Chapter 4

"Maybe I needed sleeping pills," Aleeza said, suppressing a smile. She know Aron could hear her clearly.

Ines chuckled with amusement as she leaned down to reach for a cup of tea on the table. It was then that Aleeza looked directly at Aron with a mischievous smile and a wink.

Aleeza's action prompted Aron to wheel his chair back into the house. Seeing this, Aleeza quickly excused herself from Ines and hurried to follow Aron.

Aleeza caught up with Aron in the living room on their way to the library. Without a word, she began pushing Aron's wheelchair. Feeling someone assisting him, Aron's hand, which had been turning the wheels of the chair, stopped. He immediately knew who was behind him without having to turn around. They walked in silence until they entered the library.

"What book do you want to read? Let me find it for you," Aleeza offered.

"No need. I can do it myself. Go away!" Aron's tone sounded colder than Aleeza had ever heard.

Aleeza turned the wheelchair around to face her and knelt in front of Aron. "Looks like my husband is angry," she teased.

"Stay away from me! Didn't you say you didn't want to be touched by me?"

Aleeza's smile widened. "Does that mean you'd touch me if I hadn't said that?"

"Only in your dreams!"

"So, my words weren't wrong. You wouldn't touch me anyway. So, let me be the one to touch you."

"You're such a-"

Smack.

Aron fell silent with his mouth agape. His eyes blinked several times in surprise. Meanwhile, Aleeza had already stood up and moved back, laughing with glee.

"Stop doing that!" Aron growled.

"What if I don't want to?" Aleeza challenged.

Aron's fingers clenched in frustration. Aleeza was the most obtuse person he had ever encountered. "Don't be a hypocrite. At times, you act as if touching me is disgusting. But at other times, you won't stop touching me."

Without a hint of guilt, Aleeza shrugged. "You judgement of me has been poor from the start. In your eyes, I'm a promiscuous woman. So, it doesn't matter if you add 'hypocrite' to that description."

Aron gritted his teeth in frustation. "I'll have the servants remove your belongings from my room. You can sleep wherever you want. And from now on, stay away from me."

Aron tried to wheel his chair backward, but Aleeza had knelt in front of him and now held both of Aron's hands. This time, she gazed at him tenderness, much like she had done the previous night.

"Aron, I want to serve you as a true wife. Whatever happens when we're alone, others don't need to know. If you're afraid that my presence might harm you, just make sure not to discuss anything your enemies might be interested in with me," Aleeza said before pausing. "Allow me to be your real wife."

Aron stared sharply into Aleeza's eyes, as if trying to read what lay hidden behind them. He couldn't possibly misinterpret the sincerity in Aleeza's last sentence.

"How can I trust you?" he asked.

"You don't need to trust me. Because if you do trust me, I might betray you. Allow me to serve you as a wife, even if it's only when we're alone like this."

Aron fell silent. He truly didn't understand the woman before him. What kind of game was she playing?

"Consider it. If I serve you, what harm would it bring to you?"

"You're trying to attack my heart."

Unintentionally, that sentence filled Aron's mind. But Aleeza wasn't wrong. If she served Aron as a wife would serve her husband, it would certainly benefit Aron. All his stepfamily needed was his signature. As long as Aron didn't provide his signature, he wouldn't lose anythings.

They remained silent for quite some time, exchanging sharp glances until Aron sighed. "Fine. But it doesn't mean I will be nice to you. Just do your job properly, and I won't harm you."

Aleeza smiled broadly, showing her joy. While still kneeling, she wrapped her arms around Aron's neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

Aron's heart pounded hard. Since being confinced to a wheelchair, he had never been this close to anyone. It felt strange. On one hand, he felt comfortable, but on the other, he was restless.

"Ahem, that's enough hugging. Let go of me!" Aron ordered, moving away from Aleeza.

Aleeza's face still beamed with happiness after releasing the hug, and they gazed at each other again. "So, as my husband, feel free to ask for anything you want."

Aron cleared his throat and turned his face away from Aleeza. For some reason, he felt nervous now.

Aron was not a ladies' man, even though he had had several girlfirends. He could be considered a good boy. Back when his parents were still together, Aron was a cheerful and sociable kid. However, the only person Aron considered a true friend was Carter, his friend since junior high school.

Aron's happy life changed when his mother discovered his father's affair. This happened when Aron was about to graduate from junior high school.

Just as Aron was beginning to enjoy his first year of high school, his mother committed suicide after his father's first child with his mistress was only four years younger than Aron. Of course, Aron demanded and explanation from his father. But his father merely said he loved both Keiran and Aron's mother. Then, without any guilt, two months after months after his mother's funeral, his father brought Keiran and her children to their house.

Aron's disappointment drove him to run away from home and live with Carter. But as painful as it was, it didn't turn Aron into a delinquest who chased after women and used drugs. He remained a friendly as kind person, although he became increasingly reserved over time.

After living at Carter's house for almost four mounts, Aron heard news that his father was ill and wanted him to return home. Despite his lingering disappointement, Aron's love for his father compelled him to return home and learn to forgive and accept that he now had a new family.

As a human with feelings, Aron knew about the hidden resentment from his stepfamily, especially when Mario made it explicit.

No matter how good Aron was, he was not a weak man. When provoked, he would fight back. This was the cas between him and Mario. When Mario began to act out, speading lies to their father, Aron firmly defended himself and warned Mario directly. Their disputes ofthen ended in physical fights.

