Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 213: Owe you a kiss...

Just as Davis had predicted, Jessica stirred awake not long after he had finally drifted into sleep.

The soft glow of morning light filtered through the curtains. Her lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. Gently detaching herself from the familiar warmth of his embrace, she let out a soft yawn and stretched, flexing her limbs and arms.

"She had been stressed out the night before and still felt a slight throbbing in some areas, yet she was refreshed and content. Taking a deep breath and casting a brief glance at the culprit, she sighed.

His calm, peaceful, almost childlike sleeping face caught her attention. Gently, she propped herself up, resting her cheek against her palm as her gaze settled on his face.

"God can really be partial sometimes," she whispered with a faint smile, eyes tracing his serene features which had long been ingrained in her memory, yet she couldn’t get tired of them. "Creating some perfect, and some imperfect."

Her words left no room for bitterness, only awe—tender, quiet wonder with traces of jealousy. She didn’t want to imagine how many women would throw themselves at his feet after his recovery.

"Isn’t it better to get a mask for this face to shield it from vixens and fox spirits?" she murmured with a light smile.

For a fleeting moment, she was tempted to reach out, to run a finger along the fine lines of his face—the strong brow, the soft angle of his jaw, the firm but untroubled curve of his lips. But she refrained. He looked exhausted. Peaceful.

She quietly slipped out of bed, tiptoeing across the room like a ghost. The bathroom door clicked shut behind her as she took a quick, refreshing shower.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she picked out a loose, comfortable casual wear and slipped into it.

Standing in front of the mirror, she skillfully tucked her hair into a low braid, slipped on her ring and wristwatch, and took a deep breath. She was ready to dive into the tasks she had pushed aside the night before.

She had errands she had planned to handle and these matters she didn’t want Davis involved in. But with the unfinished work from last night she had to adjust the time to noon. Jessica made her way to the table with a small sigh, expecting hours of tedious labor ahead.

opened the first file, her breath

Then the one after that. Her

rapidly

margins. Corrections applied. Even decisions she had left hanging

pen stroke held decisiveness, a deep understanding of her mind—perhaps

still, his

warmed with

the final folder—her design draft—and hesitated. This one, surely, had been left untouched. She hadn’t shown it to

breath hitched. Her fingers froze

There it was.

respected her vision while elevating it beyond expectation. Every line was bolder,

another design. Completely

inlaid with tiny gems ran along the sides and shoulders, sparkling like morning dew. A detachable cape hung from the shoulders, embroidered with

a handwritten inscription next to the

"My thanks."

at it for a long moment, speechless,

this?" she whispered.

used to think he was just being observant, perhaps nosy. He’d suggest small tweaks here and there, subtle changes she had, more

imagined he had this kind

him again. Still sleeping. His body curled slightly,

I’d come back to