"Haven't you noticed that you haven't stopped smiling from the moment you arrived here?"

Theodore was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face grew bigger than Ariana thought possible. He held her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Nothing happened, really. I feel so happy just because you are here with me. That's all."

The continuous sweet words finally melted Ariana's resolve and made her cease her search for answers. Blushing, she protested coquettishly, "Stop it. Why are you acting like such a sweet-talker today?"

After that, she pulled out her hand and lay down. She exhaled a trembling breath and closed her eyes. Her heart was racing, and an indescribable pleasure filled her whole body as if every part of her body was chanting ecstatically.

Theodore also lay down, reached his arms out toward her small frame, and enfolded her in them. His hot breath cascaded down the side of her neck, causing goose bumps to erupt on the surface of her skin. He couldn't resist kissing her and asked, "will you always be with me?"

Ariana's heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat. She gave a positive reply in a gentle tone.

Theodore continued, "Then why are you still unwilling to live with me?”

For the first time since he arrived, the tone of his voice changed. There was a slight grievance in his voice.

“We're a couple, aren't we? It isn't convenient for us to be separated like this,” he added.

Ariana kept silent for a while and eventually said, "But this relationship makes me feel unreal. I feel like I'm in a dream."

The room fell into silence again, leaving only the sound of each other's breath.

Ariana grabbed Theodore's sleeve uneasily and turned around to look into his deep eyes.

"You know, this marriage began very casually. I completed the wedding alone, and even the wedding photo was edited haphazardly. We can't tell anyone about our marriage; it's like having an extramarital affair."

She bit her lower lip awkwardly as she added, "I've never really enjoyed the feeling of being in love in this relationship."

Although part of the reason why she didn't want to live with him yet and be a real couple with him was because of the baby, Ariana's words held true feelings.

She hoped that they could have a clear beginning and process, instead of this uncertain beginning.

Ariana admitted that she didn't fully trust Theodore, especially after what happened with Helen. Even though Theodore explained that Helen was just like a sister to him, Helen didn't seem to think so.

And Theodore's special attitude toward Helen couldn't be fake.

If the port didn't exclusively belong to her, Ariana would rather give it up.