Chapter 253 - 241: Polly, Say Hello to Dad

"You—you’re insane!" The axe in Flora Bloom’s hand slipped and fell to the ground. This axe was a weapon that had been reinforced by her father, Caleb Bloom, a Second Level Gold Ability User. It could easily split the skull of a Level 3 zombie and even inflict a fatal wound on a Middle Level one.

’Even if his body was tough, an attack like that should have at least broken bones and torn muscles, right?’

"Why didn’t you dodge?"

"I’d give you my life, so what’s a small injury? As long as you’re happy."

Flora Bloom quickly tried to drip a handful of spiritual water onto Lex Cross’s wound, but a black energy blocked it from his arm, preventing it from reaching the injury.

Flora Bloom looked up and glared at Lex Cross’s face. It was slightly pale, but he was still giving her a smile that made her want to punch him. "Let me treat your wound first."

Lex Cross lowered his brows, seizing the opportunity to grab Flora Bloom’s arm and pull her into his embrace with one hand.

Seeing her start to struggle, he immediately said in a weak voice, "Don’t move. Your axe nearly chopped my arm off. It hurts."

Flora Bloom froze in Lex Cross’s arms, not daring to move, but the breath caught in her chest felt unbearable. Lex Cross chuckled softly, but in the next second, the shameless man stole all the air from her lungs.

"..."

Flora Bloom’s breath hitched for no reason. Despite her hesitation, she pushed Lex Cross away. "I told you not to touch me. I find it disgusting when you’ve been touched by other women."

Lex Cross froze for a moment. "But it’s written all over your face that you’re worried about my injury."

"Bullshit! Get the hell out!" Flora Bloom opened her bedroom door, then suddenly had a second thought. ’No, that’s not right.’ She swept aside the curtains that had been rustled by the wind. "Go back the way you came."

"Flora, it hurts."

Flora Bloom frowned deeply, her feelings complicated as she looked at the tall man before her. He was nearly two heads taller than her, with a well-built, tan body, yet his face was pale and innocent. His deep-set eyes were fixed on her as he whined in a spoiled tone.

"If it hurts, then let me treat you. If not, then get out. Lex Cross, I’m telling you, I don’t want anything that other people have touched, not even once."

Blood was still dripping from his well-muscled arm, drop by drop, the sound amplifying in Flora Bloom’s ears. The peerlessly handsome face before her seemed to grow paler, his thin, sexy lips turning white as he pressed them together, as if trying to suppress some emotion.

"If it’s dirty, we’ll just get rid of it." Lex Cross’s words echoed in Flora Bloom’s mind. He picked up the axe from the floor and stuffed it back into her hand. Then, he guided her hand, raising it high and bringing it down in a chop, aiming right for the original wound on his arm.

If this blow landed true, it would probably sever his arm completely.

Horrified but still rational, Flora Bloom quickly stored the axe in her space just before its blade could touch Lex Cross’s arm. "Are you out of your mind?!"

As the axe vanished, Flora Bloom’s hand landed directly on the wound on Lex Cross’s arm.

The sticky feel of the blood and the sight of the wound—deeper and wider than the mouth of a bowl—made Flora Bloom’s jaw drop. "Your wound!" A handful of spiritual water flowed from her palm onto Lex Cross’s injury.

A smile played on Lex Cross’s lips as he lowered his head, seizing the chance to capture Flora Bloom’s evasive lips. It was a game of cat and mouse; she pushed at his hand, so he simply wrapped his other arm around her waist and lifted her up.

"No running away!"

"Lex Cross, have you no shame?"

Flora Bloom’s hand, which had been releasing the spiritual water, let go of his nearly-healed arm. She cupped his chin with both hands and said, "How did I never realize you were so thick-skinned before?"

"I’ve already given you my life, so what’s a little face?"

With that, he took advantage of Flora Bloom’s stunned silence, and the chase finally ended in a successful capture.

"..." The victorious kiss was fleeting, but afterward, his swirling eyes ensnared Flora Bloom’s gaze before she could look away.

Flora Bloom didn’t have time to pull back the hands that were cupping Lex Cross’s chin; now they were simply resting on his cheeks. She was stuck, not knowing whether to leave them there or pull them away.

