Once the bedroom door was opened, Gabriella stared at her husband who suddenly got up from the edge of the bed. After placing the phone on the table, Max scratched the back of his head then pointed towards the bathroom.
“Let me take a shower first,” he said in a strange tone.
The woman blinked flatly. The husband’s behavior had raised questions that are reluctant to be disclosed. “Just do it. I will not take the shower from you,” Gabriella said as if she didn’t care.
A second later, Max nodded and rushed into the bathroom. His hasty steps made his wife even more curious.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Without thinking, Gabriella stepped towards her husband’s previous position. From there, she could see two teddies placed side by side on the bed and his cell phone on the table.
“Is he hiding something from me?” thought the woman as she took the cell phone.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she examined it carefully. Call history, incoming messages, and outgoing messages. None of them were suspicious. The woman’s confusion doubled in an instant.
“What was he doing with my phone?” Gabriella muttered as she opened the pictures folder.
A second later, her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Photos of Smiley and Snowy had filled the screen in front of her.
“What is this? Why did he take our teddy’s picture?” the woman thought with wide eyes.
After guessing for a moment, Gabriella swiped the screen to check the previous image. What she found immediately made her gasp.
“When did he take this photo?” the woman sighed before placing the phone on her lap, while her head tilted up to check memories.
When Gabriella watched the sun rise from the train window, she was too focused on the scenery. It would be easy for Max to capture her happiness secretly.
“Why did he take my picture?” the woman sighed as she could not found an answer.
A moment later, she swiped the screen. The photo of her at the Ferris wheel created another shock.
“What is this? Does he understand the use of this cell phone?”
How many times Gabriella moved her thumb, that was how much she found a picture of herself. That fact left her dumbfounded and speechless, until an idea came to her mind.
“Is it possible that Max starts to notice me?” she muttered doubtfully.
However, not even three seconds had passed, her head had been shaking rapidly, dispelling any thought that seemed ridiculous. While laughing dryly, Gabriella put the phone back where it belonged.
“Impossible. He must be just taking photos because there’s nothing else to do. That man really doesn’t know how to have fun while traveling.”
Ignoring the pose of Smiley embracing Snowy, Gabriella turned towards the open suitcase which was still full of clothes. “It’s better for me to clear this up than to think about things that aren’t real.”
***
After a day of leaving work, Max was finally back in front of the laptop. His focus never left the screen, until a knock on the door caught his attention.
“Come in!”
A second later, the door opened and Gabriella stepped in with the tray on her hands. The man’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Why do you bring it?” Max asked as the door behind his wife closed.
“Earlier, I met Aunt in the kitchen, asking if there was anything I could do for her. Then, she asked me to bring this tea to you.”
The man’s eyelids automatically pulled higher. “You brought it from the kitchen?”
A small laugh escaped the woman’s mouth. “Of course not. Auntie brought this to the door. I only carried it a few steps,” Gabriella explained before hearing her husband’s sigh of relief.
“Next time, don’t do this even if Aunt asks. I don’t want any of the teapots to break,” Max muttered as he looked away. He was afraid if a lie was detected from his face.
“Take it easy. My hand is almost healed. Look at this! The vibrations are getting smaller. I can even play the piano without needing to exert more effort.”
The woman raised her hands in front of her. Inevitably, Max turned back and looked at his wife out of the corner of the eyes.
Seeing Gabriella’s sweet smile, the man’s cold expression suddenly turned warm. The intention to maintain the charade collapsed in an instant.
“Are you done practicing?” Max asked in a hanging voice.
Gabriella nodded innocently. “I’ve been practicing for hours and now, I’m starting to get bored. What are you doing?” The woman’s index finger pointed at the laptop and some of the documents around it.
“Catch up on pending work. I relaxed too much yesterday,” Max replied lightly.
“Then, is there anything I can help?” the woman asked with round eyes.
Unexpectedly, the man curled up his lips. “Why do you suddenly want to help?”
“Think of it as a thank you for taking me to such fun places,” Gabriella replied with pursed lips and high arched eyebrows.
Getting a nice response, Max turned his seat to face the woman. “Then sit down,” he ordered as he patted his lap.
Gabriella’s eyes immediately opened wider. “Should I learn a presentation again?” That was the last thing the woman did when she sat on her husband’s lap, in the same room.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to help? Come on, sit down!”
After letting out a resigned sigh, the woman finally complied with the order. “What presentation should I do this time?” she grumbled with pursed lips.
Instead of receiving the presentation slides, Gabriella got a warm kiss. In an instant, confusion widened her eyes and spurred her heart.
“What did you just do?” Gabriella asked as Max brushed the edges of her lips with his thumb.
“Charging. Now, you can get out of here. Do whatever you want,” the man answered, successfully causing a strange vibration in the woman’s heart.
“What is this? Why is he suddenly nice to me?” Gabriella thought without moving an inch. After a blink, she took a deep breath and lifted her chin.
“But I want to help you. Is there nothing else I can do? Which is more useful?”
Knowing the strong determination of the woman, Max pursed lips and narrowed his eyes. “You really want to help me finish this job?” he asked, testing.
Gabriella nodded, clearing the doubts in her mind. “Yes.”
“Good,” the man muttered unexpectedly.
A second later, he turned the chair back to face the laptop without putting his wife down. With one hand, Max continued to work, while his other hand didn’t tire of caressing Gabriella like a doll.
Noticing the awkward situation, the woman blinked in disbelief. For a few seconds, she waited for orders. However, not a single word came out of her husband’s mouth.
“What should I do now?” she asked, unable to hide confusion.
“Shut up and don’t disturb my concentration.”
The woman’s brow furrowed deeper. “Shouldn’t I be helping you?” she whispered as she shook her tilting head.
“You’re helping me.”
“No. I’m burdening your feet,” Gabriella argued, still with her innocent look.
After one breath, the man looked back at his wife. The woman looked cute with a faint frown and pursed lips.
“You’re helping cheer me up,” Max said with a small smile. He had just broken the prestige that had shrouded his heart all this time.
Getting such an honest answer, Gabriella’s lips immediately trembled without a word. Her brain couldn’t process the statement that was more like a confession.
“W-wait a minute. How could I be cheering you? I just sat quietly without saying anything.”
Without giving an answer, Max returned his focus to the laptop, making Gabriella frown even more.
“What does it mean? Does Max really love me?” the woman thought as she let out an uncertain breath.
From the corner of her eyes, Gabriella watched the man’s peaceful face. Max didn’t seem bothered at all. It was the biggest mystery of her life, one she could no longer leave unanswered.
“Is it possible that you love me?” Gabriella muttered in a low voice.
As the woman gulped, Max was motionless with dozens of scenarios in his mind. Should he pretend to be surprised? Ignore the suspicion? Or admit it? The man never expected that a question could create so many answers.
While staring intently at Gabriella, Max finally made a choice. “Do you think so?” he said with a sigh of laughter that gave rise to additional mystery.
Ignoring the woman who was gaping at the words, the man forced his focus on the screen. He didn’t realize that his behavior had just activated the recklessness of a curious woman.
“You said that I can cheer you up just by staying here. Isn’t that a sign of a person in love? A person can be more excited just by feeling the presence of a loved one.”
With stiffness on face, Max narrowed his eyes. He didn’t expect that Gabriella would dare to reveal the feelings that he had been hiding for so long. “Is it the right time to reveal my heart?” the man asked inwardly.