DAVID’S POV — BREAKFAST

David Wilson was used to silence.

It was easier than hoping.

The morning began like every other—documents lined in neat stacks, his wheelchair angled slightly to catch the morning light. Routine. Predictable. Safe.

He didn’t expect footsteps.

He didn’t expect her.

When the soft sound of movement reached his ears, he assumed it was the maid.

But then—

A shadow at the doorway.

A hesitant inhale.

And Hazel Walker—his wife in name only—walked toward the dining table.

David’s fingers paused over the document.

Why is she here?

Hazel hadn’t joined him for breakfast once in years.

He lowered his gaze before she could mistake his surprise for interest. She hated when he acknowledged her.

He kept reading, pretending not to see her sit down… at the far end, like always.

He waited for the usual complaints, the eye-rolls, the orders to keep the maids away and his “dramatic wheelchair noises” to a minimum.

But nothing came.

Just… silence.

A different silence.

She ate quietly. No anger, no bitterness. No disgust carved on her face.

David didn’t understand it.

Then her phone buzzed sharply. He glanced up for a second—an instinct he regretted immediately—before masking it again.

Her voice broke the silence.

“I, um… have to leave for a shoot soon.”

His heart tightened—not out of care, but out of old habits. Habits he fought hard to kill.

So he said the safest thing:

“Your schedule is your own. You don’t need to inform me.”

He waited for the scoff he was accustomed to.

But instead… she looked hurt. Just a flicker.

So quick he almost doubted he saw it.

Then she stood and quietly left.

The front gates buzzed around mid-morning. Ethan Parker—Hazel’s assistant—stepped out of his car with his usual hurried, anxious energy.

He rang the bell and waited, glancing around as if afraid someone might see him.

A maid led him inside.

David was still seated in the dining area when Ethan entered. The assistant froze for a heartbeat, guilt flashing across his face—like a child caught sneaking cookies.

Then he forced a smile.

“G-Good morning, Sir Wilson.”

David nodded. “Good morning, Ethan.”

They both knew Hazel kept her marriage hidden from the world.

They both knew Ethan was instructed never to speak about it.

Still, Ethan bowed his head politely. Respectful. Nervous.

“I’m here to pick up Mrs. Wilson.”

David’s chest tightened at the title he hadn’t heard in so long. Not from Hazel’s lips, at least.

Before he could reply, Hazel came downstairs.

But something was different.

No annoyance.

No theatrics.

Just calm steps and a quiet, “Let’s go.”

Ethan blinked at her in shock but didn’t question it. He only gave David another polite nod before guiding her out.

The house fell silent again.

David stared at the doorway long after they left.

He told himself it didn’t matter.

It wasn’t his place to wonder why she was different.

The day stretched on.

Emily—Hazel—worked through scenes, photos, and meetings. Cameras flashed, stylists buzzed around her, scripts were shoved into her hands.

Everyone whispered the same thing:

“Hazel is behaving strangely today… calmer.”

Ethan kept giving her suspicious side glances.

Kiara video-called twice to check if Hazel had “lost her mind.”

But Emily kept going, fighting to maintain the illusion.

By the time the shoot wrapped, exhaustion clung to her bones.

She reached home just as the sky turned dark.

The mansion was lit warmly.

Quiet.

Almost welcoming.

When the door opened, a maid bowed.

“Welcome back, madam. Sir is waiting in the dining hall. Dinner is served.”

Emily swallowed.

Dinner… together?

The real Hazel had never come home for dinner.

This would be another first.

She stepped toward the dining room, heart-thumping, knowing David Wilson was waiting inside—

the man she had hurt without ever meeting

the man she now lived beside

the man she somehow wanted to heal.

Even if she didn’t know how yet.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***