That afternoon, I called Sam to cancel our shopping plans,claiming I
wasn't feeling well. It wasn't entirely a lie-I could barely walk. "Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked, her voice filled with conc
ern. "You don't sound right."
"Just tired," I assured her. "I'll call you tomorrow."
After hanging up, I sat on the living room sofa, wincing as I tried
to find a comfortable position. The events of last night replayed
in my mind, bringing both embarrassment and a strange sense of
satisfaction. What was I thinking last night? Why did I provoke him like that?
I berated myself. I could have been straightforward. After all, I'm
his lawful wife-what's there to be embarrassed about?Why did I
make things so complicated?
Recalling Adam's expression when I challenged his masculinity mad
e me cringe. No wonder he was so... determined to prove me wr
ong. Joseph appeared with a tea tray. "Mrs. Lancaster, shall I leave the
afternoon tea here?" "Yes, thank you." I carefully adjusted my position, trying not to w
ince too obviously.
Joseph's face remained professionally neutral, but I saw a hint of
knowing amusement in his eyes."Mr. Lancaster called. He mention
ed he might be late tonight-an urgent business meeting."
"Isee." I took the teacup, avoiding eye contact. "He also inquired if you needed anything special for dinner.Perhap
s... something easy to digest?"
The teacup nearly slipped from my hand. "A regular dinner will b
e fine, thank you."
After Joseph left, I buried my face in a decorative pillow. Even th
e butler knows! This was beyond embarrassing.
I thought of Adam-probably sitting in some corporate boardroom r
ight now, completely composed and authoritative,while I could bar
ely walk across the room. The unfairness of it made me chuckle
bitterly into the pillow. Next time, I promised myself, I'll make him beg. A moment later, I realized what I was thinking. Next time?When had I
started taking our ongoing intimacy for granted?
I sipped my tea slowly, watching the patterns of sunlight move across the expensive carpet. Perhaps it was time to admit, at leas
t to myself, that I had fallen in love with Adam.
I am not sure when it began, but I started to care about his feel
ings,allowing him to enter my heart. Perhaps it was his unwaverin
g support in times of need, or maybe I was simply captivated by
his charm. I find myself increasingly entranced by him. Adam's POV
As I entered the main building, I immediately sensed a different a
tmosphere. It wasn't the usual quiet emptiness I felt when I cam
e home from work. There she was-Stella, asleep on the chaise lounge by the floor-to- ceiling windows. The evening sunlight cast a warm glow on her fa
ce,highlighting her delicate profile. A high-end design magazine lay
loosely in her fingers, ready to slip to the floor at any moment. She had covered herself with a cashmere blanket,perhaps feeling
cold again. Seeing her there, peacefully asleep in my domain where I had always
lived alone, made me pause. I found myself studying her features-the
dark circles under her eyes, the slight furrow of her brows even in sleep, her long lashes casting tiny shadows on her cheeks. The irritation caused by the online rumors linking her to Luke Mo
rgan dissipated, replaced by an unfamiliar feeling in my chest. Joseph appeared silently beside me."Sir, the lady woke up around
noon. After lunch. she briefly checked her phone and then fell a
sleep again."
I approached her. reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. "What's
wrong? Lost your voice?"
"Sore throat," she replied hoarsely, her voice noticeably raspier th
an in the morning.
I frowned slightly. "Caught a cold?"
She gave me a cold look, clearly conveying,"Are you serious?After
what you did to me last night?" Realization dawned, and I could
n't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. "Such a delicate flower," I commented, enjoying the flash of anno
yance on her face. Stella glared at me for a few seconds before dramatically turning away, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself. The gesture was childish, almost petulant, but somehow, I found it...endearing? In the dining room. I watched as the staff set out an exquisite m
eal-carefully selected American seafood dishes, both nutritious and
delicious. "Sir," one of the staff approached, "the lady says she's not feelin
g well and doesn't want to move. She wishes to dine on the sof
a in the living room."
