Chapter 3

That night, neither of them could sleep. I quietly lay on my  side of the bed while Adam sat on the couch near the window, working on his laptop. The soft glow from the screen reflected on his sharp features. Unable to hold back my curiosity, I stole glances at him every now and then.

"How can someone look this handsome and this scary at the same time?" I wondered. Suddenly, Adam spoke without looking up from his work.

"If you're going to stare at me, at least do it openly." I immediately hid my face under the blanket. "I wasn't staring!"

"Then?.

"I was merely observing my husband." He paused for a second before continuing his work. "There's no difference."

A few moments later, silence once again filled the room. Then—

Grrr....

A strange sound echoed through the room. Adam stopped typing. I froze. my face immediately turned red. Please don't let him hear that.

Grrr....

Too late. Adam slowly lifted his eyes towards me. "Was that your stomach?" ..."NO!" .."The walls must be hungry then."

"......"

"Or perhaps the couch?"

I covered my face in embarrassment. "It's midnight! Human beings get hungry at midnight too!" He glanced at the untouched dinner on the table. "You didn't eat?"

"I wasn't hungry earlier." That was a lie. I simply felt uncomfortable eating in front of so many people during dinner. Adam quietly closed his laptop before standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"The kitchen."

"Why?"

He looked at me as though I had asked the world's stupidest question. "Because unlike my wife, I can recognize when someone is hungry." A few minutes later...I sat quietly on the kitchen counter watching him cook. "You can cook?"..."I'm capable of doing many things."..."Like threatening people over phone calls?"..He looked at me for a few seconds before laughing softly. It was the first time I had heard him laugh.

It was beautiful. "Yes," he replied casually.

"And cooking?"

"And cooking."

He placed a bowl of ramen in front of her before speaking.

"Eat."

Her eyes sparkled immediately. "For me?" ......."No. For the ghost living in this mansion."..."I knew it! You're secretly nice!"..."I'm not."......"You're making me food at one in the morning."......."That's because I don't want my wife fainting from hunger tomorrow."

I smiled softly. "Thank you, Adam."

He stopped moving for a second. This was the first time I had called him by his name. For some reason, hearing his name leave her lips didn't sound unpleasant at all. After finishing my meal, I looked at him shyly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"No."

"You didn't even let me ask the question!"...."And my answer remains the same."...."You're impossible!"......."I've been told that before." I laughed softly before asking,...."What kind of person were you before all of this?"

For the first time, silence filled the room. His expression suddenly became unreadable. "Someone you'll never have to become."

"Were you lonely?" His hands froze. No one had ever asked him that question before. Not his business partners.

Not his friends. Not even his family. Only her. "Why would you ask that?.  I smiled gently. "Because lonely people are usually the ones who pretend they don't need anyone." He looked at me quietly for what felt like forever.

"You shouldn't try to understand me, Aria."

"Why?" .."Because you'll only get hurt. "I shook my head before smiling innocently. "Then I'll just understand you slowly."

"......"

"After all, we have our whole lives ahead of us, don't we?"

For the first time since their marriage, Adam Rossi found himself unable to look away from her smile. And for the very first time—He wished this arranged marriage wasn't merely a responsibility.

Unknown to them, someone was watching the lights of the ROSSI Mansion from afar. A man stood in the darkness while holding a photograph of Aria. "So she's Adam Rossi weakness now."

A sinister smile appeared on his face. "Let's see how long he can protect her."

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