Chapter 3

Aron was hungry. He fidgeted restlessly as his stomach continued to growl.

Last night, Aron hadn't had dinner. He skipped lunch as well because he had no appetite. And now, precisely at 01.45.01 o'clock, Aron was starving. If his legs could move normally, Aron would have loved to lie on his side while hugging his knees.

He glanced at Aleeza, who was still fast asleep. He briefly thought about waking her up but refrained because Aron didn't want to appear needy to the snake woman beside him.

Furthermore, Aron had been in this situation more than once. It wasn't just because of hunger late at night; Aron had also needed to use the bathroom at times like these. Since he couldn't move by himself, and there was no one he could ask for help, Aron had desperately held back his urge and tried to sleep. The next day, his stomach would ache terribly from suppressing his need for so long. And as usual, Aron kept that pain to himself.

And this time, Aron would endure his hunger. He wouldn't die just from holding it for a few hours. After taking a deep breath, Aron tried to close his eyes. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed since Aron closed his eyes when suddenly Aleeza's arm encircled his stomach. Aron's eyes opened again. He shot an irritated look at the woman, who still seemed deep in sleep.

Aron sighed as his stomach growled again. He quickly moved Aleeza's arm away and tried to go back to sleep.

"Are you hungry?"

Once again, Aron was forced to open his eyes. He turned to Aleeza with his cold gaze. "If you don't intend to get me some food, you better keep quiet."

Aron had to say it. Even though he still used a cold tone, there was a request in his words. This time, Aron was prepared to hear Aleeza's mockery about his implied request.

"Why didn't you wake me up immediately?" Aleeza asked as she changed her sleeping position to sitting. There was no hint of mockery or ridicule in her tone.

Aron had to admit that he was taken aback by Aleeza's question, as if she didn't mind him waking her up in the middle of the night like this. But wait, it could be part of the snake woman's plan. She might be intentionally making Aron think she was kind to catch him off guard.

Unfortunately for Aleeza, she would be disappointed because Aron wouldn't be swayed so easily by a small act of kindness. By the time Aron got up from his lying position, Aleeza had already left after putting on her robe.

In moments like this, when there was no one around, Aron no longer concealed the pain that struck him when he tried to drag his two legs. He only wanted to lean against the headboard of the bed, but the pain was excruciating.

When he finally succeeded in supporting his back, his sweat had soaked his back, and a few drops had rolled down his temples. His lips were parted due to panting.

He didn't know how long this suffering would continue. His body and heart were in pain.

Aron's hands were raised, and he rubbed his face roughly.

If Aron stopped defending all this wealth and handed it over to his stepfamily, perhaps the only pain he would endure would be physical. His heart would be at ease because he would no longer have to face the family that pretended to be sweet in front of him, even though Aron knew their wickedness all too well.

But no, Aron would continue to defend the inheritance from his beloved father. No matter how much he despised his father for betraying his mother to the point that the gentle and weak woman chose to commit suicide, his love for his father still couldn't fade away.

Aron would continue to fulfill his father's will for as long as it took, even if death were to come prematurely. His father had also stated this in his will. If Aron were to pass away before making his own will, then all of Henderson's wealth would be donated, leaving only a few assets for his stepfamily.

Aron's reverie was interrupted when Aleeza returned to the room with a tray in hand.

"The menu is the same as last night. Would you like to eat it?" Aleeza asked.

Aron observed Aleeza's face, trying to discern any mocking tone, but all he found was doubt in her expression. It was as if she wasn't sure whether Aron would be willing to eat the food she brought or not.

"Well? Or do you want a different menu? But it will take some time because I still need to cook it," Aleeza asked again as Aron remained silent.

"Just bring the food!" Aron ordered.

Without protesting, Aleeza brought the food to the nightstand. She proceeded to slice the steak, just like the previous night, before handing the plate to Aron.

Aron accepted the plate with his left hand and immediately grabbed the fork with his right, starting to devour the food.

"Be careful while eating. You might choke," Aleeza cautioned.

Aron cleared his throat. He felt uncomfortable with Aleeza's current demeanor. She seemed more dangerous now than her previous shy or flirtatious behavior. Aron needed to be more cautious to avoid being deceived.

Once the food on Aron's plate was finished, Aleeza handed him a glass of milk and then took Aron's plate. After finishing the glass of milk as well, Aleeza wordlessly removed the remnants of the meal.

Aron's stomach was now content. Without waiting for Aleeza, he shifted his body to lie back down. When Aleeza re-entered the room, Aron already closed his eyes, although he hadn't fully fallen asleep.

Aleeza locked the bedroom door and removed her robe. She walked to the bed next to Aron's but didn't lie down immediately. She sat there, gazing at Aron, whom she thought had already drifted off.

