?Chapter 35:


    Under the impression that K would be Noah’s future bride, tt had no qualms about conspiring with her to humiliate Sadie. However, if he had misjudged the situation, the consequences would be disastrous—he’d be as good as dead. As these thoughts churned through his mind, tt rose, his face breaking into an ingratiating smile directed at Noah.


    “Please, forgive my earlier oversight in properly weing you,” he said, his voice carrying a tone of deference.


    Immediately, the room buzzed to life as everyone stood, shuffling chairs and clearing the way to honor their guest. The seat of honor and its adjacent chair were conspicuously left vacant.


    Noah watched the orchestratedmotion silently, his expression unreadable. Only after thest murmurs had settled did he gracefully take the chair reserved for him.


    K, poised to sit beside him, paused mid-step as Noah, in a surprising move, gestured for Sadie to sit next to him instead. The room filled with whispered spections and furtive nces towards K, whose ns seemed to unravel before her eyes.


    “K, what’s the deal with Miss Hudson? Why is Mr. Wall acting like she’s someone important?” A woman, dressed in eye-catching, over-the-top clothing, covered her mouth with a delicate hand, her voice a syrupy blend of curiosity and scorn.


    A man joined in, skepticismcing his tone. “Miss Wade, weren’t you just telling us how Mr. Wall…”


    K inhaled sharply, quelling the storm inside her. She put on a forced smile and replied, “Mr. Wall has always been exceptionally attentive to every member of his staff. With Sadie drunk, he’s obviously going to ensure she gets the care she needs.”


    “Oh, is that so?”


    The crowd murmured, their disbelief thinly veiled by nodding heads, their expressions etched with doubt. But wasn’t this care unusually personal?


    It was clear to anyone observing that there was something more to it. And Noah—known for his indifference towards romantic entanglements and his cutthroat decisiveness—since when did he exhibit such warmth and concern for a woman?


    Yet, no one dared to call out K’s bluff.


    With her facade intact, K moved to another seat, sitting ramrod straight, fully aware of the curious nces thrown her way. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.


    Her hands clenched into fists under the table, nails digging painfully into her flesh, yet she remained outwardlyposed, oblivious to the physical difort her own body inflicted.


    The spacious private room was engulfed in a stifling silence. Everyone present was on edge, scarcely daring to draw a deep breath for fear that even the slightest noise might provoke the formidable man seated in the chair of honor.


    Noah’s piercing eyes swept across the room, and wherever his steely gazended, it seemed to exert an invisible, crushing weight. People instinctively lowered their heads, shunning his scrutiny as if the mere act of meeting his eyes could spell disaster. His gaze, sharp and discerning, seemed to slice through the tense atmosphere, sending a chill skittering across everyone’s skin.


    Just as the room’s anxiety was teetering on the brink of unbearable, Noah broke the silence. His voice was calm, almost disinterested, as his thin lips parted slightly to deliver two simple words: “Mr. Crawford.”


    Despite the casual delivery, those wordsnded with the explosive force of a thunderp, echoing ominously in the tense air.


    At the mention of his name, tt felt an icy dread snake down his spine, his back slick with cold sweat. He shot up from his seat as if jolted by an electric current, snapping to attention like a soldier heeding a general’s call. Standing ramrod straight, his hands aligned precisely along the seams of his trousers, he leaned forward in a deferential bow and asked with a tremulous voice, “Mr. Wall, what can I do for you?”


    Noah let the question hang in the air, his response dyed as he turned his attention to Sadie. She reclined in her chair, her head resting against the high back, eyes half-lidded and herplexion ghostly pale, a picture of distress. A shadow crossed Noah’s features, and the oppressive atmosphere thickened palpably around him.


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