Chapter 16 She Wants Your Man

Lucien was annoyed. He reached out to snatch the key card from Thalia's hand, but she dodged him with ease and shot him a warning glare. Lucien snapped, "Thalia!" Thalia rolled her eyes. "What? Dr. Ainsworth's never been here. I was just explaining how the hotel's laid out. There's no need to shout." "Can you stop making a scene?" Thalia ignored him completely. She shoved the second-floor suite's key card into Talia's hand without giving her the chance to say no. "Dr. Ainsworth, I've stayed here plenty of times. If you're not sure where things are, just ask me. The restaurant's down the hall to your right." Talia glanced at the card in her hand, then lifted her gaze to meet Thalia's. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Thalia was flaunting the fact that Lucien listened to her and did whatever she said. But Talia met her gaze without flinching, making it clear she couldn't care less. She waved the key card and said softly, "Thank you, Ms. Griffin, but I can always ask the staff if I get lost. No need to trouble yourself with showing me the way." Thalia smiled and nodded. "Sure. Whatever you say, Dr. Ainsworth." Talia hadn't packed much for this trip. She was never the type to care about fashion, and her wardrobe was simple. Most of the time, she wore a doctor's coat at work anyway, so even the nicest clothes would just go to waste. She'd only brought a few undergarments, all stuffed into her handbag. "I'll head to my room first," Talia said. She didn't bother with the elevator and took the stairs up to the second floor instead. Once she got in the room and closed the door, the fatigue finally caught up with her. Every muscle in her body felt heavy and worn out. Her phone had been ringing non-stop with call after call from Abigail. She finally answered. "Hello?" "What happened? Weren't you two just heading off for a vacation? Why did you suddenly decide to get a divorce?" Talia gave her a rough rundown of the day. As soon as Abigail heard it all, she scoffed and said without hesitation, "Divorce him. That whole best friend act is garbage. Thalia came back for one reason. She wants your man." "Abby, are you free tomorrow?" Talia asked. "Yeah. Why?" "It's hard to get a ride from up here. Can you come pick me up tomorrow?" Abigail agreed without missing a beat. "Of course." … Talia didn't even bother showing up for lunch. Lucien did call and ask if she wanted to join them for lunch. "I'm allergic to seafood," she said. "There are other dishes besides seafood." "No, thanks. I'm already full." "What did you eat?" "A full serving of public display of affection." Lucien fell silent. Talia had no interest in continuing the conversation. "Let's talk later. I'm tired." "We did get up early today. Alright, rest for now. I'll come get you for dinner." "No need. Let's just meet at the restaurant. Ms. Griffin already told me the way. I'll find it." After she finished speaking, she hung up before Lucien could respond. She'd gotten up painfully early, and once again, her superpower kicked in. She sank straight into deep sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already past five in the afternoon. She'd slept for over three hours straight. She was never the type to nap during the day, but lately she'd been feeling unusually sleepy, as if she could doze off anytime and anywhere. She wasn't sure if it was her packed work schedule or the daily mind games with Thalia, but whatever it was, it had left her completely drained. Suddenly, a heavy thought struck her. Years of medical experience told her that her drowsiness was caused by her pregnancy. When she realized that, Talia honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Thanks to the baby, she'd managed to sleep despite all the drama Thalia stirred up. But she was afraid she couldn't keep this baby. … The dinner service started right at six. Talia headed straight to the restaurant, and it was still mostly empty. Lucien and Thalia hadn't shown up yet. She ordered two plates of lasagna and a cup of warm milk. Lasagna might be tasty, but it wasn't exactly the healthiest choice, especially for someone pregnant. At least the milk was rich in protein, which was good for Thalia's condition. Talia suddenly felt pathetic. Even after being humiliated like that, she still couldn't go against her professional conscience and put a pregnant woman at risk. Right as the lasagna and milk were brought to her table, Lucien and Thalia walked in. "Ms. Griffin, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just ordered you some milk. Feel free to get whatever you want," Talia said. Thalia nodded and sat across from her. She took one sip of the milk and immediately turned to spit it out. Talia's professional instincts kicked in. Her first thought was morning sickness. She reflexively grabbed a few napkins and handed them over. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine," Thalia said, visibly annoyed. "Dr. Ainsworth, if you don't know what I like, maybe don't order for me next time." Talia was still holding out the napkins, but Thalia didn't even glance at them. Her hand lingered awkwardly in the air. Seeing that, Lucien stepped in and took the napkins from her. "Did the milk have sugar in it?" "I… didn't ask." "Thalia only drinks plain milk. She never drinks it with sugar." Talia realized what was going on and scoffed. "So what? A little sugar makes her gag?" "Not really. I just don't like sweetened milk. I'd rather spit it out than swallow it," Thalia said calmly. Talia raised her hand and called a server over. "Take this milk away." "No need," Thalia said. "Lucien can drink it. We paid for it, so why let it go to waste?" As soon as she finished speaking, she shoved the glass of milk into Lucien's hands without waiting for a response. Then, she noticed the lasagna in front of Lucien. She picked up her fork, poked around the food, and pulled out a strip of green bell pepper. "Is this a bell pepper?" she asked. "Yeah," Talia replied. "Dr. Ainsworth, didn't you know? Lucien can't stand lasagna, and he hates the taste of bell pepper." This time, Talia ignored her and continued eating. Lucien tried to smooth things over. "Talia's been really busy at the hospital. It's my fault for not mentioning it. I don't love it, but I can eat a little. It's really not a big deal." As he spoke, he picked up his plate and took several bites of the lasagna. Thalia was furious. She suddenly shot to her feet, grabbed the plate out of his hands, and slammed it down on the table. "If you don't like it, then don't eat it. Why are you always putting yourself last for someone else? Isn't marriage supposed to make you happy? What's the point if you're always sacrificing?" The restaurant had started to fill up, and her sudden outburst drew a few curious glances from nearby tables. Lucien frowned. "Thalia, that's enough." Thalia said coldly, "I really don't get it. You two barely know each other. How can you be married?" Talia stood up after finishing her food. "I'm full. Order whatever you want. I'm going back to my room." Lucien immediately got up as well. "I'll walk you back." "That's not necessary." "Then… how about a walk? The view here's beautiful, especially at night—" Talia headed straight for the exit. "No, thanks. I've got a report to write."