Alana continued stirring the food in front of her while occasionally turning her head. She had been waiting for Leo for more than ten minutes, but her husband seemed to linger in his office, of course, with his faithful servant, Pedro.
"Ugh, my stomach won't stop growling," Alana grumbled.
However, afterward, Alana saw Leo coming out with Pedro, who was pushing his wheelchair towards the dining table where Alana was. Pedro placed Leo right next to Alana, making Leo look at Pedro with irritation. Pedro, realizing his mistake, was about to pull Leo's wheelchair back, but Alana stopped him first.
"It's better if you stay here so I can serve you more easily," Alana said, holding the side of Leo's wheelchair.
"I don't need your help. Pedro will___"
"Mr. Pedro, I'm sure you haven't had lunch either, right? Sit with us," Alana said with a threatening look in her eyes, and Pedro understood what it meant. It was Alana's way of politely asking him to leave.
"Oh, no, thank you, ma'am. I'm more comfortable having lunch alone," Pedro replied, and Leo gave him another deadly glare.
"You better sit, Pedro. I don't want to die a miserable death here alone," Leo said, making Alana pout, knowing the meaning behind his words. And Pedro didn't want to argue again, so he chose to sit with them.
"Ck, I can't possibly kill you this quickly," Alana grumbled, making both Pedro and Leo look at her for her audacious statement.
"So, you really want to kill me?" Leo asked, making Alana shrug indifferently.
"Isn't that what's on your mind? Besides, I won't kill you until I get what's rightfully mine."
"What's rightfully yours?" Leo asked, not understanding.
"Yes, my right. Even though we've been married for a week, you haven't touched me at all," Alana replied with a feigned sad expression, almost making Pedro choke on his own saliva. Leo was right; it turned out Alana was wilder than their initial assumptions.
"Don't expect me to touch you," grumbled Leo, making Alana sulky.
"Well, that's fine. I'll wait. I'm patient enough."
Alana, who initially wanted to have lunch with her husband, was a bit annoyed by Leo's decision, but she decided to pretend Pedro didn't exist. Alana began spooning rice and various dishes for Leo.
However, after a while, "This rice isn't poisoned, is it?" Leo asked again as he was about to spoon the food into his mouth. This made Alana turn towards him and grab Leo's hand, which was holding the spoon, directing it to her mouth.
"See, I'm eating it myself, so it's definitely safe," Alana said with her mouth full, making her look adorable, and Leo unconsciously pulled his lips slightly. Yes, just a little, but Pedro could see the change in Leo's expression.
"Do you want me to try your drink first?" Alana offered again, causing Leo to move his drink away from her.
"No, I don't want to drink from your lip-printed glass."
"Ck, come on, my husband. I even once tasted your sweet lips, you don't___"
"That's enough," Leo interrupted, then turned to look at Pedro, and Leo was sure his secretary was holding back laughter right now.
"Pedro, I think you can have lunch at the office; there's a lot of work waiting for you, right?" Leo said, making Pedro stand up immediately.
"Very well, sir. I'll take my leave," Pedro said, bowing to Leo and Alana before leaving. Pedro knew Leo's intention in suddenly dismissing him. Leo just didn't want the woman next to him to keep saying silly things in front of Pedro and embarrassing him.
"So, what are we doing today?" Alana asked after they had finished their lunch.
"You can do whatever you want, but don't disturb me today," Leo replied, swiveling his wheelchair, but Alana, with her stubborn attitude, stopped Leo in his tracks.
"How about you read a book in the backyard? I'll accompany you."
"No."
"Alright, let's go there," Alana said, ignoring Leo's refusal.
"Don't you understand the meaning of the word 'no'?"
"Yes, same to you."
"Hey, crazy woman, stop pushing me."
"Nope."
"Are you asking for trouble?" Leo was annoyed because Alana really didn't listen and kept pushing him, taking him to the spacious and cool backyard. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the backyard, which was quite large and refreshing. Despite the bright sky, the presence of several large trees made the atmosphere cool.
Alana placed Leo right next to a garden bench under a tree, then she sat in a chair nearby. "Stop confining yourself in that boring office space. Once in a while, breathe in the fresh air around the house; it's good for your health," Alana said. Living with Leo, Alana felt annoyed when he entered his office; he would stay there for more than 5 hours, even the whole day. Sometimes, Alana wanted to drag him and occasionally take him for a walk in the mall. Well, that would be too surprising for him. Alana would slowly drag him, like now, just taking him to the backyard.
"Stop trying to control me."
