“I’LL come back later.”
I’m sorry to interrupt,” Horace mumbled.
With urgency, Ariana pushed Theodore away and quickly rose to her feet, calling out to Horace before he could leave, “Your
boss has had a mishap. Please come and help him up.”
Horace cleared his throat and was momentarily stunned by the fiery gaze of Theodore.
Ariana had turned around to face the wall. She was lost in the moment, her cheeks still aglow and her breath still ragged.
Despite Theodore’s menacing expression, Horace summoned the courage to cautiously assist the man back to his bed.
Horace presented Theodore with a new phone and said, “Your previous phone was unfortunately damaged in the accident. But
I’ve taken care of it, sir. The new phone has all of your previous data transferred over.”
Theodore nodded and his expression softened a little. “Thank you.”
“Just doing my job, sir,” Horace replied, before quickly making an excuse to leave.
As the door closed, Theodore shifted his gaze toward the still turned away Ariana. “I’m feeling a bit hot, I need to clean up. I’ll
take a shower.”
Spinning around, Ariana’s face showed a look of concern. “No, the doctor said your wounds can’t be exposed to water.”
“In that case, could you help me clean up with a towel?”
Theodore replied with a hint of authority, still seated on the bed in his hospital gown.
With a frown, Ariana was not one to be swayed by Theodore’s arrogance, “I’ll find Horace for you.”
Stepping out of the room, Ariana called for Horace, but he had already left.
Theodore let out a disgruntled snort. “Horace is always so busy.
You’re my wife; it’s your duty to assist me with my grooming.”
Ariana’s cheeks were stained with a deep shade of crimson, a mixture of anger and shyness, as she wondered if Theodore was
aware of the fact that they were not of the same gender. Their relationship was merely a formality, not genuine love.
With a new idea in mind, Ariana suggested, “What if I find you a nurse?”
Theodore’s brows furrowed in displeasure as he firmly rejected the idea. “No one is allowed to touch me except for those I trust.
If you don’t want to help, I’ll manage on my own. I’LL endure it.”
Ariana felt the weight of her conscience as she gazed upon Theodore’s strong yet pained form, turned away from her in silence.
Despite his usual air of arrogance, she couldn’t help but sense a hint of vulnerability in his demeanor.
Her heart ached with the knowledge that his injuries were a result of her actions, and the simple request he had made seemed
so small in comparison.
She knew how much he detested feeling unclean, and the thought of him being unable to bathe only added to his discomfort.
With a newfound tenderness in her heart, Ariana surrendered to Theodore’s request. Nodding, she promised, “Okay. I will fetch
you warm water to soothe and cleanse your body.”
Theodore’s gaze lingered on Ariana’s back, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
As she prepared a basin of hot water and a fluffy towel, Ariana was faced with a new challenge.
Would it be appropriate for her to remove Theodore’s clothes herself?
But, how could she clean his body if he remained dressed?
With a deep breath and eyes closed tightly, Ariana mustered up the courage to touch Theodore’s body.
With eyes closed and hands fumbling, Ariana tried to wash Theodore’s body. But the process was not going well, causing
Theodore to intervene. “How could you do it like this?” he asked, the towel in his mouth muffling his words. “Is this your way of
expressing your dissatisfaction with me?”
Ariana hesitated, and then replied in a timid voice, “No, I’m not dissatisfied.”
“Then do it properly,” Theodore commanded, his voice firm and unwavering.
“Got it.” With a determined nod, Ariana took a deep breath and forced herself to think of Theodore as a fragile, elderly man,
bedridden and in need of her care. Steeling herself, she quickly removed Theodore’s clothes, determined to properly tend to his
needs.