Chapter 33 Staying Overnight The sudden warmth made Ariana sleepy. She pressed her head into the pillow, breathing deeply. A pleasant scent filled her nostrils. Ariana wondered if her bed felt cold to Alina, so the little girl looked for something warmer and accidentally came to Theodore's room. Ariana was silent for a while. Theodore glanced over to her to see her eyes were drooping. "If you dare fall asleep first, I'll throw you out," he said coldly. Ariana grumbled into the pillow, "I know what I am doing. Why are you so angry?". He was being difficult and cold-hearted for no apparent reason. She adjusted herself and started patting Alina's back, trying to comfort her to sleep. Alina's sobs gradually subsided, and she held Theodore's arm tightly. It was as if she was stubbornly holding onto a beloved toy. "Alina, do you want to hear a story? Have you heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood?" Ariana asked gently. When Alina didn't respond, Theodore sneered, "Would that really help? That's a horrible story. It could traumatize her. At this, Ariana raised her eyebrows in challenge. "Okay, how about you tell her a story?". He snorted at this, his face turned away. "I would never do such a childish thing. "Yes, you're right, I'm being childish. " Ariana knew there was no point in. arguing. After Theodore's comments, she opted for singing a lullaby instead of. telling the stories

A soft melody soon filled the room. Her voice was sweet and warm, like a spring breeze. Slowly but surely, it dispelled the chill of the winter night. The rain had stopped pattering on the windows and it was pitch dark outside. Ariana's features were lit by the warm yellow lamp light. Seeing this,. Theodore could feel his body gradually relax. Her presence here late at night seemed to bring some warmth into his. cold heart. The soft hum of her voice in his ears gently pulled him into a trance. He couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or not. As a child, his mother had also sung a lullaby like this to send him to sleep when he fell sick. It was one of the only nice memories he had. Little by little the humming became quieter before it faded away completely. He turned to Ariana to see she was fast asleep, Alina cradled in her arms. Theodore frowned and wanted to shake Ariana awake, but for some reason, he didn't make a move. He stared at her sleeping face for a while. She was too trusting. How could she let her guard down and fall asleep next toa man? #. But Theodore decided to let her sleep in peace. He then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep himself. The next morning, Ariana woke up in a daze. Staring at the chandelier above, she wracked her brain for what had. happened and where she was. She had no such chandelier in her room

Then, all of a sudden, her memory flooded back to her. She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. She had fallen asleep while trying to put Alina to bed. Sitting up, she pulled the quilt up to cover her body. But Theodore was nowhere to be seen. She was surprised. Why hadn't he thrown her out last night?. Next to her, Alina was still fast sleep. She stroked her head lovingly and her mind wandered to the possible baby she was carrying. "I need to go for an examination in two weeks," she muttered to herself. This thought brought with it mixed feelings. Now she wasn't sure. whether she wanted a baby or not. It seemed that neither Theodore nor Helen wanted her to have the baby. With a sigh, her mind focused back on the present. She leaned over Alina and tucked her in before getting out of the bed herself. She needed to go to her room and freshen up. As she opened the door, she spied Judy passing by in the corridor. When they locked eyes, Judy's expression went from surprise to joy before landing on worry. Judy looked down at Ariana's stomach. "Mrs. Anderson, you might be. pregnant. You better be careful," she warned her, earnestly