When Aron was in his fifth semester of college, his father's increasingly frequent illnesses prompted the drafting of a will that was read aloud in front of Aron and his stepfamily. Aron was disappointed by the contents of the will, not because of the value, but because of his father's love. By bequething such a small portion of his wealth to Aron, Aron couldn't help but feel that his father didn't care for him. However, once again, Aron tried to accept it. He didn't like conflicts, especially with his own family. Both his hands were capable of earning wealth without relying on inheritance.

Exactly one week after the reading of the will, Aron's father died in a manner that Aron found very suspicious. He died with a charred body due to an electrical accident on his bed.

The horrific and inexplicable nature of his father's death shocked and traumatized Aron. Everyone has a limit to their patience, and Aron was no exception. His immediate suspicion was directed towards his stepfamily. After all, what could be their motive other than to gain their inheritance as quickly as possible?

However, the police investigation found no evidence of foul play. Aron couldn't blame the police's performance, as he had also hired a detective from outside to investigate. According to them, Aron's father's death resulted from his own carelessness when he accidentally knocked a glass of water from the nightstand onto an electrical outlet used for an electric massager. Meanwhile, all members of his family had their alibis.

In the end, there was nothing Aron could do except accept it, even though he still couldn't reconcile with it in his heart. Since that moment, Aron became increasingly closed off and unable to smile, especially after the second reading of the will. The reason being, the will read on the day of his father's death differed from the will read when his father was alive.

It could be said that the facade of his stepfamily's pretended kindness crumbled right then and there. They all got angry and accused Aron of cheating. But their lawyer himself claimed not to know the reason behind this. Whether he was telling the truth or not, Aron couldn't tell.

At that moment, Aron suspected that his father had deliberately read the will that favored his stepfamily to see their reactions. And apparently, his father passed away a week later. That's why Aron's suspicions grew, leading to the person he had become now-cold, cynical, and fond of using harsh words.

Aron sighed. Memories of his family's destruction always brought him immense pain. He looked down when he felt his fingers being squeezed and jerked in surprise. His daydreaming had made Aron forget that he wasn't alone.

Aleeza smiled, calmingly observing the surprise in Aron's eyes. She was certain that Aron momentarily forgotten her presence. "What were you daydreaming about that made you forget me?" Aleeza asked softly.

"Nothing," Aron replied, avoiding Aleeza's inquisitive gaze.

Aleeza's fingers reached out and gently stroked Aron's forehead. "Try not to frown so often."

Aron pulled his face away to break contact with Aleeza's touch. He felt extremely uncomfortable. "Take me to my room. I want to review some financial reports for the company."

Aleeza nodded and complied with Aron's request. It seemed she needed to be patient and help Aron get used to her touch. At least, she had managed to make progress since Aron didn't push her away this time.

Aleeza had offered to assist Aron in cleaning up and changing clothes, but he declined. Instead, he requested assistance from his servants. Even now, as he prepared to move to his bed, Aleeza could only watch with a pouting expression.

At the moment, on of the burlier servants had lifted Aron from his wheelchair to the bed. Aleeza had to admit that Aron appeared quite thin when compared to the photos on his work desk. Perhaps his weight had dropped due to his illness. Still, Aleeza found it challenging to assist Aron in moving like she did last night.

For some reason, Aleeza felt strange about Aron's expression when he was being moved. His lips were sealed tightly, forming a straight line, and his jaw was clenched. His facial expression appeared flatter than usual, as if he were trying to hide something.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump in Aleeza's chest.

Aaron was in pain.

He was in pain but tried hard to conceal it. After all, the servant had been carrying him when they moved him. It was different from yesterday when Aleeza had helped him move. He shouldn't have felt any pain.

As soon as the servant left, Aleeza hurriedly locked the bedroom door and sat beside Aron, who was about to read a book while leaning on the bed's headrest. With a casual demeanor, Aleeza touched Aron's calf and suddenly squeezed it.

"Argh, what are you doing?" Aron reflexively snapped at Aleeza while pushing her hand away. A sharp pain suddenly surged from where Aleeza had squeezed his calf and spread throughout his body. It was as if his entire body had been filled with an electric shock.

"Is it painful?" Aleeza asked with wide eyes.

Aron didn't answer and chose to focus his attention on the book in his hands.

For Aleeza, Aron's silence meant yes. Panic suddenly filled her mind. "What's really happening? As far as I know, paralyzed body parts shouldn't feel pain because they're dumb."

"It's nighttime. Go to sleep!" Aron ordered calmly without taking his eyes off his book.

Annoyed, Aleeza snatched Aron's book away and grabbed both of his hands, forcing their gazes to meet. "Tell me what's happening. Does this mean there's still hope for you to recover? If you cans till feel pain, perhaps you're not completely paralyzed." Uncontrollably, tears welled up in Aleeza's eyes.

Aron furrowed his brow at Aleeza's tears. "You're really strange. I'm the one in pain, why are you crying?"

Actually, Aron felt uncomfortable with the attention Aleeza was giving him. He still believed that Aleeza was his stepfamily's servant.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Aleeza ignored Aron's previous statement.

"No need to act like this. I only gave you permission to perform the duties of a wife. I don't need your fake concern. And if you intend to tell them about this, go ahead. I'll pretend not to know." Aleeza couldn't reply to Aron's words as her tears continued to flow. Then she wrapped her arms around Aron's waist and cried into his chest. When Aron tried to break free, Aleeza tightened her embrace even more.

Finally, Aron gave in. He allowed Aleeza, who was still crying, to continue hugging him without attempting to push her away.