?Chapter 1161:


    Heat crept across Maia’s cheeks.


    Chris’ eyes, however, remained unwavering.


    Without a single spoken word, something unspoken flowed between them, as though their longing had bridged the silence. The separation hadsted only days, yet to both of them, it felt like years had been stolen.


    “Darling…”


    Chris finally broke through the quiet.


    “I’m here,” Maia answered gently.


    “Tell me… do you think we can go home now?” Chris asked, easing himself upright and gesturing toward his head. “I feel fine, really. And besides, the table is waiting, filled with food I made.”


    Maia’s fingers wrapped firmly around his hand before she gave in with a reluctant nod. “Okay, but once the meal is done, you’reing back here. Three more days of observation, no excuses.”


    At Elysium Apartments.


    The sound of the lock clicking echoed, followed by the warm glow of the lights filling the living room.


    Together, they stepped back into the home Chris had prepared for them.


    Every corner of the apartment was in perfect order, and the dining table gleamed under the light, covered with dishes. Each one was exactly what Maia loved most.


    Not a single detail had slipped from Chris’ memory.


    Every te on the table revealed the effort he had poured into making sure everything was just right.


    “The dishes cooled off. I’ll warm them,” Chris said as he moved toward the kitchen. “Give me a minute, it won’t take long.”


    ?????????????????? ?????????????? ??????????: ?????????ν???????????????


    Before he could take another step, Maia reached out and blocked his path. “Let me handle it. You should stay seated.”


    Her brow lifted ever so slightly. “Aren’t you the one who always ims to be obedient to your wife? Why not prove it now?”


    For a brief second, Chris faltered, unable to respond.


    “Alright then. I’ll do as you say, darling.”


    Maia smiled softly and walked into the kitchen.


    Before long, the table was once againden with freshly reheated dishes, the air thick with inviting scents. Steam curled upward, carrying the fragrance until it seemed to saturate the entire room.


    “This smells incredible!” Maia said as she sat down, tasting a bite before grinning in delight. “With talent like this, you’d qualify as head chef in the finest restaurant.”


    The thought crossed her mind that Chris hadn’t worked steadily since he quit driving, so she added, “Chris, maybe you should think about it. You’d make a remarkable chef.”


    Instead of agreeing, Chris gave a slow shake of his head and replied with a gentle smile, “No, I’d rather save every bit of my cooking just for you.”


    A shadow flickered across his gaze, heavy with conflict. How could he confess that he had been keeping a painful secret from Maia all along?


    He was far more than a simple driver, and weakness was never part of him. Behind his quiet fronty countless identities: the figuremanding Wront’s underworld, one of the original minds behind the hacker group ST, a businessman whose enterprises spanned borders, the elusive Mr. M, who once gifted the three-hundred-million-dor jewel called “Angel’s Tear”, and the enigmatic leader known only as The Mask.


    .


    .


    .