Are You Trying to Murder Your Husband?

In Howard and Rick's room, an exhausted Howard had just wanted to catch a quick nap, but when he woke up, it was already dark outside.

Howard turned on the light, noticing that Rick's arm was still wrapped tightly around his waist. Frowning, he didn't hesitate to shove Rick's hand away.

How long has this guy been holding me?

Howard muttered to himself but suddenly froze, realization hitting him hard. He recalled that he and Rick had taken things to the final step. For some reason, this thought sparked a wave of irritation in Howard, and he immediately kicked the still-sleeping Rick off the bed.

With a loud thud, Rick hit the floor face first.

The impact jolted Rick awake. Groggy and disoriented, he clutched his aching face and squinted around the room.

Seeing Howard's cold expression as he sat on the bed, Rick was first shocked, then scratched his head and yawned, asking in confusion, "Did I fall out of bed?"

Howard didn't respond, instead picking up a pillow and tossing it at Rick's face.

Still half-asleep, Rick was completely bewildered, not understanding what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked as he tried to lean closer to Howard, but a sharp glare from Howard made him back off.

"Alright, alright," Rick quickly surrendered, raising his hands as he obediently stood at a distance from Howard.

Suddenly, Rick's face lit up with a mischievous grin as he asked, "Madam, could it be that you're feeling shy?"

"Do I look like I'm shy?" Howard asked coldly, his expression icy as he stared at Rick.

Rick immediately shut up, though he was still puzzled by Howard's behavior.

Uh… Could it be that he hasn't fully adjusted to our new relationship and is taking it out on me?

Rick's mouth twitched as he realized what was probably bothering Howard.

"Don't be mad, madam. How about you hit me instead?" Rick suggested, grinning cheekily.

"Turn around," Howard suddenly ordered.

"Turn… turn around? Why?" Rick asked, confused, but seeing the lingering anger in Howard's eyes, he didn't dare disobey. He quickly turned around, his back facing Howard.

"Madam, is this good enough?" Rick asked, not daring to look back since Howard hadn't given him permission.

Howard didn't say a word. He simply lifted his leg and kicked Rick hard in the lower back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Rick, now flat on his face, was dumbfounded. He finally realized that Howard was kicking him to vent his anger. 

Anyone else might have gotten mad, but Rick just laughed. He quickly got up and hugged Howard tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek with a cheeky grin. "Are you feeling better now?"

Howard remained silent, his face still cold, but he didn't push Rick away.

Rick swallowed nervously, noticing that Howard wasn't rejecting him.

"Um… Madam…" Rick began, staring intently at Howard.

Howard shot Rick a sideways glance, as if to say, *What now?*

"I'm afraid if I say it, you'll get even madder," Rick said awkwardly.

"Then keep your mouth shut," Howard replied, his tone as sharp as ever.

Howard grabbed his phone from the bedside table and began checking the numerous messages from the detective.

Without wasting any time, Howard called the detective, giving Rick a stern look that demanded he sit against the headboard. Howard needed a cushion.

Rick's disappointment vanished instantly, and he smiled happily as he leaned against the headboard, pulling Howard into his arms.

Howard lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke lazily towards the ceiling while resting against Rick.

Rick's grin only grew wider as he massaged Howard's shoulders.

Howard didn't say a word, continuing to exhale smoke towards the ceiling. His fox-like eyes carried a hint of laziness and allure.

Soon, the detective picked up the call, and Howard coolly spoke, "It's me."

The detective immediately got to the point, "The man you were looking for, the one with the last name Ye, was imprisoned two years ago. That's why I couldn't find any recent information on him."

Howard's hand, which had been holding the cigarette, paused mid-air. "What crime did he commit?"

"Human trafficking, and it was a public report. The authorities raided his place and took him away," the detective explained.

Howard frowned but said nothing. Although he had never met Mark's parents, he had learned a bit about them through Mark. They seemed like ordinary people, so how could they be involved in something like this?

"Do you know who reported him?" Howard asked.

"The person's name is unknown to me, but their surname is He, and they seem to have considerable influence," the detective replied.

Howard's frown deepened. He hadn't expected the situation to be this complicated.

Extinguishing his cigarette, Howard asked, "What about his wife?"

"The man's wife fled. I haven't been able to track her down, but her son might know how to contact her. You could ask him," the detective suggested, clearly frustrated at the limited information he had been able to gather.

"I'll only charge you half the fee. I really couldn't do much more," the detective said with a sigh.

Howard was about to respond when Rick, who had been quiet until now, suddenly acted up.

Rick immediately raised his hands in surrender, defending himself, "It wasn't me!"

This made Howard stop frowning. He stood up and walked over to the coffee table, picking up a fruit knife before charging at Rick.

