A few days later, the doctor finally allowed Nyxia to be discharged.
Morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains of the hospital room as the doctor stood beside the bed, flipping through her medical chart one last time.
He looked up at Wilder, who was leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Has your wife shown any signs of her memory returning?” the doctor asked.
Nyxia’s body stiffened beneath the thin blanket.
Her fingers curled tightly into the sheets until her knuckles turned white.
She held her breath, heart pounding so hard she was afraid the monitor beside her bed would give her away.
If Wilder even suspected she was only pretending… everything she had carefully built would collapse in an instant.
Wilder glanced at her for a brief second.
His expression remained unreadable.
Then he answered calmly,
“Not yet.
She still doesn’t remember anything.”
Nyxia slowly exhaled.
Relief washed through her so strongly that her shoulders almost sagged against the pillow.
She quickly forced her face back into a blank, confused expression before either of them could notice.
The doctor nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“That’s fine.
If her memories start coming back little by little, don’t force her to remember everything at once.
Let it happen naturally.
Pushing too hard could cause unnecessary stress.”
“I understand,” Wilder replied.
After giving a few more instructions about medication and follow-up appointments, the doctor offered a polite smile and left the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the atmosphere shifted.
Nyxia pushed the blanket aside.
She wanted to get out of the thin hospital gown as soon as possible.
The fabric felt rough against her skin, and every second spent wearing it only reminded her of how powerless she had been these past few days.
Without looking at Wilder, she carefully slid off the bed.
Her legs still felt slightly weak, but she managed to stand.
She picked up the set of clean clothes that had been prepared for her and walked toward the bathroom.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard footsteps following closely behind.
Nyxia stopped and turned around sharply.
Wilder stood right behind her, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, the other resting against the doorframe.
A sly, almost amused smile curved his lips.
“What are you doing?” she asked warily.
“Helping my wife change, of course.”
Nyxia’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Absolutely not!”
“Why not?” Wilder tilted his head slightly.
“We’re husband and wife.
There’s nothing strange about it.”
“I can change by myself!”
He stepped closer, still smiling.
“Your body is still weak.
What if you get dizzy and fall?
Who’s going to take responsibility then?”
“I won’t fall.”
“Better safe than sorry.”
Nyxia immediately tried to push the bathroom door closed, but Wilder blocked it with his foot.
She shoved his chest with both hands, panic rising fast in her throat.
“Get out!”
“Don’t be so shy, wife,” he said, his voice low and teasing.
“I’ve already seen more than this.”
“Wilder!”
After a short, frustrated struggle, Nyxia managed to push him hard enough to make him take a step back.
She quickly slammed the door shut and locked it with trembling fingers.
Her back pressed against the cool wood as she tried to steady her breathing.
From the other side, she could clearly hear Wilder’s low chuckle.
Nyxia closed her eyes for a moment, heart still racing.
She couldn’t believe this was her reality now.
She would have to deal with this shameless, unbearable man every single day from now on.
The thought alone made her want to scream.
After changing into a simple soft blouse and a pair of comfortable pants, she took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and opened the door.
Wilder was waiting just outside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
His eyes moved slowly from her face down to her feet, lingering for a second longer than necessary before he pushed himself off the wall.
He picked up her bag without a word.
“Ready?”
Nyxia only gave a short nod and started walking.
Wilder fell into step beside her, staying close enough that their arms occasionally brushed as they made their way down the long hospital corridor.
They had only walked a short distance when a man suddenly came out of one of the patient rooms.
He wasn’t looking where he was going and bumped straight into Nyxia’s shoulder, causing her to stumble slightly.
“Ah…
sorry,” the man said quickly, reaching out as if to steady her.
Before Nyxia could even reply, Wilder’s expression turned cold.
In one swift motion, he pulled Nyxia firmly behind him with one arm and shoved the man back with the other.
“Watch where you’re going.”
The man looked startled.
“I already apologized…”
“Don’t touch her again,” Wilder said, his voice dangerously low.
Nyxia quickly grabbed Wilder’s sleeve.
“Wilder, stop it.
It was just an accident.”
He didn’t even glance at her.
His sharp gaze stayed fixed on the other man until the stranger raised both hands in surrender and hurriedly walked away, muttering under his breath.
Only then did Wilder turn back to her.
Without saying anything, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against his side, guiding her forward again with firm steps.
Nyxia tried to shift away slightly.
“You’re holding me too tightly.”
Wilder didn’t loosen his grip.
If anything, his arm tightened around her.
“I don’t care.”
His voice was low and firm, carrying no room for argument.
“I want everyone here to know that you’re mine.
No one is allowed to get close to you.”
Nyxia stared at him, temporarily losing her words.
She had known Wilder was difficult, shameless, and unpredictable… but she never expected his possessiveness to be this intense.
The way he held her, the way he looked at anyone who even accidentally came near her it felt less like protection and more like a silent declaration of ownership.
And the most unsettling part was that, for a brief moment, Nyxia couldn’t tell whether she was more annoyed… or strangely shaken by it.