She couldn''t recall how she had managed to leave. Everything felt like a blur, Upon returning to Wellington Vi, the household staff were taken aback by their mud-sttered appearance, unsure of how to react. The butler stood nearby, his voice attempting to maintain calmness as he announced, "Dinner is ready."
The once warm meal had long since gone cold.
Dominick said nothing more, his face dark as if he couldn''t bear to look at her again. Immediately upon their return, he turned sharply and retreated to his bedroom.
"Mrs. Wellington, perhaps you should have some hot soup first..."
Sandra, observing Stephanie''s stunned and frightened demeanor, disregarded any thoughts of cleaning her up. Instead, she promptly instructed a maid to bring a steaming bowl of soup to help soothe her nerves.
Stephanie followed Sandra to the dining area, where she mechanically sat down and sipped half a bowl of the hot soup, which tasted nd to her.
Finally, Sandra escorted her back to the bedroom, whispering softly as they walked, "Mrs. Wellington, Mr. Wellington has always been reserved since childhood. There are matters he prefers not to discuss. Please, avoid upsetting him. Focus on your duties here at Wellington Vi and steer clear of his personal affairs."
Dominick''s affairs were beyond her influence, no matter how much she desired to intervene.
Stephanie remained silent, her face still drained of color, as she ascended the familiar staircase leading to their bedroom, Upon pushing open the door, a faint smell of tobo lingered in the room.
Stephanie hesitated at the threshold, reluctant to step inside. In the room, Dominick''s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He quickly extinguished the cigarette in his left hand out of habit.
Their gazes met, both faces etched with a tangle of emotions.
"Mrs. Wellington, please remember not to provoke him." Sandra cautioned from the doorway, her voice barely a whisper. She feared Stephanie might inadvertently provoke Dominick once more.
With a gentle push from Sandra, Stephanie tentatively crossed the threshold and the door closed behind her.
In the spacious room, now upied solely by him and her, an unspoken tension hung heavily in the air, casting a palpable sense of unease and unfamiliarity.
Minutes stretched into silence. Stephanie stood near the door with her head bowed slightly, unsure of what woulde next.
Meanwhile, on the balcony, the man''s gaze held aplex intensity as he scrutinized her with a mixture of concern and frustration, observing every nuance of her anxious profile under the dim moonlight...
Suddenly, as if unable to tolerate the charged atmosphere any longer, or perhaps infuriated by some unseen thought, his brow furrowed deeper. He suppressed the turmoil within his chest with rigid control, striding purposefully towards her.
She sensed his approach before she saw him, feeling the heavy thud of his steps drawing closer. Startled, she lifted her head, her expression betraying a mix of fear and uncertainty.
It was as if she dreaded something, a fear she couldn''t name but hung palpably in the air...
Yet, Dominick advanced towards her, his eyes avoiding hers as he passed by, reaching for the door handle with deliberate movements, each. step resonating with a tramp...
In his presence, the spacious balcony seemed to shrink, enveloping her in a suffocating unease.
"Dominick..."
Her grip tightened on his coat, pulling him back slightly, causing a fleeting sh of surprise across his stern face..
"Dominick, I didn''t mean to upset you. I''m just...scared." Her voice wavered, the words barely audible as she struggled to exin.
"Stephanie, you..." His voice was low, a mixture of exasperation and something she couldn''t quite decipher.
As Dominick nced at her cheek, he noticed a glistening trail where a tear threatened to fall, a testament to the emotions she couldn''t voice.
"That ident..." Stephanie''s voice faltered, memories flooding back, each word heavy with unresolved emotion.
"You shielded me... Your touch was so cold, and I could smell the iron of blood. It was so dark. I couldn''t see anything. I called out to you, but you didn''t answer. I called for you endlessly..."
Tears welled up in her eyes, each one a testament to the weight of her unspoken fears, cascading down her cheeks...
"Dominick, I''m terrified... You keep so much from me. I just want to understand you. I don''t want to be shielded from you. I can''t bear the thought of something happening to you."
Overwhelmed, she clung tightly to him, her arms wrapped around his waist, seeking sce in his presence.
Turning her head to rest against his chest, she continued to speak through her tears, "I''m so scared that I won''t know if something happens to you, and that I won''t be able to help. I feel utterly powerless..."
Dominick stood stiffly, his initial surprise reced by aplex blend of emotions as he processed her words and the depth of her vulnerability.
He didn''t know what to say. He hadn''t expected her to say these things, nor had he ever imagined she would embrace him and cry so openly.
Her words were muffled and filled with guilt, spoken in a humble tone...
"Stephanie, you seem to cry more these days."
He really didn''t know what to say, looking down at her tear-streaked face with a mix of helplessness and an odd warmth, greatly wronged.
!! She had been
"It''s not that I love to cry, it''s just...I''m pregnant. It''s my babies affecting me," she said with a sniffle, her stubbornness evident even through her tears.
Dominick couldn''t help but find this both amusing and exasperating.
This confession left Dominick momentarily at a loss for words.
"Well, our sons will surely be a crybaby after they''re born."
He leaned closer, their faces almost touching, and whispered softly in her ear, "if our sons cry too much in the future, they won''t be able to find wives. So, don''t cry... It took him considerable effort toe up with something remotely humorous.
Stephanie wasn''t sure if this counted as himforting her. After all, this iceberg of a man was not known for sweet talk. She decided to cherish this rare moment of tenderness.
She remembered once, long ago, when he saw her crying, he simply remarked,
"You look ugly when you cry."
After a moment''s thought, Stephanie released him and quickly retreated into the bathroom, feeling a mix of embarrassment and shame
As the water from the shower washed away her tears, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, 0 M repeatedly checking that her eyes were no longer noticeably red. Satisfied, she put on her bathrobe and stepped out.
"I thought you were going to hide in there for the night."
Dominick had washed up in the study and stood outside the bathroom door for almost half an hour, hesitating to enter until he saw her open it.
Stephanie''s cheeks tinged with red as she turned her head away from him, climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to sleep.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.
Reflecting on her actions in the bathroom just now, she felt utterly embarrassed for crying and clinging to him like that.
She hadn''t nned on sharing these feelings with him. She just didn''t want to argue with him.
"What are you doing... Suddenly, the om other side of the nket was forcefully pulled back, startling the woman lost in her thoughts, who immediately turned defensively.
"What do you think I''m doing? This is my bed, and you''re my wife," Dominick snapped with annoyance, casting a nce at her before dow naturally lying down.
She looked at him, feeling awkward inside, as she shifted her body, wanting to retreat to the edge of the bed.
But then he suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist. Stephanie''s entire body tensed nervously, uncertain of what he intended to do.
Dominick remained silent. His palm wasrge, muchrger than hers Unlike the delicate hands of other gentlemen, his were calloused from all the physical exercise he did.
His long fingers traced over the reddened ring on her wrist from where he had gripped her, and he asked in a low tone.
He didn''tfort her; this man really wasn''t gentle at all.
Stephanie pressed her lips, feeling resentful deep down. However, being held by him like this made her skin tingle, and even her heart rate quickened.
O
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