Chapter 419

After a while, Samuel returned, dressed in a black shirt and slacks, exuding an air of restrained elegance. Yet, this was the same man who had intertwined with her life for the past seven or eight years, occupying the most significant part of her existence. Once her stomach was filled, Samuel stepped out briefly to take a call, leaving Shelmaine to shower. She was drying her hair when the door suddenly opened, and Samuel walked in, taking the hairdryer from her hand. "Let me do it," he said. She stood in her bathrobe, their overlapping reflections in the mirror revealing a striking contrast. Samuel towered over her, his broad frame making her appear small and delicate. The traces of intimacy lingered on her face—her relaxed eyes and softened demeanor radiating a subtle allure. Samuel couldn't hide his joy. Seeing her let him in, both figuratively and literally, reassured him. She wasn't rejecting his presence anymore. He was elated. After finishing with her hair, Samuel pressed her gently against the bathroom sink and kissed her deeply. His hand rested on her waist, while the other cradled the back of her neck. Their breaths mingled, and it was impossible to tell whose heartbeat was louder. "Honey," he murmured against her lips, his voice dripping with unrestrained desire. The way he said it—laced with longing and shameless affection—sent shivers down her spine. Shelmaine hadn't expected Samuel to be so brazen. She couldn't help but pinch his arm. After a while, he chuckled softly and said, "Honey, stop pinching. You'll hurt your hand." She huffed. "Are you done?" "Don't get mad, honey. I'll be gentle this time. I won't just think about myself." Back when they were newly married, he rarely even called her "Honey". Now, he couldn't stop—every other word out of his mouth was "Honey", and he said it in such a shamelessly teasing tone. Later, as things escalated, Samuel clung to her insistently, demanding she call him "hubby". She refused, resisting in every way possible, clenching her teeth shut. But he was persistent, prying her lips open and taking over. In the end, Shelmaine surprised him by taking the lead. She kissed his chin and murmured, "Didn't you say you wanted a baby? Then, why are you bothering with protection?" Samuel was utterly ecstatic. "Yes, let's have a baby." Completely focused on the idea of having a child, Samuel didn’t bother asking her about her conversation with Julien last night or what Julien might have said to her. It wasn’t until the next morning that he accidentally saw a message pop up on her phone: "Shelly, don't overthink what I said last night. But I'll always feel the same. Shelly, if you ever need me, I'll be there for you in a heartbeat. Anytime." Jealousy surged through him like a flood. But when he remembered Shelmaine's willingness to have a baby, Samuel swallowed his irritation and let it go. For now. Instead, he pulled out his phone and called Julien, arranging a meeting. Some things needed to be settled once and for all. He didn't tell Shelmaine about it. She was still fast asleep, exhausted from the night before. She lay tangled in the covers, her skin marked with faint traces of their intimacy. Samuel leaned down, kissed her forehead, and spoke softly, "I'll be out for a bit and back later. If you're hungry, call me, and I'll have something delivered, okay?" Barely awake, Shelmaine mumbled incoherently and swatted him away before rolling over to continue sleeping. Samuel couldn't help but laugh softly. "Alright, honey, I won't bother you anymore." Before leaving, he left a note on the bedside table, just in case she woke up and wondered where he’d gone. Samuel met Julien at a riverside park. Early risers were jogging and enjoying the fresh air. Samuel looked slightly disheveled as if he had rolled out of bed. His unbuttoned shirt collar revealed faint pink marks on his neck, hints of something intimate. Julien noticed but said nothing, quickly averting his gaze. "What do you want?" he asked. "Just to chat. How's your health?"