?Chapter 33:
The intimacy of their embrace, the tender way Noah held her, sparked a seething rage within K. They were so close, so entwined, that it seemed as though the world around them had dissolved.
Jealousy wed at K’s heart, fierce and unrelenting. She couldn’tprehend it all. Why did Sadie, of all people, receive such affection and tenderness from Noah?
As K approached, her smile softened even further, her hand extending warmly toward Noah. Her voice, infused with tender concern, broke the tension. “Noah, why don’t you let me take care of Sadie?”
There was a softness in her voice, wrapped in just enough worry to make it seem like she was the only one who genuinely cared for Sadie. Yet, instead of releasing his hold, Noah clutched Sadie tighter to his chest, his brows knitting together in a mix of confusion and slight irritation.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice edged with mild annoyance.
K’s outstretched hand closed on empty air, and she paused, her face a mask of fleeting confusion before she smoothly retracted her hand. With a casual flick, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, concealing her momentary embarrassment. Maintaining herposed demeanor, she replied softly, “Noah, don’t tell me it’s already slipped your mind? I brought this upst night. You were overwhelmed, so I offered to handle the contract negotiations with Mr. Crawford from Sky Tech.”
Noah’s mind flickered with a vague memory of that conversation. After he had dropped K off at the hospital, his thoughts had been overwhelmingly upied with Sadie’s health, only half-hearing K’s words. He had nodded absentmindedly, his attention already elsewhere as he rushed off. That casual dismissal, though unintentional, had pierced K like a dagger, wounding her deeply.
Still oblivious to the depth of K’s hurt, Noah asked, “And Sadie? Why on earth is she here with you?”
With a casual ease, K spoke as if she were merelymenting on a sunny afternoon. “Noah, you know there’s always drinking at these gatherings, and with my heart condition, I simply can’t drink. I heard that Sadie is exceptionally diligent at work, so I figured she could handle it. That’s why I asked her to step in.”
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She studied Noah’s face intently, her eyes searching for the usual gentle understanding he had shown so many times before—hoping he would let the issue pass without fuss, as he always did. However, this time, his response was unexpectedly icy. “Sadie’s not feeling well either,” he stated tly.
What?
K stood rooted to the spot, shocked. For a fleeting moment, she questioned whether she was trapped in some surreal dream. Wait… was he seriously defending Sadie?
The thought pierced through K like a sharp thorn, igniting a wild ze of jealousy within her. She lifted her eyes, only to meet Noah’s intense, unwavering stare. There was a chilling coldness and an unspoken warning in his eyes that she had never seen directed at her before.
Feeling a tight knot in her chest, K fought back any show of displeasure. Instead, she clenched her fist so tightly that her nails dug into her palm, and with a voice tinged with innocence yetced with self-reproach, she murmured, “I had no idea about Sadie’s condition… I never would have involved her had I known. Remember, after I saved you and barely escaped those kidnappers, I was left with this heart condition. You promised, Noah—you said you’d always look after me.”
Noah remained silent, his deep eyes fixed on K with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her very soul.
After a prolonged silence, he averted his gaze, his features shadowed by a mix of emotions—unreadable and foreboding.
“I haven’t forgotten—I don’t break my promises. The Wall Group is the only thing keeping Sky Tech from sinking,” he said, his voice low and steady. “You don’t need to be so deferential toward its CEO. When ites to the partnership, he’s not our only choice. And you had no right to involve Sadie.”
K’s heart thudded painfully against her chest.
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