Feder VS Noah

"Everyone's been waiting for your return, boss. We've already got the drinks ready to welcome you back," Noah said cheerfully as he drove, his sunny disposition evident.

In the backseat, Richa didn't respond. He pulled out his phone, intending to turn it on, but realized it was out of battery. Handing the phone to Noah, Noah immediately understood and began charging it. Continuing to chatter, Noah said, "When you went to F Country to train the newbies, everyone thought they'd run back halfway through. But taking them to the rainforest for training, not one of them ran back."

"We even bet on how many would last more than a week under your devil training. But those newbies turned out tougher than we thought."

Noah's endless chatter filled the car, even though Richa remained silent. This seemed to be their usual dynamic, and Richa appeared accustomed to Noah's non-stop talking, gazing stoically out the window at the night.

"Oh, by the way, there's been a lot of buzz about Mr. Shen marrying a male wife. It's all anyone talks about these days," Noah mentioned, suddenly remembering the news.

Although Richa didn't respond, he was listening. His lack of reaction suggested he wasn't surprised by Shen's choice.

"Aren't you surprised at all?" Noah asked, seemingly afflicted by a severe case of social hyperactivity.

"Where is he?" Richa finally spoke, but it was clear he was referring to someone else.

Noah took a moment to understand who Richa meant and replied, "That kid hasn't shown up since you left for F Country."

"He didn't come to the office to look for me?"

Richa's brow furrowed slightly.

"Nope, he didn't show up," Noah confirmed. He then added curiously, "It's funny, though. Mr. Shen's wife has the same surname as that kid. Are there really so many people with that surname?"

Richa didn't resolve Noah's confusion. His eyes turned cold, perhaps a sign of his displeasure.

"Oh, right. Here's your card back."

Noah fished out a black card from his pocket and handed it to Richa in the backseat. Seeing the card, Richa's eyes grew colder as he gripped it tightly.

"You left in such a hurry that day, before he was fully awake. When I gave him the card, he refused it, blushing for some reason. I thought he'd have questions about your sudden departure, but he didn't contact me or come to the office. Maybe he really knows you went on a business trip."

Noah continued to ramble, seemingly never tiring or thirsty. Meanwhile, Richa wasn't listening anymore, his sharp gaze fixed on the card, puzzled why it was returned to him.

"Boss, we're not heading back to the office just yet. They've booked a private room to welcome you back. I'm taking you there first," Noah announced, raising his voice to ensure Richa heard him.

Richa couldn't possibly miss it; Noah's voice filled the entire car, making his ears ache. 

"I'll take your silence as agreement."

Noah took the liberty of changing course, bobbing to the music as he drove, thoroughly enjoying himself. Richa remained silent, staring out into the night, possibly immune to Noah's constant chatter by now.

Soon, Noah brought Richa to an upscale entertainment venue. Led by a waiter, they entered the private room where company veterans enthusiastically welcomed Richa. These were big, burly men, fitting for a bodyguard company.

Despite his dislike for noisy environments, Richa accepted their hospitality, sitting down to drink with them. Midway through, he turned on his phone, immediately seeing several missed calls from a single contact.

Richa's face finally softened. He prepared to return the calls, but Noah suddenly snatched his phone, handing him a drink instead. "Boss, now's not the time for phones. Let's drink. We're not leaving until we're drunk."

Richa's face darkened in displeasure, but Noah pretended not to notice, clinking glasses with him before running off to the restroom, looking urgent.

Richa pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to stay calm. Murder is illegal, he reminded himself.

Seeing Richa's anger, the others wisely kept their distance, internally cursing Noah for never considering their boss's mood. They feared one day Noah would get them all killed.

In the restroom, Noah relieved himself, then hummed as he washed his hands, fixing his hair in the mirror. Suddenly, his expression turned cold. A familiar figure emerged from one of the stalls, his eyes narrowing.

The man saw Noah, smirking as he blew out smoke, his tall frame making the stall door look small. He was around thirty, with slightly messy hair and a roguish handsomeness, though unkempt and thuggish.

"Well, well, if it isn't Noah. Fate sure has a way of bringing us together. Here to let me bully you again?" the man taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Noah said nothing, radiating murderous intent as his hands clenched into fists. Feder, knowing Noah wouldn't reply, stepped out of the stall, blowing smoke in Noah's face with a smug grin.

At 195cm, Feder towered over the 180cm Noah, dominating the space.

"Don't look at me with such anger, Noah. It breaks my heart," Feder mocked, blowing more smoke as he stood over Noah.

"This is our family's territory. What's a Brantley doing here?" Noah's voice trembled with fury, glaring at Feder.

Leaning close to Noah's ear, Feder whispered, "I've missed you, Noah. Let's have a drink somewhere quieter."

Noah responded with a punch to Feder's face, grabbing his collar and growling, "Get near me again, and I'll kill you."

Feder, undeterred, closed the distance again, smirking provocatively. Noah, seething, punched him again, harder this time, making Feder's head snap to the side. His anger reached a boiling point.

Feder touched the blood at the corner of his mouth, not angry but amused. "You need to curb that bad habit of hitting people."

"None of your business."

"It is my business. I'm your man," Feder's smile deepened, his words laced with meaning. He took a leisurely drag of his cigarette, looking down at Noah.

Noah's fury hit its peak. About a month ago, he had met a stranger online. They agreed to meet, and Noah, not expecting it to be Feder, ended up fighting him. However, he lost, and the outcome was inevitable.

"You think it's funny to mess with me?" Noah roared, yanking Feder's collar.

"Wasn't it you who first contacted me?" Feder retorted with a grin.

"Who would contact you? You must have pulled some trick!" Noah shouted, growing more enraged.

Feder knocked Noah's hand away, lazily fixing his hair as he replied, "It was my account. How could it be a trick?"

From the beginning, I knew it was you, Feder thought to himself, smirking.

Initially, Feder had recognized Noah's hand in an online profile photo, noticing the distinctive mole on his index finger. Despite his disdain for other men, he found Noah's hand captivating.

When Noah contacted him, Feder played along, curious to see if Noah would respond differently to a stranger. He didn't expect Noah to agree to meet, thinking Noah might have mistaken him for a woman. But when Noah clarified he was looking for a man, Feder was surprised and delighted.

Feder, who usually found other men unappealing, was thrilled at the prospect of being with Noah.