“Would you like to help me find a woman like that?” Max asked, testing his wife’s curiosity.
“I just want to be more careful the next time I meet the woman of your dream,” Gabriella replied with a straight face.
Seeing that seriousness, the corner of Max’s lips curled up. “Okay, take a note. I like a woman who is soft-hearted, peaceful, independent, and doesn’t bother other people.”
Gabriella’s brows automatically furrowed. “Are you making fun of me?” the woman asked in a displeased tone.
Max immediately shook his head. “No. That’s really the criteria for my ideal woman. Besides, I like sweet, innocent, not vindictive-”
“Okay, that’s enough. I already know. You like a woman who is the opposite of me,” Gabriella interrupted, raising her palm.
Witnessing his wife’s annoyance, Max suddenly frowned. “Why are you upset? Do you expect me to like you?”
Instead of answering, the woman grumbled, “How cruel this man is. All he can do is just playing with my heart.”
“Wait a minute. I really don’t understand. I’m just answering honestly.”
With a nonchalant look, Gabriella straightened her fork and tried to pierce an apple slice. “I wish you the best of luck with meeting such a woman.”
A few seconds later, another piece of apple hit her lips. Quick as lightning, Gabriella moved her head to refuse. “I can do it myself.”
“Whoa! Are you trying to be the woman of my dream? Someone who is independent?” Max teased without lowering his hand.
The woman’s sharp gaze was directed at him. Instead of feeling threatened, the man raised an eyebrow. “Is what I said true?”
Feeling challenged, Gabriella finally grasped the fork with five fingers. Ignoring the code of conduct on the dining table, she stabbed the apple firmly and devoured it.
“Wow, it turns out that you are indeed independent. Very nice! Keep trying to be the woman of my dream. Who knows, I won’t have to divorce you.”
Out of the corner of her eyes, the woman met Max’s gaze. The man smiled sweetly at her. But, the annoyance in Gabriella’s heart burned even more.
“Why would I marry a man like this?” she thought as she stabbed the other piece. “Absolutely insensitive.”
Watching Gabriella’s behavior, Max secretly smiled. “Why is she annoyed with her own idea? So funny.”
Throughout dinner, the husband and wife were lost in their own thoughts. Every now and then, they stole glances at each other. However, their mouths remained focused on chewing without saying a word. Until the moment Gabriella got up from the chair, Max finally broke the silence.
“Where are you going?” The man spontaneously grabbed his wife’s wrist.
The woman gasped and stopped walking.
“You leave the tea I prepared in your room. So, I have to brew it again. Wait a minute. I won’t be long.”
“I left it there on purpose,” Max explained without being asked.
Confusion automatically tilted the woman’s head. “Why? Isn’t that your night ritual?”
“Doctor Raul said that you should stop drinking tea after eating.”
Listening to the brief explanation, Gabriella blinked flatly. “Is it because of anemia?”
Max’s eyes widened in an instant. “You already know?”
The woman nodded casually. “I’ve had anemia since middle school.”
Max’s surprise automatically doubled. “If you already know, then why do you drink tea with me all this time?”
“If I refuse, you will surely accuse me of resisting. I’m just trying to avoid punishment.”
The man’s heart was suddenly hit by guilt. With a stiff motion, he tried to open his mouth. “I’m not going to punish you just for that.”
Unexpectedly, Gabriella let out a laugh. “You threaten me all the time, Mr. CEO. Have you lost your memory?”
Max’s tongue suddenly went numb. He had just checked his brain and what his wife said was true.
“Now, don’t get in the way of my work. I don’t want you to have any reason to nag anymore,” Gabriella pleaded as she pushed Max’s hand away from her.
Instead of letting go, the man poured water into the glass with his other hand. The woman’s brows were furrowed in question, especially when the glass was handed to her.
“From now on, you don’t have to drink tea. I don’t want to take care of you if you faint again.”
After pondering for a moment, Gabriella began to laugh dryly. “Are you testing my obedience? Take it easy, Sir. I won’t be fooled. Let me make some tea for you now.”
Unexpectedly, Max directed his wife to a chair and forced her to hold the glass. “I am serious. You don’t need to prepare it.”
However, the woman still wore a suspicious look. “Even if I don’t drink tea, you still need it, don’t you?”
“No. I really don’t like drinking tea tonight.”
Gabriella tilted her head, trying to find any lie on her husband’s face. “This is weird. Why did you forbid me?”
Max suddenly fell silent. He himself was confused by his unusual behavior. Since when did the great CEO put the interest of other above his own?
Suddenly, Gabriella let out a tired sigh and downed the glass. After that, she got up from the chair and again, was held by her husband.
“What else?” the woman protested, beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“I told you, you don’t need to prepare tea for me.”
“Why? The one who can’t drink it is me, not you.”
