Felix’s temper flared again, his voice rising as he gritted his teeth. “Linsey, you-” He was about to retort, fury clouding his judgment.
But before Felix could speak, Linsey cut him off, her voice sharp and fierce. “Felix! Do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me, or I might just slap you!”
With a snap, she ended the call, the sound of the phone clicking shut punctuating the anger that still burned in her chest. She stormed out of bed, her steps heavy as she marched toward the door.
However, the moment her hand gripped the door handle, she froze. There, standing on the other side, was Collin-just about to knock.
For a split second, Linsey was caught off guard. Her pulse quickened, and her frustration wavered. She quickly pushed it aside, schooling her face into calmness. “Collin, what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside.
Collin dropped his hand, his expression calm as he spoke in a neutral tone. “I didn’t see you come downstairs. I thought maybe you’d slipped away, so I came to check.”
Linsey chuckled softly, the nervousness in her chest beginning to ease. “What? Why would I slip away? I just woke up.”
She hesitated for a moment, a flicker of unease crossing her face as she eyed him. “By the way, when did you get here? Did you overhear anything just now?”
Her teeth gently sank into her bottom lip, the memory of her heated conversation with Felix still fresh. She didn’t want Collin to see that side of her.
Collin stayed calm, his voice unruffled as he met her gaze. “Overhear?”
Linsey’s eyes flickered with a hint of relief, and she quickly laughed it off. “Oh, it’s just my alarm clock. It’s acting up today-didn’t go off like it was supposed to.”
As if on cue, her phone alarm blared loudly.
Flustered, Linsey fumbled to silence it. “See? There it is. Weird, huh? It’s late today for some reason.”
Collin watched her with a soft, knowing smile, but remained silent. The weight of his gaze made Linsey feel a little self-conscious. She bit her lip, her thoughts racing to find something to say.
After a moment of quiet, Collin spoke gently. “You should go freshen up first. Breakfast will be ready when you’re down.”
Linsey nodded quickly, grateful for the change in topic. “Okay.” After freshening up, Linsey made her way downstairs to the dining room and slid into the seat next to Collin.
The breakfast was steak. She offered Collin a smile before picking up her knife and fork, carefully cutting the steak into small pieces.
She wasn’t particularly hungry-being woken up by Felix’s call first thing had already soured her mood.
Ugh, Felix. She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with him again.
Collin glanced up, noticing how Linsey seemed lost in thought, still slicing the same piece of steak. His gaze shifted as he broke the silence. “Not to your liking?”
“Huh?” Linsey snapped back to reality, quickly offering a response. “No, it’s fine.”
Collin’s gaze flickered to her plate-her steak still untouched. “You haven’t taken a bite yet.”
Linsey, caught off guard, hurried to start cutting. “No, no, I-” In her rush, her hand slipped, and the knife scraped loudly against the plate.
Startled, she quickly apologized. “Sorry.”
Before she could process the moment, Collin reached out, taking the plate from her. “Let me do it.”
Linsey froze, her eyes wide as Collin calmly sliced the steak into bite-sized pieces. His movements weren’t rushed, but steady, each one deliberate. His long fingers danced over the knife and fork, every motion fluid and graceful, like it was second nature. There was something almost captivating about it-how everything seemed to shine when someone with such charm was doing it.
Before long, Collin placed the neatly cut steak back in front of her.
“Thank you,” Linsey murmured, her face warming as she looked at the perfectly arranged pieces of meat. She took a bite, trying to sound casual. “You know, I’m not a kid…”
As Linsey was still trying to shake off her embarrassment, Collin casually spoke, his tone carrying an unmistakable weight. “That’s alright. As your husband, it’s only natural for me to do this. Since we got married, I’ve always been kind, thoughtful, and completely obedient.”
Linsey suddenly choked, her face flushing an even deeper shade of red. She stared at Collin, wide-eyed, as she caught the playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. So, he had heard everything earlier!
As she saw the teasing smile dancing in Collin’s eyes, Linsey’s cheeks flushed deeper. She quickly pretended to cough, hoping the distraction would shield her from the uncomfortable tension.
“Take it easy,” Collin said, a slight crease forming on his brow. His hand reached out to gently pat her back. “Here, have some water.” He passed the glass to Linsey.
Still choking on her coughs, Linsey grabbed the glass and drank a few sips, slowly regaining her breath. The uncomfortable feeling in her throat gradually subsided.
After a beat of silence, she hesitated before looking up at him. “Um…” She bit her lip, cautious. “Did you hear what I said just now?”
Collin’s expression remained calm as he answered, his voice measured. “I caught a bit of it.”
His gaze lifted, and suddenly, his tone turned casual, almost teasing. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Linsey was so embarrassed that she wished she could vanish into thin air. Collin had been nothing but considerate and gentle with her, hadn’t he? Was he really being so obedient? Seriously? What kind of audacity had she had to make things up like that?
Embarrassment flooded her, and she awkwardly rubbed her nose, her voice faltering. “I was just rambling earlier. I didn’t mean any of it. Please… don’t take it seriously.”
As she spoke, Linsey discreetly studied Collin’s face, hoping to catch some flicker of displeasure.
“It’s okay, even if you meant it.” Collin’s voice broke the silence, his words surprisingly calm.
Linsey blinked, her confusion growing. She couldn’t quite grasp what he meant by that. Did he just say it was fine, even if she had meant everything she had said?
Before she could piece it together, Collin casually asked, “The person who called… was he the groom who left you at your wedding?”
“Yes,” Linsey replied quickly. “But I’ve severed all ties with him since marrying you. He called just now, and I told him exactly where he stands. Don’t worry, I’m your wife now, and I won’t have anything more to do with him.”
A subtle smile tugged at Collin’s lips, a quiet satisfaction settling in.
Collin had originally wondered if there was a chance for Linsey and her ex-boyfriend to reconnect, but after overhearing their conversation earlier that morning, he quickly dismissed that thought. He hadn’t expected Linsey to stand up for him when talking to Felix. It was clear that Felix had been a nuisance earlier in the day.
With that in mind, Collin’s concern surfaced. He looked at Linsey, his voice steady and reassuring. “If you run into any trouble that you can’t handle, you can come to me. I’ll help you.”
Linsey let out a quiet breath of relief, grateful that Collin wasn’t upset. She shook her head with a small smile. “It’s nothing serious. I can handle it. You should focus on your work and not worry about me.”
“Alright,” Collin said, his tone warm, not pushing her further. After breakfast, Linsey gathered her things and headed out for work, the day stretching ahead of her. Collin watched Linsey leave, his gaze lingering for a moment before he wheeled himself into the study.
Once the door clicked shut behind him, he spoke calmly, his voice carrying a hint of authority. “Look into any news about Felix Wells. I want to know what he’s been up to and who he’s been in contact with.”
His assistant hesitated, caught off guard by the personal request. It wasn’t typical for his boss to show interest in matters beyond business.
“Yes, Mr. Riley,” the assistant replied quickly, sensing the gravity of the request.
It didn’t take long for the assistant to return with the gathered information, a neatly compiled file in hand. Collin opened the folder and immediately frowned as he scanned the contents. Something in the details troubled him.
It turned out that Linsey had bumped into Felix at the mall yesterday. Security had quickly stepped in, escorting him out, while he remained behind, silently watching as Collin came to get her.
Once he was home, Felix’s curiosity took over. He dove into research, determined to uncover everything he could about Linsey’s husband. Despite his efforts, Collin’s public persona remained shrouded in secrecy, leading Felix to speculate that he could be the overlooked, wheelchair-bound son of the affluent Riley family.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.