Roses And Thorns

Let‘sAmendTheAgreement

WENDY's POV

It has been a week since that ugly episode at his parents’ home. Kyle didn’t tell me anything after we got home that day, he just headed towards his study and had the door slammed shut.

From two of the older maids who’ve worked here the longest, I learned that my husband was indeed at odds with his parents for years.

He left home before he turned 17 and eventually founded ‘Crown Tech’ with the aid of an orphaned friend, Kelvin Morgan, who later lost in a battle with cancer.

This year, when Crown Tech received an award, his parents came on the pretext of making peace. He let them back into his life, but they tried to make him marry the daughter of Neolas Ferrone, a billionaire businessman with a bad reputation.

I could guess the rest of the story from there. He sought collaboration from another person who was powerful enough to go against Kiera's father.

So our marriage isn't just merely to put up a front in public view, it shielded him from an unwanted marriage and probably other stuff I still don't know about.

The world of the rich is so complicated.

I let out a sigh as I walked down the stairs, wanting to prepare my dinner, even though I wasn't obligated to.

My husband will soon be back from work. I wanted him to taste my food, even if just once.

The kitchen staff stood at the sides, watching me handle the ingredients and transform them into captivating, fragrant dishes.

Kyle arrives almost 30 minutes later, and I go out to welcome him. Usually he would acknowledge me, but today, he didn't.

I could feel his overbearing aura even before he stepped foot into the house. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but then I recalled our agreement about me not being nosy in his affairs.

I sigh resignedly, watching as he storms up the stairs.

After some time though, I decided to eat alone, knowing he might not be joining me for dinner.

While the maids clear the dishes away from the table, I scale the stairs and gaze towards the direction of his room for a while before eventually heading to mine.

Hours later, after tossing and turning in bed, I find myself counting nonexistent sheep on the ceiling. Unable to take it anymore, I decided to step out of the room. The hallways are dimly lit, but I use the walls to aid my direction.

I soon descend the stairs and, to my surprise, I find Kyle on the couch, hugging himself with his head buried in his knees. I swear I could hear him sobbing. Or maybe I heard wrong?

Whatever the case, I felt concerned and anxious, so I walked over to him.

“Sir,” I call out softly. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t leave me. I’ll be good, okay? "Don’t go, please auntie,” I heard him say in a shaky tone.

I took my seat beside him with a concerned look.

I don’t know why he’s in this vulnerable state. I don’t know the whole story. I can only pat his back and softly mumble, “It’s alright, Kyle, it’s alright.”

Soon he raises his head and gazes at me with reddened eyes, his cheeks wet from tears.

He unexpectedly hugs me and continues his sobs.

We stayed in that position for a while with me hugging him back and gently patting his back and singing a lullaby my late mom used to sing for me whenever I had nightmares.

He soon stops his sobs and parts the hug. He dries his face and sniffles, “Thanks, Wendy,” he says with a grateful smile. “I really needed that,”

“You’re welcome,” I say in response, wanting to rise to my feet.

“Please, stay a little longer, Wendy,” his request surprises me and I ditch the thought of standing.

“You know why I came back home pissed?” he asked me and I shook my head.

“My nanny, Rosa, was always more of a mother figure to me than my biological mother. She was there for me when my parents weren’t, since they were so busy thinking of amassing pyramids of wealth. But I was very naughty and didn’t appreciate her. I even teased her a lot. However, it was one of my pranks that led me to ruin an antique painting my mom held so dear. I lied that it was Rosa and though she was sad, she still took the fall for me.

My mother had her beaten up to the point she spent two weeks convalescing at the hospital. When she was discharged, my mother fired her while my father was away.

I begged her not to leave, promising I would fix things and tell the truth, but she refused. Hours later, I heard she was involved in a car crash that claimed her life. I’ve been having nightmares ever since then.

Remember the collaboration I told you about? Mr Vincent finally agreed to the partnership and signed the deal yesterday. It was supposed to be a wonderful day for me, but then I heard my mom had gone to Rosa’s mother’s home to rob her ashes and spread them along the river. She did that to spite me, Wendy.”

I now understood everything and couldn’t help exhaling.

“Thank you for being with me. However, it’s late. Go back to your room,” he says, before heading to the kitchen, returning with a bottle of water.

I rise to my feet, a probing gaze directed at him, but he just ascends the stairs without a word to me.

…

The next morning, I instinctively gasped upon seeing him sleeping so soundly on my bed. Still in disbelief, I rubbed and pinched myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.

I wince from the resulting pain. So this is not a dream.

When did he enter my room? And why?

He soon stirs awake and sits up to stretch his body. “Good morning,” he says in a hoarse voice.

“G-good morning, sir,” I respond, still trying to figure out what in the world he was doing here.

“You cook well,” he says to me, and I look at him weirdly. He actually ate my food?

“What?” he asks me with a raised brow.

“Uhhh, are you a fake?” I say without thinking.

“You can confirm if I’m a fake easily,” he replies in a mischievous tone.

“How?” my brows are knitted in befuddlement.

“Check my authenticity through here,” he points to his lips, and I immediately scoot off the bed.

“Sir, please don’t tease me like this. Besides, we agreed that…”

He interrupts me, “I would like to make some changes to the agreement.”

“W-what changes?”

“For starters, this is the first time I’ve had a good sleep in years. I want this to continue, waking up to see your beautiful face every morning,”

“H-huh?” my jaw drops in astonishment.

“Secondly, the lie I told at my parents’ place. I want us to make it happen in real life,”

“Which one?” I asked uneasily.

He gets off the bed and walks towards me, hands in his pants pockets. In my eyes, he looks like a predator cornering his prey. No, I’m the prey.

I fall back, anxiety eating away at me on the inside. My back soon touches the wall and my eyes widen at the thought that there was nowhere else to retreat to.

I tried to sidestep him, but he pinned me to the wall, inclining his head so close that our lips nearly touched.

My heart pounds furiously at that moment. I don’t know if it’s from anxiety or excitement.

"Pregnancy," he murmurs softly, his warm breath brushing against my ear.