From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 236: A Blunt Question

More importantly, the attention she had just managed to pull away was now completely captured by those three words: wrapped you up.

Her eyes widened.

So that sensation last night—half-asleep, half-awake—of being pinned down by some invisible force, that trapped, uneasy feeling... It wasn't the shame of Devin's idiot son taking advantage of her? It was because... he had cocooned her?

The corner of Riley's mouth twitched involuntarily.

A wave of helpless amusement mixed with frustration washed over her.

Looking back, given the circumstances, it was actually... a pretty smart way to keep her safe.

She swallowed the laugh that threatened to escape and smoothed her expression back into calm, collected Riley.

"I'm going to clean up in the bathroom," she said, steering clear of that awkward subject.

Sebastian gave a slight nod. He didn't press further.

"Alright," he replied. He stood, and his presence no longer felt overwhelming—just solid, dependable. "I'll wait on the couch outside. My assistant brought some fresh clothes over this morning. They're in the bathroom. See if they work for you."

Riley had assumed she'd have to figure out what to wear on her own, but he'd already taken care of it.

She nodded once more. That was answer enough.

Sebastian didn't add anything else. He turned and left the room, leaving Riley by herself.

The space fell quiet, save for the sound of her own slightly quickened breathing.

Riley lifted a hand and touched her cheek. It still felt warm.

That feeling of being completely read by him earlier—it unsettled her a little, but it also brought a strange, unnameable comfort.

This man always seemed to know exactly what to do when it mattered.

She took a deep breath and pushed the tangled thoughts aside.

Right now, nothing was more important than a hot shower.

She pushed herself up from the bed. Her body still ached, but the deep bone-tiredness had faded quite a bit. The bathroom door was slightly ajar. Riley walked to the sink and studied herself in the mirror.

The woman looking back had red, bloodshot eyes and a mouth covered in small cuts.

Sebastian had been right—she really had bitten her lips trying to stay awake.

What a mess.

She gently traced her own reflection, her expression complicated.

And then she noticed it.

On the shelf in the bathroom, a set of clean clothes was folded neatly.

They looked like... they would fit her perfectly.

A faint stir of emotion rose in Riley's chest.

She let out a soft breath, picked up a clean towel and the change of clothes, and stepped into the shower.

Warm water streamed over her skin.

She closed her eyes and let it wash away the weariness.

Once she was done, Riley stepped out of the bathroom.

She found Sebastian in the living room, leaning slightly over the coffee table.

He was trying to undo the bandage around his thumb.

The injured hand was his dominant right one, which made changing the dressing a slow process.

"Let me help," Riley said, walking straight over to him.

Sebastian glanced up briefly.

He didn't refuse. Just a quiet "Mm," before leaning down obediently, offering his injured hand, and shifting to give her better access.

His faint, cool scent, mixed with the smell of antiseptic, made her heart flutter lightly.

Riley took the cotton swab from his hand. Her fingertips brushed accidentally against his cool skin, and that odd sensation shot straight from her fingers to her chest.

Pushing past the discomfort, she focused entirely on his wound.

The teeth marks, clustered thick together, had already crusted over. Yet the messy indentation still lingered starkly on his skin, a silent reminder of just how wild and perilous that night had been.

Riley's brows drew tight.

She dipped the cotton swab in iodine, careful to avoid the most tender parts of the wound.

"Why didn't you use something else... like your sleeve or something?" Riley couldn't help asking. "Didn't it hurt?"

Sebastian's eyes darkened slightly.

He held her gaze steadily.

"No," he said quietly. "I've always had a higher pain tolerance than most."

That made Riley's hand pause mid-air for a second.

She looked up at him.

"Besides..." He hesitated, as if choosing his words with care. He looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't quite sure how.

"Besides what?" Riley pressed. He had her curiosity now.

Sebastian met her eyes again.

"Besides, that way... I could feel what you were going through."

The cotton swab nearly slipped from Riley's grasp. Her heart jolted hard.

She and Sebastian were nothing more than business partners in a family alliance—two people bound by paperwork.

She had never imagined this man, who always seemed so distant and reserved, could say something that struck her so deeply.

In that moment, Riley felt she could see something in his gaze—something intense, something warm.