"There's no need. Who said I'm not going in? I've decided I am," said Riley.
Riley shoved Adrian's wheelchair forward so fast that Mr Hales's heart nearly leaped into his throat. "Madam, slow down," he called anxiously. "Please don't jostle Master Adrian."
After warning her, he turned to Clara. "That's enough. You're dismissed. Go attend to your duties."
Clara bit back her frustration, shot Riley's retreating figure a resentful glare, and turned away.
Outside Mrs. Hales's room, Riley knocked on the door. When a voice answered from inside, she pushed it open for Adrian and said, "There. You can go in. I'll wait outside."
Adrian raised a brow. "Weren't you the one insisting on coming in with me?"
Riley grinned. "Not anymore. I was just bored."
But before she could slip away, Mrs. Hales's voice drifted out from inside. "Is that the you, Master Adrian? And Madam? Come in, both of you."
The corner of Adrian's mouth lifted. He took Riley's hand and said, "Mrs. Hales is calling us. Let's go."
Riley twitched inwardly. She should have just let Clara push him in after all.
Inside the room, Mrs. Hales was sitting upright against the headboard, her expression warm and gentle. When she saw their joined hands, her smile deepened, but the moment her eyes landed on Riley's face, she froze.
"You... you are...?"
I know her. Isn't this girl the one who had performed my surgery that day? I remember now. The lock screen on her phone had shown an intimate photo of her and Master Adrian.
Adrian misunderstood her reaction and assumed she simply did not recognize Riley. "Mrs. Hales," he said gently, "this is Riley, my wife."
"I know."
Mrs. Hales straightened at once, her face brightening with excitement.
So this was the "foolish" madam everyone kept talking about. But she's not anything like that. This girl had medical skill. There was nothing foolish about her at all.
Beaming, Mrs. Hales began, "Master Adrian, she's the one who..."
Riley's heart dropped.
Before Mrs. Hales could finish, Riley cut in quickly. "Mrs. Hales, did you notice me sneaking in to see you last time?"
Behind Adrian's back, she blinked furiously at Mrs. Hales, half warning and half pleading.
Mrs. Hales paused. The rest of her words caught in her throat as she looked from Riley to Adrian. Something about the situation felt strange, but Riley's expression said enough. She understood at once and smoothly followed her lead.
"Yes," she said, nodding. "I saw you briefly when I regained consciousness before."
Relief washed through Riley at once. Her identity as Sheena could not be exposed, not yet.
Even so, she frowned inwardly.
How did Mrs. Hales recognized me? Aside from exchanging a few words before the surgery, Mrs. Hales had been unconscious the entire time. When did she saw my face?
Across from them, Adrian's gaze moved quietly between the two women. Thoughtful. Sharp.
Mrs. Hales's reaction is too intense, too emotional for a simple, passing encounter. Have they met before? Did something happen that I don't know about?
His eyes darkened slightly, but he said nothing.
"Sit with me, Madam."
Mrs. Hales's voice was warm, almost overly warm, as she took Riley's hand and looked her over with open approval. Then she turned to Adrian and said softly, "Master Adrian, you've married well. You must cherish her. I hope the two of you will be happy together."
She had heard what happened last week, how he had lost his temper and driven Riley away, and the memory had already left her uneasy. Now that she knew this girl was her savior, she was even less willing to let anything like that happen again.
Adrian nodded and listened seriously. To him, Mrs. Hales was not just a caretaker. She was family, someone he respected deeply. Which only made her behavior today feel even stranger. She had always been kind, but never like this, never so warm and attentive toward someone she was only supposed to have met in passing.
The thought lingered in his mind, though he kept it to himself.
After chatting for a while longer, signs of fatigue began to show on Mrs. Hales's face. Riley noticed immediately and said, "Mrs. Hales, you should rest. Adrian and I are staying the night, so we'll come see you again tomorrow."
"Alright."
Mrs. Hales nodded happily, clearly pleased. Once they had helped her lie down, Riley pushed Adrian back to his room.
They were staying overnight, and as Arthur had firmly declared, husband and wife were to sleep together. Riley would not be given a separate room. To make matters worse, their room had been arranged right next to Arthur's.
Riley did not even know where to begin.
The bed was not small, but it was not big either. It had just enough room for her and her stuffed bunny. Adding one more person would make it very tight.
Adrian was still in the study with Arthur, so Riley finished washing up and sprawled across the bed, stretching her arms and legs in every direction. Then she rolled onto her stomach and started tapping away happily at her game that she had not played in ages.
When Adrian returned, that was the first thing he saw.
Riley lay on the bed in a loose nightdress, smiling to herself. The room carried the faint scent of her shampoo, clean and soft, and her hair was slightly mussed from washing. Her skin looked smooth and pale under the light, and her legs were bent behind her, swaying lazily in the air with careless ease.
She glanced up at him and stuck out her tongue. "Done already?"
"Mm."
But his attention was not on her words. It was on her.
"Is Felicia still here?" Riley asked casually.
"She is."
His gaze lingered lower than it should have. Through the thin fabric, her outline was far too clear.
"Has Grandpa gone to sleep?"
"Probably."
His voice remained steady, but his eyes did not. They traced the line of her neck, the soft curve of her shoulders, and the way the pale yellow nightdress, patterned with little ducks, clung just enough to hint at every line beneath it.
Riley felt the shift immediately. Something was wrong.
She turned to look at him and froze.
His eyes were dark and heavy, fixed entirely on her. Even the tips of his ears were faintly red.
Her heart skipped.
"Pervert," she snapped, snatching up the blanket and wrapping it around herself. "Why are you staring at me like that? Go take a shower."
Another second and something really might happen.
She scrambled off the bed and shoved him toward the bathroom. "Go. Now."
Thankfully, he did not resist. The bathroom door shut behind him, and Riley let out a slow breath.
It was fine. A shower would fix this. Hopefully.
Five minutes later, the bathroom door opened.
Adrian stepped out in loose sleepwear, his hair still damp, and those same burning eyes had not changed at all.
Oh no.
Riley's instincts went on full alert. Hugging her stuffed bunny tightly, she said with forced caution, "This bed is kind of small. Maybe you should take the couch?"
Silence.
He did not move. He just kept looking at her.
Riley clenched her teeth and winced inwardly. "Fine. Then I'll sleep on the couch with my bunny, and you take the bed. That's fair, right?"
Still muttering under her breath, she turned to grab a blanket. The hem of her yellow nightdress swayed softly with the movement, brushing lightly against her legs. Her bare skin, her slim waist, the subtle curves beneath the fabric, all of it only made her seem more dangerous than before.
And Adrian's gaze only grew darker.