The Queen's Back

After tidying up the kitchen and dining area, Mona decided to bring Maxwell a glass of milk. Who cared if it felt a bit awkward? Considering that Maxwell had avenged her in her past life, she owed him this. She knocked on the study door, milk in hand. Maxwell replied, "Come in," and Mona walked in, setting the milk on his desk. "You didn't eat much at dinner, so I thought you might like some milk. It might help you sleep better." "Hmm, thanks," Maxwell said, glancing up at her with a touch of gratitude. He was used to being alone and no one had ever prepared milk for him or shown him this kind of care. Most people didn't even dare get close to him. Suddenly, the annoying message from carlier seemed irrelevant. As long as Mona was willing to stay by his side, that was enough. He could take his time winning her over. "Don't work too late," Mona said with concern. "It's not good for your health."

"Alright. You should get some rest too," Maxwell replied.

After leaving the study, Mona headed back to her room, feeling a surprising sense of security, maybe because Maxwell had slept there before. But as soon as she checked her phone, she was greeted with a flood of messages from Teddy. Teddy: [Mona, I don't care if you're married to Maxwell. You better not sleep with him.]

Teddy: [If you do, you'll regret it! Even if you come crawling back, I won't forgive you.]All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Teddy: [Mona, answer me! Don't play dumb with me.]

Annoyed, Mona snapped back. [Are you delusional? How many times do I have to say it? We're done. Why do you keep bothering me?]

To make her point, Mona sent him a picture of Maxwell's room, clearly a man's space. [Whether I sleep with Maxwell or not is none of your business.]

Just as she was about to block Teddy, he replied, [You've got guts, Mona. We'll see if you come crawling back to me later.]

Mona shot back. [Get lost! I'll never beg you, not in a lifetime.]

Fuming, Mona immediately deleted Teddy's number and tossed her phone on the floor in frustration. Just then, Maxwell walked in, and the phone landed right at his feet. Mona quickly jumped out of bed to grab it. "Sorry, did it hit your foot?" Maxwell was taken aback by her outburst. "No, it's fine. What's got you so worked up?"

Mona unlocked her phone, relieved it wasn't broken, and showed Maxwell the messages. "Look at this! Is he out of his mind? I told him at the engagement party that it's over between us, yet he keeps bothering me like I can't live without him." Maxwell read through the conversation with a hint of satisfaction, thinking, 'Looks like Mona really isn't planning to get back with Teddy. He then asked, "So, that suit wasn't meant for Teddy?"

"What? Who told you that?" Mona asked, quickly realizing why Maxwell hadn't seemed thrilled when she gave him the suit earlier.

Maxwell showed her a screenshot of Teddy's post, which had misled him.

Mona silently cursed under her breath. "Maxwell, don't let him get in your head. I bought that suit just for you! Ava was with me when I picked it out. If you don't believe me, you can ask her or even the store clerk. The moment I found out Teddy was with Barbara, I completely wrote him off. I'm never going back."

15:17 Sat,

almost let it slip that she was starting to like Maxwell but held back, worried he might not take her seriously since they hadn't spent that much time together yet. Better to take it slow.

Hearing Mona's sincere explanation, Maxwell felt warmth spread through his chest. "You don't have to explain so much. I believe you. We're married now, right?"

Mona smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we are." Married-it meant they were officially a couple now.

"It's late. You should get some rest. I'm going to take a shower."

"Alright, go ahead." Mona watched as Maxwell grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom. The vibe between them felt a bit different now.

When Maxwell came out of the shower, he was shirtless, just wearing black shorts. His broad shoulders, toned waist, and the hint of abs under the dim light all gave off an air of quiet strength. Mona stole a couple of quick glances before quickly looking away, her face warming up. Maxwell turned off the lights and lay down beside Mona. "Goodnight." Even though lying next to Mona made it hard for him to control his urges, he was determined to stick it out. He figured if he didn't take this chance now, it'd be even harder to share a bed with her later. "Good... goodnight," Mona stammered, her thoughts spinning, 'Is he really just going to sleep? It's our wedding night, for crying out loud. I'm right here next to him, and he doesn't react at all? Could it be that he really can't...?' She soon heard Maxwell's steady breathing and sighed in frustration. 'So, he really can't,' she concluded. Still mulling over it, she eventually drifted off to sleep, unaware that Maxwell had quietly slipped out to the bathroom.

The next morning, Mona woke up to find Maxwell already gone. She quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, ready for the day-she had big plans and was also going back to work at Clem Group.

When she reached the living room, she found Maxwell sitting on the sofa, enjoying breakfast. Without hesitation, Mona grabbed a piece of toast and sat down next to him. She noticed he was wearing the silver-gray suit she bought for him-it fit perfectly. "Max, this suit looks amazing on you! I've got good taste, huh? Can you give me a ride later? It's a pain to get a taxi around here," she said, taking a bite of her toast.

She was considering buying a car. Back when she lived at the Clem residence, Jeremy would drive her around, but now that she's with Maxwell, she can't rely on him for rides. Taking taxis every day just isn't practical.

"Where are you off to? Clem Group?" Maxwell asked.

Mona nodded. "Yep, and I'm also thinking about getting a car. I got my driver's license in college, but it's been a while since I drove, If I buy one, Til need to brush up on my driving skills before hitting the road."