novelxo Departure with a Belly Chapter 601
Chapter 601 You’re Taking Advantage of Me Again
On the other hand, Victoria decided it wasn’t such a bad idea after hearing Alaric’s suggestion. It stands to reason that a man’s observations of another man will be more reliable than those of a woman. After all, they share a similar mindset and can relate in various ways. “Alright. You watch Erik for me, but you have to promise to keep watch of him seriously and not just brush it off.”
Faced with the request from his beloved woman, he had no way to refuse. “Okay,” he replied lazily. He never expected that in his lifetime, he would have to observe another man closely, all because of his wife’s request.
When they approached Summer and Erik, the two of them quickly pulled away from each other’s embrace due
to the presence of the elderly.
Since they had met before, Summer greeted Alaric’s parents before handing gifts to their family.
“Thank you, Miss Jones.”
Meanwhile, Nicole and Nathan were close to Summer because they had previously spent many years together. The children considered her their next closest relative after their immediate family. When the children received the gifts, they did not hesitate to express their gratitude, and after saying “thank you,” they planted gentle
kisses on her cheek.
At this moment, Nicole looked up at the man behind Summer, her eyes bright and curious as she asked
proactively, “Who’s that man, Miss Jones?”
At the mention of Erik, a rosy hue immediately spread across Summer’s cheeks. “He… He’s a friend of mine. You
can call him Mr. Ludson.”
Nicole, seemingly unaware of the explanation, suddenly asked, “Is he your boyfriend?”
The term “boyfriend” caused Summer’s expression to change instantly. She was about to deny it when he replied with a light chuckle, “We’re not at that stage yet for now, little girl. I’m still working on it.”
After hearing his explanation, the elders suddenly realized the situation.
In fact, Alaric’s parents were acquainted with Erik. They were all part of the same social circle, and even if they hadn’t had the opportunity to collaborate, they had crossed paths before. When Summer and Erik showed up together, a vague suspicion arose in the elder’s minds, but they didn’t inquire about it proactively.
However, after hearing Erik’s explanation, Mary instantly understood the situation and smiled. “I see. I was considering being a matchmaker for Summer, but it now appears unnecessary. Good things are also on the horizon for this young lady.”
“Mrs. Cadogan-”
“Alright, I will stop teasing you two. You young people must have a lot to talk about. Let us take the children. home first while you hang out, yeah?”
Summer had a lot to tell Victoria, but she shook her head as she realized how late it was. So, she stated, “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Cadogan. We’re here to pick you guys anyway. You guys should head back and rest. It’s getting late now. We can always talk tomorrow.”
After hearing this, Mary suggested, “If you don’t mind, why don’t you come back with us?”
Um…” Summer initially didn’t mind, as she had previously stayed at their house, but she wasn’t alone this time since Erik was with her. Hence, she turned to look at him.
“I think it wouldn’t be appropriate to intrude without prior notice. Summer and I will just check into a hotel nearby,” he responded.
Still, Mary couldn’t help but say, “Silly child. Could a hotel be as comfortable as home? No matter how clean and hygienic a hotel is, it can’t compare to the cleanliness and comfort of home.” Seeing that he remained unmoved, she continued, “Are you possibly looking down on Cadogan Group? Is that why you don’t want to stay over?”
This statement carried significant weight, and it was evident that she wasn’t simply extending an invitation out of politeness but genuinely wanted them to stay at their home. Now that she had spoken to that extent, how
could he refuse?
Ultimately, Erik nodded politely and bowed to them slightly. “I hope we don’t interrupt, Mr. and Mrs. Cadogan.
“Of course, you won’t! Now, come on!”
With that, Erik and Summer followed the group back to their car.
As they drove behind Victoria’s family, Summer couldn’t help but comment, “I thought you wouldn’t agree to go.”
Erik’s lips curled slightly, and he uttered, “I feel like this is a relationship that will continue in the long term, so it’d be good to hang out with them now.”
However, she didn’t catch the underlying meaning in his words and asked instinctively, “Does your company have any cooperation with Cadogan Group?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Then, what-” As soon as she realized something, Summer pulled a face and bit her lip. “You’re taking
advantage of me again.”
After hearing this, Erik arched his brow. “When did I do that? Also, what do you mean by that? I haven’t even done anything to you yet.”
“Well, your actions may not have affected me, but doesn’t taking advantage verbally count?”
“That’s not practical, so it doesn’t count.”
‘Tsk, how come it doesn’t count?” Summer muttered under her breath.
At this point, Erik changed the topic. “They seem to treat you well.”
“Yes, because I often went to their house with Victoria as a child. They all know me.” While saying this, Summer had a flash of insight and asked, “How was your childhood?”
After asking the question, she discreetly glanced at Erik, hoping she could make out any other emotions on his face.
However, despite discussing the tragic events of his childhood, he never showed any signs of emotional instability. “I mostly grew up on my own,” he replied.
Despite his outward calm, Summer sensed he was trying to avoid discussing his past trauma. For this reason,’ she refrained from pressing the issue and made a mental note to never again inquire about his early years.
It was already quite late when they reached the Cadogan Residence. The maids had prepared supper in advance, presumably aware of the late hour. A quiet atmosphere filled the room as everyone sat down to eat, as each person restrained themselves and ate very little.
Then, Mary had the maids prepare two guest rooms for Erik and Summer before she returned to the room with her two children.
On the other hand, Victoria sneaked off after her shower to converse with Summer.
When Alaric realized his wife was gone, she had already sneaked under Summer’s sheets.
“What’s going on? The last time you called me, you told him he had just come to propose, didn’t he? I remember how skeptical you felt back then. How have things progressed?”
“Don’t even mention it.” Although Summer was shy about the situation, Victoria had been her best friend since childhood, so her shyness lasted only a few seconds before she revealed everything that had happened in the previous few days.
“I’m quite confused right now. I feel like it’s impossible for Erik and me, but at the same time, I want to give it a try. After all, he embodies everything I like in terms of looks, height, voice, and character. He only has one flaw, which is being too wealthy.”
“Has being wealthy become a flaw nowadays?”
“You don’t understand, Victoria. My family isn’t wealthy, and my dad has gambling debts. You should know that with my background, I never even considered having a boyfriend as wealthy as him,” Summer explained.
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