Mixed Signals

Adonis came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, towel-drying his hair. Zoe, still sitting on the bed, hadn’t noticed him at first. When she looked up, her eyes widened in surprise.

He was standing there, dripping wet, with just a towel wrapped around his waist. As he dried his hair, the towel slipped from his hips and fell to the floor.

Zoe quickly looked away, her cheeks turning red. “What are you doing?” she stammered.

Adonis smirked, his tone casual. “Do I need permission to be naked in front of my wife?”

Zoe swallowed hard, still avoiding his gaze. “But still…”

Adonis shrugged, nonchalant. “I don’t need your permission, Zoe. Just getting dressed.”

Zoe, her heart racing, kept her face turned away. But then, despite herself, her eyes wandered back to him. She saw him fully, his body strong and defined. Her breath caught in her throat, but she quickly looked away again, trying to focus.

“I should go take a shower too,” she said, still not looking at him.

Adonis grinned, still standing there. “Oh? You gonna take a shower in front of me too?”

Zoe’s eyes remained closed, not daring to look at him. “You need to leave the room first, before I undress.”

Adonis looked at her, still holding the towel around his waist. “I’ll stay right here. Let me know when you’re ready to take a shower. I’ll just watch.”

Zoe’s eyes snapped open, and she glared at him. “Are you a pervert?”

Adonis chuckled. “Even if I don’t like you Zoe, you’re my wife…You’re Zoe Walter now. Clock that.”

Zoe sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’re unbelievable.”

Adonis, still naked, walked over to the couch across from the bed. He sat down casually, stretching his legs out. “What are you waiting for? You want a shower or not? Not like we’re going to have sex.”

Zoe hesitated, trying to keep her composure. “Go downstairs for breakfast. I’ll join you after I’m done.”

“You don’t tell me what to do. Zoe.”

Pissed, she stood up from the bed, her eyes locked on him as she slowly began to undress. She slipped off her underwear, revealing her bare skin to Adonis' gaze.

Adonis' eyes widened as he took in the sight of Zoe's naked body. He couldn't help but stare, his mind racing with thoughts of how beautiful she was.

But then, he seemed to snap out of it, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You know, Zoe, you look like an old lady," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe you should grab a towel and cover that up."

Zoe's eyes narrowed, her face flushing with embarrassment. But Adonis could see the hurt in her eyes, and he knew he had to tread carefully.

Despite his teasing words, he couldn't help but be drawn to Zoe's beauty…deep down he knew she had the body of a goddess. “Here, cover yourself up, old lady." He said throwing his towel at her.

But as Zoe caught the towel and wrapped it around her body, Adonis couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. He knew he had hurt her feelings.

Zoe regretted it immediately. The teasing, the way Adonis had looked at her—it all felt so… invasive. She was embarrassed and, without looking back at him, walked toward the bathroom slowly, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest.

By the time she finished her shower, she was determined to leave the awkwardness behind. Adonis wasn’t in the room anymore. He was probably downstairs, she thought.

She got dressed quickly, pulling on something comfortable, and as she reached for the door, something caught her eye. On the couch—his phone. The screen lit up with a notification.

“Thanks for the flowers…”

Her stomach dropped. The message was from a woman, and it was so casual, so familiar.

It hit her then—the reality of the situation. This was a contract marriage, after all. She wasn’t supposed to get too attached, to expect anything more from him. But as she stood there, staring at the message, she felt a small pang of hurt she couldn’t explain. Why did it bother her so much? She didn’t even know why.

She set the phone down quickly, her hands trembling slightly, before walking out of the room, trying to shake off the feeling.

Just as she thought, he was downstairs having breakfast.

She walked in, her expression unreadable. The servers moved efficiently, setting plates, pouring juice, and refilling coffee, but she barely acknowledged any of it.

He glanced up as she sat down. “You’re late.”

She didn’t respond, simply picking at her food.

His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Zoe said flatly, not looking at him.

He leaned back, studying her. “You’re acting strange.”

“I said I’m fine.” She took a sip of her juice, her tone cool.

He wasn’t used to this. She was usually full of energy, always saying something. But now? She wouldn’t even look at him.

He let out a short laugh. “If you want to be mad at me, at least tell me why.”

She finally met his gaze, but only for a second before looking away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He sighed, dropping his fork. “Suit yourself.” But he didn’t take his eyes off her, knowing something was definitely wrong.

He picked up his coffee, then suddenly remembered. “Amelia, get my phone. I think I left it in the bedroom.”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded and left.

His eyes went back to her. She was still focused on her food, not once looking up. He smirked, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her.

Amelia returned a moment later, handing him the phone. “Here you go, sir.”

He took it, unlocking the screen. A message popped up from Abigail.

Thanks for the flowers…

He smiled and quickly typed a reply. But as he set the phone down, it hit him—Zoe must have seen the message earlier. That’s why she was acting this way.

His smirk deepened. And what right does she have to be mad?