"Come on, I'm not controlling you. I just want to accompany you because I'm bored, so go on with your reading, and I won't disturb you. I'll just take a comfortable nap here," Alana said, then truly laid down on the chair and closed her eyes. Leo could clearly see Alana's peacefully napping face beside him.
Leo observed every inch of Alana's face adorned with light makeup. Sometimes, Leo wondered why he agreed to marry Alana. After all, Leo knew Alana was Rose's pawn. Not without reason, Leo despised Rose. Since Rose's arrival in his family, Leo's once happy family slowly crumbled. Leo was convinced it was all because of Rose's arrival.
Rose came into his family as his father's second wife. After learning about it, Leo's mother frequently fell ill and eventually passed away. At that time, Leo, who was still in junior high school, didn't suspect Rose much. Moreover, Rose never openly did anything suspicious. She even took good care of Leo and his father. However, when Leo entered college, his father's health suddenly declined, leading to his demise. Leo was certain that Rose, his stepmother, was behind all of this. A month after his father's departure, Leo kicked Rose out of his house. He didn't want his stepmother to control him freely and turn him into a living puppet.
Yet, Leo wasn't cruel enough to abandon Rose completely. He continued to provide for her needs until now, mainly because he remembered his father's fondness for his stepmother. Leo didn't want to be blamed in the afterlife for neglecting Rose by his father.
Leo's reverie was interrupted as a slightly strong wind swayed the tree above him, causing dry leaves to fall beautifully. Some landed on his lap and clung to the strands of Alana's long hair. Leo reached out to pick up each leaf. However, his hand stopped right next to Alana's cheek. There was a strong urge within him to gently caress her cheek. Before he could actually do it, Leo withdrew his hand, but another hand stopped him—Alana's hand.
With her eyes still tightly closed, Alana held Leo's palm next to her cheek. "I know you want to caress my cheek, just do it. I'll pretend to be asleep," Alana said, then placed Leo's palm on her cheek. The next moment, Alana could feel Leo's thumb moving gently, caressing her cheek softly.
Don't forget to leave your comments about Leo and Alana's story, thank you ❤️
Leo felt the fear slowly infiltrating his heart. That was the fitting expression crossing Leo's mind right now. Surprisingly, Alana could evoke a much greater fear, something Leo never expected.Leo gazed at Alana's sleeping figure beside him. Leo wasn't sure what he felt towards Alana. Leo knew that since Alana first appeared in his life, he perceived her as a threat. However, inexplicably, over time, that sense of threat eroded, and Leo began to worry that Alana might truly invade his heart.As in the park some time ago, Leo felt confused about his feelings. For a moment, he experienced a carefree life as he looked at Alana's peacefully sleeping face and gently touched her cheek. That simple event allowed Leo to momentarily forget the anger and pain in his heart.Leo's reverie was interrupted when Alana changed her sleeping position to face Leo. Like in the park, Alana slept with a serene expression. Leo felt the urge to stroke Alana's cheek again but stopped when his gaze fell down
Occasionally, Leo gazes at Alana, who is engrossed in reading a magazine in her hands. Leo senses that Alana isn't just reading, but rather observing him or perhaps lost in thought. Squinting his eyes, Leo attentively observes his wife not far in front of him.What's going on with her? It's rare for Alana not to disturb him when they're alone in a room. At least this time, Alana isn't incessantly talking about unclear things. Maybe since she returned late this afternoon, Leo doesn't know where Alana spent the whole day, coming back with a disheveled face, and Leo doesn't care. However, her contemplative mood this time is a bit unsettling, making Leo worry that the neighbor's chicken might suddenly drop dead because Alana is lost in thought."Did she eat something wrong?" mumbles Leo softly, continuing to watch Alana. "Please fetch the book from the shelf over there," Leo says, returning his attention to the book in his hands. Alana looks over with a blossoming smile but doesn't get up
"Morning!!!" A greeting in the morning makes Leo immediately blink his eyes and turn to look at his side. Even though it's been over a week, Alana's presence next to him when he first opens his eyes still feels unfamiliar to Leo.Now, with Alana sleeping on Leo's arm and holding him tightly, Leo doesn't know when their positions got this close. Before going to sleep, Leo usually limits the distance between them with a bolster and some pillows so that Alana doesn't get too close, although Leo is not sure if that method would work.Leo's reverie is interrupted when Alana rises from her sleep and puts on her bathrobe. Leo remains silent, continuing to observe Alana who is tying her hair. Unconsciously, his eyes scan Alana from top to bottom. Leo misjudged Alana when he first saw her; Alana is not cute, but she's attractive. That's what crosses Leo's mind now."Do you want to take a shower now? I'll prepare the warm water," Alana says, making Leo quickly avert his gaze and awkwardly clear
Slowly, Alana exits the car and stands in front of a not-too-large cake shop. The shop seems devoid of customers. Alana contemplates, perhaps it's too early, or maybe it's already noon, while the cake shop is usually bustling. Is this what Pedro meant by saying the shop is almost bankrupt?"Huff," Alana exhales a long breath. Why did she agree to manage this shop? She herself doesn't know much about the cake business."Alright, Alana, it's already done. You can handle it," she says to herself while patting her arms. Alana steps towards the shop, slowing down as she stands in front of the glass door with a sign that says "open."Before opening the door, Alana takes a breath and opens it carefully. "Good afternoon, can we help you?" greets a waitress after Alana enters.Alana observes the not-so-spacious room. "Oh, I'm Alana, the wife—""Are you Mr. Leo's wife?" the waitress interrupts, making Alana nod, and the waitress stumbles."Sorry, ma'am, I didn't recognize you," she apologizes.
