word was
Chapter 339
Chapter 339
+25 BONUS
Then, she heard Hendrix’s response, Tou wouldn’t understand. You’re not one of us, and you can’t grasp deeply we value marriage and family.”
how
“True, I don’t. But marriage is a cage. It’s something we agreed on before. Have you forgotten? Back then, you missed out on so much fun because of it. Now that you’ve finally broken free, why did you go back?”
Hendrix simply chuckled.
”
“Or is it that your wife has something special about her that makes you willing to put up with this so–called cage?
“No. She’s just an ordinary woman. Nothing special about her.”
“I don’t believe that. If that was true, why did you choose to marry her, of all people?”
“Because I don’t want to waste time on anyone else. You said it yourself that marriage is a cage. It doesn’t matter who you’re with. I just happened to pick her. That’s all.”
Noelle didn’t listen any further. She abandoned her original plan of pushing open the door to confront Hendrix.
When she noticed the maid looking at her with curiosity, she merely smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. I’ll just wait for him outside instead.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
When Noelle finished another cup of tea, they finally finished their discussion.
Erwin was still as arrogant as before, but when he saw Noelle, his eyes landed on her for a while.
Noelle knew he was trying to find something “special” about her, not that he was interested in her. It was more like curiosity–curious of why Hendrix would marry her.
She didn’t mind. She just straightened her back and allowed him to eye her up and down.
When his gaze landed on her eyes, he narrowed them.
At that moment, Hendrix took the initiative to steer the conversation toward the business deal he came to discuss. The two men quickly shifted into work mode.
Perhaps out of caution toward Noelle, their discussion was peppered with specialized jargon, leaving her unable to understand a single word.
Eventually, she gave up trying to follow along, focusing instead on the food on her plate.
The dinner followed the standard course of a formal meal, which was long and tedious. While Noelle found the atmosphere stifling, the two men seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
At one point, Erwin’s excitement visibly spiked as he raised his wine glass, clapped Hendrix on the shoulder, and began speaking rapidly. His emerald–green eyes gleamed with an intensity that was almost predatory, like a shark catching the scent of blood.
It was only then that Noelle belatedly understood why Hendrix had said Erwin was his friend.
Although Hendrix always presented himself as warm and humble in public, Noelle knew that, in truth, he rarely regarded others as equals. In fact, she had almost never see him interact with friends back home.
1/2
Chapter 339
+25 BONUS
It made sense, though. After all, how could a madman be friends with normal people? And Erwin, standing before her now, was clearly another madman.
After dinner, Erwin enthusiastically suggested that they both stay the night at his villa. Hendrix, however, declined the offer.
Erwin expressed his regret with exaggerated disappointment but repeatedly reminded Hendrix to attend the party he was hosting the following evening.
Noelle was not included on the guest list.
At first, she thought Erwin didn’t even take her seriously. But her thoughts quickly circled back to his earlier mention of “other pleasures“. For men, pleasures usually revolved around a predictable set of indulgences.
Noelle’s brows immediately furrowed in displeasure..
Hendrix stood beside her and didn’t reject the invitation, either. Instead, he responded with a warm smile, agreeing, “Sure.”
