Chapter 1603:
Elena dimly remembered him tending to her in the early hours, easing the discomfort with quiet patience. The sharp sting had faded, though a faint ache still lingered.
Wesley reached for the ointment on the nightstand, his movements careful and deliberate, more concerned with her comfort than anything else. Elena tensed anyway, embarrassment creeping up her neck.
His expression shifted as he focused, jaw tightening, breath turning uneven for a brief moment—then he forced himself to look away, as if reminding himself of the promise she’d just extracted.
After a moment, he spoke, voice rough but controlled.
“It’s still irritated. We’ll need to keep treating it.”
Elena’s face went hot. She kept her lips pressed together, refusing to give him any satisfaction at her reaction.
Wesley finished quickly, then pulled the covers back into place with meticulous care, making sure she was comfortable.
“I’ll wash up,” he muttered, turning away too fast.
He didn’t come back right away. Instead, he lingered in the bathroom for nearly an hour.
When he finally stepped out, his skin was cool and slightly damp, a towel draped loosely around his hips.
They were both adults—Elena knew exactly why he had taken so long.
Wesley went downstairs to prepare dinner.
For days, he had skipped the office entirely, glued to Elena’s side at every opportunity, desperate to be close to her. As a result, Elena found herself sleeping past noon almost every day. After nearly a week of it, she’d had enough and firmly sent Wesley back to work.
After the wedding, Elena settled into Wesley’s elegant estate at Hillside Manor. The location was ideal—close to both the Harper and Spencer estates, and a short commute to her workplace.
Around that time, the military established a new information warfare unit under Laurence’s leadership, and he promptly brought Elena on board. She threw herself into the role with fervor.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫶ⅽ𝗈𝗺
The unit was a specialized force formed by the Houis military to counter future threats. Its members were highly skilled and rigorously trained, and Elena served as their lead instructor. Her days quickly filled to the brim, leaving her little time to go home.
Wesley wasn’t thrilled about it. His stunning new bride spent the entire day on base, while he rattled around their home alone. Freshly married and already living like a single man—no man his age could tolerate that.
On top of it all, Gerald kept nudging them to start a family, so Wesley began driving to the base every evening just to steal a few moments with Elena.
Soon, everyone on base knew their fierce chief instructor had an adoring, persistent husband.
One afternoon, Wesley showed up yet again.
The soldiers grinned and teased, “Chief, your loyal shadow is back.”
One stern look from Elena shut them up.
“Everyone—eight-kilometer weighted run. Move.”
Grumbling but obedient, the soldiers jogged off.
Elena walked up to Wesley, frowning.
“I told you I’d be home tonight. Why are you here again?”
Wesley took her hand and guided her toward the exit.
“Got off early…”
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.
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