The Queen's Back

like all the warmth had been drained out of the air around him.

"Maxwell, what's going on? We agreed on this, didn't we? Of course, I want them to be on board. I'm just curious about what you told them," Mona quickly explained. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Maxwell today-he seemed colder than usual She didn't know what was up with him, but thankfully, she had enough warmth for both of them. After everything she'd gone through in her past life, she knew Maxwell better than anyone. She wasn't scared of him anymore. "Nothing, let's just go." Maxwell's tone was short, but he still opened the passenger door for her, making sure she didn't bump her head as she got in.

The ride to the city hall was silent, with only the whooshing sound of the wind filling the space between them. Mona had no clue what to talk about, while Maxwell was still brooding over the thought of her wanting to reconcile with Teddy.

Maxwell knew deep down that Mona was only marrying him out of spite toward Teddy, but understanding that didn't make it hurt any less. The thought alone was enough to dampen his mood.

At first, he'd been over the moon when Mona agreed to get engaged-he'd been so thrilled he couldn't sleep that night. But now, he couldn't help but wish that one day, she'd truly fall for him.

He wasn't sure when that would happen, but he believed it would. And when it did, they could have the wedding they both deserved. But as for the marriage license? That couldn't wait any longer.

Given their status in Nathontown, getting the marriage license was a breeze. No lines, no hassle-just some signatures, a couple of stamps, and a quick photo. The whole thing took less than six minutes.

As they stepped out of the city hall, Mona stared at the marriage license in her hands, feeling a strange sense of calm. The position every girl in Nathontown dreamed of was now hers. Glancing at the man beside her, she couldn't help but feel a wave of satisfaction. After they got into the car, Mona, sitting in the passenger seat, hesitated before finally calling out, "Max." It felt a bit awkward, but he was her husband now-getting closer seemed natural.

Maxwell's lips curved slightly as he responded softly, "Yeah?" From today, Mona was officially his wife. Hearing Mona call him that stirred something inside him. 'Is she finally ready to move on from Teddy and give us a real chance?' he wondered.

"Do you have any plans later? Could you drop me off at the hospital?" Mona asked casually. Today was the day the paternity test results would be ready.

"The hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Maxwell asked urgently, his voice filled with concern. He was immediately on edge, fearing that something might be wrong with her.

Caught off guard by the genuine concern in his dark eyes, Mona's heart fluttered slightly. "No, I'm fine. Just going to pick up something."

Hearing that, Maxwell's tensed nerves relaxed, and he drove them to the private hospital she mentioned. The moment they arrived, he followed right behind her, as if scared she was secretly suffering from something serious.

Mona hadn't intended to hide anything from Maxwell anyway. He'd find out sooner or later. Honestly, she'd love to blow this whole matter up-after all, the truth about Barbara being an illegitimate daughter was a ticking time bomb for her.

The only thing holding her back was her concern for her grandparents. With Jeremy still running the Clem Group, things could get really messy.

Mona quickly retrieved the test results. As expected, she wasn't Jeremy's daughter-Barbara was. Even though she'd known this in her past life, seeing it in black and white still hit hard. Suddenly, all those years of Jeremy favoring Barbara made perfect sense.

39%

Maxwell stood beside Mona as she scanned the report. She didn't try to hide it, and he caught a glance at the papers, his eyes widening. 'So Jeremy's not Mona's real father?' he thought, shocked. "Max, can I lean on your shoulder for a bit? I'm feeling kinda down," Mona asked softly. Before he could respond, she was al snuggling into his embrace.

d by the sudden closeness, Maxwell stiffened for a moment, then gave a small, awkward nod. This felt even more than the time he'd secretly hugged her-only this time, she was the one initiating it. Sure, she had her reasons, but it meant she wasn't uncomfortable being close to him. Mustering up his courage, he nervously patted her back, his heart racing with every gentle tap. To Maxwell, Mona was like a ray of light in his otherwise dark world, slowly bringing warmth and color into his life.

They weren't sure how long they stayed like that, but eventually, Mona felt a bit better and gently pulled away, feeling a little shy about hugging in public like that.

"Are you still feeling down?" Maxwell asked, his voice slightly husky as he tried to keep his cool, hiding just how much their closeness affected him.

"I'm okay now. I kind of expected this result anyway. Let's head home-my grandparents are probably waiting for us," Mona said with a brave smile. Gathering her courage, she took Maxwell's hand. They'd already hugged, so holding hands shouldn't be a big deal, right? She silently hoped he wouldn't be cruel enough to pull away. Maxwell glanced down at their intertwined fingers, his chest swelling with a sense of joy. 'She's really serious about this... about building a life with me, he thought, focusing only on Mona and the warmth of their joined hands. Everything else seemed to blur into the background.

He couldn't believe how things had turned out today-stuff he wouldn't have even dared to dream of. They held hands all the way to the car, and when Mona finally let go, he felt an unexpected emptiness.

"Max, what are you spacing out for? Start the car." Mona teased, snapping him out of his daze.

Maxwell quickly started the car. The road felt way too short-they'd barely held hands, and now they were already here. After Mona got in, Maxwell leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, trying to stay calm. 'It's just a seatbelt, no big deal, he thought. But as he leaned in, their faces ended up just inches apart.

Mona's heart skipped a beat. His slightly messy hair fell across his forehead, partially shading those deep, intense eyes. The open collar of his shirt revealed a smooth neck and a teasing glimpse of his collarbone, sending her pulse into overdrive. Flustered by where her thoughts were going, Mona quickly looked away. "Th-thanks."

With a soft click, Maxwell secured the seatbelt and pulled back, doing his best to keep his cool. "No problem," he replied, hiding the nervous flutter in his chest.