The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

The fax machine beside Chloe suddenly rang, its shrill beeping breaking the silence of the room.

Chloe’s eyes flickered with curiosity as she stood up and approached the machine.

With her hand resting on it, her gaze fixed on the paper that lay quietly there, she hesitated for a moment, but eventually picked it up.

The paper listed advice for expectant mothers, common worries intermingled with old wives’ tales. Chloe skimmed through them, each point resonating with a mix of truth and superstition: “b2

1. Avoid Fear: Many women harbor a fear of childbirth, which can affect their eating and sleeping habits, and even hinder their body’s natural stress responses, delaying the onset of labor.

2. Avoid Impatience: Some expectant mothers grow anxious for labor to begin, especially as their due date approaches. They fail to understand that there’s a window of time around the due date when labor can naturally begin.

3. Avoid Carelessness: Some women take their pregnancy too lightly, finding themselves ill-prepared when labor starts, leading to panic and mistakes.

4. Avoid Exhaustion: Both physical and mental fatigue should be avoided during pregnancy. It’s important to reduce activity and ensure adequate rest.

5. Avoid Laziness: Some women, fearing miscarriage or premature birth, become overly sedentary. This can lead to a more difficult delivery.

6. Avoid Worry: Negative emotions can impact the smooth progress of childbirth.

7. Avoid Loneliness: Expectant mothers often feel nervous before delivery and crave encouragement and support, especially from their partners.

8. Avoid Hunger: Given the physical demands of childbirth, it’s crucial for them to eat well before labor to maintain their strength.

9. Avoid Travel: It’s best to avoid long trips, especially by car or boat. Because various conditions are restricted during the journey, experiencing difficult childbirth is a dangerous situation that may jeopardize the safety of both mother and child.

10. Avoid Medication: Childbirth is a natural process, and usually, medication isn’t needed. Misusing drugs or resorting to induction without medical advice can have severe consequences.”

Chloe read through the list meticulously, a heartfelt smile spreading across her face as she bit her right index finger. She knew this was how it would be. She was aware of the fears and concerns that could plague an expectant mother, and she was doing her best to avoid them, but even with all her preparation, she couldn’t be completely indifferent.

Just this morning, when Rose had brought up the topic, Chloe had felt a surge of nerves herself. Her dependency on Damon had become a habit. When she had mentioned her concerns to him in the morning, she had not expected such a strong reaction. When he came out of the bathroom, his words were scarce.

Remembering the cigarette he’d had earlier, Chloe couldn’t help but smirk. It seemed he was even more nervous than she was. Placing the paper back on the machine, she had just turned to leave the study when Damon appeared in the doorway.

“Lunch will be ready in a bit. Why don’t you rest a little longer?” he suggested.

Chloe shook her head with a soft laugh, “I’ve been resting enough lately. I should get moving.”

Damon’s gaze swept over her legs, which were swollen and sore from the pregnancy. “Can your legs handle it?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

With a playful smile, Chloe stepped forward and slipped her arm through his, “Looks like you’ll have to give me a good leg massage later.”

His lips curved into a gentle smile, “I’ll help you downstairs.”

“Okay.”

As they made their way down the stairs, Damon suddenly asked, “Do you want to know more details about your friend’s delivery?”

Chloe paused, “What kind of details?”

“Some families opt for a birth photography service, documenting everything from before entering the delivery room to the moment of birth,” he explained.

Chloe looked at him with surprise, not expecting him to be aware of such services.

“Watch your step,” he reminded her gently. “If you’re interested, I can ask Danny to arrange it.”

raised an eyebrow, “Wouldn’t we

to

but the tricky part might

glanced at her, “Do you really think Morrison’s opinion matters in

for a moment. Right now, the expectant mother’s wishes were paramount. If Rose insisted, Morrison

chuckled softly, “You thought of

his lips together, “Do you want it

nodded, “I’ll talk to Rose

simple “Hmm,” Damon dropped the

lunch, Chloe brought up the idea to Rose. Considering the significance of the moment, Rose agreed almost immediately without much

made a call

to decide. Shouldn’t you be taking care of your own wife

“Do you want to keep your hospital running

joking.

the doctor, Damon got straight to the point, “Start recording from the prep work, but edit out anything after she enter the delivery room before you send it to

to capture the moment when women give birth, right? You sure you want that part

another woman

wrong with Damon for shooting this video but editing out that

We’ll do it your

the phone, Damon pocketed his phone and glanced up. His grandma and mother were strolling with Chloe and Yulia, heading back. He stepped down the stairs and walked towards

—

photographer set up the camera in her room, just in

on the other hand, seemed even more stressed. He stayed with Rose every day, not daring to leave her side. There were noticeable dark circles under his eyes. He abandoned work altogether and went so far as to block all the company’s

there like a sentinel. When his Megan made her appearance, he was equally vigilant.

– terms that might have once made a man twitchy – didn’t faze Morrison anymore. He’d become an expert by necessity, practically feeling like he should be the one in labor, if that

munched on whatever Rose ate, although he never seemed to eat

Rose would catch Morrison secretly browsing on his phone, searching for information about pregnant women

urging her to have a piece of fruit or a glass of water, his restlessness betraying his

leaned back against the hospital bed pillows, and

looked up, peering at her belly. “When did he decide

now. Come on, you learned some songs, didn’t you? Start with ‘Mother’s

Morrison flushed.

to his arm. “If you don’t sing, both the baby and

his song. By the end of the song, Morrison’s brow was dotted with sweat.

he had used up a

how about ‘Good daddy, bad

bit too obvious? A song about Mother’s Love, and for Daddy, it’s ‘Good

So childish.

eyes shone, her hands clapping

forehead and, despite himself, took

daddy who’s tops, tops, tops, in the kitchen pots and pans go pop, pop, pop. When he does the laundry, it’s

of embarrassment as he sang the song with peculiar tones and odd pitches. Rose started by stifling giggles, but soon she was laughing so

meant to lighten the mood, but she was nearly dying of laughter. What wonderfully attentive

embarrassment, struggling to finish the song. It took him a good while to ease

laughing uncontrollably, clearly

a good daddy involved cooking, laundry, and

“Enjoying yourself?”

“So, Daddy, do you want to be

perplexed look. “If you take over the spanking duties, I’d be more than

and shook her head. “How could a mother spank her baby? That would make