Forbiddenly Bound To You
Chapter 109: Properly Scold You

Chapter 109: Properly Scold You

Mira struggled to find the words. How could she explain that it wasn’t his fault—that the blame lay solely with her? She was the one who had run away, yet the look on his face showed nothing but guilt. The realization twisted painfully inside her.

"You did nothing wrong," she murmured, reaching out, hoping her words could ease some of the guilt in his eyes.

"No, I must have." His voice cracked ever so slightly, sending a shock through her. She never imagined she’d hurt him this deeply. "You... you ran away."

Mira stilled, the weight of his words sinking into her heart. Had he really cared that much? She swallowed, and after a moment of gathering her courage, choked out, "Then... why didn’t you sign the divorce papers?"

The tears she’d fought to hold back now spilled over. "I asked, I hinted, I even tried to tell you that I didn’t want to leave. But you... you never once told me to stay." Her voice wavered as she continued. "You never said you didn’t want a divorce. I told you I loved you... but you didn’t take my words seriously."

She let out a bitter laugh, holding his gaze as he stood there, frozen, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You’re so... so infuriating," she whispered, the pain lacing her voice.

"If you’d agreed to be a family, our child wouldn’t have grown up dreaming of the day she could meet her daddy," she continued, a hollow laugh breaking free, as if it could somehow stop the tears from flowing. But it didn’t. The laughter died as she punched his chest, releasing years of pent-up frustration. He didn’t flinch, didn’t step back. He took it all in, silent and unmoving.

"If only she knew her daddy was there all along..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "And now... now, how do I tell her that her daddy finally wants us to be together?" She leaned her forehead against his chest, her fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt as if holding onto him could somehow keep her heart from shattering.

"You’re so rude," she whispered, the words slicing through the air between them, each syllable weighted with the memories of all the moments he’d missed, the years they’d both lost. Zamian’s expression softened, as if her words held the power to pull him back to a time when things had been simpler, when all she had wanted was to hear him say that she could stay.

"You’re telling me now..."She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "You’re telling me now that you didn’t want a divorce?" She said as she stared up at him, the unasked question lingering between them.

She looked away, her voice breaking. "I ran, Zamian, because I was scared. You kept me in the dark. I wanted to feel loved... I wanted you to share even the smallest details with me, to take me out sometimes, to let me be a part of your life. But you were always so busy, so distant." She laughed, but it was hollow, devoid of joy. "I know it sounds selfish, maybe even greedy, but that’s what I wanted."

She glanced down, her fingers loosening their grip on his shirt. "I was afraid you’d barely have time to love our child." The confession left her feeling exposed, vulnerable, as if she were baring her soul to him in a way she never had before. "That’s why I ran."

Zamian was silent, his gaze locked onto her as if trying to absorb every word she had spoken, each one filling in the gaps of the years they had spent apart. Mira lifted a hand to wipe her face with the back of her palm, but the tears kept falling.

"Why... why can’t I stop crying, Zamian?" she whispered, a hint of frustration mingling with her sadness.

Without a word, he leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and gently pressed his lips to her eyes, catching her tears. "Then I’ll stop them for you," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin, sending a shiver through her.

Mira’s heart pounded in her chest as Zamian lifted her with ease and placed her on the edge of the table. She froze, her body going rigid as a wave of emotions surged through her, mingling shock with something else... something she hadn’t expected to feel so intensely.

"Z... Zamian..." she managed to whisper, her voice barely audible, her head spinning with a rush of desire she couldn’t fully comprehend.

He gazed at her, his expression unreadable, then, with deliberate gentleness, lifted her down from the table. His hands moved as if she weighed nothing at all, as though she were light as a feather in his arms.

"Let’s get this place sorted first," he said, his voice calm, as though they hadn’t just shared the most raw and painful confessions of their lives. Mira took a deep, steadying breath, feeling her heartbeat slowly return to a more even rhythm as she collected herself.

To her surprise, Mira realized that the tears had stopped. Somehow, without her even realizing it, Zamian had managed to calm the storm inside her. She nodded, and together they began tidying up the dining room. She couldn’t help but watch him, noticing the careful way he handled each dish, the ease and grace with which he moved. It was strange, almost mesmerizing, to see him performing such a mundane task.

