The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 229
âIâm not angry at you. Iâm angry at myself for not going to look for you sooner.â
Nina let out a small laugh.
She had hardly been hurt, so why was he making such a grave face.
And moreover, when he said things like that to her.
And when he looked at her with eyes that deepâŚ
âI think I understand why the Duke fell in love with you.â
Sophiaâs incomprehensible words returned to her as well.
If he kept speaking and looking at her like this, she might actually believe his confession was sincere.
Her heart even felt like it was beating awkwardly fast, just like in the days sheâd once held feelings for him, which made her a little uneasy.
Nina deliberately lightened her tone to dispel the heavy atmosphere.
âI was more surprised because you showed up so timely that I thought youâd been watching me from somewhere.â
She really had been shocked.
She thought she would be dragged away helplessly, but the moment her hair was grabbed, Ash appeared like magic.
ââŚWait. Was he actually watching?â
She eyed him suspiciously, and he replied with a serious expression.
âFrom now on, I think I should.â
âWhat?â
âI think I must keep watching you at all times, because if I donât, Iâll feel uneasy.â
ââŚâŚâ
Wasnât obsession and surveillance supposed to be her territory?
She stared at him blankly, because there wasnât even a hint of humor in his eyes.
Clack.
He set the glass down on the nightstand, and his fingers slipped into her hair.
At the gentle touch soothing her abused scalp, her body stiffened in surprise.
âWaitâŚâ
Rustle, rustle.
Ash combed his fingers through her hair as he gazed down at her with half-lidded, languid eyes.
Each time his fingers glided through the hundreds, thousands of strands, a shiver shot up the back of her neck.
The room was so quiet she could hear her own faint, trembling breaths.
It suddenly hit her that only the two of them were here.
Her whole body trembled like a butterfly caught in a web.
The tension of the space, the heightened senses in the dimness, made her toes curl against the sheets.
Creak.
Then he climbed onto the bed.
Like a sleek black panther pinning prey beneath its shadow, his large frame hovered over her, making her feel trapped.
âW-WaitâŚâ
She could talk perfectly fine under normal circumstances, so why did she turn into an idiot the moment the atmosphere changed.
He gazed down at her in silence, then wrapped his arms tightly around her.
âYou said you wouldnât do anything until I gave permissionâŚâ
Was that all a lie?
She wanted to protest, but she was far too tired.
And now that she thought about it, she had been extremely shaken today.
She had smashed a madmanâs skull with a weapon, then got her hair grabbed for the first time in her life. Anyone would be rattled.
Like with Sophia earlier, the moment warm arms enveloped her, all her tension melted away.
She knew she shouldnât give him this kind of opening, yet the soft touch stroking her hair made sleep wash over her.
âAh, I still have to take off my makeupâŚâ
Maybe it was the comfort of his solid chest and the heavy warmth of his scent.
Her consciousness drifted like an anchor slowly sinking into deep water.
She should be setting boundaries, not falling asleep like thisâŚ
ââŚI donât like that youâre brave.â
ââŚâŚâ
âIâd rather you be a coward if it means you wonât get hurt.â
Just before her consciousness faded completely, she thought she heard his tender, aching whisper.
* * *
A cold night, dense with fog.
A night visitor arrived at the repairmanâs chilly, silent workshop.
CreakâŚ
As if it had been waiting for someone, the door swung open without resistance.
A large intruder stepped inside.
With each heavy stride, the floorboards screeched like an alarm, and the shopâs owner, whoâd been sitting at the Counter, sprang to his feet.
âM-My wife and daughter. Are they safe?â
âYouâre in no position to ask questions. Did you do what you were told?â
The repairman swallowed hard.
He was an ordinary man who never imagined such a thing would happen in his lifetime, but he had to do whatever it took to save his family.
If he did as instructed, he would see them again.
Just follow orders, and they would be returned to him.
âThe security was too tight, so I couldnât find an opening. I⌠I failed.â
At his words, the intruder kicked the Counter.
Bang!
The Counter, made of thin wood boards, shattered like paper.
The repairman flinched with a terrified squeak, and the intruder grabbed him by the collar with a clenched fist.
âFailed? You failed, and you dare ask about your wife and kid? Are you begging to die?â
