FULL NOVELXO Chapter 1703
Jamie's eyes landed on the large bouquet of red roses in Ben's hands.
"You knew about this all along, didn't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's why I got you these flowers. Will you forgive me?" Ben's gentle smile softened his usually reserved demeanor, revealing a rare warmth that seemed out of character. Jamie hesitated for a moment before taking the bouquet. "Fine, I'll forgive you... but just this once," she said, pretending to sound reluctant.
Ben chuckled at her tone, his amusement evident as he turned his head slightly to hide another laugh.
Meanwhile, Charlie covered his face with his hands, but the little boy's curiosity got the better of him, and he peeked through his fingers to watch.
Nina cleared her throat loudly. "Alright, we get it-you two are ridiculously cute. But could you save it for later? If we don't start eating soon, the food's going to get cold!" Jamie pulled Charlie close and led him to the table.
Everyone sat down to eat together.
Looking around the table, Jamie noticed the spread of dishes. The nanny wasn't in sight, and she couldn't help but wonder who had prepared everything. She turned to Nina. "Did you make all of this?" Nina nodded as she served Orion some food. "Part of it, yes. But some of it was made by your husband." She motioned toward Ben with her utensils.
Jamie glanced at Ben in surprise, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Weren't you at the office all day?"
Ben casually ladled soup into her bowl, his movements practiced and natural. "Some of the dishes needed preparation ahead of time. I learned how to make them and stored them in the fridge earlier." Jamie opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. A mix of emotion and amusement swirled in her heart.
They had gone to so much trouble to celebrate her birthday, even secretly preparing food and coordinating together.
To think she had almost forgotten her own birthday. She hadn't celebrated it in so long that it had stopped feeling important.
She couldn't imagine how they had managed to pull it all off without her noticing.
Charlie pouted. "Mommy, aren't you happy? I helped cook, too!"
Jamie laughed, pinching his cheek. "Of course I'm happy! Since you helped make it, you should eat more of it."
When it came time to cut the cake, Jamie handled the first slice herself. Most of the pieces went to the two kids, while a large portion was left uneaten and put in the fridge.
The children enjoyed the sugary
treat, but the adults didn't seem as interested. Jamie, in particular, was trying to watch her sugar intake and didn't want to indulge late at night.
en FindNovel
As the evening wound down, Jamie walked Nina and Orion downstairs.
Before leaving, Nina, holding Orion in her arms, gave Jamie a playful wink. "Your husband seems to have prepared another surprise for you. Make sure to search the house carefully when you go back."
Jamie blinked in surprise. "There's more?"
She had assumed the roses were the entire surprise.
Seeing her reaction, Nina sighed dramatically "Some people don't realize how good they have it. Anyone else would be over the. moon if their husband went allout, but here you are, acting like it's a hassle."
Jamie smiled helplessly. "I'm not complaining. I just think... it's all so thoughtful, maybe even too much."
"Isn't that a good thing? He's willing to treat you well. You made the right choice with him, you know," Nina said, patting Jamie's shoulder before heading to her car.
Jamie stood in the cold for a moment, lost in thought.
Just as the chill began to seep in, a warm coat was draped over her shoulders.
The fabric was still warm, carrying the familiar scent she knew so well.
Ben's voice followed, low and gentle. "They've gone. Why are you still standing here? Let's head back inside."
Jamie nodded lightly, murmuring an "okay."
As they walked back up, she suddenly asked, "Nina said you left me another surprise in the house. Where did you hide it?"
Ben paused mid-step, raising an eyebrow with a small, amused smirk. "That's for you to figure out. You'll have to find it yourself."