"Don't worry about anything anymore. I'm here to be your legs and hands."

Aron still vividly remembered the words Aleeza had spoken last night, or rather, early this morning.

The sentence left Aron puzzled. He was certain that when Aleeza said it, she believed he was already asleep. That meant what Aleeza had said wasn't a lie and came from the depths of her heart.

The sentence was entirely at odds with the reality that Aleeza was a servant in his stepfamily's household. They should be enemies. However, that sentence made Aron think that Aleeza was on his side.

"Is there something bothering you?" Aron suddenly realized he was sitting in the garden with Carter, discussing business matters. When Carter had asked him to review a document, Aron's mind had wandered back to Aleeza's words from the previous night.

For a moment, Aron considered telling Carter what was bothering him. After all, Aron had never hidden anything from Carter. But he hesitated.

"Nothing's wrong," Aron finally chose to lie. He wanted to see how far Aleeza's behavior would go before confiding everything in Carter.

"Did something happen on your wedding night that's affecting your ability to concentrate on work?" Carter guessed with a restrained smile.

Aron knew Carter wouldn't simply believe the words "nothing's wrong." He wanted to smile at Carter, but he felt like his face would crack if he did. "I feel disturbed by her behavior. At times, she acts shy, but the next moment, she acts immodestly and shamelessly wears such a thin nightgown in front of me."

Aron wasn't lying; it was one of the things that had bothered him on his wedding night. However, he wasn't interested in discussing Aleeza stealing kisses, whether on his lips, cheeks, or forehead.

"Stay cautious with her. Don't fall in love and be willing to do anything for her," Carter advised.

Aron nodded in understanding, but didn't continue the conversation. He bowed back down to the document he had been reading halfway through. Afterward, the two men delved into their business discussion.

Half an hour later, they were finished. As they tidied up, Carter said, "I apologize again for bothering you so early in the morning."

Carter apologized once more for asking Aron to review the document at half-past five in the morning. The person they were meeting with had only available time at seven in the morning. Yesterday, Carter didn't want to interrupt Aron's wedding day with work. However, he needed Aron to conduct the final review because all decisions ultimately rested with Aron, even though he had rarely visited the company in the past year.

Aron's worsening leg condition had confined him to his home. He only visited the company when there was something crucial that couldn't be delegated.

Of course, no one knew about Aron's deteriorating leg condition, not even Carter. When asked, Aron simply claimed he wasn't comfortable going out in a wheelchair.

Besides Aron, the only person aware of his leg condition was the doctor who examined him once a week. The doctor was a close friend of his father's, someone Aron considered almost like an uncle. According to the doctor, the pain Aron felt was the ongoing result of nerve damage in his legs. If the pain worsened at some point, Aron might have to face the possibility of amputation.

Since then, Aron knew that there was no hope for a cure. After that, Aron refused the doctor's visits. However, due to Carter's insistence, Aron eventually agreed to take medication regularly.

"It's time for breakfast. I'll wheel you to the dining room," Carter said, pushing Aron's wheelchair.

"You're not joining us for breakfast?" Aron asked. Despite his cold and impassive expression, concern was evident in his voice.

"I'll have breakfast during the meeting later," Carter replied.

Aron nodded, and they fell silent until they reached the dining room. Aleeza, Keiran, and Ines were already there.

Aron inwardly sighed. The snake trio, indeed.

Apart from Ines, Keiran and Aron's father had two other children. The second child was a boy named Mario, who was now twenty-three years old. He was the one who often got into conflicts with Aron due to his inability to control his emotions. He openly displayed his hatred for Aron, especially when their father showed affection toward Aron.

Aron had suspicions that Mario might have been the cause of his accident. This was because they had a heated argument just before the incident, all because of a woman. After Aron's accident, Mario disappeared. Keiran explained that Mario continued his studies and managed one of the family's businesses in another city. Aron knew from Aron's reports that Mario occasionally came home. However, it seemed that his stepbrother was intentionally avoiding him.

The younger of Keiran and Aron's father's children was a twenty-year-old girl named Melisa. She was different from the rest of her family. She always defended Aron and enjoyed being close to him. But the problem was, she had openly declared her love for Aron. She didn't even care that Aron was her blood relative.

Although Keiran was a wicked snake spirit, she was sane enough not to let her youngest daughter continue her infatuation. Keiran sent Melisa abroad after she graduated from high school.

Among the three of Keiran's children, Ines, who had been married for about a year but had yet to have children, was the oldest. Her husband was one of the directors at Henderson Group. Both being equally greedy, Ines and her husband, Trelly, seemed to be a perfect match.

Now, the family had grown. However, Aron couldn't decide whether Aleeza was an enemy or an ally. Considering her recent actions and behavior, Aleeza appeared to be an adversary. However, last night, she had successfully sown doubt in Aron's mind.

