CHAPTER 40: MAKING HER COMFORTABLE

She frowned as soon as she saw Adrian walk in. "What did you bring?" she asked, her voice low, trying not to show how curious she actually was.

"I read that for a sprain, the ankle should be wrapped. I also got you a crutch to make walking easier. And some painkillers," Adrian said, setting everything down carefully on the nearby table.

Bianca bit the inside of her lip. She was touched. What Adrian did made her feel deeply grateful. The wall she had been building around her heart started to soften, just a little. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than she meant to.

"I keep troubling you." Her voice came out quieter than before, almost guilty.

"I don’t feel troubled," Adrian replied with a small smile as he walked closer to her. His voice was calm, steady. "You don’t need to feel bad. I’m your husband, remember?"

Bianca scoffed, but her heart fluttered a little at his words. She quickly looked away, hoping he didn’t notice the faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

Your contract husband, Bianca. Contract. Don’t forget that! she reminded herself firmly, trying to keep her thoughts in check.

"But I don’t really know how to wrap it properly. Should we call a doctor instead? Just to make sure your ankle’s okay?" he suggested, genuine concern flickering in his eyes as he glanced at her foot.

"No need. Just search on YouTube how to do it right. I’m sure there’s something." Her tone was casual, but she felt her chest tighten a little—part of her surprised by how comforting his presence felt.

"You’re sure you don’t want to see a doctor?"

"I’m sure." She gave a short nod, her fingers curling slightly against the blanket.

"Alright. I’ll look it up. Hopefully there’s a good video." He gave her a small nod before pulling out his phone, his brows furrowed in concentration.

After finding a proper tutorial on how to wrap a sprained ankle with an elastic bandage, Adrian followed it carefully and began wrapping Bianca’s ankle. His hands were gentle, yet precise, as if he was afraid of hurting her.

Watching his focused expression and how carefully he worked made Bianca smile to herself. No matter how hard she tried to fight the feelings growing inside her, there was always something Adrian did that melted her heart just a litlle more.

"Thanks for helping me again," Bianca said with a soft smile. Her voice was quiet, sincere, almost hesitant, like she wasn’t used to depending on someone this way.

Without realizing it, Adrian’s right hand had lifted, gently cupping Bianca’s smooth cheek. "You don’t need to thank me," he said softly. "I’ve told you more than once, you don’t need to thank me. This is my duty as your husband." His thumb brushed lightly against her skin.

"I mean, come on, I’m not that bad of a husband, right?" he added with a faint smile, his voice tinged with warmth and a hint of playfulness as his eyes searched her face.

Startled by the touch and the unexpected tenderness in his words, Bianca simply nodded. A strange flutter stirred in her chest. But for a fleeting second, her gaze softened, full of affection, as she looked up at him. It only lasted a moment, and Adrian didn’t seem to notice. She quickly lowered her eyes, trying to calm the sudden rush of warmth in her chest.

"By the way, what do you want to eat?" Adrian lowered his hand from her cheek.

"I don’t know," Bianca said quietly.

"Do you want me to order something from downstairs? Or is there anything else you feel like eating? I can go get it for you," he offered, studying her expression closely.

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"Let’s just do room service." She adjusted her position slightly, pulling the blanket a little higher.

"You sure you don’t want something else?"

"There’s no need."

"Really? Not craving anything special right now? Just say it—I’ll get it," he insisted gently, brows drawing together in concern.

"It’s fine. I’ve troubled you enough already. Aren’t you tired? You’ve been running around getting my meds all day," Bianca said guiltily, her eyes lowering.

"I’m not tired. The pharmacy wasn’t far." He shook his head, his tone light but sincere, as if trying to ease the weight she felt.

"Let’s just order room service. Maybe from the same place we ordered yesterday? The food was really good."

Adrian gave a soft nod, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Alright."

He reached for the room phone and spoke to the receptionist.

About twenty minutes later, their food arrived.

Adrian opened the door to receive it, exchanged a few quiet words with the hotel staff, and then brought the trays into the suite’s living area. He set everything down on the coffee table, taking a moment to check the arrangement before heading back toward the bedroom.

"Food’s here," he said softly. "Let’s move to the couch. It’ll be more comfortable."

Bianca looked hesitant. She was still on the bed, her ankle propped up on a pillow beneath the blanket.

"I can manage," she said quietly.

Adrian didn’t respond right away. Instead, he walked over to her and held out his hand. "I’ve got you."

Bianca sighed lightly, but placed her hand in his. With gentle care, he helped her up, making sure she didn’t put weight on her injured foot. His other hand hovered near her back for balance as they walked slowly to the living room.

Once there, he helped her ease down onto the couch, adjusted the cushions behind her, and pulled the blanket over her legs again.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Adrian picked up the bowl of soup they had ordered and handed it carefully to Bianca.

"Careful, it’s still warm," he said, watching as she took it with both hands.

Then, without a word, he reached over and slid the small box of dim sum a little closer to her side of the table, making sure she could reach it without leaning too far.

"There," he murmured. "Let me know if you want anything else."

They ate quietly while enjoying the food. Adrian kept an eye on Bianca, making sure she didn’t have trouble reaching anything. He moved things closer when needed, just trying to make her as comfortable as he could with her sore ankle.

***