Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

The more Georgia thought about it, the more her heart ached for him. She threw back the covers and climbed into bed.

She carefully wrapped her arms around Elliot, taking care not to touch his arm.

’What must it be like to have no sense of taste? To be unable to taste how delicious something is?’

Holding him was like hugging a furnace; his burning heat was starting to make her feel unwell, too.

Georgia held Elliot, her mind a whirlwind. She was worried about his health, but she was also plagued by countless questions. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind.

She stared at his profile in a daze. After dozing off for a bit, she felt him begin to sweat.

She couldn’t help but sigh in relief. ’He’s sweating. That means he’ll be okay.’

When the IV bag was empty, Georgia removed the needle for him.

Afterward, feeling more at ease, she held him close and drifted off to sleep.

They both fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake until evening.

The sun had completely set below the horizon, and the twilight deepened.

Darkness fell in an instant. A slender crescent moon hung in the sky, surrounded by a few wisps of ethereal clouds.

When Elliot woke up, he felt much better. The heavy, throbbing ache in his head was gone.

He shifted and felt arms wrapped around him.

He glanced to his side. Georgia was fast asleep, her arms and legs tangled securely around him.

Half her face was buried in the blankets, while the other half was hidden by her long hair.

He brushed aside her hair, revealing her pale, delicate face, her cheeks flushed red.

’Probably from the heat.’

Georgia’s hair seemed to grow both quickly and slowly at the same time.

Before he knew it, it had grown down her back, the tips a lighter shade.

Silky strands of her long hair spilled over her shoulders, looking soft and smooth.

Georgia shifted, burying her face deeper into the blankets. Hearing her soft murmurs, Elliot found it amusing.

Lying on the white covers on Georgia’s other side was another small creature.

The air conditioner wasn’t on, so perhaps Blue found it too hot. Instead of curling into a ball, it was lying flat on its back with all four limbs splayed out.

Snuggled up against Georgia, Blue was sleeping even more soundly, and had even started to purr.

Blue had followed Georgia to their new home and wasn’t used to it at first, acting especially hostile toward Elliot.

But after discovering that this territory belonged to Elliot, it immediately fell in line.

Sometimes it would even try to curry favor by rubbing its head against Elliot’s foot.

Elliot didn’t have any favorite animals, but he thought having a cat wasn’t so bad.

However, he didn’t like the cat getting too close to Georgia.

He reached out, scooped up Blue, and set it on the floor.

Blue was not happy. It crouched under the bed, meowing unhappily, but one glare from Elliot silenced it.

Elliot rolled over and pulled Georgia into his embrace.

Unwilling to be banished so easily, Blue circled the bed and hopped back on from the other side.

It draped its front paws over Georgia and started purring contentedly.

Georgia’s eyes fluttered open. She rolled over, saw Blue, and leaned in to give the cat a kiss before cuddling it in her arms. The man on her other side was instantly displeased.

After they made love, Elliot’s cold seemed to have vanished entirely.

He felt as if every channel in his body had been cleared. After taking a shower, he emerged to find Georgia busy in the kitchen.

Elliot walked over, spun her around, and trapped her between his arms and the counter.

His slender fingers caressed her cheek. He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

"Aren’t you afraid of giving me your cold?" Georgia shot him a playful glare, her face still flushed red.

"Why didn’t you think about catching my cold when you were sneaking into my bed?" A deep, teasing smile danced in his dark eyes.

"I did not!" Georgia pushed him away. "Go wait outside. I’ll be done in a minute!"

Following the doctor’s orders, Georgia had made some light millet porridge and a few mildly flavored side dishes.

She came out carrying the porridge and saw Elliot on the phone by the window.

He turned his head and glanced at Georgia, said a few more words into the phone, and then hung up.

Throughout the meal, Georgia kept glancing over at Elliot.

She watched him eat the porridge, his expression unreadable. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

She wanted to ask him how the porridge tasted, but each time the words died on her lips.

After finishing half a bowl, Elliot looked at her. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing!" Georgia felt like a thief caught in the act and couldn’t bring herself to speak.

She pulled her gaze away and stared down at her bowl. A moment later, she peeked at him again.

"Seriously, what is it?" Elliot finally put down his chopsticks and looked at her.

Georgia shook her head, so Elliot said, "You’ve been watching me since we started eating. What is it that you can’t bring yourself to say?"

The thought of him having no sense of taste was weighing on her. If she didn’t ask, the unease would just continue to grow.

"I heard the doctor say you don’t have a sense of taste. Is that true?"

After all, he had hidden it so well that she’d never noticed.

Elliot hummed in confirmation. Georgia pressed on, "Why don’t you have a sense of taste? Were you born that way, or did it happen later?"

Elliot beckoned, pulling Georgia onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her.

’They used the same body wash, so why did her scent always seem so much stronger to him?’

