The car moved through late morning traffic.
Nyxia sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed, staring out the window.
Wilder drove in silence, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the gear shift.
The air between them felt less sharp than the night before, but it was far from comfortable.
Her phone rang.
Nyxia glanced at the screen and paused.
It was one of her business associates.
Before she could take it, Wilder picked up the phone from her lap and answered.
“Hello.”
Nyxia turned to him at once.
“Wilder—”
He ignored her.
His voice stayed even and composed.
“Yes.
This is Wilder Reed.
Nyxia’s husband.”
A short silence followed on the other end.
Nyxia stared at him.
“She’s with me right now,” Wilder continued.
“If it’s about work, you can tell me first.
She’s still recovering and shouldn’t handle too many things.”
Another pause.
“I’ll let her know.
Don’t contact her directly for the time being.”
He ended the call and placed the phone back on her lap.
Nyxia clenched her jaw.
“Why did you answer that?”
“Because you’re my wife,” he said, eyes on the road.
“I don’t like other people contacting you as they please.”
“That was my business associate.”
“I know.”
Nyxia turned back to the window.
Hearing him introduce himself as her husband so easily in front of someone from her work circle left a bitter taste she couldn’t ignore.
The man on the other end of the line now believed she was married to Wilder Reed.
The thought alone made her chest tighten.
The car fell quiet again.
As the buildings outside changed, her thoughts drifted without permission.
The scent of Magnus’s cologne.
The way he used to hold her hand under the table.
The voice he reserved only for her.
Then the memory of the hospital returned—Magnus standing beside Nova, their fingers intertwined, his face calm, as if Nyxia had never mattered.
Her fingers curled against her skirt. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
She hated that it still hurt.
“You’re thinking about him,” Wilder said.
Nyxia glanced at him.
“What?”
“Your face changed.” He didn’t look at her.
“Don’t bother.
People like that aren’t worth the space in your head.”
Nyxia gave no answer.
She looked out the window and forced the image away.
She didn’t want to talk about Magnus.
Not with him.
A while later, Wilder parked in front of a high-end shopping building.
He got out first, walked around the car, and opened her door.
Nyxia stepped out, still unsure of his intention.
“Why are we here?” she asked.
“To buy you clothes,” Wilder said.
“You can’t keep wearing the same things.”
“I have clothes at my place.”
“You’re not going back there for now.”
Before she could argue, he placed a hand on her back and guided her inside.
The boutique was quiet, filled with soft light and carefully arranged displays.
A staff member approached with a polite smile, but Wilder only gave a short instruction and led Nyxia toward the women’s section.
He sat down on a long sofa near the fitting rooms, crossed his legs, and looked at her.
“Pick whatever you want.”
Nyxia stared at him.
“You’re not going to choose?”
“I’ll look at the results.” He leaned back.
“Go.”
With little choice, Nyxia began browsing the racks.
The fabrics were expensive, the designs elegant.
She ran her fingers over a few pieces before selecting a cream blouse, a dark dress, a light coat, and two more simple outfits.
Then she walked into the fitting room.
The first outfit was the cream blouse paired with trousers.
When she stepped out, Wilder’s eyes moved over her from head to toe.
“Not bad,” he said.
“Next.”
She returned to the fitting room without a word.
The second outfit was a dark fitted dress.
When she came out, his gaze lingered longer than before.
“That one suits you.”
“I decide what my wife needs.”
Nyxia gave him a flat look and went back in.
She tried on three more outfits.
Each time she stepped out, Wilder watched her with the same steady attention.
Sometimes he commented.
Sometimes he only nodded.
There was no exaggerated praise, yet the way his eyes followed her made the air feel heavier than open teasing ever could.
At one point, after she came out in a simple white shirt and long skirt, Wilder tilted his head.
“We’ll take that one too.”
“I haven’t said I want it.”
“You look good in it.” He stood and walked closer.
“That’s enough reason.”
Nyxia held his gaze for a moment, then looked away.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m being responsible.” He stopped in front of her.
“My wife should only wear things that suit her.”
Before she could reply, he reached out and adjusted the collar of her shirt.
His fingers brushed the side of her neck.
The touch was brief, but her shoulders tensed at once.
“Done,” he said.
“Change back.
We’ll pay for all of them.”
Nyxia stared at him a second longer before turning away and walking back into the fitting room.
Behind the closed door, she let out a breath and pressed her fingers against the spot on her neck where his hand had been.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
This man answered her work calls as if he had every right.
He brought her shopping and chose her clothes without asking.
He touched her with the ease of someone who believed she already belonged to him.
And the most frustrating part was that she still couldn’t expose him without risking her own act.
Outside, Wilder returned to the sofa and waited, looking as if he had all the time in the world.
His eyes stayed on the fitting room door.
She’s mine now.
The thought settled deep and heavy in his chest.
Last night, when she had been in his arms, her hair had carried the faint scent of his own shampoo.
He had almost lost control then.
Almost.
The memory of her warmth against him still lingered more than he wanted to admit.
He leaned back, expression calm, as if nothing unusual occupied his mind.
No one else would touch her again.
No one else would get close.
Whatever it took, he would keep her where she belonged.