Chapter 268

Evelyn's mind went blank. She gaped at him for a long moment before his words finally registered.

She smacked his arm. "You're insane!"

"Ow!" Alexander winced dramatically. "I know I messed up, and you have every right to bring it up. But it's not too late for us to start working on it now."

"Since when did I say that?" Evelyn was at a loss for words. "When did I ever mention wanting a baby with you? Huh? When?"

She couldn’t recall a single instance where she’d brought up children. Why was he suddenly talking about this? He could fantasize all he wanted—alone!

Alexander released his hold on her and reached for the wooden dolls he’d set aside earlier. He dangled them in front of her face. "You bought these to hint that you want a son and a daughter, didn’t you?"

Evelyn was speechless.

Why does his brain work like this? I can’t deal with him!

"That’s not what I meant! I was just walking around, saw a woodcarving shop, and thought these were cute. That’s it! You’re reading way too much into it!"

Hopefully, that cleared things up. No more misunderstandings.

For a brief second, Alexander looked crestfallen. Then he nodded. "Got it."

Evelyn immediately felt a pang of guilt. Had she been too harsh? Should she have softened her words? Was he actually… excited about the idea of kids? She’d never even considered it herself.

Before she could dwell on it, Alexander spoke again. "Doesn’t matter. Even if you weren’t thinking about it before, you can start now. What do you say?"

"Alex!" she snapped. "Get. Lost!"

She rarely raised her voice, but this man was testing her limits. All that guilt she’d felt a second ago? Wasted. He was already ten steps ahead, planning their imaginary future.

Let him dream. Alone.

The hospital was quiet, visiting hours long over. Most patients were asleep—except one.

Dominic had been moved to a private VIP ward after his car accident. Despite the excellent care, sleep eluded him. He lay there, staring at the stars outside his window, lost in thought.

The doorbell chimed twice before the door swung open. A broad-shouldered bodyguard stepped in first, scanning the room to confirm Dominic was alone. Satisfied, he turned and nodded to someone outside.

A woman in an oversized black trench coat, a long scarf, and oversized sunglasses strode in. She stopped at the foot of the bed, watching him.

Dominic didn’t turn. He acted as if he hadn’t noticed her.

After a tense silence, she removed her sunglasses.

"Nate."