?<strong>Chapter 698:</strong>


    Caden’s smile emerged gently.


    “So I’m the remedy for your cramps?”


    “Absolutely.”


    Caden, weary from the day’s demands, longed for nothing more than to unwind at home, basking in herfort.


    “Did you eat yet?” he inquired.


    “Yes, I’ve eaten,” Alicia responded.


    “Let’s shower and get some rest then.”


    After his exhaustive night and day, Caden showered and settled next to Alicia, his eyes fluttering shut.


    Alicia caressed his hair and face lovingly.


    As Cadenid his head near her stomach, he murmured unexpectedly, “It’s like I can hear two heartbeats when I’m this close to you.”


    Alicia’s heart fluttered with apprehension.


    She feigned calmness and whispered, “Why do you hear two heartbeats? Perhaps you’re just overly tired and imagining things.”


    Caden didn’t argue. He was worn out, too exhausted to consider it further, and kept his eyes shut.


    If only he had looked at Alicia at that moment, he might have noticed the faint blush under her eyes. And perhaps then, he would have known he was about to be a father, avoiding future regrets for both of them.


    Caden’s hand rested gently on her stomach.


    “Are you still feeling pain there?”


    With his voice sounding raspy from tiredness, Alicia murmured, “Just try to sleep.”


    Caden shifted slightly, and they held each other.


    He opened his eyes long enough to set an early rm for 5 A.M.


    Alicia’s heart ached.


    “Will you be busy again tomorrow?”


    “Yeah, it’s been chaotictely. When things ease up, I’ll take you to Crystalline to see the aurora for a few months. How does that sound?”


    Alicia wasn’t in the mood for it.


    She hesitated before asking, “Caden, what’s actually happening with your business?”


    With a casual shrug, Caden responded, “Just the usual yearly hurdles.”


    Alicia mustered a strained smile and closed her eyes, trying to drift off.


    Whenever Caden was engulfed in work, Alicia found him unreachable, and she refrained from seeking him out.


    After starting the medical treatment to sustain the pregnancy, Alicia administered one of the treatments herself. The fine needle piercing her abdomen made her twitch in pain, a cold sweat drenching her clothing.


    She had to go through this three times daily.


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