Pretending to make love

One should by this stage know that despite the unraveled and Magnanimousity of this man, he's ruthless and cold blooded and even vicious as rumored.

Mara had already fell asleep earlier due to her drunken state before Ethan could return from the function.

She had worried about what could have happened to her if he get to know that she's the one behind those thick makeup.

This morning however she could put her worries aside because she woke up before him, she had quickly go to the bathroom to run the bath before he could wake up to avoided any of his questions or condemnations.

The carefree Mara, hummed a tune as she bent down to run the bath... Ethan found his wife swaying to the beat of the tune when he entered the bathroom.

When the sound of the tap ceased, she felt something off and quickly looked back and met his dark gaze looking at her with eyes filled with inquisitive.

Mara froze in place, her heart pounding like a drum as she met Ethan's intense gaze. She tried to maintain her composure, but her mind raced with questions and worries about what he might say or do. Was he going to confront her about the events of the previous night? Would he recognize her despite the heavy makeup?

Ethan's expression remained unreadable as he watched her, his eyes probing. Mara felt a surge of panic rising within her, but she forced herself to stay calm and composed on the outside.

"Good morning, Ethan," she greeted him, trying to sound casual despite the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

He didn't respond immediately, just continued to study her with those piercing eyes. Mara resisted the urge to squirm under his scrutiny, holding herself still as if rooted to the spot.

Finally, Ethan broke the silence with a simple "Morning," his tone neutral.

Mara exhaled slowly, relieved that he hadn't confronted her about anything yet. She turned her attention back to the bath, pretending to be focused on adjusting the water temperature.

As she worked, she couldn't shake the feeling of Ethan's eyes on her, like a weight pressing down on her shoulders. She felt exposed, vulnerable under his gaze, despite her attempts to appear nonchalant.

But then, unexpectedly, she heard him chuckle softly. Startled, Mara glanced back at him, unsure of what to make of his sudden change in demeanor.

"You're quite the morning person, aren't you?" he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Mara blinked in surprise, caught off guard by his unexpected comment. She hadn't expected him to make light conversation, especially considering their strained relationship.

"Yeah, well, early bird gets the worm, right?" she replied, trying to play along with his tone.

Ethan nodded in response, his expression softening slightly. Mara couldn't help but feel a twinge of confusion at his behavior. Was he just teasing her, or was there something more behind his words?

Before she could dwell on it further, Ethan turned away, heading back to the bedroom without another word. Mara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, feeling a mix of relief and lingering unease.

She was quite shocked when she suddenly saw him, and his eyes seemed to be searching for the makeup she used. "I...I... want to bathe," she said nervously, unable to bring herself to look at him in the face due to the earlier incident—it was still a painful memory for her.

Instead of retaliating, he made no reply but left the bathroom. She heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw him leave.

Ethan Lewis's gaze greeted the perfectly toned body of his wife as she stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her, a few minutes after he had left.

Mara noticed his gaze was different and quickly bowed her head to avoid any confrontation if he had discovered her secret.

"Why are you using a towel instead of a bathrobe?" he asked.

Mara was shocked by his sudden question, expecting him to ask about the hotel or her makeup. "I...I... There's only one bathrobe there," she said nervously.

"Are you that oblivious? I'm already wearing one. The one there is definitely for you. Did you expect me to wear two bathrobes at the same time?" he asked icily.

"Oh... Um... I... I thought..." She was interrupted by a sudden sound at their door.

Ethan didn't break his gaze until he heard a strange sound outside. Standing by the bathroom doorway, she watched as he rushed to her side and pulled her into his embrace, causing them both to tumble onto the comfy bed. Mara looked at him fearfully, struggling to free herself from his grasp, but he proved stronger.

"You—" She wasn't allowed to finish her sentence as he placed a finger on her lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Don't make any noise... someone's spying on us from outside," he said sternly, and she gradually calmed down.

They remained in that compromising position for a few minutes before he released her and headed to the bathroom, advising her not to go for breakfast alone. "They'll make you uncomfortable with questions," he warned.

She never expected him to be so thoughtful; she had only ever thought of him as grumpy and heartless. "He's got some heart after all," she murmured to herself as she got dressed.

While still in the room, her stepmother called. "Hey Mara, hope you're doing fine over there?" she asked in a singsong voice.

"As you can imagine, I'm just peachy... especially after you married me off to an imbecile," Mara snorted in reply.

The stepmother decided to play it cool, feigning ignorance. "Oh my? He's an imbecile? Mrs. Lewis didn't tell me that he's one... I'm so sorry. Just accept it, your granny's surgery paperwork will be ready once you get pregnant," she said over the phone.

Mara was surprised and angered to hear the horrible speech her stepmother was uttering. "Pregnant? Mrs. Astrid, this wasn't our agreement. Did you tell me I'd have to get pregnant for him?" she asked angrily.

"And did I tell you I'd agree to your granny's surgery after you got married?" Mrs. Astrid retorted.

"Why are you doing this? This isn't our agreement. Now I'm telling you, if you don't prepare for my granny's surgery, then I'll leave this household, and let's see how you gain cooperation with the mighty Lewis family," she spat.

"Leave the house, then let's see how your granny will be operated... you ungrateful child," Mrs. Astrid fired back.

"Can you tell me how I was ungrateful? I was ungrateful for agreeing to marry an imbecile for the family business?" Mara asked.

"I can't talk much. Long-distance calls cost too much. Come back home today, and let's discuss it... I don't have time to waste with you," Mrs. Astrid said before hanging up, making Mara's blood boil even more.

"Arrghh... How I wish a client would hire me to kill her!" she said angrily.

"Kill who?" his voice asked, making her stagger fearfully, like a kid caught stealing a packet of sweets.

"Ohhh... That... I... I was just talking about the movie I watched yesterday," she quickly excused herself.

"Good for you," he mumbled and walked over to the clothes rack.

After taking his bath, he stepped out of the bathroom, looking dashing and hot like a model, or rather an actor. Mara couldn't explain the shock that appeared on her face when she saw his perfectly toned abs. She had seen different guys without shirts before, even Lucian, but her husband was on another level.

"If you're done ogling, can you turn around so I can dress?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah... Sure," she replied timidly, facing the opposite direction, and scolding herself internally.

"Screw you, Mara, for looking at him like that. He'll think I'm crushing on him," she muttered quietly.

"Let's go for breakfast," he said, and she turned around. But the sight of him still took her breath away, and she found herself frozen in place.

He regained his composure as he sank into the wheelchair. She moved towards the door to open it, but was surprised when he didn't move.

"Did you expect them to believe that we made love without showing any affection?" he asked.

"What? Love? When?" she asked, alarmed.

"I can see you're really clueless... Come and push the wheelchair," he said sharply.