The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 182

Chapter 166: Running Mad-1

Caleb POV

Claim

I had dismantled hostile takeovers, survived my father Victor Black’s cruelty, and faced Bella’s powerful return after her absence. But nothing prepared me for this pregnancy.

By week nine, I was scentless and exiled from my own kitchen to avoid triggering her. By week eleven, I accepted the biological logic of her sensitivities without complaint. However, I was completely baffled by the sheer specificity of her cravings. I had researched everything in secret to avoid appearing excessive, yet I was still caught off guard.

“James,” I said on a Friday afternoon, standing in the kitchen while Bella sent him a text from the other room. “What’s she asking for?”

James checked his phone. His expression remained professionally neutral. “A specific brand of pickled ginger, sir. Available at one retailer in East London.”

I looked at him.

“I’ll leave immediately,” he said.

James flew to London specifically because the brand of pickled ginger Bella wanted was only sold at one family-run shop in the East End. I didn’t hesitate; I sent the private jet immediately.

When the team returned hours later, Bella didn’t even wait for them to unpack. She grabbed the first jar, sat at the kitchen island, and started downing it. I watched from across the room and said nothing. Over the last few weeks, I’ve learned my most vital lesson: the narrow window between saying the wrong thing and saying nothing is my only safe zone. I thought I was finally adapting to this new reality.

Then, three nights later, two in the morning arrived. I was in a dead sleep when Bella shook my shoulder with the urgency of a structural emergency. I sat up, heart racing.

“What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Are you”

“Chicken feet,” Bella said.

I stared at her in the dark, my frame frozen. “What?”

“I need chicken feet.” She was sitting up beside me, fully awake, absolutely serious. “Right now, Caleb. I need them right now.”

I looked at the time on my phone. Two-fourteen in the morning. “Bella.”

“I know what time it is.”

“It’s two in the morning.”

“I know.” She looked at me with her eyes completely steady and utterly unapologetic. “I need chicken feet.”

“Chicken… feet? Like, from a bird?”

“Yes, Caleb. Dim sum style. Spicy, savory, and I need them immediately.” She sat up, crossing her arms

(Chapter 166-Panning Mad 1

ever her chest. “Maya told me pregnancies aren’t the same, and she was right. With Tom, I just wanted Toast. Now, my libido is a disaster and my stomach is demanding things I haven’t eaten in years.”

Clam

I rubbed a hand over my face. “Bella, it’s two in the morning and I’ve been completely exhausted today- I’ve barely kept my eyes open since dinner.”

“I am aware of the time,” she snapped, the ‘Iron Empress’ returning in pajamas. “And I’m aware you’re tired. But if you can’t handle a simple craving, perhaps you aren’t as resourceful as they say.”

That did it. The arrogance I once used to crush competitors flared into a focused, protective intensity as I reached for my phone.

“Maya was right about something else,” I said, my voice dropping an octave as I looked at her. “She said I should enjoy the ride. If that ride involves finding dim sum in the middle of the night to keep you and our baby happy, then consider it done.”

“I’m not like this normally,” she muttered, a rare flush rising in her cheeks. “Blame my libido or the hormones, but I was not like this during Tom’s pregnancy.”

“Stop comparing them, Bella,” I said gently. I leaned over, kissing her forehead with a tenderness that made the ice around my heart crack. “You were alone then. You’re not alone now. If you want chicken feet, I’ll buy the restaurant if I have to.”

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