The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 1330

She immediately ducked her head, pretending to fluff her pillows while Her heart pounded so violently she thought it might crack a rib.

Watching her flustered reaction, the smirk in Gian's eyes deepened.

He walked over and sat down on the bed, leaving just over a foot of space between them. The fresh scent of his body wash permeated the air, wrapping around them in a suffocatingly sensual tension.

"So..." Kirsten broke the silence once again, her fingers twisting anxiously into the bedsheets. "Thanks again for teaching me how to ski today."

"No problem." Gian's tone was heavy with a lazy, seductive drawl. He turned to look at her. "You actually picked it up really fast. You were just too tense."

Kirsten gave a sharp nod, firmly sealing her lips.

The room plunged back into silence, leaving nothing but the sound of their ragged breathing.

A long moment passed before Gian spoke again. His voice dropped low, entirely stripped of its usual playfulness. "Kirsten, what I said outside... I wasn't joking."

Kirsten went rigid. She snapped her head up and met his dark stare.

Every trace of his teasing demeanor had evaporated, replaced by a scorching sincerity.

"I'm ready to fulfill all my duties as your husband. I have no intention of just stringing you along."

Kirsten forced a tight smile.

"Whatever." Kirsten mumbled. "Equality between men and women, right?"

Without another word,

she rolled over, violently pulling the covers up and feigning sleep.

Gian stared at her back in stunned silence.

He didn't push the issue any further.

-

Late into the night,

Danielle and Alexander finally managed to coax Niki and Raffy to sleep.

The two little ones were squished into the same bed, their cheeks flushed pink and their breathing steady.

Sweet, peaceful smiles lingered on their lips, as if they were still dreaming about the thrills of the ski slopes.

Danielle meticulously tucked the blankets around them.

Standing behind her, Alexander snaked his arms around her waist. Resting his chin on top of her head, he murmured, "You must be exhausted, running around with them all day."

The searing warmth of his palms seeped through her clothes, accompanied by his signature scent of cedarwood. Danielle felt the tension drain entirely from her body.

She melted back against his chest and shook her head. "I'm not tired. Seeing them so happy makes it totally worth it."

They shared a quiet, loving smile before silently tiptoeing out of the children's room.

The second they settled onto the living room sofa, Danielle's phone vibrated loudly, the word "Mom" flashing across the screen.

Danielle lowered the phone and let out a long, shuddering exhale, allowing her rigid shoulders to slump.

After agonizing over her mother's disastrous marriage for so long, having everything resolved left her feeling lighter than air.

Alexander had sat silently beside her the entire time. Seeing her red, tear-filled eyes, he pulled her into a tight hug and rubbed soothing circles onto her back. "It's over now. Everything is going to be alright."

Nestled against his broad chest, Danielle listened to the reassuring thump of his heartbeat and let a deep wave of tranquility wash over her.

She nodded, her voice thick with emotion. "Yeah. My mom is finally free."

"Thank you, Alexander. If you hadn't hired the absolute best lawyers for us, there's no way she would have ever escaped that marriage."

"Why are you thanking me for that?"

Alexander ducked his head to press a kiss into her hair, his eyes radiating pure adoration. "Your mother is family. Taking care of her is my job."

They stayed huddled together on the couch.

Eventually, Danielle slowly pulled back, a faint, inexplicable unease flashing across her face.

Catching the shift in her mood, Alexander raised an eyebrow. "What is it? What's on your mind?"

Danielle chewed her bottom lip, her gaze drifting nervously toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The moonlight outside was brilliant, illuminating the snow in a blinding wash of silver. But for some reason, she couldn't shake the creeping paranoia that someone was hiding out there in the dark, watching the house.

"I just feel like... something isn't right."