The room's soft, warm lighting, paired with the moonlight, creates a sense of quiet serenity. However, under the crystal chandelier, there was a large, soft quilt. Sophia lay underneath it, her body wrapped tightly as she occasionally peeked out with her bright eyes.
She had just heard the sound of water splashing from the bathroom. Ethan had returned. Glancing at the alarm clock beside her, she noticed it was almost midnight. Ethan often came home around this time, and she had gotten used to it.
After confirming that Ethan wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, she stretched her slender arms out from under the quilt and pulled her body.
Suddenly, the sound of water stopped, and she saw Ethan emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Her eyes briefly scanned his body and saw his bare chest, revealing well-defined abdominal muscles.
Sophia held her breath but said nothing, knowing what would happen next. A husband and wife were expected to fulfill their duties to each other daily.
Once everything settled, Sophia's slightly breathless voice whispered in the dark, "The thing you promised me... when you will give it to me?"
The room was dark, and Ethan's hands trembled slightly when he heard this but didn't answer her. Sophia turned her head, looking into the darkness in his direction, her voice anxious, "Ethan, you said you'd give it to me when the time came. Now...?"
"Sleep!" Ethan cut her off sharply, then turned his back to her.
Sophia didn't push further. She knew that Ethan wouldn't give it to her now. She had been waiting for a year. What else could she not wait for?
The silent warning from the warehouse seemed to mock her. No matter how long she stayed with Ethan, it felt like a slow form of torture.
Slowly, she could feel Ethan's steady breathing, coming through the small gap between them. It seemed he had fallen asleep, so she simply closed her eyes.
***
Sophia was not only beautiful but also very capable. At a young age, Sophia's professional life offered a glimpse into her accomplishments. Sophia is portrayed as a capable and successful woman despite the dysfunction in her marriage.
She is a young professor of biology at a prestigious university, having achieved professional success at an early age. Her expertise and confidence in her field offer a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil she faces at home.
Today, as soon as she entered her office, her phone rang. She checked and saw it was a public number. After hesitating for a moment, she answered.
"Hello, how are you?" she asked.
After a long silence, a voice came from the other end, "Sophia." The voice was so familiar that she immediately recognized it.
He had been missing for many years—so long that she had forgotten that she still had something significant to do for him.
He arranged to meet Sophia at eight o'clock the next morning. After hanging up, she felt a bit dazed, unsure if she had imagined the entire conversation.
Sophia was unlucky that day. She had back-to-back classes, and after leaving university, she got stuck in rush-hour traffic. By the time she returned home to the villa, her stomach growled with hunger, and it was nearly eight in the evening.
As soon as she entered the house, she asked the servants to remove her high heels. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the sofa.
Just as she opened her eyes, she saw Ethan's tall figure in her line of sight from upstairs.
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Was she seeing things? Why was Ethan home so early today?
This seemed to be the first time since their marriage that he had come home at such an hour. Ethan wore a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top two, giving a glimpse of his wheat-colored skin. The casual look, without a tie, softened his usual sharp appearance. His laid-back demeanor contrasted with his typically polished style, leaving an air of relaxed confidence about him.