Chapter 11

The soft warmth of the morning sun peeked through the cream-colored curtains, slowly falling over Liana’s bare shoulder. Her eyelashes fluttered as the brightness gently woke her. For a moment, she didn’t move ,she just lay there, nestled in the bed, the sheets wrapped loosely around her. Nash was gone. She could feel the coldness on the side where he slept.

Liana sat up slowly, her fingers tracing the crease in the pillow where his head had rested. Her chest fluttered.

Last night… Her face burned just thinking about it.

Her lips still tingled with the memory of his kiss. It was her first… and she hadn’t expected it to feel so overwhelming. His scent, the way he held her, how her name left his mouth in a whisper that was both rough and gentle. She had melted into it, into him. For one night, everything felt like it finally made sense.

Pulling the blanket closer around her, Liana turned her head toward the mirror across the room. She stood and walked toward it barefoot, stopping in front of the glass.

She looked… different.

Her skin was glowing, her lips pink and full, and her eyes looked more alive than they had in years. Her long hair fell around her shoulders like silk, catching sunlight at the edges. She touched her cheek gently.

It had been so long since she had seen herself like this.

A soft, sad smile formed on her lips. Windstor. The name echoed in her heart. A name no one had dared speak in this household. A name she herself had buried deep.

She was once the daughter of that family — the richest and most powerful one in the country. The Windstor estate was ten times the size of this mansion. There were butlers, chefs, guards… and gold-plated everything. She had never even boiled water herself.

But she walked away from all that.

She left it all for Nash. For love.

And no one ever knew.

The world thought she disappeared. Her name was removed from the registry. No inheritance. No scandal. Just gone. Liana Hallox — a nobody. A quiet, obedient wife who smiled when told, and vanished into the shadow of a cold husband.

But last night changed something.

She touched her lips again. Nash wasn’t as cold anymore. Something in him cracked. Or maybe it was her who finally got through the wall.

“Let’s hold onto this,” she whispered to her reflection. “Let’s not ruin it.”

After brushing her hair and tying it back neatly, she stepped out of the room. The air was fresh. The scent of flowers from the garden filled the hallway. Everything seemed more alive today.

As she made her way downstairs, a maid greeted her at the base of the stairs.

“Good afternoon, Madam,” she said with a bow. “Please, take a seat at the dining table. I’ll prepare your breakfast.”

Liana blinked, a bit surprised. “Oh—uh… it’s already past noon. I don’t want breakfast now,” she said softly with a polite smile.

“But Master Nash asked us to make sure you eat. You also have medicines to take.”

Liana bit her lip. “I… I appreciate that. But today, I want to make something myself.”

The maid looked shocked. “Madam? You want to cook?”

Liana smiled. “Yes. I want to prepare dinner for Nash.”

The maid hesitated but saw the light in Liana’s eyes. There was no coldness. No bitterness. Just warmth. Joy.

“…Very well. I’ll show you the kitchen.”

Liana rolled up her sleeves and tied an apron around her waist. The large kitchen was gleaming and spacious, filled with all kinds of expensive utensils and appliances. But it felt oddly impersonal. Cold. Like no one had ever actually cooked here.

She began moving around with surprising ease.

“Madam… you really know your way around the kitchen,” the maid said, watching Liana knead dough for homemade garlic bread.

Liana smiled. “I used to cook before… at a friend’s house.”

That was a lie.

She had secretly learned cooking from an old servant in the Windstor estate — someone who treated her more like a granddaughter than a mistress. That servant was gone now.

But the memory stayed.

Soon the kitchen smelled like a five-star restaurant. Spices, herbs, butter and lemon, roasted meat, and perfectly baked vegetables.

“You’ve made… all this by yourself?” the maid asked in awe.

Liana nodded, a little proud. “I want him to feel warmth when he eats. I want it to feel like home.”

When Nash returned, the sun had already dipped lower in the sky. He walked in, loosening his tie, his usual stoic face showing traces of exhaustion.

Liana came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

“You’re back…”

Nash nodded. “Yeah.”

He looked at the dining table… then at the dishes spread across it.

“I made dinner,” she said with a small smile, trying not to look too excited. “Your favorites… and some new ones.”

But Nash’s face didn’t light up.

“I already ate,” he said simply, placing his watch on the nearby counter.

Liana froze.

“Oh… I see,” she said, voice small. She quickly looked away, trying to hold the smile on her lips.

This wasn’t new. Her mother-in-law used to make her do the same. Force her to cook, only to say she wasn’t hungry. Every time, it left Liana crushed.

Nash noticed the way her shoulders slumped. Her eyes didn’t shine anymore.

He walked closer, silent for a moment. “Did you prepare all this… for me?”

Liana didn’t meet his eyes. “Yes… but it’s fine. You’re tired. You probably had a long day.”

Nash didn’t move for a second.

Then he pulled a chair out. “Then I’ll eat again.”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“I said I’ll eat again. With you.”

Liana’s heart skipped. “But you just said—”

“I can have dinner twice,” he said simply, sitting down. “If it’s from you.”

That one sentence was enough to bring her back to life.

A warm smile appeared on her lips as she hurried to the kitchen to bring the food. The maids watched quietly, their eyes filled with surprise.

Nash rarely talked kindly. He barely acknowledged anyone’s efforts.

But here he was. Sitting and waiting… for his wife.

As Liana returned with a tray in her hand, she caught her reflection in the hallway mirror.

A soft smile. Bright eyes. Warm cheeks.

She was coming back to life… slowly.

Not as the lost daughter of Windstor. Not as the broken wife of a cold man.

But as Liana ,a woman rebuilding her heart.