Chapter 9

Its been 5 days since i started staying here .

Nash has been treating me quite well but…he still seems so cold . As if he is just doing this because i am his responsibility .

Mia called me few times but mom and Lan didn’t call at all .

Well,not like i expect them to or anything.

Thinking about lan..i will make sure to pay back that little shit for humiliating me like this .

Everything happened because of him .

“Liana!”Nash’s voice comes snapping me out of my thoughts of taking revenge on Lan .

I keep the pillow on the bed and get up from our bed .

He went to take a shower , why is he calling me?

I stop beside the bathrooms door and knock slightly.

“Yes,Nash?”I say softly .

The door opens slightly and his naked body comes into view .

I look up only to see his heavy built body and abs . Water droplets fall from his hair , dropping on his muscular chest and run down his body .

I take in a sharp breath and wrench my eyes away from his body .

“Get me a towel”He says

I nod quietly, not daring to look at him at all .

I go to the walk in closet and take out a towel from a drawer.

I gulp closing the drawer and leaning against the closet.The view of his naked body comes into my mind and my cheeks start to get hot involuntarily.

No no

Sho away those thoughts Liana .

I shake my head and head out with the towel .

I knock on the door and he opens the door slightly.

A strong veiny hand comes out and i blush again , putting the towel on his hand .

God what is wrong with me

Why am i having such impure thoughts!

I shake my head and go towards the book shelf in our room .

I like reading , when i said that to Nash few days ago , he arranged a big book shelf in our room and filled it with the types of books i like .

My heart flutters thinking of his caring behaviour.

I take a book and open it but suddenly a pair of cold hands hug me from behind .

I freeze,water droplets fall on my bare shoulders and i realise that its Nash .

Third Person’s Pov :

Liana’s heart raced like never before.

Her small frame felt fragile as she stood frozen in place, still wrapped in the warmth of Nash’s sudden embrace. His strong arms had caught her off guard, but it wasn’t just the hug—it was what she felt pressing against her from behind. Her eyes had widened slightly as she froze, realizing what it was.

A hard… thick—

Oh god.

Her breath caught in her throat as her entire body flushed with heat. It wasn’t just a hug—it meant something. Something she’d always dreamed about but never dared to believe could actually happen.

Nash… was turned on.

Because of her.

Before she could process it fully, embarrassment crashed over her like a wave. Her face turned redder than she ever imagined possible. She practically bolted from the spot and ran back to their room, heart slamming in her chest like it was trying to escape her ribs.

Once inside the room, she collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in her hands.

“What the hell just happened…?” she whispered, voice muffled by her palms.

Her whole body was trembling. She didn’t know if it was excitement, embarrassment, or pure shock. Maybe all three.

She peeked through her fingers and let out a shaky breath. Her thoughts were spinning out of control.

He never hugged me like that before… Never touched me like that. Is he really attracted to me now?

She sat up slowly, still trying to calm herself, but her cheeks remained as red as a tomato. Her mind involuntarily went back to that exact moment. The pressure against her. The heat. The slight shift of his hips as he tightened the hug.

“It was maybe… seven inches… no, maybe eight…” she muttered to herself before quickly covering her mouth in horror.

Why was she even thinking about that?

Liana jumped from the bed, pacing the room while clutching her head. Her body still burned with heat that refused to go away.

What is wrong with me?!

That was when she heard footsteps.

Her heart jumped again.

No. Not now.

She wasn’t ready to face him again—not with these thoughts still echoing in her head. She ran into the washroom, closing the door gently and resting her back against it.

A knock followed just a few seconds later.

“Madam,” came a soft voice. “Master is waiting in the dining room. Lunch is ready.”

Liana let out a deep sigh of relief. It wasn’t Nash.

She exhaled again and clapped her cheeks lightly with both hands, trying to calm herself down. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror—flushed cheeks, soft lips slightly parted, eyes glowing like she’d just woken up from the most beautiful dream.

“What’s gotten into you, Liana?” she whispered, leaning closer to the mirror. “He’s your husband. Stop acting like some high school girl.”

But deep down, she was that high school girl. The same girl who used to watch Nash from afar in the school hallway, heart fluttering every time he walked by. She never believed he would notice her, let alone marry her.

Back then, he was always cold. Always distant. A boy with shadows in his eyes.

And now, here he was… touching her. Hugging her. Wanting her?

The question made her stomach flutter.

She brushed her fingers through her hair and straightened up. One last look in the mirror showed a girl who was happy—glowing, even. Maybe for the first time in a long, long while.

Liana stepped out of the washroom quietly and made her way downstairs. The hallway felt quiet, the sound of her soft footsteps echoing lightly against the floor. When she entered the dining room, her eyes immediately landed on Nash.

He was already sitting at the long table, casually scrolling through something on his phone. His dark hair was still damp from the shower, a single droplet clinging to the sharp curve of his jaw.

“Sit beside me,” he said without looking up.

Her breath caught again, but she managed to nod and walk over, keeping her steps light and quiet.

She sat beside him slowly, folding her hands on her lap, and tried her best not to fidget. Nash finally looked at her, his eyes unreadable as usual.

But he noticed.

He noticed the way her cheeks flushed. The way she avoided his gaze. The way her breathing sped up the moment she sat close.

He leaned back slightly, resting one arm on the backrest behind her, not touching—but close enough that she could feel his presence.

“You ran off earlier,” he said, voice calm.

Liana gulped.

“I-I just needed to freshen up…” she replied softly, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Hmm.”

Just a small hum from him, but it was enough to make her heartbeat rise again.

The maids came in, placing dishes gently on the table, but Liana barely touched the food. Nash, however, picked up his fork and began eating as if nothing happened. That calmness of his was frustrating.

How can he be so unaffected?

She peeked at him through her lashes. He didn’t seem awkward at all. If anything, he looked… normal.

Liana bit her lower lip.

Maybe she had imagined the whole thing? Maybe he didn’t even realize what she felt during that hug. Maybe it was just—

“You were warm,” Nash said suddenly, breaking her thoughts.

She blinked. “What?”

He looked at her now, directly. “When I hugged you. You were warm.”

She looked away quickly, her fingers gripping the fabric of her dress. “O-oh… I didn’t notice…”

He placed his fork down and leaned closer.

“But I did.”

Liana’s heart stopped.

That low voice. That closeness. Her body froze.

“I don’t usually do things without thinking, Liana,” Nash added, eyes fixed on her.

She turned toward him slowly, unsure what to say.

“Do you regret it?” he asked.

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“The hug.”

“N-no!” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I mean… I just… it was sudden.”

He gave her a look that made her stomach twist. “You think I don’t find you attractive?”

Liana didn’t respond, unsure if it was a trap. She looked down at her hands.

“You’ve always been attractive, Liana,” Nash said flatly. “But I wanted to give you time.”

Her eyes shot up.

“You’re not someone I want to hurt.”

Those words… they stabbed her gently. Soft but deep.

Nash leaned back, returning to his food like he hadn’t just said something that sent her world spinning.

Liana could barely think.

Was this real?

Did he just confess he was holding back all this time?

The rest of lunch passed in a daze for her. Nash didn’t say much after that, and she didn’t either. But the silence between them was no longer cold. It was charged.

After the meal, he stood and looked at her again. “I have a few calls. Rest for now. I’ll be in the study.”

She nodded mutely, watching him walk away.

The moment he was gone, she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Her heart still fluttered like it was wrapped in a dream.

Nash Hudson had finally seen her—not just as a responsibility or a name on paper.

But as a woman.

His wife.

And maybe… just maybe… the girl he was beginning to want.