04
“Don’t move!” I stubbornly pulled his hand back before he could withdraw it, meticulously applying antiseptic
and wrapping the bandage. Maybe it was my firm tone, but for once, he didn’t resist
Only after I finished tending to his wound did my emotions finally crack. My vision blurred as tears welled up, my
voice coming out in a broken whisper.
“Mr. Kensington… I know this marriage is just an arrangement, but I meant what I said before.” I swallowed, trying
to steady my breathing. “I really do want to take care of you.
“But I don’t know what’s wrong with me… I just got here and you keep getting hurt because I haven’t been taking good enough care of you.” I kept my head down, ashamed to meet his gaze. When I noticed his left ankle slightly swollen, the guilt crushed me further and I hurriedly applied some ointment to ease the swelling.
“Are you crying?”
Zane immediately stiffened, his hands reaching for mine, his expression alarmed. “Why are you crying? Please, don’t cry,” he murmured, cupping my face with both hands, his thumbs gently wiping away my tears
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry,” his voice was laced with urgency. “I promise, from now on, I’ll listen to you. Whatever I need, I’ll ask you, alright?” He exhaled, the weight in his chest seeming to ease
“I just… I didn’t want you to think I was useless, so I tried to handle things myself,”
“You’re not!” Without thinking, I clamped my hand over his mouth, cutting him off. “You’re independent, smart and one of the strongest people I know.”
“You built the Kensington name into something untouchable. You lead with intelligence and strength.
- th. No one
can compare to you. You’re incredible.
“Liv…” he whispered.
The warmth of his lips brushed against my palm, sending a jolt through me. The way he whispered my
name
in that husky voice–something about it felt strangely familiar, like a long–forgotten memory resurfacing. I quickly pulled my hand back, but he caught it, holding it tightly.
“You don’t know how much that means to me.” His fingers tightened slightly around mine. “Ever since I lost my sight in the accident, people have been watching from the sidelines, waiting for me to fall apart. They whisper behind my back, waiting for me to fail.”
“Other than my family, you’re the only one who still sees me as I was. Who believes I’m still capable.”
He took a deep breath, his expression unreadable. “Please, Liv… let’s give this marriage a chance. Let’s take it
one step at a time, see where it leads us. Can we at least do that?”
His eyes locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. For the first time, I saw a flicker of focus in those usually distant pupils, as if, for just a moment, he was truly seeing me.
8:45 AM
I Love You Like Dad Yesterday
Maybe it was just a moment of vulnerability.
Maybe he meant every word.
Either way, I had already decided–I would stay and make this marriage work. Later that night, still feeling guilty, I refused to let him return to that cramped staff room.
The master bedroom’s oversized bed was more than big enough for the two of us to sleep without even brushing against each other.
This would be fine.
Zane had been around plenty of women before and he was a gentleman. The only problem was… I wasn’t sure could trust myself. Shaking off my ridiculous thoughts, I forced myself to relax. At some point, exhaustion took over and I drifted off to sleep.
seves
That’s when the man beside me slowly open in the darkness, watching me with a gaze that ran deep
and unreadable.
The next morning, I was jolted awake as sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains, stinging my eyes.
For weeks, I had barely slept–endless, restless nights haunted by Cassian’s betrayal. But last night last night, I
had fallen into the deepest sleep I’d had in years.
My dreams had been so vivid, so warm–reuniting with my grandmother had felt so real that, for a moment, I
forgot I was now married into the Kensington Family.
Still half–asleep, I moved to sit up–only to realize I was completely entangled with Zane.
His scent, a deep mix of cedarwood and something inherently him, surrounded me. My arm was draped over his shoulders, my leg casually thrown over his waist. And worse–oh God, worse–my head was resting on his bicep.
Panic flared through me as I tried to move, but the moment I shifted, my lips accidentally grazed the sharp line of his jaw touching his Adam’s apple.
