What's Gotten Into You?

"Thank you," Mark said after the kiss, then happily walked away, leaving Alex stunned.

Alex sat there, dumbfounded. Mark had just kissed him so easily, without any resistance. 

He should have been happy, but instead, Alex couldn't shake off a sense of unease. His eyes narrowed dangerously. 

Who was on the other end of that call that made my wife sacrifice himself like that?

Jealousy consumed Alex, and he was filled with a murderous intent. He immediately called Howard, instructing him to send a driver to pick up Kyle. Howard, sitting in his office, frowned as he received the text.

That conniving boss better not be trying to set me up again! After being tricked too many times, Howard had grown wary of Alex. Frustrated, he put down his phone and looked at Rick, who was sprawled out on his office sofa, sleeping soundly.

"Can't you go sleep at your own place instead of hogging my sofa?" Howard muttered to himself, feeling both annoyed and helpless.

Meanwhile, Mark, still on the phone with Kyle, said, "Someone will be coming to pick you up soon. Just wait at home."

Kyle was puzzled. 

Could it be the rich man Grace mentioned? Was Mark talking to him just now? His voice sounded mature, definitely older than Mark.

The thought of age difference darkened Kyle's mood. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he fought to hold them back. 

You're such a wimp, Kyle. Stop crying! he scolded himself, wiping his tears away.

"Are you... are you crying, Kyle?" Mark asked, concerned.

"I'm not crying," Kyle stubbornly replied.

Ah, he really is crying, Mark thought.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Mark asked tentatively, assuming Kyle's father had hit him.

Kyle realized what Mark meant and quickly said, "My dad didn't hit me. I just cried on my own."

"That's a relief," Mark said, feeling reassured. He reminded Kyle to wait at home for the driver before hanging up.

Before the call ended, Kyle had said thank you, leaving Mark in a daze. No one had ever thanked him before. He felt a bit embarrassed, scratching his head.

"It seems you have a good relationship with your cousin," Alex's voice suddenly sounded above Mark. Before Mark could react, Alex had scooped him up from the sofa.

"What the hell, Alex! Put me down!" Mark struggled, slapping Alex's shoulder.

Damn it! I finally relaxed for a moment, and this jerk starts acting up again, Mark thought regretfully. He had only kissed Alex to thank him for helping, thinking that would be the end of it. But here Alex was, taking advantage of him again.

"Get back to work. Why are you carrying me?" Mark pushed Alex's face away, trying to avoid being kissed.

Alex, who had wanted more than just a kiss, sighed. He realized he needed to do more for Mark to willingly let him kiss. 

"I'll let you down, but if you keep struggling, we might actually fall," Alex said, trying to steady himself as Mark's thrashing made him dizzy.

"Better to fall than let you touch me! Let me go," Mark said, biting Alex's shoulder in a desperate attempt to make him let go. But just then, the office door swung open forcefully.

A woman standing at the doorway saw them in what looked like a playful scuffle and shouted, "What are you two doing?"

Startled, Mark immediately let go of Alex's shoulder and turned to face the door. Standing there was a woman who appeared to be in her forties, dressed in a striking red qipao, exuding an air of authority.

Who is this? Could she be one of Alex's family members? Mark wondered, feeling uneasy. But then he saw Isabelle standing behind the woman, and his expression turned icy.

Damn it! It's that woman who barged into Alex's room and hit me. What's her name again? Isabelle? Is she back with reinforcements?

Mark's initial confusion faded, replaced by a cold, defiant look directed at Isabelle.

Isabelle, receiving Mark's cold smile, seethed with anger, her hair practically standing on end.

Fine! Let's see how long you can keep that attitude in front of Alex's aunt.

Isabelle clenched her fists, glaring back at Mark, biting her lip to suppress her fury. She had planned to use Alex's aunt as a trump card, only bringing her out if absolutely necessary. But with the board meeting proving useless, Isabelle had to act on her own.

Because of her childhood engagement to Alex, Alex's aunt had always treated Isabelle as a future daughter-in-law, being very kind to her. Isabelle had only needed to hint that Mark had bewitched Alex, causing Alex to defy the board to protect him, and Alex's aunt had come rushing over in a fury, leading to this confrontation.

"Boss, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them," Monica, Alex's assistant, ran into the office, out of breath, her hair disheveled from being pulled. She had tried to inform Alex first and have Alex's aunt wait in the reception room, but Isabelle had yanked her hair and pushed her down.

Seeing Monica in this state, Alex immediately knew Isabelle was behind it. He instructed her, "Go make some tea."

"Yes, sir," Monica replied, quickly straightening her hair and bowing before hurrying out.

As she passed Isabelle, Isabelle smirked, looking pleased with herself. Monica shot her a cold, icy glance.

Isabelle flinched slightly, swallowing nervously. Her gaze was chilling, like she wanted to devour me whole.

Damn it! Just an assistant, and she dares to give me attitude? Isabelle thought, feeling a grudge. Despite starting the altercation, she blamed Monica.

"You better put me down now," Mark whispered to Alex, keeping his voice low.

Alex brought his attention back from the door, smiled, and kissed Mark before setting him on the sofa, acting as if they were an old married couple.

Mark blushed unexpectedly, realizing he was becoming less resistant to Alex's small gestures.

Oh no, my heart is racing again. He clutched his chest, trying to calm his heartbeat, worried Alex might hear it.

Relax, you idiot. If Alex hears your heart, it'll be so embarrassing! Mark thought, taking deep breaths to steady himself, but it wasn't working. He could only cover his face in frustration.

My wife's heart is beating fast. Is he scared? Alex wondered, puzzled. But as he watched Mark cover his face, he thought, Maybe he's embarrassed because I kissed him?

Alex smiled, certain that Mark was indeed shy.