His Hidden Family My Ruined Marriage (Liana) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20 Tending the Wound

“Let me help you bathe, hmm?” he suddenly proposed, his voice low against her ear.

“I can bathe myself.”

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Liana didn’t understand how the conversation had turned to bathing. She was confused but tried to keep her composure.

“What are you afraid of? That I’m gonna force you? I just want to help you get clean and apply the medicine.”

Elian soon felt the warmth of her skin. His voice grew even deeper, more restrained.

Ever since she found out about Theo, she’d disliked his closeness. When he kissed her too passionately, she’d even thrown up.

“I can do it myself.”

A man and a woman showering together? Bad idea. So she turned him down.

“You have to let me do something for you. It’s part of my marital duty too.” Elian’s head rested against hers, his voice strained.

“Then… you apply the ointment?” Liana suggested, thinking this was safer.

“Okay.”

Elian agreed with a muffled sound, kissing her hair lightly. He put a little distance between them, pulling her to face him.

Liana’s heart began to race again. When a woman falls for a man, his eyes can lie to her so easily.

All she saw in his gaze was concern and affection, no different from before. A sharp ache shot through her heart. For a moment, sho

just wanted him to hold her tight.

Instead, a light kiss landed on her forehead.

Kissing someone’s forehead was an act of deep intimacy. Her mind instantly flashed to the image of him with Anya and Theo standing before her. She wanted to push him away, but in the end, she just clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly.

She knew she had to be smart about this.

Later, when she went to shower, Elian left the room immediately.

Downstairs in the dining room, everyone was still waiting. The Locke family’s daughter-in-law being hit? If word got out, they’d be a laughingstock.

“I say it’s time we held them a proper wedding,” Rosalind suggested.

“We’ve wanted a wedding for a long time. But Liana’s mother was ill, and now she’s just passed. Would it be appropriate?” Linda asked, trying to be considerate.

10:41 Wed, Feb

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Chapter 20 Tending the Wound

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“If her mother’s spirit is watching, she’d want her daughter to be happy. It’s inappropriate that her daughter is being bullied right after she’s gone.” Rosalind argued, then looked at the two men. “Shall we vote?”

Two generations, plus the staff present, totaled twenty people. All were in favor of the wedding.

“Good. Ever since Anya returned, I’ve felt uneasy. No need to consult them. We’ll just inform them,” Elian’s grandfather, Earl Locke, said after careful thought.

“I should still talk to Elian first,” David thought to himself. For something this big, they needed to know what the people involved wanted.

Elian, having just finished a phone call and heading back to the room, was called to the study.

The conversation lasted twenty minutes. Hearing the hairdryer in the bathroom, he grabbed a robe and went to the shower in another room.

When Liana finished and stepped out, Elian was already waiting by the bathroom door.

“You were waiting for me?” Liana could tell he’d just showered and tried to sound normal.

“What else would I be doing?” Elian replied. His deep eyes, meeting hers, unconsciously flicked to the neckline of her robe.

Liana’s robe matched his. It wasn’t intentional on her part-she’d showered first.

Seeing him stare, she raised a hand to cover her chest and turned towards the bed.

Early in their relationship, she’d been too shy to shower with him. But he’d always been impatient, so he’d shower in the guest bathroom. Every time she stepped out, he’d be waiting, then pick her up in his arms.

He was always strong, able to lift her with one arm.

Remembering those times hurt. She repeatedly told herself to stay calm. But reaching the huge bed, she froze awkwardly.

Suddenly, something like a snake wound around her waist from behind. Before Liana could react, Elian’s hands had deftly untied the belt of her robe.

She instinctively grabbed the fabric, not wanting him to take it off.

Elian said nothing, just held the collar of her robe, waiting for her to let go.

“We’re getting a di-” She tried to reason with him, but before she could finish, the robe was roughly pulled

open.

He wasn’t like this before. He was always gentle and reasonable.

Liana, frightened, tried to escape. But then something pressed against the back of her knee. A sharp pain made her lose her balance. The leg he’d pushed buckled her knee landing on the bed, her hands braced against the mattress.

Elian was fed up with her talk of divorce. But now, he held his breath. For a long moment, his whole body felt like it was on fire, burning out of control.

She still wore a tank top and shorts underneath. It showed how much she was guarding against him. This bit of fabric helped Elian regain some sanity. He commanded, “Lie flat.”

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10:41 Wed, Feb 11