Free Web NovelChapter 39: Chapter 39: A Good, Easy-to-Raise Baby
Sophie Shaw froze.
"Have you thought about my proposal from last night?"
"I’m still thinking about it."
"How about we try it tonight? You can get a feel for it and see if you can accept it."
Sophie Shaw thought for a moment and decided Alaric Blackwood had a point.
’I really should give it a try. If it turns out I can’t handle Alaric Blackwood’s kisses, hugs, and caresses, I can still say no.’
’The main thing was, I wasn’t sure what level of "caressing" he meant.’
At that thought, she inexplicably recalled the dream she’d had last night, and her face burned hot.
"Alright, we’ll try tonight."
Alaric Blackwood stared at her crimson cheeks, the corners of his lips curling up almost imperceptibly.
He pushed open his door and got out first.
Sophie Shaw unbuckled her seatbelt and followed. Just as she slung her bag over her shoulder, Alaric Blackwood strode over, took her bag with one hand, and draped his other arm over her shoulder.
He held her as they walked into the barbecue restaurant. "My friend picked this place. I hear it’s pretty good."
"Yeah, it’s a popular spot."
"You’ve eaten here before?"
"With friends."
"How was it?"
"Delicious."
’It seems like no matter what I feed her, she finds it delicious,’ Alaric Blackwood thought with a smile. ’A good girl who’s not a picky eater at all, so easy to take care of.’
But he didn’t know that Sophie Shaw hated carrots.
Because she wouldn’t eat carrots, Mr. Kane had called it a "disgusting picky habit." He had viciously struck her hands with chopsticks until all ten of her fingers were swollen. He even had the cook make carrots for a month straight, forcing her to eat them until she threw up, all to "correct her bad habit."
She still hated carrots, but now she could eat them without a change in expression. If asked whether they were good, she could even smile and say they were delicious.
Alaric Blackwood walked into the barbecue restaurant with his arm around her. Jaden waved at them. "Over here."
Sitting with Jaden was Evan Ford.
This was his first time meeting Sophie Shaw; he had only seen photos of her before.
She was prettier in person than in the photos, tall and slender, with a refined elegance.
"Next time you pick a restaurant, find one with better parking," Alaric Blackwood criticized as soon as he arrived.
Jaden had chosen the restaurant. He could tell Alaric Blackwood was deliberately picking a fight, and his expression soured. His tone grew colder. "Then you pick the restaurant next time."
"If I pick, I won’t invite you."
Jaden’s face darkened.
Evan Ford jumped in at the right moment. "Alright, stop arguing. Sit down and order."
The tension eased for a moment.
After they ordered their food, Jaden also asked for beer, telling the owner to bring a whole case. From the looks of it, he was planning to drink himself to death.
Alaric Blackwood’s expression remained unchanged.
He had business to attend to tonight and didn’t want to get caught up in Jaden’s mess. He only planned on having a few drinks.
But Jaden kept downing one glass after another. Before they had even touched much of the barbecue on the table, he was already unsteady on his feet. He made several trips to the restroom, vomiting until he was numb.
Before long, Jaden was red-faced and slumped over the table, muttering drunkenly.
"I know you’re mad at me because of your sister. But I was just afraid of hurting her, so I never had the courage to be straight with her."
"No matter what, your sister and I have known each other for so many years. I have feelings for her."
"You keep pushing me to make a choice, but I’m stuck in the middle! It’s not easy, you know?"
...
Jaden was clearly very drunk and slurring his words, but Sophie Shaw heard him say the words "your sister" several times.
She looked at Alaric Blackwood in surprise. "You have a sister?"
Alaric Blackwood was just as surprised. "You didn’t know?"
"..."
She hadn’t even known about her own arranged marriage to Alaric Blackwood until the Blackwoods came to propose. How could she possibly have known he had a sister?
"Are you done eating?"
Alaric Blackwood asked suddenly.
Sophie Shaw glanced at the barbecue on the table and nodded reluctantly.
"Then let’s go."
Evan Ford didn’t stop them. He was afraid that if Alaric Blackwood stayed any longer, he would get into a fight with Jaden.
"You take him home later," Alaric Blackwood said.
Evan Ford nodded.
’Thanks to Jaden’s antics, he hadn’t even managed to say a few words to his own cousin. All he did was watch Jaden throw a drunken fit.’
"Don’t go. I’m not finished talking."
Seeing Alaric Blackwood get up and start to leave with Sophie Shaw, Jaden shot up from his chair. He staggered forward and grabbed Alaric Blackwood’s collar.
"Let me tell you, I actually really like your sister. But her job... my family and I just can’t accept it."
"Is it just because of her job?"
Jaden fell silent, but his grip on Alaric Blackwood’s collar didn’t loosen.
Though he was dead drunk, his mind was clear, and his awareness was sharp.
"If I said I like Jasmine more, would you punch me?"
BANG!
Before he could even finish the sentence, Alaric Blackwood’s fist had already slammed into his face.
The blow sent him stumbling sideways, crashing into the next table and knocking it over. It not only startled the neighboring diners but sent their entire table of barbecue scattering across the floor. freewebnoveℓ.com
The neighboring table was occupied by two couples. The women were terrified by the scene, and the men pulled their girlfriends aside, trying to get away from the battlefield.
Alaric Blackwood looked at the mess on the floor and said to the four of them, "Sorry about that. I’ll cover all the damages. Go ahead and reorder in a bit. This table’s on me."
The words had barely left his mouth when Jaden, who had scrambled back to his feet, took advantage of his diverted attention and swung a punch at him.
The fist landed squarely on the corner of his mouth with considerable force. The skin broke immediately, and a bead of blood welled up.
"We’ve been brothers for so many years, and you hit me!" Jaden lost control, grabbing Alaric Blackwood’s collar. "I already explained to you, I don’t want to hurt your sister..."
Sophie Shaw backed away and tried to comfort the two frightened women.
The restaurant owner tried to intervene, but a belligerently drunk Jaden shoved him away with brute force.
The shove sent him crashing into another table, knocking it over too.
The restaurant descended further into chaos.
The men at that table did not look like good people. There were four or five of them, all with crew cuts and thick gold chains, cigarettes dangling from their lips. They had tattoos on their arms or necks—clearly a group of thugs.
"If you motherfuckers want to fight, can you take it outside? You’re ruining my dinner," one of them, a burly man, roared as he stood up indignantly.
Alaric Blackwood said politely, "I apologize. I’ll compensate for the damages. We’ll be leaving shortly."
As he finished speaking, he helped the owner up from the floor, intending to discuss compensation. But before he could start, the burly, crew-cut man walked over and grabbed his collar in a death grip.
"Kid, you ruined my dinner, and you think a simple ’sorry’ is gonna cut it?"
"I also said I’d cover the damages. I’ll pay for your table’s bill."
"You think I’m short on your damn money?"
"Then how would you like to resolve this, sir?"
The crew-cut man lifted his foot, pointed to a grease stain spattered on his leather shoe, and said, "Get on your knees and lick my shoe clean."
Alaric Blackwood suddenly laughed. "Sir, with a request like that, you’re clearly asking for a beating."
"You son of a—"
BANG—
Before the crew-cut man could finish his curse, Alaric Blackwood’s fist swung up and knocked him violently to the ground.
The men at his table shot to their feet with a WHOOSH. Some rolled up their sleeves, others grabbed stools...
Sophie Shaw’s vision went black. Without a second thought, she pulled her phone from her bag to call the police.
