Free Web NovelChapter 369: Chapter 370 House Arrest
Christina’s POV
I slowly opened my eyes. Everything felt heavy.
"How are you feeling?"
The voice surprised me. I turned my head quickly and regretted it. My head hurt badly.
Hudson stepped closer. "Don’t move."
I waited for the pain to stop before trying again. "What are you doing here? Where am I?"
Then I remembered. The café. Daniel’s face getting blurry.
"Daniel," I gasped. "Where’s Daniel?" freēwebnovel.com
Hudson’s jaw tightened. "You just now asked about that? I thought you were done with him. Why did you go see him?"
I winced, but not from my headache. "He said he knew something about the kidnapping. I thought—"
"You were wrong," Hudson said angrily. "You’re smarter than that, Christina."
I looked away. He was right. I’d been careless and stupid.
Hudson’s face softened a little. He helped me sit up, his hand supporting my back.
"The baby?" I asked quietly.
He looked angry again. "The baby’s fine. But not because of you."
Akira spoke in my mind. "He’s really angry."
"I know," I thought back.
Hudson helped me stand up. I felt steadier than expected. "You should be resting at home, not meeting someone dangerous. What were you thinking?"
He kept talking. I’d never heard him say so much at once.
Finally, I’d had enough. I reached up and kissed him.
His lips were warm against mine. For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he kissed me back hard, his hand moving to my neck.
When we stopped kissing, I smiled. "Are you done lecturing me?"
"That doesn’t fix anything," he said quietly.
"Want another kiss?"
He made a sound like a growl and laugh mixed together. "You’re unbelievable."
But he looked less angry.
***
Hudson basically put me under house arrest.
Literally. I couldn’t leave the house at all.
A week passed, then another. I felt like a prisoner.
One Tuesday, I woke up late. Hudson had already left. I stretched. My lower back hurt.
"He kept me up half the night," I said to myself.
Akira laughed. "You weren’t complaining then."
"Shut up."
I showered, got dressed, and went downstairs for brunch. Geoffrey had made eggs, toast, bacon, and fruit. I ate without thinking, looking out the window.
This was my life now. Eat, sleep, repeat.
"I can’t do this anymore," I said out loud.
Geoffrey looked up while filling my water glass. "Sorry, Luna Christina?"
"Nothing," I said, waving my hand.
But I meant it. I couldn’t keep living like this.
The next morning, Hudson and I had breakfast together. I looked at the maple syrup and suddenly said, "If it’s a girl, let’s name her Maple."
Hudson stopped eating and thought about it. "Maple’s not a bad name."
I laughed. I thought he’d say no right away. "Are you serious?"
I laughed more. "I was kidding. I just saw the syrup and—"
"Wait," Hudson said, frowning. "No. We can’t name her Maple."
"Why not? You just said it was good."
"What if it’s a boy?"
"Oh, right."
"Then we’ll pick a boy’s name," I said. Then I took my chance. "By the way, I need to go to the studio today. Can you take me there?"
Hudson dropped his fork on his plate. "You want to work?"
"Yes, I want to work."
"You can work from home."
"No, I can’t," I said, leaning forward. "Hudson, if I stay in this house another day, I’ll go crazy. That can’t be good for the baby."
He started to argue, then stopped. His jaw tightened.
I spoke more gently. "I’m healthy. I’ll be careful. Lots of women work when they’re pregnant."
He didn’t answer. His face showed nothing.
I put my napkin on the table. "I’m not asking to climb mountains or fight rogues. I just want to go to my studio. If you want me locked up for a year, that’s not pregnancy protection. That’s prison."
Silence. Then he sighed. "Fine."
I got excited. "Really?"
"But with conditions."
Of course. "What are they?"
"One. You only go to the studio. Nowhere else unless I’m with you."
I nodded. That was fair.
"Two. No climbing ladders. No using sharp tools. No eating out. I’ll have meals delivered."
I considered it. "Okay. Anything else?"
"When you’re at work, keep your phone on and stay on a call with me."
I stared at Hudson. "You can’t be serious."
That meant no privacy at all. I’d have him listening to me through Bluetooth for eight hours.
But his stubborn expression told me everything. Accept it or not.
I clenched my teeth. "Fine."
Akira laughed in my mind. "He’s controlling you completely."
"Not helping," I replied.
When we got in the car, Hudson put a Bluetooth earpiece in my ear, making sure it fit well. He drove me to the studio and walked me upstairs. He looked around, clearly not impressed with the small space and old furniture.
"Hudson, you’ll be late," I said.
He hesitated, then left.
Work was fine that day. I drew designs, answered emails, and tried to ignore that Hudson was listening to everything. But something Priya said at lunch bothered me.
"You’re bigger than most women at this stage," she’d said. "Are you eating well?"
I ignored it then. But now I kept thinking about it.
That evening after dinner, I sat on the couch and rubbed my belly. Hudson was on his laptop nearby.
"Don’t you think my belly looks strange lately?" I asked.
Hudson stopped. He put down the laptop and looked at me seriously. "You’re eating well. You’re sleeping fine. The baby’s healthy. What could be wrong?"
I sat closer to him. "No, I mean compared to other women at this stage, mine looks much bigger. I’ve gained some weight, but it shouldn’t all be on my stomach."
When I said that, Hudson put his laptop away and pulled me closer. He looked at my belly very carefully.
He stared for so long I thought he might see right through me. Then he looked up at me, his eyes so intense my heart jumped.
"What?" I asked nervously. "I feel fine. Nothing hurts."
Before I finished talking, he stood up quickly. He looked serious. "Geoffrey, get the car. We’re going to the hospital."
