The Cherished Wife

Ava could not shake the feeling of injustice, believing that those who did not know the truth should not speak. Yet, she knew that when many voices joined together, the noise could be overwhelming, and things were rarely as simple as they seemed.

"Time to get back to work!"

"Alright," Ava replied, her energy drained. However, as she turned, she caught sight of Xavier, and her expression turned complex.

Noelle caught sight of Xavier as well, and her eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown. Their relationship had changed so much that she hardly ever spent time with him anymore. Xavier, however, did not seem to realize that things were different now.

Xavier walked over, his lips pressed tightly together. He was not happy when he saw Noelle's look. "Yesterday, you..."

Noelle interrupted, looking up, "What? Is there something you need, Mr. Harris?"

Xavier's brows were creased with worry. "Why didn't you come home last night? You're a girl, and you didn't come home all night. Don't you realize..."

"How is my coming home any of your business? Don't you think you're being a bit too intrusive, Mr. Harris?" Noelle set down her pen and gave him a mocking smile.

"Noelle!" Xavier's voice was a low growl. "I'm trying to have a civil conversation. Can you please stop being so sarcastic?"

He felt he had not done anything to deserve that. Remembering how he had waited outside her house the night before, only to find out she never came home, made him even angrier.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Xavier did not understand why he was so upset. Noelle used to be different, and it bothered him a lot.

"You think I'm attacking you with hidden meanings? You're way off base. I'm just telling it like it is. Whether I go home or not, it's none of your business! Don't you think you're crossing a line?" Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"Do you even hear yourself? Of course, it matters to me if you go home or not. We're—"

"What are we?" Noelle interrupted, a smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Harris, let's get one thing straight. This is an office, and sure, you're my boss. But that doesn't mean you get a say in my personal life. If you want to talk shop, I'm all ears. However, my private life? Sorry, you don't get to weigh in on that."

Xavier asked through clenched teeth, "Then who does get to weigh in?"

"That's for me to know. Just understand that you're in no position for that" Noelle replied, tired of the back-and-forth. "I've got work to do, so if you'll excuse me, Mr. Harris."

Xavier reached out and grabbed Noelle's hand. "Noelle, what's gotten into you? You weren't like this before."

Noelle's frown deepened. She

paused, looking down at her hand in his grip, annoyance flickering in her eyes. With a firm tug, she pulled her hand free. "Mr. Harris, we're not friends, so keep your distance, okay? Don't you ever think about the

consequences of your actions?"

Xavier's temples pulsed with frustration. "What's that supposed to mean? What did I do to deserve this from you?"

"Mr. Harriss, did you leave your

common sense at home?

Remember, you're my brother-in-law now. How can you act this way toward me without thinking about how it makes me feel or the position it puts me in? You can't just think about yourself! Why should I be the one to take the fall for your actions?"

Noelle's thoughts raced back to Ava's recent words. She knew all too well that their affairs were the talk of the company behind closed doors.