Rick's eyes widened in panic as he quickly dashed towards the bathroom, shouting, "Are you trying to murder your husband?"

*Trying to murder her husband?* The detective on the other end of the line was utterly confused.

"Uh, Howard, are you still there?" the detective asked quietly.

Howard, who still had the phone pressed to his ear, heard the question. He returned the knife to the coffee table before answering, "You can keep the payment."

"But I didn't provide you with any useful information…" the detective hesitated.

Howard didn't continue discussing it. Instead, he gave the detective a new task, "Please investigate The Brooks Family."

The detective was surprised but pleased and quickly agreed, "Yes, of course! I'll report back as soon as I have any information."

"Good," Howard responded coolly before hanging up.

He then walked to the wardrobe, changed into a suit, and put on his glasses before heading out.

Rick, still trembling in the bathroom, heard the door close and cautiously peeked out. Seeing that Howard was gone, he looked around, confused.

"What? He just left me like that?"

Still in his bathrobe, Rick rushed out of the room to find Howard. Usually, it's the wife chasing after the husband, but with Rick, the situation was the other way around.

Howard called Alex, found out he was in the reception room, and went to meet him. He then explained everything about Mark's parents.

Alex, sitting at the head of the conference table, wore a grim expression, his face radiating an intimidating aura.

But Howard, standing beside him, calmly adjusted his glasses and analyzed the situation, "To arrest someone, they need evidence, so your father-in-law must have been involved. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been taken in."

Alex leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. How was he supposed to tell Mark that his mother ran away and his father was arrested?

"It's quite a coincidence, though. Recently, a family from out of town has been causing quite a stir around here, and the person who reported Mark's father shares the same last name," Howard pointed out.

"You mean The Brooks Family, the ones in the jewelry business?" Alex asked, frowning.

The Brooks Family had settled in their area for seven or eight months, quickly establishing themselves and growing their business. Alex had taken notice, but he hadn't expected their name to come up again in connection with Mark.

"Yes, The Brooks Family. They're known for being secretive and don't interact much with local businesses. No matter how much others try to get close, they keep their distance," Howard explained.

"They're said to be looking for someone, acting suspiciously, but no one dares to pry," Howard added.

*Looking for someone?* Alex felt a sudden unease, sensing that things were becoming too coincidental.

"Have someone investigate who The Brooks Family is looking for and what their purpose is," Alex ordered.

Howard nodded quietly. He hadn't wanted to get involved in this matter, but he couldn't refuse either.

Alex sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples.

"How's the situation at the hospital?" Alex suddenly asked, looking up at Howard.

Howard hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. He had spent the afternoon with Rick and hadn't gone to the hospital to check on the food poisoning victims.

Seeing Howard's expression, Alex's face immediately turned icy, his demeanor growing even more menacing.

Howard pushed up his glasses with his middle finger, quickly regaining his composure. "When I returned, Madam Dupont had already taken over. There shouldn't be any issues."

Hearing that his stepmother was involved, Alex's expression grew even colder, and he fell silent.

Howard knew Alex disliked Madam Dupont, so he didn't press the matter further.

"Howard."

The reception room door burst open, revealing Rick, panting and drenched in sweat, clearly out of breath.

Howard turned and glanced at him indifferently, his expression unchanged.

"Seriously, why did you leave me behind and run off to see this jerk Alex?" Rick huffed

 as he stumbled over to where Howard and Alex were, glaring at Alex.

Rick still held a grudge against Alex for kicking down the door earlier.

Alex found the situation amusing and teased Rick, "Even kindergarteners are more mature than you."

"Try having your wife run after me all the time and see if you don't get anxious," Rick retorted, flipping Alex the bird.

Alex just chuckled, brushing it off. He knew Mark would never follow Rick around like that, not in a million years.

"Stay away from this jerk. He's a real dog," Rick muttered as he dragged Howard out of the room, fuming.

Howard didn't say anything, but a small smile played on his lips. Rick rushing to find him like this must have made him a little happy.

As soon as they left the reception room, Rick scooped Howard up and kissed him.

Howard didn't resist, but he did give Rick a calm look, reminding him that there were security cameras everywhere.

"It's not like we're the ones eating dog food, so who cares?" Rick replied with a mischievous grin, leaning in for another kiss.

Howard hesitated at first but then leaned down to kiss Rick back. However, something felt off as they continued—someone was watching them.

Rick stopped and turned to see his older brother, Richard, who immediately made a disgusted sound, clearly grossed out.

Richard had his hand over Sarah's eyes as she sat in Xavier Dupont's arms.

Xavier Dupont, on the other hand, remained calm, his expression indifferent as he watched Rick and Howard, completely unfazed by the situation.