The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 140

"Why are you curled up on the couch?" Ethan loosened his collar and sat down beside her. The rich scent of her perfume drifted over, and the tight furrow between his brows slowly eased. Instinctively, he slipped an arm around her waist from behind.

"I was waiting for you." Ramona's eyes sparkled. "Did you and your father finish talking?"

"Yeah."

Ethan buried his chin in Ramona's shoulder, as if finally letting go of a long-held exhaustion.

His breathing grew quieter, more measured, before he spoke again, voice low. "It's exhausting listening to him talk."

Ramona didn't reply. Instead, she lifted a hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair, a silent gesture of comfort.

"If you're tired, you should rest. Take a shower, then get some sleep."

Whenever Ramona spoke to him in that soft, gentle tone, Ethan always felt like she was coaxing a child. He let out a faint smile. "Will you join me?"

"Huh?" Ramona's eyes shimmered with surprise. "Join you for what?"

"To sleep."

"…Tonight?"

Even in the dim light, the flush burning on Ramona's cheeks was impossible to miss.

"Ramona, we're married now. Or do you really want us to sleep apart?"

"I don't—"

Ramona lowered her gaze, biting her lip, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before she could finish, Ethan scooped her up in his arms.

Ramona let out a small gasp, but immediately looped her arms around his neck. Ethan walked with steady strides and soon laid Ramona gently on the bed. In his arms, she felt as delicate and weightless as a fawn, curled up on the vast sheets, looking a little lost and vulnerable—enough to make anyone want to tease her.

Ethan didn't miss the fleeting panic in her eyes. He pinned her arm softly, leaned down until his lips brushed hers, and murmured, "I'm going to shower first."

The powerful presence of the man, laced with the heady scent of his cologne, sent a tingling rush through Ramona's whole body. Any trace of drowsiness vanished. She was more alert than a rooster at dawn.

What did Ethan mean, sleeping together tonight…?

All those years with Jotham, they had never crossed that line. Was tonight really going to be her first time?

The thought sent Ramona diving under the covers, hiding her face.

When Ethan came back from his shower, he was wearing only a towel around his waist. Spotting Ramona curled up at the far end of the bed, wrapped tightly in the blanket like a lamb awaiting her fate, he couldn't help but chuckle.

He reached over and gave the edge of the blanket a gentle tug. When Ramona didn't react, he gave it a firmer pull.

Marriage was one thing, but actually taking that final step… she still wasn't quite ready. Her hollow marriage with Jotham had left her wary of intimacy; even with Ethan, she needed more time.

But Ethan always seemed to understand, somehow easing her anxiety before she could even speak.

…

The next afternoon, at the Holt family home.

"This coffee just isn't right! Winnie, do your staff not understand English? Can't they get the simplest things right, or are you deliberately trying to drive me away?"

"Mom, how could you say that? Why would I ever want you to leave? Go on, brew Liliane a fresh cup!"

After her afternoon nap, Liliane always insisted on coffee.

Winnie had already instructed the staff to have it ready, but her mother-in-law's pickiness still managed to surprise her. The beans had to be the best, the brewing method exactly right, the water at just the perfect temperature—if anything was even slightly off, Liliane would complain.

And it wasn't just coffee. Meals, naps, anything—Liliane found fault with it all these days.

Winnie couldn't help but wonder: had her mother-in-law always been this impossible to please?

"If Ramona were here, things wouldn't be like this. That girl always knew how to take care of everything."

As Winnie directed the staff to make another pot, she heard Liliane mutter under her breath.