goodness, he is such a gentleman," a woman purred. "Elowen is so lucky to have a husband like him."

"Handsome, rich, and thoughtful. What more could anyone ask for?"

"I envy her."

Soren heard every word. The corners of his mouth lifted in satisfaction.

He had no objection to people admiring him. In fact, he wanted them to see exactly how he treated Elowen.

More importantly, he wanted the words to reach Theron, to let him know how much he cherished his wife, and to make him understand that she was out of his league.

Elowen, however, was turning crimson. "Get in," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everyone is watching us."

Soren didn’t care. "Let them watch. I’m your husband. What’s there to hide?"

He purposefully pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He knew those employees were watching and talking.

Elowen stiffened. Her cheeks grew even warmer.

Soren’s smile deepened. He looked perfectly pleased with himself. "You look even more beautiful when you blush."

He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s seat.

Elowen watched him, her heart beating a little faster.

Soren slipped behind the wheel and drove away.

They arrived at the hospital soon.

Elowen lay on the examination bed while Soren stood beside her, looking unusually nervous. He had attended countless business meetings, negotiated billion-dollar deals, and faced ruthless rivals without flinching. Yet, standing in a hospital room with his pregnant wife, he felt more anxious than he ever had felt in a boardroom.

It was his first time accompanying Elowen to her prenatal checkup. And he was shaking.

Elowen noticed how his gaze kept drifting between her and the doctor. She could tell his nervousness.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little." A faint, embarrassed smile touched his lips. "What can I say? It’s new to me."

As the words escaped his lips, his smile faded.

He was her husband. He was supposed to have been there from the beginning.

During her first pregnancy, he had never once been there for her. He hadn’t held her hand during an examination or asked the doctor whether their baby was growing well.

Back then, he was so consumed by his own resentment that he never bothered to check whether she had visited the hospital. Now, he couldn’t stop wondering how she had endured those lonely moments.

Elowen noticed the change in his expression. She didn’t question him, though. She simply reached out for his hand.

"Don’t be nervous."

Soren looked at her hand holding his. He should be the one comforting her. Instead, she was trying to calm him.

Emotions stirred. Yet, he managed to smile a little.

When the doctor started examining her, Soren didn’t let her hand go.

The doctor adjusted the equipment.

Thum-Thump-Thump...

A moment later, a rapid, rhythmic sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room.

Soren went completely still. For a moment, he didn’t even inhale.

That was his child’s heartbeat. So strong.

His gaze snapped to the monitor, where the tiny life growing inside Elowen was being examined.

He had known she was pregnant. But hearing that steady heartbeat, his own heart seemed to leap in response.

A strange warmth spread through his chest, so overwhelming that his eyes began to sting.

"That’s your baby’s heartbeat," the doctor said. "Everything looks good so far."