Alpha Hayley’s Destined Mate
Chapter 655: An Unwelcome Suggestion
Hayley’s POV:
“Birth control pills.” Claudio’s expression was utterly serious; there wasn’t the slightest hint of a joke. “We’re both men. I know exactly what you’re thinking.” He continued, “Let me be blunt—she’s still young. She shouldn’t be burdened with a child so soon. And with how precious her health is, taking birth control pills would only harm her body. As a man, it’s your responsibility to handle this instead.”
The entire living room fell into dead silence when he finished speaking. I was utterly dumbfounded. The second I processed what he’d just said, my first instinct was to let Hera take over and make him vanish on the spot. Or, at the very least, shut him up permanently!
“Cough, cough, cough.” Even Frederick, who had been maintaining a serious demeanor, couldn’t hold back his laughter and had to disguise it as a cough. Meanwhile, Benjamin’s face had darkened considerably. His hands remained buried in his pockets, making no move to accept the pills. A suffocating pressure radiated from him. The look in his eyes made it very clear—he was not pleased.
Benjamin’s POV:
I hadn’t expected Hayley’s so-called close friend to do something this outrageous in public. Or was this actually Hayley’s intention all along? Was she just using him to deliver the message? Did this mean she had never seriously considered having children with me? And if that was the case, had she never planned on becoming my Luna either?
Lost in thought, I was abruptly pulled back to reality when Hayley shot up and smacked Claudio on the head. “Are you out of your damn mind?! Who gives someone birth control pills as a greeting gift?!”
“Ow!” He clutched his head, looking pitifully aggrieved. “You don’t get it! I’m doing this for your own good! You’re an SI—” Mid-sentence, he abruptly stopped himself. His eyes darted shrewdly as if trying to devise an excuse. I immediately picked up on it—he was hiding something.
Chapter 655: An Unwelcome Suggestion
What else was she keeping from me? Just as sharp as I was, Frederick didn’t hesitate to ask, “SI what?”
“SI… SI…” Claudio stammered. Pacing half a lap around the room, he suddenly pointed at a hand cream sitting on the coffee table. “SI—II’s civilian ambassador! A perfect figure, flawless looks, impeccable skin—she has to maintain peak condition at all times! Pregnancy accelerates aging!”
After making his grand declaration, he returned to us with a straight face. “Do you guys seriously not know about SI–II? It’s a luxury skincare brand!”
“Tsk, men—none of you understand women.”
“Does that brand even exist?” Frederick asked skeptically, glancing at me.
Annoyed, I gave a curt nod. “Yeah.” Southwell Group often gifted high-end skincare products to clients, and SI–II was indeed one of the brands on the list.
“By the way, I didn’t catch your name,” Frederick continued.
Hayley’s POV:
I quickly cut in when Frederick asked for his name before Claudio could answer. “Phillip Winslow.” Benjamin shot me an unmistakably displeased look. I had no idea what I’d done to upset him this time. His attitude toward me had been cold all day. Ignoring him, I turned to Claudio and said, “He’s in the room—don’t waste time.”
“Got it.” With a sharp nod, Claudio immediately slipped into the chamber where Dominic’s coffin was placed. I followed right behind him. Benjamin and Frederick came in after us. As Claudio quickly examined Dominic, his brows furrowed tightly, his expression growing more serious by the second. It had been long since I’d seen him look this grave. Uneasy, I finally broke the silence. “Well? How is he?”