Or maybe she knew that Aron hadn't slept yet. She might have intentionally spoken those words to confuse him.

That though gradually dispelled Aron's confusion. This woman couldn't underestimated. A moment of carelessness, and she could manipulate Aron's mind and make him think differently.

"Aron, I'm leaving now," Carter said after Aron had taken his seat at the head of the table, which had been empty since his father's passing. After Aron's accident, they left that spot unoccupied as Aron would sit in his wheelchair.

"Alright, take care on the way, " Aron replied.

As soon as Carter left, Tyrell and Aleeza's family entered the dining room.

Aleeza resumed her shy demeanor in front of Aron and her entire family. Aron wanted to reject the hand that was scooping rice and side dishes onto his plate. But he chose to remain silent when he saw the expressions on Aleeza's family members' faces. They must not know that this marriage was merely a charade with a pile of wealth as the prize.

Aron could reveal Aleeza's true behavior to her family, but he was still curious about how far this snake of a woman would go.

"Aron, I heard you weren't feeling well last night. Are you feeling better now?" one of Aleeza's family members asked.

Aron didn't know the person's name, and he didn't care to know. Therefore, he ignored the question and busied himself with the food on his plate.

Seeing Aron's silence, Aleeza's entire family glared at Aleeza, especially her eldest sibling who had asked the question. Eventually, all Aleeza could do was bow her head and bite her lip.

"Your brother won't ask what's wrong with your husband for him to behave like that. What he wants to know is if you're happy with him," Romy, Aleeza's eldest brother, asked as their family was about to leave.

"I'm happy, don't worry." Aleeza replied.

"He hasn't treated you badly, has he?"

There was no need to ask who 'he' referred to. Aleeza knew it, which is why she nodded.

As on older brother, Romy naturally worried about his sister. That's why he asked all these questions. However, seeing the sincerity in his sister's eyes, Romy sighed and pulled his sister into a hug.

"Don't worry too much. If he truly loves you, he will be willing to change his behavior in front of Mom and Dad to keep you," Romy said, caressing his sister's long hair. "But you know Dad's temperament, right? If your husband behaves like that in front of him, he will undoubtedly demand a divorce."

"Yes, Aleeza knows."

Hearing the sadness in Aleeza's voice, Romy released their hug and looked at his sister with great affection. "Don't dwell on it too much. If you tell them the real reason for this marriage, your family won't be angry. Instead, they'll feel guilty that you had to sacrifice yourself for them."

Aleeza smiled and kissed her brother's cheek. "You don't need to worry. We'll be fine."

"That's good."

Afterward, Aleeza's family left Henderson's residence.

Aleeza returned to the house and approached Keiran and Ines, who were sitting in the living room. Tyrell had already left for the office, and Keiran was also ready to leave.

Besides Tyrell and Mario, Keiran was directly involved in the family business. She held a director position as well. Aron was the CEO, and Carter was Aron's assistant.

"Do you know where Aron went?" Aleeza asked because she had escorted her family outside and didn't know where Aron had gone.

"He usually goes to the library at this hour," Ines answered. When she saw Aleeza about to get up, Ines stopped her. "Wait. I want to know what happened last night."

"Last night?" Aleeza asked, canceling her intention to go find Aron and sitting back down.

"Yes, last night. Did you do it with Aron?" Ines asked, her eyes gleaming mischievously. Ines was curious if that handicapped man was capable of intimacy.

Aleeza snorted. "You must be joking. Do you think I'd let myself be touched by him?"

Ines chuckled, as she had expected Aleeza to say that. If Ines were in Aleeza's position, she wouldn't want to be touched by Aron, no matter how handsome or wealthy he was. Only Melisa was strange enough to love Aron. But if touching Aron could further their plans, why not?

"So, what did you do to avoid it last night?"

"I didn't need to do anything because you know he hates me. So, nothing happened. I acted shy as usual, and he pretended I didn't exist. That's it."

After saying that, Aleeza glanced around because she felt someone was watching them. She was startled for a few seconds but tried to hide it from Ines.

Apparently, a few meters behind Ines, Aron was observing them. Aleeza could see him clearly because she was sitting directly across from Ines.

"Last night, you were lucky to avoid it. What about tonight or the following nights?"

"Maybe I'll need sleeping pills," Aleeza replied, holding back a smile. She knew Aron could hear her clearly.

Ines giggled with glee at Aleeza's response. Ines had expected Aleeza to say that. If Aron could hear her clearly, he'd know what they were discussing.

Ines had a good idea that they needed to be cautious around Aron. It was clear that Aleeza was playing a dangerous game, and they couldn't afford to make any mistakes.