"Flora, if I hadn’t come to find you, were you planning to never see me again?"

"Yes."

"The other day, Tianna Bloom asked you if you would remain indifferent if I were to choose someone else someday."

A flicker of light crossed Flora Bloom’s eyes. "So you deliberately provoked me just because of what she said?"

"You were jealous because of Tianna Bloom, weren’t you, my Flora?" Lex Cross suddenly pulled Flora Bloom back into his arms.

"I was not!" Flora Bloom’s brows furrowed as she denied it flatly.

"You were too!"

Seeing Flora Bloom blush and turn her head away, Lex Cross held her waist with one hand and gently ruffled her hair with the other. "Tianna Bloom is nothing to me. If you’re angry at me because of her, you’re really doing me an injustice."

The soft whispers in her ear felt like a sentient plant gently brushing against her leg—tender and intimate.

"Lex Cross." Flora Bloom suddenly patted the hand he had wrapped around her, signaling for him to put her down.

Lex Cross understood. He let her down but held onto her small hand, squeezing her soft palm from time to time with a look of utter satisfaction on his face.

"What is it you even like about me? Or is it just a whim, or because of what happened that night? I already told you, I don’t need you to take responsibility."

Lex Cross sighed. His brow furrowed and unfurrowed, his expression shifting several times before he finally spoke.

"Damn it all!"

"..."

"I like you so much it’s baffling even to me." He reached out and touched Flora Bloom’s lower abdomen. "I’ll even take that little brat in your belly. How much more do you want me to like you before you’re satisfied?"

Strangely, as Lex Cross’s hand touched Flora Bloom’s abdomen, he suddenly felt a peculiar sensation. He couldn’t quite describe it—just a strange, inexplicable stirring deep in his soul.

Flora Bloom was startled by his sudden move to touch her belly. She took a sharp step back, only to be yanked back by a fierce-looking Lex Cross.

"Why are you so scared of me touching your belly? It’s not like I’m going to do anything to the little... guy! I’m a man of my word; when I say I don’t mind, I don’t mind! If you try to run away again, believe it or not, I’ll deal with you right here and now!"

Pale with fright, Flora Bloom pressed against Lex Cross, not daring to move again. "You... you really don’t mind?"

She looked at his expression curiously and saw that while his ridiculously handsome face showed some conflict, it was mostly open and honest. He still looked cold, but his eyes were filled with her reflection.

"I did mind. At first, I wanted nothing more than to kill the thing in your belly and put one of my own in there!" Lex Cross stared at Flora Bloom and said viciously.

"But if I had done that, I’m afraid it would have been a fight to the death between us."

Flora Bloom let out a breath. ’I was really too careless.’ If Lex Cross hadn’t said it himself today, she never would have known that little Polly had nearly been killed by one of his passing thoughts. ’If Lex had really tried to kill Polly,’ she thought, ’it seems the only thing I could have done was die with her, because there’s no way I could beat him.’

’I guess I should just tell him the truth. What if he changes his mind again someday?’

"You should definitely be grateful. But the one who should be most grateful is that little brat in your belly! I didn’t kill him, so when he comes out, he’d better call me Dad, or I’ll crush him sooner or later!" As he spoke, he stroked Flora Bloom’s abdomen, and a warm energy spread across it, feeling quite comfortable.

Flora Bloom found this amusing, but she put on a serious and loving expression as she caressed her belly. "She’s a girl. Your daughter."

Lex Cross froze, not taking Flora Bloom’s words as a statement of fact at all. "A daughter is good. She’ll be beautiful if she looks like you. If it’s a boy, and he looks like that... like me."

Flora Bloom suddenly took a step forward and gently wrapped her arms around Lex Cross’s waist. "Lex Cross."

Lex Cross froze for a second. "Yeah."

"Polly, say hello to Daddy." She kept Lex Cross’s hand on her abdomen. Just then, Polly made a few mischievous movements, and Lex’s palm felt a small part of her belly protrude.

"What the—" ’How is her stomach moving?’ "I swear I didn’t do anything!"

Seeing Lex Cross’s eyes go wide with panic, Flora Bloom said with a laugh, "Don’t be nervous. She’s saying hello to you!"