Chapter 141: Someone Is Always Coveting His Wife

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Someone Is Always Coveting His Wife

Claire Kendall listened to her husband spin his tale with a perfectly straight face. Far from being suspicious, she was completely convinced.

"We used your friend’s qipao to settle this, so we owe him one. Once OCHH is on stable footing, we have to thank him in person and pay him back for what he spent on it."

"Mm, whatever you say." A flicker of light passed through Miles Warren’s eyes. He said no more, afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep up the charade.

He feigned a casual air and changed the subject. "It’s almost noon. Aren’t you getting up?"

"I just woke up. I’m already late anyway, so let me just stay on my phone a little longer... Huh?!" Claire Kendall was whining playfully in bed, but a second later, she shot up and shoved her phone in Miles Warren’s face.

"Look, look! Aren’t these those rich kids from last night who were running their mouths and mocking you?"

On the phone screen was a post from a local business news account.

The group of rich kids who had publicly mocked and humiliated him last night had, overnight, all crashed and burned. They’d become pariahs everyone wanted a piece of.

A video of one of them bullying a classmate was exposed, causing his family’s company stock to plummet. As for the others, one’s company had its funding cut off, while another’s products failed quality inspection.

Claire Kendall hummed in satisfaction.

"What goes around, comes around! It serves them right. They’ve done so many horrible things, they don’t deserve an ounce of sympathy."

"Mm, karma came quickly." Miles Warren ruffled her hair. "You should get out of bed now."

’This so-called karma wasn’t some law of the universe. It was him, unable to bear seeing her suffer the slightest grievance.’

Claire Kendall stretched her arms lazily, and the blanket slipped from her shoulders.

The slip she wore was wrinkled, and her neck, collarbones, and chest... were dotted with amorous marks.

She shot a glare at the culprit, then threw back the covers to get out of bed. Her knees nearly buckled.

"Miles Warren, you..."

’All those shameless positions last night... has this man been secretly doing his homework?’

Miles Warren caught her with one arm, his tone sincere.

"Sorry, I lost control."

He bent down, about to check her inner thighs, but she slapped his hand away. "Don’t... I’m fine."

Tugging at her nightgown, she scurried into the bathroom with a red face.

A phone suddenly vibrated. Miles Warren unlocked it to see a message from Wallace Sutton.

[Mr. Warren, those guys from yesterday have been taken care of.]

Miles’s fingers tapped lightly on the screen.

[Thank you. Arrange a time next week, and we’ll have the qipao delivered.]

He lifted his gaze. Her slender silhouette moved behind the frosted glass of the shower door. The sound of running water, SPLASH SPLASH, drifted out, occasionally punctuated by her cheerful, playful humming.

Miles Warren’s gaze darkened, and he forced himself to look away.

’Things had indeed gotten a little out of hand last night. But his wife... she was just so beautiful.’

The phone on the bed suddenly rang. It was Claire Kendall’s. He picked it up and saw the name "Ian Rhodes" flashing on the screen.

’What an eyesore.’

Miles Warren’s fingers paused. The warmth in his deep-set eyes was instantly replaced by an icy chill.

He lowered his gaze to the screen, his finger hovering over the "End Call" button for two short seconds.

’Reason told him he should just hand the phone to Claire, that he shouldn’t cross this line.’

’But the possessiveness buried deep in his heart was screaming in protest.’

’Ian Rhodes had never been able to hide his feelings for Claire.’

’The man shadowed her every move, always looking for a chance to get close to his wife. Even knowing Claire didn’t like him, he couldn’t help himself.’

After two seconds of hesitation, his finger tapped the "Answer" button, and he lifted the phone to his ear.

A gentle voice came through the earpiece.

"Claire, why aren’t you at the office yet? There are some documents that need your signature. Are you not feeling well?"

Every word was laden with deliberate and solicitous concern.

"She’s perfectly fine," Miles Warren said, his voice devoid of any warmth, cutting off Ian’s show of concern.

There was a clear pause on the other end of the line.

After a moment, Ian Rhodes finally spoke, his voice full of accusation and contempt.

"Miles Warren? Why is it you? Put Claire on the phone."

Miles Warren glanced at the closed bathroom door. "She’s in the shower. It’s not a good time."

