When Penelope returned home three days later after staying with her sisters and mother, she found her husband waiting for her in the living room with a document in one hand and a stack of paper on the coffee table. She noticed the slight dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had been working all night.
Penelope couldn't help but feel ashamed. She was his wife, and yet she left him for three days and only gave him a call a few times to check on him. She never thought she would be in this condition.
Raven lowered the document he was reading when he noticed Penelope's arrival. He smiled at her and motioned for her to sit across the couch. He had been so engrossed in his work that he hadn't even realized how much time had passed.
"I hope you had a good time with your sisters. I'm sorry I couldn't go with you, but I'll accompany you another time to meet your sisters." Raven said as Penelope joined him on the couch, giving him a warm smile.
"Don't worry about it. We can always visit them together some other time whenever you aren't busy." Penelope paused for a moment before saying, "Are you sure it's alright for us to take a trip? We don't have to if your work is piling up here. We can always plan for it another time."
She looked at Raven with concern, noticing the fatigue in his eyes. But Raven just shook his head.
"It's okay, Penelope. I've been working on something important, but it can wait. My time with my wife is my utmost priority now," Raven said sincerely, giving her a reassuring smile.
Penelope didn't know what to feel or think. She couldn't understand why Raven was so kind to her. It couldn't be just because she was his wife now. She had never expected Raven to be so understanding and selfless. It starkly contrasted the rumors she had heard about him before they were married. Could it be that he genuinely cared for her?
"You don't have to do all these for me, Raven. You've helped my family enough." She told her after a long silence between them.
Raven raised a brow.
"You mean I'm not allowed to spoil my wife?" he asked nonchalantly.
Penelope couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at Raven's question.
"I never said that," she replied. "It's just... I don't want you to push yourself too hard because of me. I know how important your work is to you."
"My work will always be there, and I didn't hire competent people for nothing. I hired them for a reason, Penelope. Please don't group me with other businessmen who always have an excuse to avoid their wives." Raven grinned, his eyes shimmering with mischief.
Penelope couldn't help but laugh at his playful tone.
"Well, I certainly didn't marry you for your charming wit," she teased, nudging him gently with her elbow.
Raven chuckled, the sound filling the room with a warmth that Penelope had grown to cherish.
"I guess you're stuck with me then," he said, his gaze softening as he looked at her.
As they sat together in comfortable silence, Penelope realized how lucky she was to have Raven by her side. Despite his busy schedule and work demands, he always made time for her and always cared for her. They might not be in love, but they get along very well.
Penelope glanced at Raven's profile, his features softened by the warm sunlight of the afternoon filtering through the window. She couldn't deny her growing fondness for him, a feeling that had bloomed unexpectedly after their marriage. She wondered if he would treat Melody the same if her sister hadn't run away with Oscar.
As she watched him again engrossed in his work, Penelope decided to try to understand him better. When her father was still alive, he once told her that arranged marriage was better than marriages that were born from passion. He said most couples he knew who had arranged marriages stayed together longer than those who married out of love.
Penelope didn't understand at first. How could someone be happy and content after marrying a stranger?
Penelope had always believed in love and romance, dreaming of a future where she would marry for love. But as she observed Raven, his dedication to his work, and his kindness towards her, she began to see the wisdom in her father's words.
A marriage built on mutual respect, understanding, and companionship could be as fulfilling. She realized she had all those things with Raven, even if their marriage had been unexpected and unconventional.
She couldn't help but wonder if someone like Raven Hendrix believed in love. Perhaps not, Penelope thought. He might have thought that his marriage to her was nothing but a necessity, something he needed to do to keep the Montgomery family from prying on his affairs.
"Raven," she began, her voice soft but determined. "Do you ever wonder about... love?"
Raven looked up, his expression contemplative. He set the documents aside and turned to face Penelope fully.
"Sometimes," he admitted. "I used to think it was a frivolous emotion, something that clouds judgment and leads to irrational decisions. But being married to you has made me reconsider."
Raven paused as he considered his following words.
"Previously, I did not understand how someone could lose themselves in the name of love. I couldn't understand why someone would risk everything for an emotion that fades with time. But I have come to see that perhaps love is not just about passion or grand gestures. Maybe it's also about the quiet moments, the shared glances, and the feeling of warmth and companionship that comes from knowing someone deeply. Someone you try to understand regardless of your difference and make compromises because of it."
"I never thought I'd hear you speak so openly about love," Penelope said softly, her eyes searching his for any hint of what he truly felt. She wondered if he was saying this only to please her.
Listening to his words, Penelope felt as if he was describing her past self—someone who had lost self-respect and mind because of love.
Raven met her gaze, his usual mask slipping slightly to reveal a flicker of uncertainty.
"I suppose being married to you has made me see things differently. It made me think about what it means to truly care for someone and be willing to put their needs above yours. I don't think I've met someone like you before, Penelope. You've stepped forward and married me to save your sister from heartache and your family from further humiliation."
He then let out a low laugh.
"For a selfish person like me to marry a selfless person like you is truly a turn of events I never expected. But perhaps it is exactly what I needed."