I nodded, dismissing him, and returned to the living room.Stella w
as asleep again, her breathing steady and slow. *How can she sleep so much?* I wondered. *She barely moved a
ll day, is she really that tired?* The thought that I had exhausted
her brought a sense of male pride.
I reached out, gently patting her cheek. "Stella, wake up. Eat first, then you can sleep."
"Don't want to move," she mumbled without opening her eyes,he
r brows furrowing in displeasure.
I sighed. She was truly childlike. Without hesitation, I stood up fr
om my wheelchair and scooped her into my arms. Her eyes wide
ned in surprise, but her damaged throat could only produce a sm
all gasp. ###Chapter 56
"Eat first, then sleep," I said simply, carrying her to the dining room. She looked up at me, her face only inches from mine. I could
"Not really," Stella shook her head. "He's just a good person.I don't want
to cause him trouble, especially after he helped my grandmother see the confusion in her eyes. Her weight in my arms felt... right. I found myself studying the cu
rves of her face, the way her hair fell against my arm.how her b
ody fit perfectly against my chest.
I carefully placed her in a chair, watching as she yawned again an
d listlessly picked up the ginseng chicken soup. The chef had spec
ially prepared this nourishing soup. As the meal progressed, I watched her gradually regain her energ
y. The hot soup brought color back to her cheeks
"By the way," she began, her voice still hoarse but stronger than
before, "someone's spreading rumors about me and Luke on social
media. If you see him, could you apologize on my behalf?"
I put down my utensils, feeling a chill in my heart. "I'd like to apologize in person," she continued, unaware of my ch
anging mood,"bvut I don't want to disturb his work. He's probably
busy saving lives."
"Are you and Luke close?" I asked, deliberately keeping my tone c
alm. *Good person.* Hearing those words, something darkened within
me. Luke Morgan had many qualities-intelligent,arrogant, occasional
ly useful-but hearing Stella praise him irritated me more than it s
hould. "Speaking of Dr. Morgan," she mused, tapping her chin,"does he h
ave a girlfriend? I don't think I've ever heard of him dating anyon
e."
I deliberately set down my utensils. "Your throat doesn't hurt any
more?" My tone carried a clear note of displeasure. "Gossip is human nature, you know?" Stella responded lightly,com
pletely missing the warning in my voice.
I watched her continue to sip her soup, oblivious to how her inn
ocent questions affected me. A sense of possessiveness flared wit
hin me. I didn't like this feeling. Not at all. \---The master bedroom was dimly lit by the city lights streaming t
hrough the windows. I watched Stella move around the room,fres
hly bathed and dressed in silk pajamas. Just as she was about to
climb into bed, I grabbed her from behind,pinning her wrists abo
ve her head with one hand. "Mr. Lancaster!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.She looked
like a startled deer caught in headlights. Hearing her formal address, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Even now, after everything we've been through,she still called m
e that when she was shocked or nervous. "I'm-I'm tired!" she protested, looking up at me with wide eyes, her heart racing. "You've slept all day, Mrs. Lancaster," I replied, deliberately loweri
ng my voice to that tone I noticed made her pulse quicken. "It's
time for some evening... activities."
With my free hand, I reached for the bedside drawer. I saw her
eyes widen, probably thinking I was reaching for a condom.Instea
d, I pulled out the dark green tie-the one I had taken from Luke. "What are you doing?" she asked, genuine shock in her voice. When the silk touched her wrists, I saw the realization dawn in
her eyes. Her sudden understanding, the slight hitch in her breat
h-watching her reaction brought me immense satisfaction.
I gently caressed her cheek with my fingers, savoring her respons
e. "Binding you," I whispered in her ear."Perfectly."
We tussled under the covers and then out of them, and in the end, I
didn't let Stella escape, catching her by the ankle.
I massaged her ankle, giving it a gentle tug, pulling her back into myembrace, "Rogue! Let go of me!" she protested, but it was to no avail