Every word dripped with intense possessiveness. As a fellow man, how could Ian Rhodes fail to understand the implication?

Ian Rhodes was furious, his tone turning sharp and urgent.

"Miles Warren, what’s the meaning of this? Are you deliberately preventing me from speaking with Claire?"

"Claire and I are partners. We’re discussing work. If you interfere with our business, she’ll never forgive you!"

Ian Rhodes was certain that Claire kept her personal and professional lives separate, and he was sure Miles Warren’s actions would only infuriate her.

Miles Warren knew Ian was saying it all just to provoke him.

But he couldn’t tolerate it. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the phone, his chest tight with restrained emotion. His voice was low and raspy, tinged with defiance.

"Fine. I’ll be waiting."

’Waiting for her to get angry. Waiting for her to be even the slightest bit upset with him.’

’He would accept it all.’

As soon as he finished speaking, he decisively ended the call. The screen went dark.

The sound of the shower abruptly stopped.

A moment later, the bathroom door was pushed open gently.

Claire Kendall walked out barefoot, drying her dripping hair with a towel. She looked up and saw him holding her phone, his expression grim.

"Waiting for what?"

"Oh... my phone. Who called just now?"

Miles Warren’s chest tightened.

The domineering, unyielding air he’d had while confronting Ian Rhodes vanished in an instant.

In its place was a cautious anxiety, and a thin sheen of sweat formed on his palms.

’He was afraid she’d be angry, afraid she’d think he was being unreasonable, that he was interfering with her work and her social life.’

After a two-second silence, he lowered his lashes, hiding the bitter possessiveness in his eyes.

The man confessed obediently, his voice low, tinged with a meekness he himself didn’t even notice.

"It was Ian Rhodes."

"Oh? What did he want?" she asked casually.

"He needed you to sign a few documents."

Claire Kendall nodded nonchalantly. She walked to the edge of the bed and pushed the towel she was using into his hands, her voice sweet and playful. "Dr. Warren, help me dry my hair?"

Miles Warren took the towel.

His long, slender fingers gently worked through her soft, damp hair. His movements were incredibly tender as he carefully dried it, his touch restrained to the point of being feather-light.

His voice, low and a little anxious, came out as a careful test.

"I took the liberty of answering your phone just now. I won’t do it again. If you’re angry, you can scold me."

But Claire Kendall just tilted her head in comfort, letting him gently pamper her. Her tone was completely open.

"You’re my husband. Isn’t it perfectly normal for you to answer my phone?"

She tilted her head slightly, sensing something was off about his tone.

"What’s wrong? Did you two have an unpleasant conversation? Did you argue?"

Miles Warren’s fingers stilled for a second. His throat felt tight as he murmured, "Not really an argument."

’It was just... someone was coveting his wife, and he found it incredibly hard to bear.’

Hearing this, Claire Kendall looked straight up at him, their eyes meeting.

"Dr. Warren, don’t worry," she said. "Even if you two really did argue, you’re my husband. I’d definitely be on your side."

Miles Warren’s fingers paused for a moment, a fleeting flicker of joy rising in his eyes.

Claire Kendall patted the back of his hand. "Okay, that’s good enough. Go get dressed, I’ll drive you to the hospital."

Miles Warren straightened up. "You don’t have to. I can go myself."

"Your leg isn’t fully healed yet. It’ll be difficult for you to work the pedals."

「Half an hour later.」

A white sedan pulled up to the entrance of Aethel General Hospital.

Claire Kendall turned and straightened his shirt collar. Miles Warren remained perfectly still, letting her fuss over him.

After his retreating figure disappeared from sight, Claire Kendall started the car and headed for OCHH.

As soon as she walked through the company’s front doors, Ian Rhodes hurried over to greet her, an anxious look on his face.

"Claire, there are a few documents waiting for your signature. I called you, but Dr. Warren answered."

"Is he not happy about you working at OCHH?"

"It had nothing to do with him. I was just held up by something."

Claire Kendall took the folder he handed her, flipped it open, glanced at the contents, and signed her name.

Ian Rhodes sat down across from her and lowered his voice.

"Claire, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I haven’t had the nerve."

"A while ago, I saw a divorce lawyer come to the office to see you."

"Claire, you and Dr. Warren... have you been planning to separate for a while now?"