ire nestled into Charlie’s bed, wrapping her arms gently around his waist.<fn1942> Updates are released by find?novel</fn1942>


    In that moment, an overwhelming sense of safety enveloped her.


    Though they had been together for quite some time, this was the first asion she held Charlie like this. While she felt secure, a flutter of anxiety still raced in her heart.


    Charlie, lost in his thoughts, was taken by surprise at ire’s gesture.


    When he turned to face her, ire was equally startled.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she stammered, “Husband, you…you’re still awake?”


    Charlie, flustered, replied, “I was asleep but woke up…”


    Then, he curiously asked, “Wife, what brings you to my bed?”


    ire hesitated, her words tumbling out awkwardly: “I…I just… I just…”


    After a moment of floundering, she gathered her courage and confessed, “I don’t want you to go out again, so I wanted to hug you to sleep, okay?”


    Charlie felt a rush of warmth in his chest at her admission. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered tenderly, “Silly girl, I’ll be back in just a few days.”


    “Yeah,” ire smiled, leaning into his embrace. “I’ve realized that holding you like this makes me feel really safe.”


    Charlie chuckled, “So, does this mean we’re leveling up? How about we share a bed from now on?”


    ire’s face turned a shade deeper as she replied softly, “It’s not impossible to level up, but for now, just one step at a time…”


    Following his usual pattern, Charlie felt the urge to ask ire when they might reach the next stage in their rtionship. He was eager to know when they could start a family, especially since even ine had been encouraging them to have a baby soon.


    Perhaps if he yed his cards right, they could take that step together.


    Yet, Charlie couldn’t shake the lingering image of Nanako Ito from his mind, which left him feeling uneasy.


    This sensation was like a thorn in his heart, quickly bringing him back to a moreposed state.


    He gently held ire and reassured her, “It’s alright; you’ll move to the next level, and we can sleep together.”


    ire was taken aback by his response.


    She had anticipated that Charlie would pursue her more aggressively.


    However, his calm eptance caught her off guard, leaving her heart fluttering.


    Over time, her feelings for Charlie had deepened, and she hade to rely on him.


    But as an inexperienced girl, she felt hesitant and anxious about crossing that boundary in their rtionship.


    If Charlie had been more assertive, she might have given in without hesitation.


    Yet, his unexpected tranquility left her puzzled.


    She wanted to ask Charlie why he was so indifferent today. Did he not feel the same way about her?


    However, the weight of those words felt too heavy to voice, so she buried her thoughts deep inside.


    Before long, Charlie’s steady breathing lulled ire. With a sigh, she slowly drifted off to sleep, carrying a touch of wistfulness in her heart.


    ……<h3 ss="has-text-align-center" id="chapter-list"><strong></strong>