The bedroom was quiet except for the low hum of the air conditioner.
Nyxia sat stiffly on the edge of the wide bed, keeping as much distance as possible from the other side.
She had already changed into the simple clothes she brought from the hospital.
Her back was straight, her hands resting tensely on her lap.
Wilder came out of the bathroom with a towel hanging around his neck, still drying his damp hair.
The faint scent of his body wash drifted through the room.
He glanced at her, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, but before he could say anything, his phone rang.
The lazy expression on his face vanished the moment he saw the caller.
He answered with a cold, sharp voice.
“Speak.”
Nyxia lowered her gaze, pretending to adjust the blanket, but every part of her attention was fixed on the conversation.
“I already told you.
Reject their proposal.” Wilder’s tone was decisive and ruthless.
“If they try to force their way into the distribution line again, cut the supply by the end of this week.
I don’t need partners who only know how to climb using other people’s connections.”
Nyxia’s fingers tightened around the fabric of the blanket.
She recognized the company name that was briefly mentioned.
It was one of the business partners she had been carefully negotiating with before the accident.
So Wilder was already making moves against it.
He’s targeting my work…
A strange mix of tension and satisfaction rose in her chest.
Pretending to have amnesia wasn’t completely useless after all.
She could obtain information directly from the source without him suspecting a thing.
Wilder gave a few more short instructions before ending the call.
The moment he put the phone down, the cold atmosphere around him disappeared.
He turned toward Nyxia, and that familiar sly smile slowly returned to his face.
“You were listening, weren’t you?”
Nyxia quickly looked up, arranging a confused expression.
“I… didn’t understand anything.”
“Is that so?” Wilder walked closer, still smiling.
“Good.
Business talk would only give you a headache right now.”
He stopped in front of her.
In the next second, her back touched the mattress.
Wilder’s hands braced on either side of her head, trapping her beneath him.
Nyxia’s eyes widened.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“What does it look like?” His voice was low, almost lazy, but his eyes held clear amusement.
“It’s our first night living together again.
Shouldn’t a husband and wife properly celebrate it?”
Nyxia’s heart slammed against her ribs.
She pressed both hands against his chest, trying to push him away.
“Move.”
“Why?” Wilder tilted his head, clearly enjoying her reaction.
“You’re my wife.
It’s normal for me to touch you.”
His fingers brushed her cheek, then slowly trailed down along her jaw.
Nyxia turned her face away at once, panic rising fast.
“My body hasn’t fully recovered yet,” she said quickly.
“The doctor said if I push myself and start feeling dizzy, I have to go back to the hospital immediately.”
Wilder’s movement stopped.
For a moment, he simply stared down at her in silence.
The teasing smile faded, replaced by an unreadable expression.
Nyxia held her breath, afraid he would ignore her excuse completely and continue.
Then, unexpectedly, Wilder let out a short, irritated breath.
He pushed himself up, ruffled her hair roughly with one hand, and moved to the other side of the bed.
“Tsk.
What a troublesome wife.”
Nyxia remained still for a few seconds, still processing what had just happened.
She watched as Wilder lay down with his back partly turned toward her, one arm resting over his eyes, clearly annoyed.
He actually stopped.
Relief washed over her, followed by a faint, unwilling sense of surprise.
Instead, the moment she brought up her condition, he held himself back—even though he was clearly dissatisfied.
Nyxia slowly lay down as well, turning her back toward him and pulling the blanket up to her shoulder.
There was still a clear distance between them on the wide bed.
She kept her eyes open in the dark, listening to his breathing.
“I won’t touch you,” Wilder said suddenly, his voice quiet but clear.
“So stop being so tense.”
The words should have reassured her, yet they only made Nyxia more restless.
She closed her eyes tightly, trying to force herself to sleep, but her mind refused to settle.
Time passed slowly.
In the middle of the night, Nyxia drifted into a shallow, uneasy sleep.
Fragments of the accident returned without mercy, the heavy rain, the failed brakes, the blinding headlights, and Wilder’s calm face right before the impact.
Her breathing grew uneven.
She shifted restlessly under the blanket, a soft, distressed sound escaping her throat.
Behind her, Wilder opened his eyes.
He lay still for a moment, listening to her uneven breaths.
Then, without saying anything, he moved closer.
One arm slipped around her waist from behind, and he pulled her back against his chest in a firm, steady hold.
Nyxia’s body stiffened immediately.
“Wilder…”
“Sleep,” he murmured against her hair, his voice low and slightly rough from drowsiness.
“You’re having a bad dream.”
Nyxia tried to push his arm away, but her strength was already drained from the long day.
Wilder’s hold didn’t tighten painfully, yet it was solid enough that she couldn’t easily escape.
The warmth of his body slowly seeped through the fabric of her clothes.
She remained rigid for a long time, heart beating too fast.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Her body gradually lost its tension, and her breathing evened out again.
Wilder didn’t say another word.
He simply kept his arm around her, eyes closed, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.
Nyxia, still half-conscious, felt the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back.
The last clear thought that crossed her mind before she fully fell asleep was simple and bitter:
She was lying in the arms of her enemy…
And somehow, she could no longer bring herself to pull away.