The Pitiful Subordinate

Feder didn't get angry when Noah pushed him away; after all, he had had his fun. He happily got out of the backseat and approached Noah, who was fuming outside the car.

Noah's driver, slumped over the steering wheel, looked as if his soul had left his body. The entire ride had been a nightmare for him, as Feder's antics had completely thrown him off.

"Damn it, is this guy insane? Who acts like that?" The driver cursed internally, feeling utterly exhausted. Why did he have to be Noah's driver today of all days?

"Next time Feder's around, if I volunteer to drive for Noah again, I'm a fool." The driver vowed, tears almost brimming in his eyes from the stress of the experience.

"How did these two even end up together?" The driver thought, utterly perplexed. Noah and Feder were supposed to be at odds, yet they were practically glued to each other now, which made no sense to him.

"Even though Noah keeps cursing Feder, it doesn't seem like he actually hates him," the driver thought, even more confused as he watched Noah outside the car.

Noah was seething. Feder might have enjoyed the ride, but Noah had been on the verge of murder the entire time. He glared at the smiling Feder, wishing he could rip his face off.

But Noah wasn't just angry; his face was also flushed red. *Damn it, are all the DuPont men this crazy?* he wondered, frustrated.

As if things weren't bad enough, Noah caught sight of his driver and felt even worse. How could he ever explain this to the others? He'd never live it down.

Seeing Noah's expression, the driver quickly shook his head and mimed zipping his lips, indicating that he wouldn't say a word about what he'd witnessed. 

*I want to stay alive,* the driver thought. *Feder's a lunatic, and everyone knows it. Why would I risk my life by gossiping?*

Noah felt a bit relieved but still incredibly embarrassed, avoiding eye contact with his driver. 

"If you're worried, I can just make him forget everything. It's not a big deal." Feder had already walked over, yanked the driver out of the car with absurd strength, and was about to smash his head in.

"I'm the victim here!" the driver wailed, curling up to protect his head.

But Feder didn't care and was about to make good on his threat when Noah rushed over, shoving Feder aside. "Are you out of your mind?" Noah yelled, horrified. *I knew he was crazy, but I didn't think he was this crazy. What the hell is wrong with him?* Noah raged internally, protecting his subordinate.

The driver, now sitting on the ground, was shaking like a leaf. *I finally understand why everyone calls him a madman. He really is insane,* he thought, his face drained of color.

"What are you still sitting there for? Do you want him to kill you?" Noah barked at the driver, who immediately bolted.

Feder watched the driver flee, frowning and looking displeased. "Do you know how expensive this car is? And you just broke the door?" Noah was furious, considering this was Richa's car.

"Is Richa going to scold me?" Feder replied dismissively, tossing the car door aside without a care.

Noah was so enraged that he felt like he was about to have a stroke. "If he dares scold you, you can just tell him I did it. It's not a big deal." Feder said nonchalantly, bending down to scoop Noah into his arms.

Noah, however, grabbed Feder's face and pushed him away, thoroughly annoyed. *This guy is infuriating.*

"Or is it that you're worried about me getting scolded?" Feder teased, seeing Noah's silence as concern. His smug grin grew wider.

Noah rolled his eyes at Feder, his gaze full of disdain. *Why should I care if you get scolded? I'd be happier if Richa beat you to death. Then I'd finally have some peace.*

"Put me down," Noah ordered, refusing to let Feder hold him.

But Feder, always the opportunist, leaned in and whispered into Noah's ear, "Call me 'husband,' and I'll put you down."

Noah instantly bristled with anger. *This guy is insufferable.*

Feder, far from backing off, continued his teasing, "You'll be my wife sooner or later, so why not start practicing now? There's no harm in it."

Noah found this amusing. When had he ever agreed to be Feder's wife? His anger gave way to cold indifference as he met Feder's eyes.

Feder's brow furrowed at Noah's icy demeanor. He didn't like where this was going.

"Do you really think that just because you've had my body, you can win my heart? You sure think highly of yourself, Feder," Noah sneered, grabbing Feder's collar, his voice as cold as ice.

"What? Are you planning to find someone else?" Feder's voice dropped, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

Noah didn't respond, but instead forcefully pushed Feder away and started walking toward where Richa and Alex were.

"Damn it, Noah," Feder cursed, hurrying after him and grabbing his wrist.

Noah yanked his arm free, not even breaking stride.

"Noah!" Feder shouted, his voice echoing through the parking garage.

But Noah ignored him, continuing his march toward Richa and Alex. Feder, growing increasingly frustrated, raked a hand through his hair, muttering curses under his breath.

Richa and Alex, sitting outside the storage room, heard Feder's angry shout and turned their heads in unison, smoke curling from their lips. They saw Noah approaching first, with Feder quickly following behind.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes flicking from Noah to Feder before exhaling another puff of smoke, as if understanding the situation perfectly.

Noah, feeling the weight of their scrutiny, looked away awkwardly, not meeting their eyes.

Richa and Alex didn't say a word, only rising from their seats as Feder approached.

Richa signaled to the security head inside the storage room to stop the beating. The security head, drenched in sweat from exertion, nodded in relief.

Inside the storage room, Franklin Turner had already passed out from the beating, lying motionless on the floor.

Feder glanced inside, not entirely sure what had happened, but the smell of blood was thick in the air. His brows furrowed.

*These two lunatics, what the hell are they doing?* Feder thought, even though he himself was often called a madman, now finding Richa and Alex's actions bewildering.

"Whatever you've got to say, say it to me. He doesn't know anything," Feder said suddenly, possibly referring to the food poisoning incident.

"How convenient. We were just looking for you," Alex replied, crushing his cigarette underfoot before nodding toward something behind Feder and Noah.

Feder's instincts screamed danger, but before he could react, two batons came down hard, knocking both him and Noah unconscious.

In his last moments of consciousness, with blood trickling from his head, Feder reached out for Noah, but his hand fell short as darkness claimed him.