My Reborn Admirer Wins Over My Heart (Oriana) novel Chapter 144

**Chapter 144: Awkward**

“Hmm? Could you repeat that?” Oriana asked, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

Before she could clarify her thoughts, Zara’s video call flashed on her screen, interrupting her train of thought at the most inconvenient moment. It was likely that Zara wanted to continue their earlier gossip about the absurd incident involving the bed sheets in the grand apartment.

With a resigned sigh, Oriana picked up her phone and slipped into the bedroom, fully aware that this would lead to another round of teasing from Zara.

After nearly an hour filled with laughter and light-hearted banter, Oriana emerged from her room and found Micah in the living room, his headphones snugly in place, immersed in a conversation in a language that sounded foreign to her ears. He was probably deep into his work, and she didn’t want to disturb him.

As the evening stretched on and the light began to fade, Oriana quietly stowed away her notebook, feeling a gentle tug at her heart. She walked over to Micah, who was still focused on his task, and opened his large hand with a delicate touch. Using her fingertip, she traced the characters for “good night” onto his palm, a small gesture of affection before retreating to the bathroom to freshen up.

Emerging from the bathroom, her hair damp and tousled, Oriana noticed a steaming cup of warm milk waiting for her on the table. A soft smile crept onto her lips as she recalled how Micah had barely slept the previous night. Perhaps this was his way of comforting himself—or perhaps it was meant for her.

With that thought in mind, she grabbed her phone and initiated a video call to him, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

After a few rings, the call connected, and the screen illuminated with a warm yellow glow, the light reflecting off the water in the background. To her surprise, she caught a glimpse of bare skin in the reflection of the faucet, and her heart raced.

Oriana froze in shock for a moment. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly averted her gaze, staring intently at the ceiling as if it held the answers to her embarrassment.

“Oh no! I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were in the shower. I’ll just wait,” she stammered, panic creeping into her voice.

“Didn’t expect your call at this hour. Is something the matter?” Micah’s calm voice cut through her flustered state.

“No, um, I just remembered you didn’t sleep well last night, so I thought… maybe we could sleep together tonight?” The suggestion slipped out, and she could almost hear the surprise echoing on the other end of the line.

A series of bubbling sounds reached her ears, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the phone had somehow fallen into the bathtub.

Oriana craned her neck, desperately trying not to look down, her mind racing with thoughts she wasn’t ready to confront.

When she heard the sound of the phone being retrieved from the water, she panicked further, hurriedly clarifying, “It’s not what you think! I-I mean, it’s just through the phone, on the screen!”

Micah emerged from the water, towel in hand, and paused, his expression unreadable. “Video?”

Oriana’s gaze inadvertently flickered downward, and she quickly snapped it back up, her heart pounding. “Yeah, the video’s on. I’m, um, watching you sleep.”

“Okay, just give me a moment,” Micah replied, his voice steady as he moved about.

Panic surged through her. Where could Micah be?

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she got up and stepped out into the living room, where she found him diligently folding and organizing the sun-dried sheets.

“Micah!” she called out, hurrying over to him and grabbing his arm, pulling him toward the living room as she glanced nervously outside. “There’s a livestream happening! How can you go out there?”

Micah held her gaze calmly. “I spoke with the building management. They’ve cleared all unrelated personnel. No one would dare film us without permission.”

He paused for a moment, studying her reaction, and then added casually, “Even if someone did catch us, so what? Don’t you want people to know about us?”

The question sent a shiver down Oriana’s spine, stirring a mix of emotions within her. Yet, the way he stood there, his hair falling innocently over his forehead, made him appear utterly sincere.

She shook her head, feeling a wave of unease wash over her. “I just don’t want to become a topic of public discussion. It could complicate our daily lives.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to deal with that,” Micah reassured her, his tone soothing.

“Okay. By the way, did you sleep well last night? I didn’t even realize when I fell asleep,” Oriana said, scratching the back of her head shyly, her heart fluttering with the warmth of their shared moments.