The Jealous Uncle

"That bastard! Just wait and see," Noah fumed as he stormed out of the smoking room, marching straight to his office. He yanked open a drawer, grabbed a weapon, tucked it into the back of his waistband, and stormed out of the building, seething with anger.

The employees exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what had happened but too afraid to ask.

Back in Richa's office, Kyle anxiously asked, "Is he angry?"

Richa glanced at the door but said nothing, only furrowing his brow slightly. He had heard the notification sound from Noah's phone earlier.

"This is all your fault! This is your workplace, after all," Kyle complained, feeling embarrassed about how he would face Noah after this awkward encounter.

"This has nothing to do with us," Richa responded, his gaze returning from the door.

"It has everything to do with us!" Kyle lamented.

Kyle's tendency to cry often left Richa feeling helpless. But at the same time, he found it endearing, so he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would.

"I think I should head back now," Kyle said, wiping away his tears as he stood up.

Richa quickly grabbed Kyle's wrist, saying, "Wait here for me. I'll take you home tonight."

"I don't live at home right now, so you don't need to take me back," Kyle replied softly.

Richa's brow furrowed. "Then where are you staying?"

"At Mark's husband's house," Kyle answered honestly.

"At a man's house?" Richa's displeasure was evident in his tone.

"It's Mark's husband's house! And Mark is there too!" Kyle mentally grumbled. Why did he only hear the "man's house" part? Didn't I stay at his place too?

Richa's domineering attitude made it hard for Kyle to resist. 

"Why aren't you staying at your own home?" Richa asked.

Kyle bit his lip before answering, "I had a fight, and I didn't want to stay there."

"In that case, you should have called Noah. Why are you staying at another man's house?" Richa's anger left Kyle stunned, staring at him in disbelief.

Is he… jealous?

Kyle's eyes widened as he stared at Richa's face, searching for confirmation.

It seems… he really is jealous.

Realizing this, Kyle's face turned crimson. The idea of Richa being jealous was something he had never dared to imagine.

"Tonight, you'll stay at my place," Richa said, guiding Kyle back to the sofa and asking him to wait patiently until he finished work.

Kyle was happy to comply, nodding obediently as his cheeks flushed even more.

He never expected that instead of breaking up, his relationship with Richa had seemingly improved, drawing them closer.

"Were you jealous?" Kyle asked in a small voice, his eyes filled with hope.

"Is it strange for me to be jealous?" Richa replied with a question, openly admitting it.

Kyle quickly explained, "It's not strange at all. It's just… I never expected you to be jealous! You're always so expressionless, I can never tell if you're happy or angry."

Richa paused to reflect on this. Was he really that cold most of the time? He thought he had been as gentle as possible with Kyle, trying his best to smile and not frighten him.

To bridge the gap between them, Richa pulled Kyle onto his lap and said, "Make some time, and I'll take you out for a few days."

"But aren't you busy?" Kyle, although eager to go, worried about Richa's workload.

"A day or two won't be a problem," Richa said, caressing Kyle's face before leaning in to kiss him.

"Can I bring Mark along?" Kyle asked, growing used to Richa's kisses.

Richa frowned, displeased at the thought of that noisy boy tagging along.

"We haven't had a chance to go out together. I want to bring Mark along. Can't I?" Kyle's voice grew timid as Richa's expression darkened.

Richa was inclined to say no. The thought of dealing with Mark's fiery temper gave him a headache. But he didn't want to disappoint Kyle either.

What kind of useless husband lets such a wild wife run around unchecked? Richa thought, his brows knitted in frustration.

Seeing Richa hesitate, Kyle was about to backtrack and say it was fine without Mark, but then Richa nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Kyle beamed with joy.

"This is a one-time thing," Richa warned, his voice still tinged with displeasure.

Kyle was puzzled. Wouldn't it be more fun with more people?

What Kyle didn't know was that Richa intended the trip to be private, a chance to strengthen their bond. But Kyle, oblivious as ever, only thought about including Mark.

It's clear that Mark needs to stay out of the way. He's becoming too much of a nuisance, Richa concluded.

Meanwhile, down in front of Richa's company, Mark was pacing anxiously, glancing up at the office building every few minutes.

"Why hasn't he called yet? It's almost been two hours," Mark muttered, checking his phone again. Not a single call or text message.

"Argh!" Mark ruffled his hair in frustration. He was on the verge of grabbing his baseball bat and charging into the building.

