Chapter 255 Gone On A Business Trip
Maria flushed under James'' gaze. "If you don''t want to-"
"Okay,"
he interrupted.
His answer was so firm and sudden that she was taken aback.
Maria couldn''t help touching her t belly. ''The prospect of having a child is truly a blessing," she
thought.
Unfortunately, while James had abstained from using condoms every now and then, she had been
diligent with her birth control pills. Her ever conceiving his child would be next to impossible.
Believing her ruse, James sent her back to the manor in East District. "Don’t go anywhere for the
time being," he cautioned. ”1 will arrange for two bodyguards to be with you 24/7. Make sure to take
them with you if you want to go for walks."
She had made a number of enemies; if they learned that she was carrying his child, he was sure
that they would plot something against Maria again.
She nodded and went along with his orders, and calmly watched as he gave instructions to John
concerning nutritionists and servants to attend to her needs.
In the days that followed, no matter how busy he might be, James always spare some time during
the day toe home and check on her. And if he couldn''t leave thepany, he made sure to call
her.
In the evenings, he came home to her, except for the few times when he needed to go on a
business trip.
But what surprised Maria the most was the fact that James had informed his grandparents about
her so-called pregnancy.
The elders wasted no timeing to visit her at the manor. They were obviously pleased, and they
kept ncing at her belly with joyful smiles. For her part, Maria wasn''t able to muster a smile at all.
Before leaving, Charlotte tried to persuade her to stay with them, saying that she wanted to
personally take care of Maria and her unborn baby. James happened toe in that exact moment,
and he was the one to refuse his grandmother.
One day, Summer came to the vi with a bunch of spring maternity dresses. The first thing she
said was, "When did you get pregnant, Maria?" She had no idea at all, and she would have
probably remained oblivious if James hadn''t sent her to shop for the maternity outfits.
Maria nced at the bodyguards carrying the shopping bags.
"Hey, what''s wrong? Wake up!" Her silence brought on a curious look from Summer.
Maria came to her senses then and stepped aside. "Pleasee in first."
"What? Can I really go in?" Summer asked cautiously.
"Of course." Maria smiled. "Come on, were you expecting me to move these bags by myself?" She
was sure James wouldn''t have prevented Summer toe into the vi.
"Of course not, you''re pregnant! Okay, here, let me do it. " Summer stepped into James'' manor for
the first time in her life, and the bodyguards followed inside.
The men set down the packages before leaving through the door to give them some privacy.
Summer looked around in amazement at the majesty of the ce, while Maria started to look
through the clothes. "How far along are you? Howe you never told me? When Mr. Xi told me to
shop for maternity clothes, I was stupid enough to ask if he was nning to give them to a client-"
"I''m not pregnant," Maria dered abruptly, interrupting Summer''s excited chatter.
"What did you just say?" Summer eximed.
Maria nodded calmly and looked straight into the other woman''s eyes. "I am not pregnant."
Summer''s jaw hung open. "Maria! This isn''t funny at all."
They were alone in the manor at the moment, so Maria didn''t hold anything back. "I''m not joking,
okay? But please pretend that you don''t know. James believes I''m pregnant."
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"What are you up to, Maria?"
What the hell was she nning this time? Maria inhaled deeply, her eyes taking on a cynical glint.
"You know how James treated me in the past. Did you honestly think I would let myself get pregnant
with his child again?"
"Why did he say you were?" This wasn''t making any sense to Summer, but she could tell that
something serious was afoot beneath the surface.
"Because I told him that I was."
Summer shook her head, at aplete loss.
Maria put away the dresses and came up to Summer. "It''s okay. This is between James and me.
Just act like you don''t know the truth. If he asks youter, you can just tell him that I was very happy
to receive the gifts and they suit me very well."
Summer couldn''t utter a single word, but she eventually agreed.
When she finally left, Maria sat by herself in the middle of therge living room, looking at the bags
printed with logos of international brands. She drifted into a somber silence.
James went home earlier than usual that evening, and they had the leisure to eat dinner together.
Afterwards, he took her for a walk in the yard.
He had noticed since earlier that there was something wrong about Maria''s mood. "Is there anything
bothering you?" he asked gently.
She stopped walking and turned to him, but said nothing.
She just looked at him, and James chose not to press her.
The silence that descended them was deafening.
Maria was struggling with herself on whether to be truthful or not, but she decided to carry on with
her original n in the end. "It''s nothing, really. I opened more than ten blind boxes today, but I
haven''t found a single hidden style. I''m just a little disappointed."
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She couldn''t say for sure if he believed her, but he dismissed the
query. He held her shoulders and said, "Then you should open more tomorrow."
She let herself fall against his chest. "Mm."
"I''m going to the US for a business trip. I''ll be gone for about five days. Make sure you take care of
yourself while I''m gone." He had every intention toe back to her as soon as possible.
"All right," she mumbled.
There was obviously something in her mind, and it wasn''t about the boxes at all.
But if she didn''t want to tell him, then he wouldn''t force her. He should take her out for some fun and
rxation once he came back.
James'' flight was in the afternoon, and Maria was still napping when he left so she wasn''t able to
see him off.
The moment hended in the US, he sent her a message. "I''ve arrived safely. Don''t worry about
me."
Maria was in his study when her phone pinged, and she read his text in silence.
In New York
Two very simr-looking men were sitting across each other in the middle of an upper-ss
apartment. One of them looked aloof and unapproachable, while the other gave off a gentle and
kind temperament.
They clinked their sses and sipped at their wine. "How has Maria been doing recently?" Cooper
asked after putting down his wine ss.
It was James'' third day in New York, and he stayed at Cooper''s ce.
They had been amicably catching up with each other until then, but the mention of Maria made
James purse his lips. He eyed his younger brother unhappily. "Why do you care about her so
much?"
Cooper raised his eyebrows at the sudden animosity. "It''s just that I haven''t seen her for a long time.
I miss her." In any case, it appeared that James and Maria''s rtionship had vastly improved.
"Well, don''t. She''s doing very well with me by her side."
Cooper was relieved to hear that. "You should have brought her with you."
"She''s pregnant, she shouldn''t be traveling anywhere for a while."
"Pregnant? With your child?" Cooper was visibly surprised.
James rolled his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "What do you think?" He''d like to see Maria
dare to bear another man''s child.
See if he didn''t dig the baby out of her belly with his own bare hands.
Cooper chuckled. "Congrattions, James!"
"Thanks," James replied, weing his brother''s blessing.
Just then, his phone began to vibrate on the table. It was Summer, and James picked up the device
and swiped to answer. "Hello."
"Bad news, Mr. Xi!"
Bad news? His intuition told him it had something to do Maria. "What happened, exactly?"
"Maria..." Summer''s heart was thundering furiously against her chest. She was terrified to tell him
the rest.
James'' intuition was right; something had indeed happened to Maria.