Chapter 4. You Want to Kill Me?

Alana continued stirring the food in front of her while occasionally turning her head. She had been waiting for Leo for more than ten minutes, but her husband seemed to linger in his office, of course, with his faithful servant, Pedro.

"Ugh, my stomach won't stop growling," Alana grumbled.

However, afterward, Alana saw Leo coming out with Pedro, who was pushing his wheelchair towards the dining table where Alana was. Pedro placed Leo right next to Alana, making Leo look at Pedro with irritation. Pedro, realizing his mistake, was about to pull Leo's wheelchair back, but Alana stopped him first.

"It's better if you stay here so I can serve you more easily," Alana said, holding the side of Leo's wheelchair.

"I don't need your help. Pedro will…"

"Mr. Pedro, I'm sure you haven't had lunch either, right? Sit with us," Alana said with a threatening look in her eyes, and Pedro understood what it meant. It was Alana's way of politely asking him to leave.

"Oh, no, thank you, ma'am. I'm more comfortable having lunch alone," Pedro replied, and Leo gave him another deadly glare.

"You better sit, Pedro. I don't want to die a miserable death here alone," Leo said, making Alana pout, knowing the meaning behind his words. And Pedro didn't want to argue again, so he chose to sit with them.

"Ck, I can't possibly kill you this quickly," Alana grumbled, making both Pedro and Leo look at her for her audacious statement.

"So, you really want to kill me?" Leo asked, making Alana shrug indifferently.

"Isn't that what's on your mind? Besides, I won't kill you until I get what's rightfully mine."

"What's rightfully yours?" Leo asked, not understanding.

"Yes, my right. Even though we've been married for a week, you haven't touched me at all," Alana replied with a feigned sad expression, almost making Pedro choke on his own saliva. Leo was right; it turned out Alana was wilder than their initial assumptions.

"Don't expect me to touch you," grumbled Leo, making Alana sulky.

"Well, that's fine. I'll wait. I'm patient enough."

Alana, who initially wanted to have lunch with her husband, was a bit annoyed by Leo's decision, but she decided to pretend Pedro didn't exist. Alana began spooning rice and various dishes for Leo.

However, after a while, "This rice isn't poisoned, is it?" Leo asked again as he was about to spoon the food into his mouth. This made Alana turn towards him and grab Leo's hand, which was holding the spoon, directing it to her mouth.

"See, I'm eating it myself, so it's definitely safe," Alana said with her mouth full, making her look adorable, and Leo unconsciously pulled his lips slightly. Yes, just a little, but Pedro could see the change in Leo's expression.

"Do you want me to try your drink first?" Alana offered again, causing Leo to move his drink away from her.

"No, I don't want to drink from your lip-printed glass."

"Ck, come on, my husband. I even once tasted your sweet lips, you don't…"

"That's enough," Leo interrupted, then turned to look at Pedro, and Leo was sure his secretary was holding back laughter right now.

"Pedro, I think you can have lunch at the office; there's a lot of work waiting for you, right?" Leo said, making Pedro stand up immediately.

"Very well, sir. I'll take my leave," Pedro said, bowing to Leo and Alana before leaving. Pedro knew Leo's intention in suddenly dismissing him. Leo just didn't want the woman next to him to keep saying silly things in front of Pedro and embarrassing him.

"So, what are we doing today?" Alana asked after they had finished their lunch.

"You can do whatever you want, but don't disturb me today," Leo replied, swiveling his wheelchair, but Alana, with her stubborn attitude, stopped Leo in his tracks.

"How about you read a book in the backyard? I'll accompany you."

"No."

"Alright, let's go there," Alana said, ignoring Leo's refusal.

"Don't you understand the meaning of the word 'no'?"

"Yes, same to you."

"Hey, crazy woman, stop pushing me."

"Nope."

"Are you asking for trouble?" Leo was annoyed because Alana really didn't listen and kept pushing him, taking him to the spacious and cool backyard. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the backyard, which was quite large and refreshing. Despite the bright sky, the presence of several large trees made the atmosphere cool.

Alana placed Leo right next to a garden bench under a tree, then she sat in a chair nearby. "Stop confining yourself in that boring office space. Once in a while, breathe in the fresh air around the house; it's good for your health," Alana said.

Living with Leo, Alana felt annoyed when he entered his office; he would stay there for more than 5 hours, even the whole day. Sometimes, Alana wanted to drag him and occasionally take him for a walk in the mall. Well, that would be too surprising for him. Alana would slowly drag him, like now, just taking him to the backyard.

"Stop trying to control me."

"Come on, I'm not controlling you. I just want to accompany you because I'm bored, so go on with your reading, and I won't disturb you. I'll just take a comfortable nap here," Alana said, then truly laid down on the chair and closed her eyes. Leo could clearly see Alana's peacefully napping face beside him.

Leo observed every inch of Alana's face adorned with light makeup. Sometimes, Leo wondered why he agreed to marry Alana. After all, Leo knew Alana was Rose's pawn. Not without reason, Leo despised Rose. Since Rose's arrival in his family, Leo's once happy family slowly crumbled. Leo was convinced it was all because of Rose's arrival.

Rose came into his family as his father's second wife. After learning about it, Leo's mother frequently fell ill and eventually passed away. At that time, Leo, who was still in junior high school, didn't suspect Rose much. Moreover, Rose never openly did anything suspicious. She even took good care of Leo and his father.

However, when Leo entered college, his father's health suddenly declined, leading to his demise. Leo was certain that Rose, his stepmother, was behind all of this. A month after his father's departure, Leo kicked Rose out of his house. He didn't want his stepmother to control him freely and turn him into a living puppet.

Yet, Leo wasn't cruel enough to abandon Rose completely. He continued to provide for her needs until now, mainly because he remembered his father's fondness for his stepmother. Leo didn't want to be blamed in the afterlife for neglecting Rose by his father.

Leo's reverie was interrupted as a slightly strong wind swayed the tree above him, causing dry leaves to fall beautifully. Some landed on his lap and clung to the strands of Alana's long hair. Leo reached out to pick up each leaf. However, his hand stopped right next to Alana's cheek. There was a strong urge within him to gently caress her cheek. Before he could actually do it, Leo withdrew his hand, but another hand stopped him—Alana's hand.

With her eyes still tightly closed, Alana held Leo's palm next to her cheek. "I know you want to caress my cheek, just do it. I'll pretend to be asleep," Alana said, then placed Leo's palm on her cheek. The next moment, Alana could feel Leo's thumb moving gently, caressing her cheek softly.