Max took a deep breath, trying to quell the irritation. However, what was hidden began to emerge to the surface.
“Don’t you understand? I’m not kidding. You really don’t have to do it for me,” he insisted, hoping that his wife would obey without asking.
“Why?”
“Because I care and don’t want to trouble you anymore!”
A second later, the atmosphere suddenly froze. Max and Gabriella had been transfixed by the truth they never expected. There was no need to continue the debate about tea.
After a moment of silence, the man entered the bathroom. Meanwhile, Gabriella was pensive with honesty that still felt doubtful.
“Since when did Max care about me?” the woman murmured in disbelief.
After pondering for a moment, Gabriella shook her head to dispel the prejudice. “There’s no way a CEO would pay attention to me. He must be playing with me. It must have been part of his trick.”
The woman’s gaze slowly shifted towards the messy table.
“Before his rudeness returns, I should’ve cleared this up. He must not find a reason to slam my feelings. Isn’t that what he usually does after making my heart soar?”
Without wasting any time, Gabriella began moving the plates to the cart. After that, she rushed to the bed, pretending to sleep, avoiding her husband. She didn’t know that in the bathroom, Max was still frozen, leaning against the door.
“Apparently, what Doctor Raul said is true? I care about Gabriella?”
For the umpteenth time, the man closed his eyes and sighed in resignation.
“It must be because of guilt. I’ve hurt that woman too much.”
A moment later, the man opened the faucet and washed his face. However, until his head cooled down, the thought remained the same. Max Evans did care about Gabriella.
“But, even if it’s true, why do I show it so clearly? I shouldn’t have said that in front of her. She can make fun of me.”
After snorting in annoyance, Max dried his face and stepped outside. “I have to make up an excuse so she won’t feel the upper hand.”
However, when he saw Gabriella lying on the bed, his fierce look softened. Wrinkles slowly unraveled, replaced with a sweet curve of the lips.
“Instead of asking for an explanation, she pretends to sleep? Is she afraid of misbehaving in front of me?” Max said as he was secretly in awe of his wife. “As it turns out, I have misjudged.”
Slowly, the man walked to the bed. After lying down, he could see Gabriella’s eyebrows moving faintly to compensate for the nervousness. In just an instant, excitement filled Max’s heart again.
Meanwhile, the woman was battling against panic behind the eyelids. “Why does he come closer? Why doesn’t he go back to his room?” she thought as she held back the wild beating of her heart.
Suddenly, Gabriella felt something caress her face. She gasped and reflexively opened her eyes.
“Why don’t you change your clothes? Is it comfortable to sleep in that dress?” Max asked with a smile.
Gabriella’s eyes suddenly rolled in confusion. “I am already sleepy. Please don’t disturb me.”
Without warning, the woman turned around. The man behind her back immediately smiled at the innocent behavior.
“Why are you nervous? Is it because you are too happy to have my approval?” Max teased since he was no longer afraid to bring it up.
“Go back to your room! A beautiful woman is waiting for you there,” Gabriella said without changing position. She was worried if her strange expression was seen by Max.
“This is unusual for a wife asking her husband to sleep with another woman. Are you still sane?”
Gabriella didn’t answer. Max would have immediately detected a lie if she denied it. So silence was the best response, at least until the man pulled her in a hug.
“Can’t you just let me alone?” the woman grumbled, trying to keep the burly arms away from her body.
“Can’t you stop thinking negatively about your husband?”
Feeling uncomfortable, Gabriella turned back to face Max. As soon as she saw that honest expression, her intention to protest instantly disappeared.
“Actually, what do you want from me?” The woman could no longer suppress the confusion. “You’re angry that I’m trying to know you better. But now, you don’t want to stay away from me.”
Unexpectedly, Max raised the corners of his lips and stroked his wife’s hair. “I just want to fulfill my promise to your parents. Treating you as a wife properly.”
“But all this time, you never act like that. You always thought of me as a puppet, a doll.” Unknowingly, Gabriella’s breath began to roar with emotion.
“What’s wrong if I think of you as a doll?”
“Of course it’s wrong. I’m human, I have feelings that you can’t play.” The woman started to collect tears.
Seeing the grain of sadness, Max stroked the cheek softly. “Why are you crying? Hey, I never play with you.”
“You always force me to do what you want. You also scold me, said that I am a troublesome burden,” Gabriella explained with furrowed brows.
“That’s because you deserve to be reprimanded.”
“But I don’t like being treated like that.”
Seeing Gabriella turn childish, Max let out a tired sigh.
“Are you upset if Snowy goes against your orders?” he asked without any clue.
“What does it have to do with Snowy?” the wife replied in a low voice.
“Because you are my Snowy.”
Listening to the truth, Gabriella’s tears suddenly disappeared.