Walking Away While Pregnant: Dear Ex-Husband, I Don't Love You Anymore

Chapter 129: Chapter 129

Elise’s heart gave a sudden leap. She tried to pull away, but Dylan seemed to have anticipated her move, his large hand tightening around her ankle.

His hands were long and elegantly formed, yet beneath their handsome appearance, a few rough calluses marred his palms. Those calluses scraped softly against the delicate skin of her ankle.

Elise’s breath caught. "Dylan, let go!"

Dylan looked up at the sound of her voice, completely ignoring the irritation in her eyes. Calm and composed, he said, "The herbal compress only works well when paired with the right massage technique. Don’t move."

"I don’t want a massage. Let me go."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Do you want your feet to be so swollen tomorrow that you can’t even fit into your shoes?"

Elise bit her lip, momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing that she had stopped resisting, Dylan lowered his head and began to massage her feet with deft, nimble fingers. It had to be said that his technique was exceptional—he found the pressure points with precision, applying just the right amount of force.

The scent of herbs drifted through the air. Under his practiced touch, Elise felt a soothing warmth spread from the soles of her feet. Following a wave of tingling numbness, the aching soreness that had plagued her all night began to dissolve.

As her body relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Elise raised a hand to cover a yawn, rubbing her heavy eyelids. She was so tired. After several successive yawns, a thin mist of tears filmed her eyes.

Dylan glanced up at her, his gaze deep and inscrutable. "Sleepy?"

Elise yawned again. She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open, lacking even the energy to glare at him.

Seeing this, Dylan pressed his lips together and remained silent. Reaching for a dry towel nearby, he lifted her feet, wrapped them gently, and rested them across his thighs. With her feet resting on his lap through the fabric, Elise simply let him do as he pleased.

Once he finished drying her feet, he looked up. "You can sleep now."

Elise immediately retracted her feet, turned over, pulled up the duvet, and slipped inside. Turning her back to him, she closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

Being pregnant had already made her prone to drowsiness, and combined with the sheer physical exhaustion of the day, she could no longer care whether Dylan stayed or left. The moment her eyes closed, she fell into a deep, dead sleep.

Dylan carried the basin into the bathroom, washed his hands, and stepped back out.

The lights in the room were still on. On the large bed, Elise lay on her side, half of her face buried in the soft pillow, while her exposed cheek bore a soft, rosy flush. She was fast asleep, the tension in her brow completely smoothed away.

Dylan walked over to the bedside and leaned down to sit beside her. Slowly reaching out, his fingertips brushed lightly against her tender cheek. Looking closely, he realized her complexion had improved significantly over this period, and her cheeks were slightly fuller than before.

He watched her in silence, his dark eyes reflecting her peaceful, sleeping face.

It seemed she had truly been happy this past week. In the photos and videos Oliver had sent him, she was always alone—sometimes by the seaside, sometimes wandering the streets of an ancient town. Most often, she could be seen sitting by the window of a milk tea shop, pen in hand, head bowed, completely absorbed in sketching her designs.

Elise possessed an extraordinary talent for design; Dylan had known this for a long time. Yet while in Rainport, she hadn’t been drawing the jewelry designs she excelled at, but rather qipaos. Only then did Dylan realize that she also knew apparel design.

She seemed to be full of hidden surprises—intelligent, capable, and brilliant. It was just that for the past five years, she had been shrouded in darkness and pain. During those five years, she was alive, yet it was as if she had never truly lived.

The memory of those painful times brought a sudden ache to Dylan’s chest. He knit his brows tightly, shifting his gaze to her hand resting near the edge of the pillow. The back of her hand was fair, her fingers slender and pale as jade. He couldn’t resist reaching out to gently hold it.

Elise was sleeping so deeply that she didn’t notice her hand being held at all.

Dylan’s thumb lightly caressed her ring finger. This was where their wedding ring belonged, but now it was completely bare. Her skin was fair, yet after taking off the wedding ring she had worn for five years, not even a trace of a mark remained.

Dylan stared at her bare ring finger, his eyes darkening with unreadable emotions. The wound on his back gave a dull, throbbing ache. As he gazed at her sleeping face, a deep sense of loneliness gradually welled up in his eyes.

The main lights in the room went out, leaving only a dim nightlight by the bed. The warm orange glow enveloped the two of them—one lying down, one sitting. Their silhouettes stretched against the wall.

His tall, slender silhouette slowly leaned down—

In her dream, Elise caught the faint, familiar scent of juniper. Her eyelashes fluttered, and in her dazed state, she slowly opened her eyes. Through her blurred vision, she could only make out a familiar figure gradually walking away...

She was simply too exhausted; turning over, she drifted back to sleep. In her dreams, the scent of juniper slowly faded. The fog cleared, giving way to a night of peaceful sleep.

...

When she woke up again, it was broad daylight. Elise sat up and threw back the duvet to check her feet. Thankfully, the swelling had gone down!

Memories of what happened in the middle of the night flooded back. Instinctively, she glanced at the nightstand. The bag containing the herbal compress sat right there, a physical reminder that everything from last night had actually happened.

She stared at the bag, her expression a complex knot of emotions.

In truth, during the first year of their marriage, they really did share many warm and beautiful moments. If not for what happened later, Elise thought she probably would have loved Dylan for the rest of her life, and they might have grown old together.

Unfortunately, there were no "what-ifs." Those events were like fine needles buried deep within her heart—too thin to remove, too deep to ignore, forever a source of quiet ache.

Yet, putting their marital issues aside, Dylan was doing a decent job as an expectant father. Whether it was five years ago or now, he had clearly done a lot of research regarding her pregnancy. Of course, she used to believe it was because he loved and cherished her. Now, she wouldn’t let herself indulge in such wishful thinking.

She knew perfectly well that Dylan merely valued the child—this child who shared his true bloodline. She chalked it up to a man’s obsession with heirs. Since ancient times, the more powerful a man was, the more obsessed he became with securing his lineage.

Therefore, Elise felt neither moved nor grateful for the fleeting moments of tenderness Dylan showed her now. Because the more he cared about the child, the higher the probability that he would fight her for custody in the future.

If it were a daughter, it might be easier, but if it were a son...

Knock, knock.

A knock on the door cut through her train of thought. Snapping out of it, she looked toward the door. "Come in."

The door pushed open, and Kaia poked her head inside, her almond eyes bright and sparkling. Looking at Elise, she offered a sweet smile. "Elise, are you getting up?"

"Yes, I just woke up. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I just woke up too, and my stomach is growling. What are we having for breakfast?"

"Order whatever you like. My treat."

Kaia beamed. "Then I’ll just have room service deliver it. By the time you’re done washing up, breakfast should be here."

Elise smiled slightly. "Alright."

Kaia closed the door. Elise tossed back the covers, got out of bed, and walked into the bathroom.

After freshening up, she changed into a comfortable dress and stepped out of her room. Over by the dining table, Kaia was setting out the plates. A lavish spread of breakfast was laid out across the table.

"Is hotel service really this fast?" Elise asked as she walked over and pulled out a chair.

"I didn’t order this," Kaia replied, sitting across from her. She winked playfully and teased, "Mr. Bennett from next door had the hotel send it up."

Hearing this, Elise paused mid-scoop, her spoon hovering over the porridge.