Interrupted

Howard stayed in the car, not making any move to get out. He loosened his tie and lit a cigarette, leaning back against the driver's seat as he exhaled smoke, staring absentmindedly at the villa's walls.

After a while, he pulled out his phone, checking for any missed calls or messages, but there was still nothing. Howard, unusually calm, placed his phone back into his pocket and continued to gaze out the window, puffing on his cigarette.

He didn't smoke often, only when he was particularly troubled. Despite his current refined appearance, Howard had a history of getting into fights during his school years—so much so that people would run the other way when they saw him coming.

It wasn't until his mother, worried about his behavior, was repeatedly called to the school that Howard decided to change. He grew out his hair a bit, started wearing glasses to soften the fierce look of his fox-like eyes, and gradually transformed from a hot-headed troublemaker into the cool, efficient secretary he was now. No one would believe that the well-mannered Howard of today had such a rough past.

Suddenly, a phone began vibrating in the back seat, breaking Howard's train of thought. Curious, he reached back and grabbed the phone—it was Mark's. After taking one last drag from his cigarette, Howard answered it.

As soon as the call connected, Kyle's anxious voice came through. "Mark, are you okay? Did something happen? I heard what sounded like a car crash."

Kyle was clearly worried sick, having tried calling Mark multiple times, only to finally get through now.

"Madam is fine," Howard replied calmly.

Kyle hesitated, surprised to hear Howard's voice instead of Mark's. "Is he really okay?"

"He's perfectly fine," Howard reassured him, his tone cool and unbothered. He made no mention of the car accident that had just occurred.

"Oh, thank goodness," Kyle sighed in relief, patting his chest to calm his nerves. 

"But was there a car crash just now?" Kyle asked again, unsure if he'd misunderstood.

"Just a minor incident," Howard responded dismissively, opening the car door and stepping out as he spoke, heading towards the villa.

Kyle, hearing Howard's composed voice, didn't press the matter further, assuming he had indeed been mistaken. "There's no need to bring the phone to Mark, as long as he's okay."

Howard, though knowing Mark would likely berate him if he took the phone up to him, replied, "Very well."

"Uh… Mark may have a temper, but he's a good guy. Please look out for him," Kyle said softly, almost pleading.

"You have nothing to worry about. The boss will take good care of him," Howard reassured him.

"That's good to hear," Kyle mumbled, feeling a bit awkward but also relieved that Mark wouldn't be mistreated.

The conversation ended, and they hung up. Kyle, however, was left staring at his phone with a slight sense of disappointment. He had really wanted to hear Mark's voice and confirm for himself that everything was okay, but Howard's cold demeanor had intimidated him into holding back.

Mark is stronger and more capable than I am. He'll be alright, Kyle tried to console himself.

But then, a cold voice cut through his thoughts, "Is Mark trying to set you up with someone?"

Kyle jumped at the sound of Richa's voice, turning to face him with wide eyes. "No, it's not what you think! It's just a misunderstanding," he stammered, trying to explain.

Richa's brows furrowed, clearly not convinced, his gaze growing colder as it bore into Kyle.

Feeling a wave of panic, Kyle quickly blurted out the truth. "It's Mark's husband. He wanted to introduce me to someone."

Richa's frown deepened. It wasn't bad enough that Mark was in the picture; now his husband had the audacity to try and set Kyle up with someone else. Richa, though not saying a word, seemed ready to toss both Mark and his husband into the sea to feed the fish.

"They thought you didn't want me anymore, so they were trying to find me someone else, but it's really not like that," Kyle hastened to clarify, desperate to avoid Richa's wrath.

Richa was visibly displeased—who did they think they were, trying to steal away what was his?

"And did you agree?" Richa's voice was icy.

Kyle shook his head frantically, indicating that he had already refused the offer. "I already have you. Why would I go on a blind date?"

He added shyly, lowering his head as his face turned a deep red.

Richa remained silent, his expression unreadable, making it impossible to tell if he was angry or pleased. But Kyle, seeing no outward reaction, began to worry.

Kyle bit his lip, unsure of what to say next, but before he could muster up the courage to speak, Richa leaned in and kissed him.

Kyle blinked in surprise, but quickly relaxed, relieved that Richa wasn't mad. Their tender moment, however, was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Boss," Noah's urgent voice called out from the other side.

Richa's expression instantly darkened, radiating a chilling aura. 

But Noah, unaware that he was interrupting something important, knocked again, his tone growing more desperate. "I need to talk to you about the phone call."

Leo had just dropped Noah off at the villa, and Noah had rushed upstairs without wasting a second. He was terrified that Richa might misunderstand his relationship with Feder and wanted to clear things up immediately.

"You should probably see what he wants," Kyle suggested softly, tugging on Richa's sleeve.

Richa didn't move, glaring at the door with an expression that could freeze a lake.

"Really, it might be something urgent," Kyle added, worried that Noah's persistent knocking might actually cause problems.

Richa let out a slow breath, his anger not fully dissipated, but he relented. After giving Kyle a brief kiss, he stormed over to the door and flung it open, his glare cutting into Noah.

Noah visibly flinched, instinctively taking a step back. "Um… should I come back later?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper, looking like he wanted to disappear.

"You interrupted me for this?" Richa's voice was lethal, making it clear that Noah was seconds away from being thrown out the window.

"I just… I just wanted to say that there's nothing between me and Feder, no betrayal, nothing like that. I swear!" Noah babbled quickly, too scared to linger any longer.

With that, he turned on his heel and fled down the hallway, not daring to look back.

Richa's eyes were still blazing as he watched Noah scurry away, completely ruining the mood he'd been in just moments before.

"Maybe we should go eat dinner before the staff worries," Kyle suggested, stepping closer and lightly tugging on Richa's robe. His cheeks were still flushed, but he didn't want to keep everyone waiting.

Richa remained silent, his expression unreadable, but he scooped Kyle up and carried him out of the room, heading toward the dining area. Kyle smiled softly, feeling content and happy despite the earlier disruption.

Meanwhile, back at Alex and Mark's place, the atmosphere was far from peaceful. It was more like a battlefield.

Mark, gasping for breath, grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Alex, cursing, "You beast! You're such a jerk!"

Alex, who was already struggling from the injuries he'd sustained earlier, was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with Mark's relentless attacks. His back ached fiercely, and every hit from Mark only made it worse.

"Wife…" Alex's voice was filled with helplessness as he rubbed his temples and sighed.

"Don't you dare come near me! I'll kill you if you do!" Mark snarled, clutching the blanket tightly around himself as tears welled up in his eyes.

The reason for Mark's fury? A few minutes ago, Alex had been in such a rush to get them to the bedroom that he hadn't properly prepared, leading to the current disastrous situation.

Damn it, this bastard! Mark thought, his anger intensifying as he threw another pillow at Alex, his frustration reaching a breaking point.

Alex was at a loss. Most people's wives were sweet and obedient, but his was a different story entirely.

But even as he thought this, he knew that he wouldn't trade Mark for anyone else. As exasperating as Mark could be, he was the only one Alex wanted.