The Cherished Wife

Wife 76

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got my routine,” Charles said, unfazed. “Grab some cutlery, will you?”

“Alright!” Noelle ran into the kitchen to figure out where to set the bowls and cutlery, with Charles right on her heels. He pointed to a spot. “Just remember, this is where we keep them.”

“Got it!” Noelle grinned, noticing that Charles had every room–from the kitchen to the living room and even the bedroom–arranged in perfect order.

She stole another glance at Charles, puzzled. Who would’ve guessed that a guy like him would be into cooking?

Charles quirked an eyebrow, leaning casually in the kitchen doorway. “Something on your mind?”

Noelle shook her head, a touch of sheepishness in her voice. “I just feel a little silly. I was the one who said I’d cook yesterday!”

Charles flashed a playful smile. “Time to eat!”

After breakfast, Charles flicked a set of keys to Noelle, who caught them with a surprised look. “Why are you giving me these?”

“Like I said yesterday, you’ll be driving the Ferrari to work. We’re far from downtown, and the bus won’t cut. it,” Charles explained, glancing at his watch. Noelle peeked at the time and gasped, “Damn it, I’m going to be late!”

She accepted his generous offer without protest. After all, the Phoenix Tree Residence was quite the trek, from the city center. “What about you?” she blurted out, instantly regretting it. With the kind of cars Charles had in his garage, he was hardly short of options for a ride.

Charles, his suit jacket draped over his forearm, caught the question and smirked. “Want to carpool with me?”

“Ah!” Noelle was caught off guard. As the implication dawned on her, a blush creeped up her cheeks. “I didn’t mean that!”

“Come on!” Charles had already laced up his sneakers by the door when he turned to Noelle with a wistful look. “You know, I would love to drive you to work. It would give us more time to hang out. Even if our offices are in totally different directions, and you’re still not ready to go public yet.”

His voice had a touch of sadness, and his puppy–dog eyes made it look like Noelle had stood him up at prom or something. Noelle squirmed. “I… you promised to give me some time, remember?”

Charles chuckled as he saw her cheeks turn pink and playfully tousled her hair. “We’d better get a move on, or we’ll be late for real.” This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Watching Charles stride away, Noelle felt her heart do a little somersault. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the butterflies, and then picked up the pace.

He was right, of course. Her office was to the south, and his was to the north. Once they reached the city streets, they split up.

Driving was not exactly Noelle’s favorite activity, but she was careful, especially since this was her first time behind the wheel. She kept slow and made it to the office without a hitch, right on time.

Usually, Noelle took the bus or train, so today’s car commute was new to her.

After parking in the underground labyrinth they called a garage, Noelle bumped into Xavier, a face she had not seen in days. She barely had a second to dodge before he snagged her wrist.

“Xavier, cut it out! Let go of me, now!”

“Let go? Noelle, I can’t believe how cold–hearted you are!” Xavier had not seen Noelle for days and was determined to have a real talk with her at work today. Catching her in a Ferrari was not what he expected.

He knew Noelle, and there was no way she could afford a car like that. He had taken a good look, and that Ferrari was not just any model–it was last year’s release, and it was tricked out and worth a fortune.

Given Noelle’s bank account, a car like that was out of the question. There was only one thing that made sense: Noelle had found herself another guy, and a loaded one at that, who did not mind splurging on her. That flashy car parked under her apartment the other day had ‘money‘ written all over it.

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