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.”

eyebrow, “Wouldn’t we need Rose’s consent

it to her,” he

but the tricky

“Do you really

mother’s wishes were paramount.

thought of this all

together, “Do you want it

talk

a simple “Hmm,”

Chloe brought up the idea to Rose. Considering the significance of

immediately made a

of your own wife instead of meddling in someone else’s business? Or

instantly, “Do you want

face, “Alright, alright! Just joking. No need

from the prep work, but edit out

capture the

expect me to watch another

Damon for shooting this video but editing out that crucial

boss. We’ll do

pocketed his phone and glanced up. His grandma and mother were strolling with Chloe and Yulia,

—

just two days until her due date, Rose had the photographer set up the camera in her room, just in case

side. There were noticeable dark circles under his eyes. He abandoned work altogether

Megan made her appearance, he was equally vigilant. And

elasticity of the cervix – 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 were only possible. But alas, it was Rose who had to do the

whatever Rose ate, although he never seemed to eat more. It was like he was

for information about pregnant women giving birth and various aspects of prenatal and postnatal care. Compared to him, she seemed to

a piece of fruit or a glass of water, his restlessness betraying his unease.

softly, crossed her legs, leaned back against the hospital bed pillows, and said, “The baby wants to hear you

at her belly. “When

learned some

Morrison flushed.

you don’t sing,

end of the song, Morrison’s brow was dotted

like he had used up

Okay, how about ‘Good daddy, bad daddy’

obvious? A song about Mother’s Love, and

So childish.

waiting!” Rose’s eyes shone, her hands clapping

hand over his forehead and, despite himself, took another deep

a daddy who’s tops, tops, tops, in the kitchen pots and pans go pop, pop, pop. When he does the laundry, it’s snap, snap, snap. And when he’s happy, it’s laugh, laugh, laugh, but if

an unmistakable sense of embarrassment as he sang the song with peculiar tones and odd pitches. Rose started by

the mood, but she was nearly dying of

the song. It took him a good while to ease up and somewhat suppress the shame he

still laughing uncontrollably,

Mother’s Love was precious and selfless. Being a good daddy involved cooking, laundry, and perhaps even spanking for

“Enjoying yourself?”

nodded, grinning. “So, Daddy, do you want to

you take over the spanking duties, I’d

her baby? That would make him sad. And you can’t