Chapter 145

He opened the brocade box, revealing a pink diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg lying quietly inside, dazzling and brilliant.

"I want the whole world to know that you are my one and only wife." He gripped my hand tightly, his eyes slightly red. "Ophelia, will you marry me?"

I covered my mouth as tears instantly streamed down my face.

I thought his agreement last night to have a makeup wedding ceremony was just a temporary measure to calm me down. I never expected that in such a short time, he had quietly prepared such a grand and breathtaking surprise.

"Yes." I nodded through my tears, letting him slide that heavy diamond ring onto my ring finger.

That evening, we checked into the presidential suite of a five-star hotel.

Probably because the day's surprise had been too overwhelming, combined with jet lag, I lay on the soft bed with my emotions running high, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

My mind kept replaying the image of Benjamin kneeling on one knee. That feeling of being completely cherished made even my breathing feel sweet.

I wanted to hug him.

I turned over and instinctively reached toward the side of the bed, but felt nothing.

The bed beside me was cold. Benjamin wasn't there.

I paused, sat up, and only then heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

"Why is he taking so long?" I muttered to myself. Although the wound on his back had scabbed over, the doctor had warned that he shouldn't soak in water for extended periods.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, walking barefoot across the thick carpet to the bathroom door.

"Benjamin?" I knocked tentatively. Apart from the sound of water, there was no response.

An uneasy feeling rose in my heart. I grabbed the door handle and gently pushed the bathroom door open.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the frosted glass door was half open.

"Benjamin, are you done..."

My words stopped abruptly when I saw the scene before me.

Benjamin wasn't showering. Instead, his hands were gripping the edges of the sink tightly.

His head was slightly lowered, gasping for breath. His already pale complexion was now deathly white without a trace of color, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of cold sweat.

His body was trembling uncontrollably, his eyes unfocused, his face looking terrible.

"Benjamin!" I cried out in alarm, my heart instantly tightening as I practically lunged forward to support his swaying body.

Where I touched him, his skin was cold as ice, yet his muscles were tense from some kind of suppressed pain.

Ignoring the water on the floor, I struggled to support his tall frame. "What's wrong? Is your wound infected?"

Using my support, he barely managed to stand steady. He took a deep breath, and his unfocused eyes gradually focused on my face.

He gripped my wrist in return, his fingertips ice-cold.

"It's nothing..." His voice was hoarse as if filled with gravel, and he forced a reassuring smile at the corner of his mouth. "Probably just jet lag, plus I caught a bit of a chill. Just a slight cold."

"How could a cold make you sweat this much?" I didn't believe his explanation at all. Looking at his pale face, I was frantic with worry. "No, I'm having Luca contact a hospital here right now. We need to get you a full checkup."

Just as I was about to grab my phone, he pressed down on my hand.

"Ophelia, it's really not necessary." He leaned half his body weight on my shoulder, his tone weak but stubborn. "It's just a mild cold. I'll be fine after taking some medicine and sleeping. We still have to take wedding photos tomorrow. I don't want to ruin our plans over something this small."

Seeing the insistence in his eyes, my eyes welled up with tears, but I eventually gave in.

I half-supported, half-carried him back to bed, tucked him in with thick blankets, then fumbled through the medical kit I'd brought along, pouring warm water and feeding him cold medicine.

For most of the night, I stayed by the bedside, checking his forehead every little while. It wasn't until the early morning hours that his furrowed brow gradually relaxed and his breathing became steady. My tense nerves finally relaxed, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with my head resting on the edge of the bed.

The next day, I was awakened by a blinding ray of sunlight.

I opened my eyes groggily and sat up abruptly.

When my eyes caught the clock on the wall, my mind went blank with a buzz.

Eleven in the morning!

We were supposed to start makeup and shooting at eight this morning, and I had overslept!

"Awake?" A warm, deep voice came from the doorway.

I turned my head to see Benjamin already fully dressed.

He had changed into a perfectly tailored pure white suit that made his cool temperament even more refined. Although his complexion was still paler than usual, he looked much better.

He was holding an exquisite breakfast and walked slowly to the bedside to set it down.

"It's all my fault for sleeping so deeply and missing the shoot..." I rubbed my hair in frustration, full of guilt. "Has the team been waiting for a long time? I'll get up and wash up right now!"

"No rush." Benjamin sat down beside me and reached out to tuck the messy strands of hair by my cheek behind my ear. His deep eyes were full of indulgent amusement. "I've already talked to the photography team and pushed the shoot to this afternoon. You were too tired taking care of me last night. You should sleep more."

"But the venue and lighting..."

"No buts." He interrupted my concerns and brought warm milk to my lips. "I'm the boss, I make the decisions. Now, Mrs. Wilson's task is to finish breakfast, then go try on wedding dresses looking beautiful."

His boundless favoritism instantly smoothed away the anxiety and self-blame in my heart. I obediently drank the milk, my heart feeling like it was stuffed with cotton soaked in honey.

In the afternoon, we arrived at the royal palace on time.

When I walked out of the dressing room wearing the wedding dress that had been custom-made by a top French designer over six months of handwork, carrying layers upon layers of the skirt, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Benjamin was standing by the huge floor-to-ceiling window. Hearing the movement, he turned around, and the moment his gaze fell on me, an extremely bright light ignited in his deep black eyes.

He strode over and, without caring that there were dozens of staff members around, cupped my face and placed a precious yet restrained kiss on my lips.

"Beautiful." His voice was slightly hoarse, his eyes filled with amazement and affection that couldn't be dissolved.

The shooting process was complicated and tiring. To achieve the perfect lighting effects, the photographer directed us to pose in various positions in different corners of the palace and in the rose garden.

Because we had delayed the morning schedule, and Benjamin demanded perfection for every shot, the shoot continued until late at night.

When the clock struck eleven at night, the photographer finally gave an "OK" gesture.

"Thank you all for your hard work!" I lifted my skirt and looked at the staff around me, sweating from exhaustion, feeling somewhat guilty. "Tonight's on me. Let's all go get some late-night snacks together as a thank you for everyone's hard work."