"It happened later."

’It happened later. That means something must have caused it.’

"Then can I ask why you lost your sense of taste?" Georgia asked tentatively. Seeing his silent expression, she assumed he didn’t want to answer and said with a smile, "You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to!"

"You’re my wife. If I don’t tell you, who else can I tell?" Elliot gently squeezed her cheek, but he really didn’t want to relive those memories.

"There was a car accident a long time ago. When I woke up, I found that food had no taste."

He spoke of it so casually, but hearing it made Georgia’s heart ache.

’The accident must have been horrific. How could it not be, if it was bad enough to make him lose his sense of taste?’

"How long ago was the accident?"

"I don’t remember clearly. Many years ago."

Georgia recalled the long surgical scar on his shoulder blade. The first time she’d touched it, she had been truly startled.

A long scar, like a centipede, crawling across his shoulder blade. After that first time, she never dared to touch it again.

Now, thinking about it, she felt nothing but a profound ache for him.

Georgia hugged him tightly. "Did it hurt back then?"

"I’ve forgotten."

’He’d long since forgotten what that pain felt like.’

「The next morning.」

Elliot got up early for work.

When he got up, Georgia woke up too.

’This morning, I have to go to Archetype Company to submit my design.’

The part-time housekeeper had already made breakfast. Georgia was taking a call from Preston Larkin. "Okay, I’ll be right over."

Georgia put on her jacket, hurried out of the bedroom, and said to the man in the dining room, "I’m skipping breakfast, I have to go!"

She bent down to put on her flats, but the man’s displeased voice called from the dining room, "Come here."

"I’m going to be late!"

"Finish your breakfast. I’ll drive you."

"But..." Georgia hesitated. Elliot said, "It’s hard to get a cab here. You can either come over yourself, or I can come over and drag you."

Georgia considered his words. The neighborhood was full of powerful people, all of whom drove their own cars. Taxis never bothered coming out this way.

She glanced at Elliot’s dark expression, sighed in resignation, and walked over.

The part-time housekeeper poured her some milk. "Sir is just looking out for you, Madam. If you skip breakfast, you won’t have any energy for the rest of the day."

Georgia sat down, took a sip of milk, and then took a bite of her bread.

She quickly finished her meal and urged him to hurry up and leave.

Seeing her juggling a handful of things, Elliot took them from her.

She was meeting Preston Larkin at the entrance of Archetype Company. From a distance, she saw her mentor standing in the plaza out front.

Georgia pushed open the car door, but before she could get out, Elliot grabbed her wrist. "You’re just leaving like that? No parting gift?"

’In a place bustling with people, and he’s not afraid of being seen.’

Georgia had Elliot let go of her hand, then she slowly leaned in toward him.

She was originally aiming for the corner of his mouth, but just as she got close, her warm lips brushed past his cheek. She whispered in his ear, "Thanks for the ride, honey! Bye!"

Georgia nimbly pulled back and got out of the car.

She then opened the back door, grabbed her things, and dashed away.

As Elliot watched her dash away, an amused laugh escaped him.

By the time Georgia ran up to Preston Larkin, she was already a little sweaty.

"Sorry, Teacher Larkin."

Preston Larkin waved his hand dismissively. "Let’s go inside first."

"Okay!"

Today was the submission day for the competition. Originally, she had planned to come alone.

But last night, Preston Larkin had suddenly called, saying he wanted to meet up and go with her.

The air conditioning in the company lobby was on full blast. Stepping inside was instantly cool and comfortable.

Her phone buzzed in her bag. She took it out and saw it was a text from Elliot.

"I’ll be collecting that ’parting gift’ when you get home tonight!"

She put her phone away with a smile, picturing Elliot’s mock-annoyed expression.

Georgia went to submit her competition entry first. The staff inside saw her and greeted her with a smile.

Georgia returned the smile and walked back outside, where she saw Preston Larkin on the phone.

"In a bit, I’m going to introduce you to someone," Preston Larkin said enthusiastically after hanging up.

Given that they were at Archetype Company, Georgia had a pretty good idea who it would be.

In a coffee shop near the company, Georgia and Preston Larkin sat by the window.

Hearing the DING-DONG of the bell at the door, Nathan Rhodes entered in a sharp business suit, her gaze sweeping the room.

Preston Larkin turned and waved to her. "Over here!"

"Teacher Larkin!" Nathan Rhodes strode over. Seeing Georgia, she said, "Oh? Georgia, you’re here too!"

"Hello, Miss Rhodes!"

Preston Larkin had intended to introduce Georgia and Nathan Rhodes, but he didn’t expect that the two of them already knew each other.

"You two know each other?"

Nathan Rhodes pulled out a chair and sat down. "Yeah, Georgia and I have known each other for a long time! Teacher, don’t tell me the person you wanted to introduce me to was Georgia!"