"ALL right."

Claudia complied, but her curiosity about the matter hadn't diminished. She turned to probe further, but her vision was abruptly obscured by a large hand. "Have some rest."

"I'm not tired," Claudia retorted, a hint of embarrassment in her tone. His warm palm rested over her eyes, covering a significant portion of her face.

Her face heated up, and she gently tugged his hand away.

As her sight cleared, she once again met his penetrating gaze.

"Iam," he said.

He had spent the previous night awake, tangled in his thoughts.

Bennett's words were softly whispered, a crack of emotion piercing through his voice.

With guilt prickling her, Claudia refrained from teasing him. "Rest your eyes, then."

“Be quiet."

“Understood.”

She didn't believe she was causing such a ruckus.

Suddenly, silence claimed the car. As Claudia glanced out the window, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

She hadn't shared a home with a man since reaching adulthood, except for her father of course.

Despite being married and sharing a home, their relationship was supposed to be merely a facade. To complicate matters further, the person she was going to reside with was Bennett. It was completely understandable for her to feel overwhelmed and unsettled by the situation.

And Bennett's villa only had one bedroom...

The car's confined space was filled with Bennett's earthy, woody aroma. This scent seemed to cast a tranquil spell on her. She inhaled, slowly succumbing to sleep.

Truthfully, her sleep had been poor the previous night, marred by unsettling dreams.

Bennett's driver maintained a steady pace while Claudia slept deeply, her head resting comfortably against the window.

Although Bennett claimed to be tired, he turned his head and glanced at Claudia, whose head had unintentionally bumped against the window during her sleep.

The sunlight bathed Claudia's face, highlighting her flawless skin. The car came to a halt as it reached a red traffic light.

Due to the inertia of the sudden stop, Claudia swayed forward, and her forehead inadvertently collided with the window.

The impact was surely painful, but she showed no sign of waking up. After all these years apart, she could still sleep so peacefully. Bennett's lips curled into a smile as he reached out to her.

His broad shoulder was undeniably more comfortable than the rigid window.