The driver sitting in the car observed Mark's agitation and then glanced at the company entrance, silently wondering why the young lady—Mark—was at Mr. Shen's company.

From the look of it, it seemed like Mark knew Richa.

The bodyguard, Black, stood by the car, his posture rigid and his expression unchanged. He didn't seem concerned, almost as if he was familiar with the place. When Mark had asked him to wait outside the underground parking garage earlier, he had agreed without hesitation. And now, seeing Mark waiting downstairs, he quietly stood by, his face as calm as ever.

Buzz, buzz…

Mark's phone suddenly rang. He quickly checked, thinking it might be Kyle calling for help, but it wasn't. It was Alex.

Mark's frustration boiled over as he answered the call, his tone sharp. "What do you want?!"

Alex, who had just entered his office and sat down at his desk, smiled at his wife's anger, finding her fiery tone amusing.

"Why aren't you answering, you bastard?" Mark's tone grew even more annoyed when Alex didn't respond immediately.

As Alex loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair, he chuckled and asked, "Who pissed off my wife?"

"You," Mark snapped back, his voice still harsh, but he didn't bother denying that he was Alex's wife anymore.

"Just say what you need to say. I don't have time," Mark continued impatiently. He was worried that if he stayed on the line too long, he might miss a call from Kyle asking for help.

"Don't be mad. I just noticed my card didn't get any charges. I was wondering if you didn't use it," Alex said, phone held to his ear as he removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of his chair.

Oh crap, I forgot about that. I told him I was going shopping, Mark thought, his mouth twitching slightly as he realized his mistake.

To avoid raising suspicion, Mark came up with a random excuse. "I didn't see anything I liked, so I didn't spend anything."

"Besides, isn't it a good thing I didn't spend money? Why are you calling just to ask why I didn't spend your money? Do you have too much money or something?" Mark muttered.

Alex chuckled, feeling as if Mark was trying to save his money, looking out for him.

"Wife~" Alex suddenly called out to Mark, his voice sweet and full of affection.

Mark's face turned red in an instant, his heart skipping a beat. Damn! Why is he suddenly calling me like that? He's doing this on purpose!

"Are you still there, wife~?" Alex's voice was sickeningly sweet, low, and laced with a smile, making Mark's heart race uncontrollably.

"W-what do you want?" Mark stammered, struggling to keep his voice steady as his face flushed even more.

Hearing Mark's reaction, Alex felt a rush of excitement. Mark's shy, flustered expression immediately popped into his mind.

Alex couldn't help but wish that Mark was right there in front of him instead of on the other end of the phone line.

"You called just to not say anything? What's wrong with you?" Mark scolded, his voice soft and bashful as his ears turned crimson.

Alex covered his mouth, trying to hold back the urge to laugh. He could already picture Mark's adorable expression, which only made things more difficult for him.

"What the hell, say something! Are you just messing with me?" Mark complained, but his voice remained tender and alluring.

Alex massaged his forehead, feeling both amused and pained by how easily Mark could rile him up. Mark was like a little demon, able to fluster him even over the phone.

"Say something, or I'll hang up," Mark threatened, his face inexplicably heating up. Even though Alex hadn't said anything, he still felt incredibly embarrassed.

Ahhh, Mark, can't you calm down for a second? The sound of your heart pounding is driving me crazy.

Mark clutched his chest, trying to calm himself down, but the sound of his racing heart was so loud that it embarrassed him.

Both Black and the driver glanced curiously at Mark, wondering what was going on.

Finally, Alex spoke,

 his voice low and seductive, "Wife, don't go shopping anymore. Come to the office and keep me company, okay?"

The way Alex asked, "Keep me company," hit Mark's heart like a drum, causing his face to flush even more.

This man really thinks of himself as my husband, doesn't he? He's getting way too comfortable with it.

Mark was flustered, yet he couldn't help but feel a bit moved.

"Or tell me where you are, and I'll come pick you up," Alex offered, his impatience evident. He wanted to see Mark now, hold him in his arms, and shower him with affection.

"No, I… I'm waiting for Kyle. We have something to do," Mark stammered, rejecting the offer, though he hesitated for a few seconds.

"Then I'll join you two for shopping," Alex suggested.

"You're at work. Why would you come with us?" Mark's face turned redder.

Strangely enough, Mark found himself wanting to see Alex too.