Lying was not in her nature. Scared that Bennett might understand her true emotions, she managed to maintain eye contact for a fleeting moment before her gaze descended involuntarily.

The hands around his neck tightened instinctively. With her Lips pursed, Claudia felt that she was truly pathetic.

There she was, Mrs. Dreskin — his lawful wife. Why then did she lack the courage to question him openly about another woman in his Life?

Self-doubt engulfed her, leaving her feeling completely useless.

“Has Kayla reached out to you?" Claudia found herself wrestling with feelings of inadequacy. As Bennett's words reached her ears, she froze, bewildered.

How had he figured it out?

She hadn't said a thing!

She was so nervous that she subconsciously wanted to grab something to relieve her tension.

However, she overlooked the fact that her hands were encircling Bennett's neck, leading her to inadvertently tug at his wet hair with her right hand.

Bennett didn't hear her answer, yet he felt fairly certain that his guess was on the mark.

His deep black eyes Looked more intense. Adjusting the firm grip he had on her waist, he gradually distanced her from his embrace, probing, “What did she say?"

A warm sensation greeted Claudia's chin as he lifted her head, compelling her to meet his piercing black eyes.

Almost involuntarily, her sight drifted towards his collar as she said, “She hasn't paid me a visit."

Drawing in a steadying breath, she raised her eyes to his, affirming, “It's the truth.”

Kayla had merely sent her a message. Bennett looked at Claudia and said nothing. The two didn't say anything, and the room fell into a strange atmosphere.

This uneasy stillness was short-lived, however. Breaking the silence mere seconds later, Bennett expressed, "If you choose to keep it to yourself, I won't press further."

Pausing briefly, he maintained eye contact as he continued, “Regardless of Kayla's actions, I wish to underscore that I am not inclined to compromise my well-being unnecessarily.

So, whatever that's bothering you, is not a problem at all."

At first, Claudia didn't fully understand what he meant. She just wanted to end the “tormenting challenge" as soon as possible.

“I understand,"

But in reality, she understood nothing.

Observing her, Bennett lifted his brows in a manner that conveyed surrender, releasing her as he said, "It's getting late. Go to bed, Mrs. Dreskin. I hope you'll wake up feeling happier."

For a moment, Claudia gazed at him in a daze. It was only when Bennett reached out to touch her hand that she pulled away uneasily. She extricated herself from his embrace, shifted to the side, and gracefully lifted the thin blanket before slipping underneath it.

Turning towards her, Bennett noticed her figure curled up beneath the thin blanket. He gently freed the portion of the blanket she was Laying on before settling down beside her.