Chapter 9
Chapter 9:
Heat rushed to Helena’s cheeks without warning.
Having lived long enough to read between the lines, she caught on immediately to what Alden was hinting at.
Strangely, she didn’t pull away from his touch. But they were in a car—was he really thinking of having sex with her right then and there? She felt her heel slip off, and her skirt was lifted slightly.
A sharp pain tightened her throat, causing a cry from her lips.
“Hold on,” murmured Alden, not lifting his eyes as he secured her ankle firmly to apply the disinfectant.
Only then did Helena notice the raw, reddened scrape on her ankle. Alden had gone to buy iodine swabs and bandages from a nearby pharmacy just now.
His voice was calm and even as he attended to Helena’s injury. “Taking good care of yourself is the most important duty as my wife.” This unexpected kindness warmed Helena’s heart.
Ever since her father had lapsed into a coma, no one seemed to care if she got hurt. She had learned to hide her pain and bear it alone.
But Alden’s care made her feel visible once more.
He felt like the last one in the family still in her corner.
The warmth inside the car might have been too much, causing Helena’s eyes to water unexpectedly.
With her voice breaking, she managed a heartfelt, “Thank you, Alden.” Noticing her reddened eyes and sniffles, Alden smiled subtly, his expression carrying a hint of understanding.
Earlier, someone at the wedding venue had told him about the bridesmaid who’d made a scene, humiliating Stacey and Terry. But the woman sitting beside him now—soft, teary-eyed—looked nothing like the bridesmaid he’d heard about.
A warmth stirred in Alden as he found himself drawing nearer to her without thinking.
Caught in his gaze, Helena didn’t move. Her breath hitched, but she stayed exactly where she was. And little by little, the space between them disappeared. Their moment of closeness was abruptly interrupted by the shrill ring of Helena’s phone.
Alden caught a glimpse of Terry’s name flashing on the caller ID, reached for the phone, and dismissed the call.
M𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓊𝓅𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓃
He exhaled deeply. “Next time you find yourself at such an event, count me in p>
Helena was puzzled. Hadn’t they agreed to keep their marriage hidden from the public? What had prompted this sudden shift in his stance? Alden glanced down at Helena’s legs and teased, “We wouldn’t want you playing the damsel in distress again, Mrs. Wilson p>
Helena’s ears flushed a deep shade of red from the warmth.
Throughout their conversation, her calf had casually remained on Alden’s lap, crossing the line into a decidedly intimate space. Valeria’s cautions about psychological boundaries echoed in her mind, yet Alden’s contact sparked no discomfort.
As she gathered her thoughts to speak, her phone interrupted with another call from Terry, now using a different number.
Fed up, Helena switched her phone off.
Alden’s lips curved into a gentle smile as he asked, “You had a first love like that p>
A surge of surprise jolted through Helena. But it made sense—Alden must have learned about her history before agreeing to their marriage. Understanding his awareness of Terry being her first love didn’t really shock her, but it did leave her feeling exposed.
Feeling slightly uneasy about his insight, Helena carefully said, “I think it’s important you know why I was with Terry. He reminded me of someone from my childhood p>
That someone was a boy from her neighborhood before she was ten—a boy who had often stood up for her. But she had lost most of her memories twenty years ago.
Her clearest memory of the boy was his encouragement, urging her to always move forward and never look back.