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29. Morning After The First Kiss

Author: Itschaconne
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-25 14:32:28

Ariadne woke up in her penthouse, haunted by memories of the night before—her first kiss with Maximilian. The man responsible still lay asleep on the sofa, his white shirt slightly rumpled.

She hesitated, her hand nearly brushing his shoulder before retreating. Was this the beginning of her letting go of hatred? Could one kiss dismantle her resolve? Her thoughts spiraled as she glanced at Maximilian’s serene face, an unsettling mix of cold beauty and quiet vulnerability. She touched her lips, the sensation of his kiss still lingering, and quickly pulled herself together, retreating to leave the room.

But just as she turned, his hand caught hers. Maximilian was awake, his sharp gaze meeting hers.

“Good morning,” he said softly. Caught off guard, Ariadne mumbled a reply, and only then did he release her.

She muttered under her breath, “Sweet greetings after chaos,” and distanced herself. Yet, the “chaos” meant something different to each of them. While Ariadne wrestled with the kiss, Ma
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    “Sloane?” Ariadne immediately stood up, facing Sloane, whose sudden presence nearly startled her out of her wits. Sloane looked equally surprised, particularly by the way Ariadne addressed her. She smiled. “Good morning, Madam. What has you so startled?” Ariadne’s gaze was skeptical, though she composed herself, maintaining politeness despite her unwilling mood. “I’m startled and also wondering what brings you here to see me again.” “I’m not here to see you, Madam. I came to speak with Max—” “Oh, and that’s why you brought these flowers?” Ariadne remarked, referring to the bouquet in her hands. Sloane’s eyes widened in confusion as she pulled the bouquet from behind her back, further surprising Ariadne. “I’m allergic to roses. I’d never give Max roses—I always send him lilies.” Ariadne was momentarily speechless, bewildered by Sloane’s explanation. Reflecting on the events of the previous night, Ariadne doubted that the bouquet in her hands had been sent by Maximilian.

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    “Hmm?” The man pursed his lips, forming an adorably confused expression as he stared at his phone. Struggling to understand the reaction of the girl he observed from a distance, he continued to watch her, ignoring the voice calling out from the other end of the line.“Hey, Theodore Lee!” The sharp shout from the phone snapped Theo back to reality, prompting him to bring the device back to his ear.“Yes, yes! Why are you so loud? I’m right here.”“You’re not doing anything crazy with that girl, are you?”The voice on the other end sounded suspicious, and Theo’s face fell into a disappointed pout.“Do you doubt me? How could I hurt the woman I love so dearly?”“It’s not that I doubt you, but you’ve reached a point where you’re borderline insane. I helped you, but not so you’d end up in legal trouble or, worse, prison.”“Good grief, have you forgotten who I am? I’m Theodore Lee. I can do whatever I want, including protecting you from such nonsense.”“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Look, I’m busy.

  • HEAVENLY PAIN MARRIAGE   33. Unexpected Appointment

    Ariadne was silent at Sarah's words. For some reason, after hearing them, a strange sensation tickled her stomach and made her ears burn. She quickly sought clarification, asking, “Are you siding with him now?”Sarah swallowed hard. It seemed Ariadne’s tendency to misunderstand things was hard to shake off.“It’s not like that, darling. I’m just stating the facts. He acts that way because he cares about you and wants to keep you safe under his watch.”Ariadne fell silent, slowly digesting Sarah’s words. If she thought about it, perhaps the Bennett girl was right.She didn’t fully understand what it was like to be loved by a man as a partner. It had been so long since she felt it—ever since her relationship with her ex, who now had a happy family of his own. Perhaps her feelings had grown numb over time. Marrying Maximilian had warmed her heart again, if only she would realize it.“Stop it, Sarah. Don’t talk about Maximilian—I’m getting a headache! We’re here to have fun!” Ariadne quic

  • HEAVENLY PAIN MARRIAGE   32. Plans With Sarah

    After the incident with the bouquet of flowers, Maximilian couldn't go a single day without thinking about Ariadne.Whether he was reviewing work documents, in a meeting with clients, or even during lunch, his thoughts always wandered back to her. How is Ariadne doing at home? Has that person caused trouble again?Because of this, whenever possible during his lunch break, Maximilian would return home to check on his wife. Even though Gideon had assigned a few of his men to guard the house, Maximilian couldn't feel at ease unless he saw for himself that everything was fine.That afternoon, as usual, Ariadne greeted Maximilian's return with a look of mild exasperation. It wasn’t that she disliked him coming home—it was just that he worked hard, and it seemed absurd to her that he would waste time and energy returning home for the trivial reason of checking on her safety.“Have you eaten? Would you like to eat with me? Or maybe you want me to order something from your favorite restaurant

  • HEAVENLY PAIN MARRIAGE   31. Mysterious Call

    After completely overhauling the security system and replacing the guards, Maximilian thought he could return to work in peace, even if it meant leaving Ariadne behind. However, it wasn’t that simple. Two days after the mysterious flowers were delivered, nothing unusual happened around them; he and Ariadne lived through uneventful days. Ariadne had questioned the flowers once, but Maximilian explained they had wilted and were disposed of.Since then, Maximilian hadn’t set foot in his office. He worked from home, even conducting important meetings with his top clients remotely. Maximilian felt compelled to stay home to oversee Ariadne’s safety directly, though he failed to realize that his own thoughts had confined him to his room all day. The pounding on his door was the only thing that snapped him back to reality.He hurried to open the door, startled to find Ariadne standing there with an irritated expression. Only then did he realize he had locked his door, breaking the promise he

  • HEAVENLY PAIN MARRIAGE   30. The Bouquet From Unknown

    “Sloane?” Ariadne immediately stood up, facing Sloane, whose sudden presence nearly startled her out of her wits. Sloane looked equally surprised, particularly by the way Ariadne addressed her. She smiled. “Good morning, Madam. What has you so startled?” Ariadne’s gaze was skeptical, though she composed herself, maintaining politeness despite her unwilling mood. “I’m startled and also wondering what brings you here to see me again.” “I’m not here to see you, Madam. I came to speak with Max—” “Oh, and that’s why you brought these flowers?” Ariadne remarked, referring to the bouquet in her hands. Sloane’s eyes widened in confusion as she pulled the bouquet from behind her back, further surprising Ariadne. “I’m allergic to roses. I’d never give Max roses—I always send him lilies.” Ariadne was momentarily speechless, bewildered by Sloane’s explanation. Reflecting on the events of the previous night, Ariadne doubted that the bouquet in her hands had been sent by Maximilian.

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