Chapter 12
Stuart was deep in thought.
For the first time, someone had promised to look out for him, to treat him well.
It was almost laughable.
Yet, for some reason, Stuart didn't laugh.
The icy look in his eyes softened as he realized he had misjudged the girl before him.
Then, Stuart caught a whiff of a faint scent, like lavender mixed with the sweetness of vanilla, a calming, sleep-inducing aroma.
Was he feeling sleepy? Had the scent been the reason for his calmness last night?
Stuart turned to Zoe and said, "Zoe, you can leave now."
Casting a worried glance at Morwenna, Zoe paused, left some cold medicine on the table, and left.
Stuart stepped out of the bathtub with a stern face and said indifferently, "Kiddo, get dressed and come to my room."
Shivering in the cold water, Morwenna protested with a trembling voice, "Go to your room for what? And I'm not a kiddo. I have a name, Morwenna."
"Kiddo, don't test my patience further." Stuart's voice carried his usual authoritative tone.
He didn't wait for Morwenna's agreement. With his clothes still damp, he turned and walked away.
After Stuart left, Morwenna pouted, looking like a wronged little bunny.
She was trying so hard to make it through each day.
Quickly, she slapped her cheeks lightly, trying to cheer herself up, whispering, "Come on, Wenna, be strong. It's okay. You're here to repay a debt. This little bit of trouble doesn’t matter."
She changed into dry clothes, dried her hair, and took the cold medicine Zoe had left on the table.
What did Stuart want her upstairs for? Was he planning to make things difficult for her again?
Morwenna hesitated but eventually went upstairs.
It didn't worry her whether or not he would find something to blame her for.
She knocked on Stuart’s door and, hearing no response, took a deep breath and pushed it open. After all, Stuart had asked her to come in.
Upon entering, Morwenna saw Stuart leaning against the bed, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Morwenna found it odd. Stuart seemed slack and careless when he was awake, but in sleep, there was an intense vibe about him.
Shouldn’t he appear more peaceful and calm in sleep?
As she pondered it, Stuart opened his eyes, his gaze fierce.
Morwenna remembered the last time she approached a sleeping Stuart. He was prone to lashing out.
In no time, she said, "It’s me. It’s me. Don’t freak out. You’ve got serious bed grumpiness, but remember, you asked me to come in!"
Stuart’s expression softened, his deep voice murmuring. "Come here."
Morwenna stepped back warily. "What for?"
That scent that made him drowsy wafted up again.
His voice deepened. "Come here, I said."
Morwenna, who didn’t respond well to harshness, rolled her eyes playfully and turned to leave.
Encountering such defiance for the first time and unable to act because of Norbert’s presence, Stuart couldn’t harm her.
His cold tone intensified. "Kiddo, we're married now. Spouses should live together."
Morwenna didn’t stop but turned and retorted, "Man, stop kidding. Even married couples can sleep in separate rooms."
Hearing himself being called 'man,' veins throbbed on Stuart's forehead. He snapped, "You’ve ruined my orchids."
That made Morwenna stop in her tracks.
Her tone was no longer so confident as she muttered, "I’ll compensate."
"When?"
"I... I’ll write you an IOU for now."
Morwenna really couldn’t put on a brave front when indebted to someone.
Stuart stood up, wrote something on a paper, and handed it to Morwenna.
Thinking it was the IOU, she was shocked to find it was an agreement instead.
The agreement stated she wouldn’t have to compensate for the orchids if she slept with him.
What the hell?