Chapter 2

Jesse's POV

After meeting his mother, I immediately brought Kai to an exclusive private club just outside Boston to meet my girlfriends.

"Jesse, we finally get to meet the dashing Sterling heir in person!" Mia called out, walking over. As soon as her eyes landed on Kai's face, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The rest of the girls swarmed around like they were admiring a newly auctioned piece of art.

"Oh my god, photos do not do him justice."

"So this is Kai Sterling? It's unfair how gorgeous he is."

"Jesse, you hit the jackpot. Marrying a guy like this, I wouldn't even care if he was in a wheelchair for life."

Mia lowered her voice. "Plus, he can't walk or talk. Marriage is going to be a breeze for you."

"Exactly. He won't suddenly run off to dance with other women at parties, he won't nag you, and he definitely can't argue with you. Jesse, you won. Big time."

They were dead serious, and I was thoroughly pleased. I patted Kai's shoulder. "Hear that? Everyone's jealous of me."

Kai instantly raised his hands, his gestures sharp and heavy.

I understood him perfectly. He was saying: They are insulting me.

I smiled and translated for my friends: "He says it's a pleasure to meet you all."

The girls burst into laughter. Griping the handles of his chair, I felt like today's itinerary was flawless.

There was a soccer game happening on the club's back lawn. Mia nodded toward the field. "Jesse, up for a round?"

I looked at Kai, then at the goalpost. I never passed up a chance to beat Mia, so I rolled his chair right into the center of the goal. "Honey, you're on goalie duty today."

Kai shook his head immediately, his hands flashing like lightning.

I turned to my friends. "He says no problem. He's happy to help."

"Jesse!" Mia yelled, kicking the ball straight at me.

I sprinted to intercept it, but heard a heavy thud behind me. The ball had grazed right past Kai's face and smacked into the net.

When I turned around, Kai already had his hands up. He cleanly blocked the second incoming ball. His reflexes were incredibly fast—nothing like someone who had been stuck in a wheelchair for years. His wrist even moved in a sharp, clean arc as he deflected it.

The ball rolled onto the grass.

"Whoa!" Mia gasped. "His reaction time is insane!"

I ran over and threw my arms around his shoulders. "Brilliant! We're definitely coming back. With you as my goalie, this is the first time I've ever beaten Mia."

Kai stared at me, his eyes as cold as ice.

On the ride back, he refused to let me push his wheelchair, opting to push the wheels himself. The moment we got back to the estate, he headed straight for the study, frantically searching for a pen and paper.

I had anticipated this. I'd already locked all the stationery in a drawer.

Unable to find anything, Kai turned to the maid, Lucy, signing so aggressively it looked like he was issuing military orders.

Lucy looked over at me. "Mrs. Sterling, is Mr. Sterling asking me to..."

"He says he is incredibly satisfied with our married life," I cut her off. "And that you all have kept the estate in wonderful condition."

Kai violently snatched his hand back, pointed at the door, then at me, his signs a chaotic blur.

I kept going. "Since everyone has been working so hard, starting today, all estate staff gets a one-year salary bonus."

The staff froze, then erupted into cheers.

"Thank you, ma'am!"

"You and Mr. Sterling are a match made in heaven!"

"Sir never used to express his feelings like this. Marriage really changed him."

Lucy smiled warmly. "Sir, your wife has truly brought you back to life."

Kai turned pale with rage, waving his hands frantically to object. But to everyone else, he just looked like he was excitedly gesturing. Someone even whispered that his contrast in personality was cute.

After several failed attempts to rebel, he suddenly went quiet.

Assuming he had finally given up, I pushed him back into the bedroom and locked the door, immediately pressing up against him.

That night, Kai was nothing like the sickly invalid he played during the day. His strength was startling, his stamina entirely unreasonable. He tossed me around until I couldn't even lift a finger. Waking up the next morning, I genuinely questioned if I had married a patient or a hyperactive beast.

But I didn't overthink it.

As the days passed, I grew bolder. By day, I paraded him around; by night, I refused to let him sleep. I even started secretly watching videos, researching new honeymoon 'activities'.

One morning, before the sun was fully up, I shifted closer to Kai.

"Let's try a new one today." I pulled out my phone and tapped play on a video. "Just cooperate."

Kai shook his head immediately, bracing his hands against the mattress in clear refusal.

"Stop pretending," I said, pinning his wrists. "You totally enjoyed it last night."

His eyes darkened, but he stopped fighting me.

Halfway through the video, I realized something was wrong.

He had unconsciously pushed himself up, his legs pressing firmly into the mattress. That wasn't a movement a paralyzed man could make. More terrifyingly, his breathing was perfectly steady, his arms not shaking in the slightest.

I stared at his legs, my brain short-circuiting.

"You..." My voice trembled. "You can stand?"

Kai didn't answer.

He simply raised his eyes. They were pitch black, entirely devoid of the humiliation and evasion he usually wore.

All the rumors suddenly clicked into place. Three years ago, Kai Sterling was a ruthless shark who terrified his own board of directors. How could he have truly become a helpless invalid at the mercy of others?

I scrambled backward off the bed, grabbing my clothes in a panic, and sprinted for the door.

I only made it a few steps before a large hand clamped down hard on the back of my neck.

A deep, raspy voice sounded from behind me, laced with suppressed amusement.

"Why are you stopping?"