"You’re doing it perfectly," she said softly, unable to hide her amazement.

Zamian’s face lit up with an unrestrained happiness, a smile spreading across his face that made him look almost boyish. "I practiced," he admitted, a hint of pride in his voice. "I really wanted to impress my wife, you know."

Mira’s body stilled, his words sinking into her with a warmth that she hadn’t felt in years. He had learned how to do this—just to impress her? This man... her husband... What was going on?

"I’m glad I got it right," he continued, his smile widening as he looked over at her, his eyes shining with a light she hadn’t seen before. "As long as my lovely wife thinks it’s perfect, then I’m happy."

The pride in his voice was unmistakable, and for a moment, he looked every bit the devoted husband he claimed to be.

After they finished cleaning up, Zamian and Mira walked to the living room, but just as they reached her room, Mira paused, glancing at him with a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor as she wrestled with what she wanted to say.

"You’ll... you’ll stay with me tonight," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "But if you don’t want to—"

"Of course I will." His response came immediately, a small, playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Is that even a question?"

Mira’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up to find him smirking at her, a look in his eyes that told her he had plans for them tonight, plans she couldn’t begin to guess. She turned away quickly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, and motioned for him to follow her as they walked toward the bathroom.

Once there, she handed him a pair of baggy pajamas she had bought earlier. They were meant for one of their family’s "baggy nights," a silly tradition they’d started where everyone would wear oversized clothes just for fun. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him joining them, her mind filling with an image of him in the loose, panda-print pajamas.

Zamian took the pajamas with a mischievous wink, and Mira’s heart gave an unexpected flutter. Had he just winked at her? Her husband was full of surprises tonight, and though she loved this playful side of him, she couldn’t ignore the way her body reacted to it, every nerve ending buzzing with anticipation.

A little while later, Zamian emerged from the bathroom, looking refreshed. Mira nearly squealed at how adorable he looked in the oversized pajamas, but she managed to hold herself together, fighting to keep her composure. He was toweling his damp hair, the loose fabric of the pajamas hanging off his broad frame, and the sight of him sent a wave of heat rushing through her.

She quickly looked away, trying to regain control of her thoughts as she stepped forward to grab her own nightwear. But just as she was about to enter the bathroom, she heard him speak, his voice low and husky yet serious.

"Wear a nightgown," he said, his tone playful yet commanding. "I want to properly scold you for all these years you kept me waiting."

Mira hadn’t expected him to say that. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed a deep pink. What on earth was wrong with him? How could he say something so shameless, and with such a straight face?

"Oh my... Zamian! You’re so shameless," she stammered, looking away quickly to hide her embarrassment.

"Yes, wifey," he replied with a playful grin. "I’ll be shameless just for you. So, you’d better get used to this husband of yours, okay?"

Her heart skipped a beat, her cheeks growing hotter by the second. What had gotten into him? He was relentless, and she couldn’t help but feel her pulse quicken with every word he spoke. Turning away with her face flushed, she hurried into the bathroom, needing a moment to steady herself.

Inside, she took a deep breath, pressing a hand to her chest to try and calm the racing of her heart. Since when had he become so... bold? She let the warm water from her bath ease her nerves, but his words echoed in her mind, sending a rush of butterflies to her stomach every time she thought of them.

Finally, after drying her hair and slipping into her nightwear, she took another calming breath before stepping out of the bathroom. She was relieved to see Zamian appeared to be asleep, lying on the bed with his eyes closed, his breathing steady. Thank goodness, she thought, tiptoeing carefully so as not to wake him.

But just as she settled under the covers with a sigh of relief, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close. She gasped, her heart leaping as Zamian’s face pressed against the crook of her neck, his warm breath brushing against her skin in a way that made her shiver.

"W...what?" she whispered, barely daring to breathe. Hadn’t he been asleep? Or was he pretending?

His voice was low, a teasing murmur in her ear. "Hope you’re not wearing any panties. I don’t want any obstructions."

A wave of warmth spread across her cheeks, her breath catching as his words sank in. "Zamian!" she managed to whisper, her voice trembling.

His hold on her tightened, his thumb brushing her hip in a way that made her heart race even faster. "I’ve waited too long for you to be here, right by my side," he murmured, his voice warm and deep. "So now... I’m going to make up for all that lost time."