âIâLL come back later.
â
Iâm sorry to interrupt,â Horace mumbled.
With urgency, Ariana pushed Theodore away and quickly rose to her feet, calling out to Horace before he could leave, âYour boss has had a mishap.
Please come and help him up.
â
Horace cleared his throat and was momentarily stunned by the fiery gaze of Theodore.
Ariana had turned around to face the wall.
She was lost in the moment, her cheeks still aglow and her breath still ragged.
Despite Theodoreâs menacing expression, Horace summoned the courage to cautiously assist the man back to his bed.
Horace presented Theodore with a new phone and said, âYour previous phone was unfortunately damaged in the accident.
But Iâve taken care of it, sir.
The new phone has all of your previous data transferred over.
â
Theodore nodded and his expression softened a little.
âThank you.
â
âJust doing my job, sir,â Horace replied, before quickly making an excuse to leave.
As the door closed, Theodore shifted his gaze toward the still turned away Ariana.
âIâm feeling a bit hot, I need to clean up.
Iâll take a shower.
â
Spinning around, Arianaâs face showed a look of concern.
âNo, the doctor said your wounds canât be exposed to water.
â
âIn that case, could you help me clean up with a towel?â
Theodore replied with a hint of authority, still seated on the bed in his hospital gown.
With a frown, Ariana was not one to be swayed by Theodoreâs arrogance, âIâll find Horace for you.
â
Stepping out of the room, Ariana called for Horace, but he had already left.
Theodore let out a disgruntled snort.
âHorace is always so busy.
Youâre my wife; itâs your duty to assist me with my grooming.
â
Arianaâs cheeks were stained with a deep shade of crimson, a mixture of anger and shyness, as she wondered if Theodore was aware of the fact that they were not of the same gender.
Their relationship was merely a formality, not genuine love.
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With a new idea in mind, Ariana suggested, âWhat if I find you a nurse?â
Theodoreâs brows furrowed in displeasure as he firmly rejected the idea.
âNo one is allowed to touch me except for those I trust.
If you donât want to help, Iâll manage on my own.
IâLL endure it.
â
Ariana felt the weight of her conscience as she gazed upon Theodoreâs strong yet pained form, turned away from her in silence.
Despite his usual air of arrogance, she couldnât help but sense a hint of vulnerability in his demeanor.
Her heart ached with the knowledge that his injuries were a result of her actions, and the simple request he had made seemed so small in comparison.
She knew how much he detested feeling unclean, and the thought of him being unable to bathe only added to his discomfort.
With a newfound tenderness in her heart, Ariana surrendered to Theodoreâs request.
Nodding, she promised, âOkay.
I will fetch you warm water to soothe and cleanse your body.
â
Theodoreâs gaze lingered on Arianaâs back, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
As she prepared a basin of hot water and a fluffy towel, Ariana was faced with a new challenge.
Would it be appropriate for her to remove Theodoreâs clothes herself?
But, how could she clean his body if he remained dressed?
With a deep breath and eyes closed tightly, Ariana mustered up the courage to touch Theodoreâs body.
With eyes closed and hands fumbling, Ariana tried to wash Theodoreâs body.
But the process was not going well, causing Theodore to intervene.
âHow could you do it like this?â he asked, the towel in his mouth muffling his words.
âIs this your way of expressing your dissatisfaction with me?â
Ariana hesitated, and then replied in a timid voice, âNo, Iâm not dissatisfied.
â
âThen do it properly,â Theodore commanded, his voice firm and unwavering.
âGot it.
â With a determined nod, Ariana took a deep breath and forced herself to think of Theodore as a fragile, elderly man, bedridden and in need of her care.
Steeling herself, she quickly removed Theodoreâs clothes, determined to properly tend to his needs.