"Pedro, is it true what I heard?" Leo asks to confirm. After Alana complained about the condition of the main cake shop owned by his late mother, Leo immediately sought confirmation from Pedro."Yes, that's true," Pedro replies."Why didn't you tell me?""I reported it to you, and you approved it.""When?" Leo asks with a slightly raised tone because he doesn't remember Pedro reporting about the chef's duties."I already mentioned that the chef who manages the shop is the old reliable person. Didn't you disagree with handing it over entirely to someone to manage the shop? You said you didn't trust it.""But you-""And you said it's better to trust that old person. Therefore, I entrusted everything to that one chef because he's the only old person we can really trust. Besides, his ability is quite good," Pedro interrupts Leo when he tries to interrupt the explanation."So, should we provide a fair salary for him?" Leo asks."Of course, we pay him higher than the average chef. Initially
"Ah, I should've called a masseur," Alana exclaimed while stretching her arms, catching Leo's attention momentarily from the laptop on his lap. However, it only lasted a few seconds; afterward, Leo refocused on his work, which irked Alana."At least offer to help me or inquire about my well-being after working all day," Alana grumbled, directed at her stoic husband. Leo, who actually heard his wife's complaints, remained silent and showed no intention of responding. Leo seemed accustomed to Alana's protests about his seemingly indifferent and unromantic demeanor."I've said it before; I never forced you to work, right? I can still provide for you," Leo said, prompting Alana to pout, which amused Leo. It was evident from the corners of her mouth that always lifted, creating a smile when he successfully teased his wife. However, the situation reversed when Alana displayed a mischievous smile and walked closer to Leo, instantly putting him on guard. Leo didn't know what crazy thing Alana
Leo was disturbed from his sleep when he felt someone continuously pressing their face against his chest. Blinking a few times to clarify his vision, Leo glanced to his side to find Alana still sleeping curled up tightly, hugging her body. Slowly, Leo lifted Alana's arm that was wrapped around his waist to avoid waking her, but as it lifted a few inches, Alana released her grip and hugged Leo's waist even tighter, causing Leo's body to tense when Alana's legs pressed against a sensitive area."How can she sleep like this?" Leo muttered, shaking his head in disbelief at Alana's sleeping habits that took up quite a bit of space. Despite having a Kingsize bed, Alana always seemed to occupy Leo's side, even though there was ample space on the other side.Leo attempted to free himself from Alana's embrace once again but, for some reason, was unsuccessful. He sighed heavily, realizing the only option left was to wake his wife. Leo intended to gently pat Alana's cheek, but his hand froze whe
Leo was slightly disturbed by the wide smile that had been on Alana's lips since earlier, making it difficult for him to chew the food in his mouth."Aren't you eating?" Leo asked, causing Alana, who was resting her chin on her hand, to shake her head."I had a full breakfast this morning," Alana replied with her enduring smile, maintained since they sat at this dining table 15 minutes ago. Leo raised an eyebrow upon hearing Alana's answer, and it seemed she understood the meaning behind Leo's gaze."What you gave me this morning left me satisfied," Alana said with a wide smile and flushed cheeks, causing Leo to choke on his own food. How could Alana continue talking about the morning kiss they shared? Alana immediately handed Leo a glass of water, and Leo quickly gulped it down. Leo gently patted his chest to help the food go down."Never bring up the issue from this morning or—" Leo's words stopped abruptly when Pedro suddenly approached them. Leo immediately stared sharply at Alana