Chapter 8

He tried to stand up every single day. Just yesterday, when Eloise saw him, he tried again. But just like always, nothing happened, he collapsed on the floor in complete embarrassment.

He went back to his wheelchair and slapped the armrest in frustration. Then he heard a woman’s voice say, “Don’t rush it, just take your time.”

He looked up in surprise and saw Eloise. He quickly looked away and asked coldly, “Why did you come in?”

Eloise replied innocently, “I knocked, and you told me to come in.”

Cosmo didn’t respond. She was right, he did tell her to come in. But he thought it was Jiro, so his face remained emotionless.

Eloise walked closer and noticed a piece of paper on the small table. Most likely, it was the prenuptial agreement she had drafted and sent through Jiro.

Cosmo handed it to her without any emotion. “I added a few terms. Read it. If you don’t have any objections, go ahead and sign it.”

As Eloise read through the document, she realized all the added conditions were in Cosmo’s favor and potentially disadvantageous to her. But she figured she could handle them, so she didn’t complain. After reading, she signed it right away and gave it back to Cosmo.

Cosmo was a bit surprised. He thought Eloise was only pretending to agree, acting like she was on board but planning to back out in the end. He didn’t expect her to sign it that quickly.

The way she signed so easily made Cosmo wonder what she was up to.

Then Eloise suddenly pulled out two cakes she bought earlier. “Mango or chocolate, which one do you want?”

The cakes were small, neatly made, and smelled sweet and inviting.

She sounded like she was trying to soothe a child, so Cosmo refused her coldly. “I don’t like sweets.”

But Eloise didn’t back down. “I like the mango flavor, so I’ll give you this one! Sometimes, it’s okay to eat something sweet.”

Cosmo just stared at the little mango cake she placed in his hands. She said she liked mango, yet she gave that one to him?

Most people would keep what they liked and give others what was left. But she was the opposite.

She spoke again, more seriously this time. “Sometimes, it’s okay to break old habits. Try something different, you might be surprised what good can come from it.”

Cosmo had no response.

Eloise went down to the kitchen to make two cups of tea, one for him, one for her. They ate the cake together while drinking tea.

Afterward, she took out her sketchbook and pen. She sat on the couch, quietly drawing.

Her hair was down, with one side tucked behind her ear. Half of her gentle face was visible, calm and focused on what she was doing. The room was silent, except for the soft sounds of her pen on paper.

While eating the mango cake, Cosmo noticed that Eloise wasn’t at all like the rumors he had heard, she seemed sweet, but there was a quiet strength in her.

Before he knew it, he had finished the cake. He frowned, annoyed at himself for falling into whatever spell she was casting. He dropped the empty box and fork, then drank the tea.

But that only made him more irritated. What was with this woman?

Eloise quickly finished her design. Tomorrow, she’d buy fabric and start working. She planned to finish everything within three days, just in time for Don Jose’s birthday.

She set her sketchbook aside and noticed that Cosmo had finished both the cake and the tea. She glanced at him discreetly, but she couldn’t read his expression.

Quietly, she packed up her things and went downstairs. While washing the cups in the kitchen, she ran into Tania, who seemed to be looking for her.

Tania had come to visit Cosmo, but she also had something to say to Eloise. When they sat in the living room, she got straight to the point.

“There’s only one real reason you’re here to take care of Cosmo. More than anything, you need to give him a child.”

Eloise closed her eyes briefly. She and Cosmo were only married on paper. How was she supposed to explain that?

Instead, she gave a calm smile and said, “Mom, Cosmo and I just got married. I don’t think we should rush that. Right now, his recovery is more important.”

But Tania didn’t agree. “Cosmo’s recovering well. He just can’t walk yet, but that’s no reason he can’t have a child.”

Eloise clearly remembered what Elaine and Ardiel said during their private conversation, Cosmo had been injured in that part of his body, making it impossible for him to have children.

But now, Tania was saying there shouldn’t be any problem. Did this mean she didn’t know the real condition of her son?

Eloise was confused, but kept her expression composed. “Having a child shouldn’t be rushed. For me, it’s something that should happen naturally. Cosmo… he, ”

Tania cut her off. “Do you not want to give Cosmo a child? Or are you actually disgusted by him?”

She quickly denied it. “No! I don’t think that at all. It’s just… Cosmo didn’t only go through physical pain, he went through something emotional too. He needs time to recover and adjust. This just isn’t the right time for a child.”

Tania wasn’t convinced. She was still hoping for a miracle, that Cosmo would fully recover. But she also knew there was a real chance he might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

That’s why she rushed the wedding, and now she wanted to rush the idea of having a child too, to secure her son’s position.

Her tone turned firm as she said, “In this matter, you need to follow my lead. Given Cosmo’s condition, it’s up to you to make it happen. If you really want to, there’s nothing he can do to refuse…”

Eloise froze.

She never imagined the day would come when she’d hear her own mother-in-law basically instructing her on how to sleep with her own son.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She feared that if she kept resisting, Tania would only go on and on about it. So, quickly, she said, “Mom, I understand everything you’re saying.”

Tania, pleased with her obedient tone, gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Eloise, this is for your own good, for both you and Cosmo. I hope you understand where I’m coming from.”

Eloise nodded. “I understand.”

After their conversation, Tania went upstairs to Cosmo’s room. As expected, his expression hadn’t changed, still cold and unreadable. She stayed with him for more than ten minutes before finally leaving the house.

Eloise waited until she was gone before heading back to their room.

When she walked in, Cosmo was staring at her like he had something on his mind. Then, without hesitation, he asked, “Did you promise my mom you’d give me a child?”

It was a direct question, so she gave a quick and honest answer. “No! I only pretended to agree so she’d stop talking about it.”

Cosmo gave a faint, mocking smile. “You only played along today. But what about tomorrow? And the days after that? If you already can’t stand up to her now, what makes you think you’ll be able to do it a year or two from now?”

She had no answer. After a deep breath, she asked humbly, “Well, you’ve got a point. Given the situation… do you have a better idea?”

Since the problem came from his mother, and Eloise wasn’t the only one who should be dealing with it, she figured it was fair to throw the issue back to Cosmo.

But he knew her too well, and his smile turned bitter. “None. You’re the one who made a promise to her, so it’s your mess to handle.”

Eloise looked at his handsome face, so full of authority, with that noble aura he always carried. She gave a small nod and said, “In that case, the easiest solution is to just do what Mom said. According to her, with the way you are now, you couldn’t stop me even if I wanted to do something, right?”

Cosmo’s face darkened.

Eloise walked closer, almost teasing, lowering her gaze as if seducing him, and flashed a playful smile. “She said it’s just your legs that are injured. It’s not like that’s going to stop you from making a baby.”

Cosmo’s eyes widened in shock, instantly irritated. “Eloise, don’t you dare!”