Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 46

Gazing warmly at the flustered girl, Mrs. Gable pressed on. "Mrs. Foster, he truly is a wonderful man. If you don't secure your place in his heart and let some other woman swoop in and steal him, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life."

Ivy listened intently, feeling a tiny, undeniable flutter of temptation in her chest. Mr. Foster was older, sure, but he was incredibly handsome, tall, and exceptionally capable. He was the CEO of a massive corporation.

Even with a child from a previous relationship, a billionaire of his caliber would be fought over by every eligible socialite in the city. Yet somehow, through a bizarre twist of fate, this perfect, unattainable man was legally her husband.

If they actually managed to develop real feelings over time, and if Mr. Foster genuinely fell in love with her, maybe this marriage didn't have to end in divorce after all.

"Just think about it, honey," Mrs. Gable said as she stood up. "Leave the dishes there when you're done; I'll come back for them later."

Ivy nodded quietly.

After the housekeeper left, Ivy ate her dinner in a daze, completely consumed by thoughts of her bizarre relationship with Alaric. Ultimately, she decided to let nature take its course. She couldn't force fate, and she absolutely refused to beg for something that didn't belong to her.

Once she finished eating.

Ivy picked up her empty plate and headed out of the room, only to run smack into Alaric walking down the hall.

Ivy froze. Her face instantly burned scarlet as Mrs. Gable's scandalous advice echoed in her head. Terrified to meet his gaze, she dropped her chin and mumbled awkwardly, "Mr. Foster, thank you so much for carrying me inside earlier."

Alaric stared down at her.

He immediately recalled the blatant rejection she had delivered to Elena.

She didn't see him that way. She really didn't have any romantic interest in him at all, which explained why she constantly addressed him as 'Mr. Foster' and acted like he was her terrifying high school principal. It was better this way.

Mrs. Gable rushed up the stairs and snatched the dirty plate out of her hands. "Mrs. Foster, I explicitly told you to leave this for me! You're sick, please go back to bed before you collapse again!" Instead, the poor girl had just been verbally chewed out by Mr. Foster.

"Right," Ivy whispered softly, turning around and slipping quietly back into her bedroom.

A little while later, Stella came bounding into the room, loudly demanding to sleep in Ivy's bed. Ivy happily obliged.

As they snuggled under the covers, a random, intrusive thought slipped past Ivy's lips. "Stella, do you remember what your mommy looked like?"

Stella shook her head vigorously. "Nope! I've never even met my mommy."

She sleepily tugged on Ivy's earlobe, letting out a massive yawn. "I just know it's always been me and Daddy. Mommy, promise you'll stay with us forever, okay?"