Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 679: Innocent eyes and messy curls

"Oliver could be a useful contact," Jeniva said, sliding her phone back into her purse. "That’s why I gave him my number. And Your Highness, don’t look so surprised. You usually don’t bother speaking to anyone unless they demand your attention. Don’t forget that," she reminded him with a knowing look.

Dominick kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, choosing not to rise to the bait.

They stepped into the mall. Jeniva smoothed her coat and turned to him. "Let’s part ways here. I have my errands, and you clearly want your ’peaceful’ walk."

"Why?" Dominick asked. "Stay close to me. Since Evan isn’t here, you should step up and act as my bodyguard, shouldn’t you?" He arched his brows at her, a challenging glint in his eyes.

Jeniva paused, contemplating for a moment. If anything happened to Dominick, she might get blamed. And she didn’t want any sort of problem upon herself.

She sighed, giving a reluctant nod. "Alright."

The mall was even more sprawling than they had anticipated. Jeniva slowed her pace as they approached a boutique. Stopping at the entrance of a lingerie store, she turned to Dominick with a slight flush on her cheeks.

"I have to go in here to pick up a few things for myself," she advised, her tone shifting to something more assertive. "In the meantime, the Prince can explore the adjacent shops. I won’t be long."

Dominick offered a noncommittal hum and watched her disappear behind the glass doors. Left to his own devices, he wandered into the neighboring shop, a high-end artificial jewelry store.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The staff froze, their eyes widening as they recognized the royal presence immediately. "Your Highness! It is an honor," the manager stammered, bowing deeply.

Dominick hadn’t intended to purchase a single thing, but under the weight of their expectant gazes, he felt he had to at least browse. He moved toward a glass display of intricate bracelets, his fingers tracing the edge of the counter.

As he looked at the shimmering stones, a sudden memory hit him. His mind drifted back to a time when life felt simpler. He remembered standing in similar stores, carefully selecting small, meaningful gifts for Juniper.

"Would you like to buy this, Your Highness?" the sales assistant asked softly, her voice breaking through his trance. She pointed to a delicate bracelet beneath the glass where Dominick had absentmindedly fixed his gaze.

"Yes," Dominick lied, the word leaving his lips before he could fully process it.

The woman moved with practiced efficiency, lifting the piece from its velvet cushion to show him the intricate craftmanship. Dominick barely looked at it. He couldn’t focus on the shimmer of the stones; his mind was still clouded by the memories of his past.

"Pack it," he said shortly.

He reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out his leather wallet and sliding a black card from its slot.

The lady returned moments later, presenting a small, silver-embossed bag and his card with a graceful flourish. "Thank you for visiting us, Your Highness," she said, bowing deeply.

Dominick took the bag with a curt nod and stepped back out into the bright, noisy corridor of the mall. He stood near the entrance of the lingerie store, the small gift dangling from his fingers.

’Why did I even buy it? Who can I even give this to? Should I just throw it away?’ he thought, the small bag feeling heavier with every passing second.

He was pulled from his spiral by a sudden, soft pressure against his knee. He looked down and froze.

"Papa!" a tiny voice chirped.

Dominick immediately recoiled, his heart hammering against his ribs. He shot a frantic look around the corridor. If a tabloid journalist or even a gossiping passerby had heard that, it would be on the front page of every paper by morning. A royal scandal was the last thing the palace needed.

He looked back at the boy, who couldn’t have been more than two years old, with wide, innocent eyes and messy curls.

"Danny!" a woman’s voice called out sharply. The boy’s mother rushed forward, quickly scooping the toddler into her arms before he could reach for Dominick’s coat again.

The woman’s face paled as she realized exactly who her son had approached. "Your Highness!" she stammered, bowing as low as she could while clutching the wriggling child. "I am so sorry! I apologize if my boy caused any trouble. He—he just likes tall people."

Dominick simply shook his head, unable to find his voice. He watched in silence as the lady hurried away, the boy waving over her shoulder. The encounter not only left a bitter taste in his mouth, but also a reminder of a family he dreamed of having with Juniper. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Your Highness, did I make you wait for too long?" Jeniva asked, appearing at his side with a few bags of her own. She noticed the small, elegant jewelry bag in his hand and paused.

Dominick shook his head, feeling a bit troubled now.

"Are you done with the shopping?" he asked, trying to shake off the lingering image of the little boy.

"Yes," Jeniva replied, her eyes dropping to the small, elegant bag in his hand. She noticed it, but she was tactful enough not to comment immediately. "Shall we have lunch? I read reviews of a restaurant in this place. They were amazing. Let’s have lunch there," she suggested.

Dominick didn’t refuse. He followed her lead through the maze of the mall until they reached a high-end restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner. The atmosphere was refined, with soft lighting. Once they were seated at a secluded table, Dominick took charge, ordering meals for them both while Jeniva distracted herself by scrolling through her phone.

The silence between them felt different now, less tense, but still heavy with the things they weren’t saying. Finally, Dominick reached to the chair next to him and pushed the small bag across the table toward her.

"I ended up entering a jewelry shop and bought a bracelet there since I thought walking out empty-handed wouldn’t be nice," he said as he tried to sound indifferent. "Keep this. I couldn’t throw it away."

Jeniva looked up from her phone, her eyebrows rising in genuine surprise. She looked at the bag, then back at him. "Why would you throw away expensive jewelry?" she murmured, her fingers tentatively touching the paper handle.

"That’s why I’m giving it to you," Dominick replied, leaning back in his chair and looking away toward the window. "Better you wear it than it ending up in the trash."

"You could have given it to your sister once you returned to the capital," Jeniva stated.

Dominick met her gaze and let out a short, dry chuckle. "Kate prefers diamonds. You ask too many questions, Jeniva. If you don’t want it, then—" He paused, reaching across the table to take the bag back.

"No," Jeniva said quickly, pulling the bag closer to her chest and out of his reach. "I will keep it safe. Gifts from royalty shouldn’t be refused; it would be bad luck, wouldn’t it?"

Dominick smiled at her words. She also passed him a smile oblivious to the fact that a reporter had already clicked the pictures of them.