Maybe this marriage isn't so bad after all.
Still, as she thought about what had just happened, she couldn't ignore the faint regret that had flashed in Chibuzor's eyes before he turned away. It had been brief, barely there, but she saw it. A quiet shadow of guilt behind his usual control.
His strict code of discipline didn't excuse the slap.
But… he wasn't completely proud of it either.
Her chest rose and fell as she took a steady breath. I'll have to talk to him about this later. His respect for her was clear, he had defended her in front of everyone without hesitation. But his way of handling things? That needed to change.
If this fake marriage was going to work, she wouldn't let fear or power decide how they communicated. Not again.
For now, though, she let herself relax and eat. The taste of her breakfast was faint, but her mind was full. The sting of the incident lingered, yet so did the warmth of knowing he had chosen her side, openly, firmly, like a husband should.
