Chapter 72
The bedroom on the second floor was spacious and bright. Unlike the old mansion's traditional style, this room had clearly been freshly redone.
Warm white walls, soft beige carpet, cozy floor lamps — everything radiated a carefully considered warmth, without a trace of the coldness and distance typical of luxury estates.
"So, what do you think? Do you like it? If there's anything you're not happy with, just tell me, and I'll have it taken care of right away." Sloane looked at me expectantly.
"I love it, Grandma. Thank you." I said sincerely, my heart filled with warmth.
"Good, I'm glad you like it." Sloane nodded with satisfaction, then leaned close to my ear, winked, and lowered her voice with a knowing, teasing tone, "The soundproofing in this room has been specially reinforced — it's really good. You young people can... make as much noise as you want at night, no one will hear a thing."
My face instantly turned red.
My heart was racing so fast it felt like it would jump out of my throat. I didn't even dare look at Sloane's smiling eyes.
My mind went completely blank, with only the word "noise" buzzing around in it.
It finally hit me — Benjamin and I were now legally married.
Tonight, we will spend our wedding night together on this soft, large bed.
"Ophelia, you're really too innocent." Seeing my reaction, Sloane laughed even more heartily. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you two. Get some rest early. I'm heading downstairs."
With that, she tactfully closed the door behind her.
The door shut, completely blocking out the noise from outside.
In the huge room, I was left alone with my drumming heartbeat.
I forced myself to calm down and turned to walk into the bathroom.
I needed a hot shower to wash away the roller-coaster emotions of the entire day and the overwhelming nervousness and confusion threatening to drown me.
Warm water poured down from the showerhead, and steam quickly filled the entire bathroom.
I leaned against the cool tiles, letting the water wash over my body, but my mind was in complete chaos.
What should I do later? How should I face him? Even though we'd registered our marriage, everything had happened so fast that I hadn't mentally prepared myself at all.
I don't know how long I ended up lingering in the bathroom. By the time my skin had turned red from the hot water, I finally turned off the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and, like a guilty thief, quietly cracked open the door.
The bedroom was quiet. He hadn't returned yet.
I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to slip out when a warm, solid chest suddenly appeared without warning.
I instinctively let out a muffled sound and froze on the spot.
Benjamin had somehow finished his work and was now standing at the bathroom door, still wearing that dark gray cashmere sweater, a trace of fatigue between his brows from handling business matters.
At this moment, his usually unfathomable eyes were staring at me without blinking, with emotions I couldn't quite understand shifting in their depths.
The air seemed to freeze instantly, then ignite the next second.
I could clearly smell the crisp woody scent on him, mixed with the damp steam from my fresh bath, weaving together into a charged, ambiguous atmosphere that made my heart race.
"I... I'm done." I stammered, my cheeks burning hot, wishing I could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.
His Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, and even his usually calm and handsome face showed a suspicious flush.
"I know," he said, his voice huskier than usual. His gaze awkwardly moved away from me as he quickly brushed past, grabbed his pajamas, and all but escaped into the bathroom in a near panic.
The bathroom door closed, and only then did I feel like I could breathe again, leaning against the wall and gasping for air.
I quickly changed into my pajamas, practically crawling onto the bed on all fours, then pulled the covers over myself, wrapping up completely from head to toe, leaving only my eyes exposed as I nervously watched the bathroom.
Before long, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped.
The door opened, and Benjamin came out, drying his hair.
He'd changed into dark blue silk pajamas, the collar slightly open, revealing his defined collarbone, his whole body carrying the fresh scent of a recent shower.
My heart jumped to my throat. The second before he looked over, I quickly pulled my head under the covers too, wrapping myself into an airtight cocoon.
I could feel the other side of the mattress sink slightly — he'd gotten into bed.
I was so nervous I held my breath, my body tense as stone.
A long silence fell outside the covers. Just when I was about to run out of air, a strong arm gently, tentatively wrapped around me through the blanket.
Then his low voice, tinged with helpless amusement, came through muffled: "If you don't come out, you're going to suffocate."
I hesitated, then reluctantly poked my head out from under the covers but still didn't dare turn to look at him, remaining stiffly turned away.
The person behind me seemed to chuckle softly. He didn't come closer, just pulled the covers up a bit, tucking me in.
In the darkness, his warm chest slowly pressed against my back, and with one long arm, he pulled me into his solid, warm embrace.
My whole body stiffened, instinctively wanting to struggle.
"Don't be afraid." His warm breath brushed my ear, his low voice carrying an undeniable soothing power. "I won't do anything to you."
He tightened his arms, gently resting his chin in the curve of my shoulder, holding me with a quiet, cherishing care.
"Ophelia," he said softly in my ear, each word like a solemn promise, "until you truly accept me, I'll only hold you like this while we sleep."
His promise still echoed in my ears, his warm breath brushing my ear with a reassurance I couldn't deny.
My tense body gradually relaxed to the sound of his steady, strong heartbeat.
The shadows left by those nights at the White family home, full of scheming and vigilance, seemed to be dispelled by the warmth of his embrace. I actually fell asleep in his arms, dreamlessly, until daylight.
When I woke up, the space beside me was already empty, though it still held his warmth.
I opened my eyes and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling above, momentarily dazed, then realized — this was the Wilson Mansion.
Everything that happened last night — registering our marriage, the birthday, meeting the family — felt like an unreal dream, yet the cool metal against my ring finger clearly reminded me that it was all real.
I had become Benjamin's wife.
I got up and went downstairs. The butler was directing servants to set the table for breakfast. Seeing me, he immediately bowed respectfully, "Mrs. Wilson, you're awake. Mr. Wilson went to the company early this morning to handle urgent matters. He instructed us to let you sleep in and not wait for him."
I nodded, and the disappointment that had just risen in my heart was quickly replaced by understanding.
He'd flown back overnight and spent the whole day with me — the company must have a backlog of work.
This rare leisure time actually left me feeling a bit at a loss.
I accompanied Sloane in the garden, trimming flowers for a while, then played a game of chess with Quentin. It wasn't until the afternoon that I said my goodbyes and left. I didn't return to the White Mansion, but drove directly back to my own apartment.