Noelle Sutton gave a helpless little smile.

In the study, he had made her uncomfortable. But she knew he couldn’t have felt much better himself.

They had been living together for seven years; she knew him well.

Given the desire he’d shown tonight, based on past experiences, he would have surely pestered her until he got what he wanted. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

But not this time.

Noelle couldn’t help but think of Sophie Hughes.

’He has Sophie.’

’What he couldn’t get from her, Sophie could give him.’

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes these past few days, she never would have imagined that a man like Tristan Lawson—from a strict, well-bred background—could be involved in such a forbidden romance.

’How much must a man and woman love each other to dare break through the barriers of convention and the bottom line of morality?’

’Especially Tristan.’

’If he were to love someone, he would surely give his all.’

’So that must be why he married me.’

She was disabled, and the gap between their social statuses was enormous.

For him to be willing to marry her, everyone must have thought she had gotten unbelievably lucky.

If something were to go wrong with the marriage, people would probably just think she was being ungrateful.

They would never suspect the relationship between Tristan and Sophie Hughes.

And as for him, he probably thought that because she was a mute, she would never give up on this marriage.

With a stable marriage, outsiders who didn’t know the truth would never find out about the Sophie he deeply loved, hidden behind it all.

Noelle burrowed into her blankets, not daring to think about it any further. Every additional thought made every cell in her body ache with pain.

She turned off the light and lay down.

From outside came the sound of a car pulling in.

A moment later, it stopped, and the engine died.

Noelle frowned slightly.

The familiar sound... it was like Tristan’s car.

’Wasn’t he upstairs?’

’He didn’t go to find Sophie?’

About two minutes later, she heard the villa’s front door open.

Tristan’s familiar footsteps reached her ears.

In that instant, her heart began to tremble and flutter.

’Tristan isn’t with Sophie... Was I just overthinking things?’

The bedroom door was pushed open.

Noelle clearly heard the crisp CLICK as Tristan switched on a light in the room.

She closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Noelle..."

His voice was low as he leaned in close, softly calling her name.

She didn’t respond.

He then nuzzled against her ear before nibbling the soft flesh behind it.

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

"I know you’re awake. Open your eyes."

Noelle turned her head.

He had only turned on the warm, yellow nightstand lamp.

The faint yellow light in the room cast a soft, gentle glow on his face, a face that could so easily make one fall for him...

The hazy light made him look both mysterious and handsome.

It took only a second to strike a chord with Noelle’s sense of beauty.

He bent down and gave her a peck on the lips.

Then, in a low, husky voice, he said, "Sorry. I meant to celebrate your birthday with you the moment it struck midnight, but there was a small mishap on the way to pick up the cake, so I was delayed."

Tristan stood up, and only then did Noelle see the exquisitely wrapped birthday cake box he was holding.

She hadn’t celebrated her birthday in seven years and had almost forgotten that today was the day.

’He actually remembered...’

Her heart was a mess.

How she had once longed for him to show her such tenderness.

But of all times, he had to choose now.

Tristan placed the birthday cake on the table in the bedroom’s sitting area and opened the box.

Noelle saw it was from Black Swan.

Black Swan cakes have to be pre-ordered.

’So, he didn’t just remember my birthday at the last minute...’

With elegant movements, Tristan took out three candles and placed them on the cake.

One was in the shape of a ’2’, one in the shape of a ’7’, and the last was a double-heart shape, which Tristan placed between the ’2’ and the ’7’.

Then, Tristan walked toward her with a steady gait, his dark eyes radiating a soft, gentle light.

He bent down, pulled back the covers, and scooped her up from the bed in his arms.

His arms were strong and powerful.

His broad embrace felt safe and secure.

He walked to the table with the cake and sat down, still holding her.

Noelle was encircled in his arms.

She was sitting on his lap in an intimate, ambiguous position.

Tristan’s right arm wrapped around her, passing under her armpit to pick up a lighting stick from the table.

He took out a lighter with his other hand, lit the stick, and placed it in her hand. His palm enveloped her delicate one as he guided it to light the small candles.

The moment the ’2’ was lit, it burst into a shower of sparks, like a tiny firework.

They were sparkler candles.

As all three sparkler candles bloomed with light, Tristan held her tighter, resting his chin in the crook of her neck, his voice low and soft.

"Don’t just stand there dazed. Make a wish."

Tristan’s sudden, overwhelming tenderness made her mind go completely blank.

For a long while, she couldn’t think of a single wish to make.

Just as the small sparklers were about to burn out, Tristan reached out and covered her eyes.

"Close your eyes and make a wish. It’ll be too late if you don’t do it now."

Only then did Noelle silently make her birthday wish for the year.

The tenderness Tristan showed her tonight still tugged at her heart...

A faint sense of anticipation stirred within her.

She hoped that her suspicions, just like her assumptions tonight, were wrong.

She only had half a year to live.

When she learned about her cancer, she had thought that if Tristan could fall in love with her in the final days of her life, she would have no other desires in this lifetime.

The sparkler candles burned out, and Tristan took her hand to cut the cake together.

The room’s lighting was still warm and dim, and the atmosphere felt somewhat heart-stirring.

Noelle suddenly felt the plastic cake knife in her hand hit an obstacle.

Tristan didn’t seem to notice. He guided her hand to pull the knife out and continued cutting from another direction.

Then, Tristan finally let go of her, laid the knife flat, and scooped out a small piece of cake onto a plate, which he held out to Noelle.

"Did you eat anything tonight?"

The man’s expression was focused.

She shook her head.

"Then have some cake. Here, take it."

She didn’t take it.

"Want me to feed you?"

Tristan gazed at her, his eyes deep and intense.

She pursed her lips, wondering, ’Would he?’

The next second, Tristan picked up a fork, speared a small piece, and brought it to her lips.

The sweet aroma of the cake had long since filled the air.

She hadn’t eaten dinner, had fallen asleep while bathing, and had been lost in her chaotic thoughts after waking up, completely forgetting her empty stomach.

Now, looking at the cake, her mouth was clearly starting to water.

She opened her mouth and took a bite.

She looked so well-behaved and docile.

It was the kind of meekness Tristan liked.

An imperceptible curve formed on Tristan’s lips.

Even Noelle was a little shocked that he had so patiently fed her two pieces of cake.

When he went to feed her another, she shook her head.

"Full?"

She nodded.

"But I’m not full yet."

He gazed at her deeply, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his eyes glinting with a light Noelle knew all too well.

Instantly, her cheeks flushed crimson.

Tristan cut another piece of cake and put it on a plate. At the base of the cake, the corner of a transparent box was revealed.