Of course, it wasn’t that simple when he said it at the time. He spoke reasonably and movingly.

But why would Nora Thompson marry him? The warm water washed over his body, and though this wife was quite alright—not asking about his whereabouts and not causing trouble, he could almost ignore her presence except for inhaling her scent in the air. It’s not much different from being single.

"Your phone." The voice outside the bathroom was very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the water inside.

But he still heard it, put on his bathrobe, tied the belt, and walked out. Her fingers were long, and she handed him the phone before leaving.

"Alex, you’re out playing just two days after the wedding, aren’t you disrespecting your wife too much?" The man’s voice on the phone carried a slight hint of alcohol and a trace of frustration.

Alexander King glanced at his wife, who had already walked out of his room and gently closed the door behind her, displaying impeccable manners.

Not at all like those women these days, who think about secretly checking their husband’s messages, lingering without leaving, and trying to hear some gossip from their man’s phone calls.

She wasn’t like that; Alexander could find her uniqueness in every little detail about Nora Thompson.

"Who offended Young Master Hughes, with a tone so harsh?"

Alexander King lay on the bed, speaking. Josh had been visibly displeased these days.

He didn’t fail to notice, but since the wedding was too rushed, many matters needed Joshua’s speed to be handled more swiftly.

Even though marrying her wasn’t his wish, he didn’t want to treat her too unfairly; besides, even if he wanted to refuse, Isaac Thompson wouldn’t allow it.

"Come out for a drink," Joshua Hughes raised his glass and drank it all in a private club, his heart filled with unspeakable bitterness, as if someone had placed a yellow lotus on his heart, slowly dissolved, leaving his entire heart struggling to beat under the weight of the bitterness.

The image of that woman constantly appeared before him, cold to the point of extremity.

Ignoring him, paying him no attention, and treating him as if he were air, lifeless, nonexistent.

"You wait, I’ll be right there." When a brother is in a bad mood, of course, one must accompany him; they are soulmates, having grown up together through the toughest times.

The faint scent of wine permeated the air, as if every seemingly nonexistent wisp of air had been endowed with fragrance, making it feel real.

In the comfortable armchair, Joshua Hughes leaned lazily against the back, his tall and mighty frame carrying an indescribable air of authority even when relaxed.

In his hand was a glass of wine, its crimson akin to pigeon blood Ruby, sparkling in the crystal glass under the muted lighting, with an enticing glow.

Long fingers traced the contours of the wine glass as if sketching the curves of a woman’s body, her curves?

With a faint lost smile, her curves seemed to have been etched precisely into his memory as if by the most magical knife. He raised his glass in salute to Alexander King, who had hurried over.

"Josh, I heard you snagged a stunning beauty; why don’t you go back and stretch your muscles a bit?"

Alexander King raised his wine glass, slowly sipping.

His physique matched Joshua Hughes’s stature, and he tossed his perfectly tailored suit onto the carpet, unbuttoning his shirt, letting one long leg boldly drape over the coffee table. Perhaps his words made Joshua feel a bit unpleasant, causing his sharp brows to furrow slightly before he downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"Aren’t you moving on your wife either? You ran off to your mistress on the first day of marriage, and you went again on the second day. Aren’t you afraid Isaac Thompson will come to haunt you as a ghost?" Joshua Hughes looked at Alexander King, noticing how this fellow managed to marry a bookworm in just over ten days, clearing family hurdles and successfully becoming the chairman of the board.

Looking at Alexander King’s roguish demeanor, Joshua Hughes’s lips curled: "You really seem like someone who lives off a woman."

No one could believe that one was a giant in the business field, with an unpredictably deep background, and the other was recently emerged as a rising star in the venture capital world, yet when together, they would chitchat in such a random way.

"If you want something small from the King Family, I could help you without the need to sell yourself. Why bother?" Joshua Hughes said with a faint smile as he looked at Alexander King.

"Selling myself to that little bookworm is fine, but selling myself to you and being with you day and night, with me being so handsome, I’m worried you’d develop feelings for me and lose control," Alexander King replied with a mischievous look in his eyes, sipping the wine in his glass.

"Your words really lack any nutrition." The two continued their random conversation as the night grew darker and heavier.

The phone on the coffee table in front of Joshua Hughes rang, its sound particularly loud amidst such a night, reminding its owner.

Joshua Hughes glanced at the phone number and cursed inwardly, surprised—it’s her. Why is she calling him at this time?

Could she be thinking of him? Or is there something wrong?

Probably not; someone always secretly watches her, protecting her seamlessly.

Suppressing the intense heartbeat, he reached out for the phone: "Avery Jane, what’s up?" His voice was deep and magnetic, as sexy and tempting as a cello in such a night.

A car parked in the distance at the Imperial Garden, Evelyn Yates sat inside waiting. But what should she do to ensure Joshua Hughes and Evelyn would be in a relationship tonight? The basic question was if he would come back; she hadn’t seen him for days.

"Are you coming back?" As soon as she spoke, she almost bit her tongue. Such questioning sounded like a wife questioning a husband returning late at night.

Her voice was as clear as water in such a night, warming his heart and inexplicably making his body feel a surge of heat. Holding the phone in one hand, with the other, he unbuttoned his chest, revealing solid, sexy chest muscles.

"What’s wrong?" She had never called him since that day when he had tortured her until she fell apart, let alone greeted him of her own accord.

"No, nothing, just asking," Avery Jane couldn’t bring herself to say anything about asking him to return.

"Have the driver bring you to my private club; the moonlight is beautiful in the room on the top floor, hmm?" His words carried an unnoticed tenderness. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"No, I’ll sleep first," Avery Jane still stuttered a bit, unsure why hearing his voice once more induced an indescribable excitement.

"Come over, be good." The word "first" in her "sleep first" had a deadly allure to him, as if she had been waiting for him, just couldn’t wait any longer.

The feeling of excitement sharpens abruptly.

"Hmm." Her soft response in the phone made him smile. She still agreed to his request.

Thinking of that delicious little one, he felt his whole body filled with boiling excitement.

This was something Arthur Yates asked her to do, making her feel disgusted. If she didn’t do it, she feared Wenyard Cooper’s mommy would face tough days ahead. If she had to choose who to let down between Joshua Hughes and Wenyard’s mommy, it was definitely Joshua Hughes...