Boundaries? What Boundaries?

Zoe stirred awake, her body warm and unusually comfortable. She stretched lazily, her mind still foggy from sleep. But something felt… off.

A hand.

Wrapped around her waist.

Her eyes blinked open slowly, trying to process what was happening. The weight of the arm, the warmth against her back—it was too close.

Before she could react, the hand tightened its hold and pulled her back, pressing her against a firm chest.

Her eyes widened in alarm. What the—?!

She twisted her body, pushing against the arm, but Adonis didn’t budge. Instead, he grumbled something under his breath and pulled her even closer, his fingers gripping the fabric of her nightshirt as if trying to hold onto something familiar.

That was it.

With all her strength, she shoved him off.

Adonis, caught off guard, tumbled off the bed with a loud thud.

“What the hell, Zoe?!” he groaned, rubbing his side as he glared up at her.

Zoe sat up, breathing hard. “What is wrong with you?” she snapped. “I thought we agreed that you’d sleep on the couch! Why are you on the bed?!”

Adonis sat up, stretching his arms as if this was completely normal. “I felt like lying here,” he said casually.

Zoe narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? And why were you holding me like that?”

Adonis sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” she repeated, crossing her arms. “So you just randomly cling to people in your sleep?”

“I told you before, old lady. I don’t like you like that.” His voice was calm but distant. “Maybe I just… miss the feeling of holding someone.”

Zoe froze for a second.

She had almost forgotten.

The reason she was here.

She wasn’t just his wife on paper. She had agreed to this marriage to help him—to heal him.

Her irritation faded slightly, though she still held onto her pride. “Still, Adonis, you can’t just—” She stopped herself, inhaling deeply. Her tone softened. “Listen… I get it.”

Adonis scoffed, looking away. “You get it?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “You’re used to having someone beside you. You don’t have that anymore, and maybe, without realizing it, you reached out for comfort in your sleep.”

He didn’t respond.

Zoe hesitated before continuing, her voice gentler. “I know this is hard for you, Adonis.”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t start acting like you understand me now.”

Zoe sighed, pulling the blanket off her legs. “I’m not saying I do. But if this marriage is going to work—even as a contract—you can’t just pretend you don’t have emotions. You can talk to me.”

Adonis let out a short laugh. “Talk to you? Why?” He shook his head. “Zoe, let’s not forget—I told you from the start, I’m not attracted to you. And by the way, I’m not one of your clients.”

Zoe clenched her fists, but she kept her voice steady. “I know. And that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean you have to shut me out completely.”

Adonis stared at her for a moment before looking away. “Whatever,” he muttered.

Zoe rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

She got out of bed, stretching. “From now on, stay on the couch, Adonis.”

He smirked slightly. “No promises, Mrs. Walter.”

Zoe threw a pillow at him. “Idiot.”

Adonis groaned as he stretched, rolling his shoulders like he hadn’t just been thrown to the floor. “This villa is huge,” he muttered. “There are at least ten bedrooms. Why are we even sharing one?”

Zoe crossed her arms. “Because it’s better this way.”

Adonis raised an eyebrow. “Better? For who?”

“For both of us,” Zoe said firmly. “It would be weird if we slept in different rooms. What if your gran asks? What if the staff starts talking? It’s already bad enough that we don’t like each other.”

Adonis smirked. “You admit you don’t like me?”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. But I’m not sleeping on the couch anymore.”

Zoe narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?”

 Still on the floor, he groaned as he stretched his legs. “That couch is too hard. My back hurts,” he said. He got up and sat on the bed. “If we have to stay in the same room, let’s switch. You sleep on the couch this time.”

Zoe let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, that’s funny. No way.”

Adonis shrugged. “Fair is fair, Mrs. Walter. You had the bed last night.”

Zoe scoffed. “I had the bed because you were supposed to sleep on the couch! That was the deal.”

“Well, I changed my mind,” he said lazily. “I need my beauty sleep.”

Zoe picked up another pillow and threw it at his face. “Then go find another room!”

Adonis caught the pillow with ease, smirking. “Too much effort.”

Zoe glared. “You’re unbelievable.”

Adonis grinned. “And yet, here you are, married to me.”

Zoe groaned, grabbing another pillow. “I swear, Adonis—”

He raised his hands in surrender, still grinning. “Fine, fine. We’ll figure it out tonight.”

Zoe sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’re such a pain.”

Adonis smirked, standing up and walking toward the bathroom. “And yet, you can’t resist me.”

"You wish."

Her thoughts drifted back to what Lana had told her about Adonis. She said he needed healing, that something inside him was broken. Zoe hadn’t seen that side of him yet. All she saw was a man who hid behind arrogance and teasing, pretending he didn’t care. She didn’t know what he was hiding, but he was clearly trying to cover it up.

Sure, he was arrogant, but was he really as cold as he acted?

If she was being honest, he wasn’t all bad. He was frustrating and annoying, but sometimes he was actually fun to be around.

He had a sharp wit, and if you ignored the arrogance, he was funny. Even if he was a jerk, he wasn’t cruel.

She frowned slightly. After their first meeting, she thought he would be unbearable. But now?

Now, she wasn’t so sure.