Chapter 125
Chapter 125:
Helena and Alden’s proximity left little room to breathe. Helena could see the darkness swirling in Alden’s eyes—bottomless, magnetic, like black holes pulling everything into their depths.
A shiver ran through her chest, her breath catching as her lips parted. Her instinct to resist vanished, and for a heartbeat, she allowed herself to stay in his arms.
Alden felt the warmth of her body press lightly into his. Her lashes trembled, fragile as butterfly wings, and he couldn’t help himself—he leaned down and kissed her.
“Mmm p>
A breathy sound escaped Helena’s lips. Though she meant to protest, she quickly surrendered to the softness of his mouth.
Right when the moment threatened to consume them both, a voice crackled from the laptop resting nearby.
“Alden, are you okay? You’ve gone silent—we’re getting worried p>
The words came in Evrach, and for a second, Helena’s dazed mind failed to register them.
Realization hit like cold water. She recoiled, shoving Alden back as her senses snapped into place.
He straightened, his expression tight with annoyance, the tension in his jaw betraying his displeasure.
Scooping up the laptop, Alden addressed the screen with calm irritation. “I was doing perfectly fine. Until your interruption p>
Helena spotted the screen—his video call still active, a handful of foreign faces on the screen.
Panic flooded her. She shrank into herself, mortified by the thought that she might’ve been seen.
Helena wished she could disappear, feeling embarrassed about what had transpired between her and Alden.
The foreigners weren’t naive. A few sounds had been enough for them to conclude Alden’s recent activities.
One of them laughed and said, “My apologies, Alden. It seems I owe you and your companion an apology p>
𝓒𝒉𝒆𝓬𝓀 𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝒉𝓮𝓻𝑒:
Helena’s face grew hotter as she was directly mentioned.
Alden gave her a mischievous look but responded with a grave tone. “Your apology is accepted, but let’s ensure it doesn’t happen again.” The foreigner laughed a bit more before shifting the conversation back to business. “Can we proceed with our meeting now p>
“I would like that.” Alden maintained eye contact with Helena. “But my wife insists I rest, so we must reschedule p>
Alden’s mood was noticeably lighter today, influenced by the congeniality of his foreign business partners. He engaged in the friendly banter, shedding some of his usual aloofness.
Helena observed this new facet of his personality with growing intrigue. However, she was aware that such curiosity could lead her into dangerous territory.
She couldn’t afford to get swept up in these emotions.
Caught in her conflicting feelings, she was brought back to the moment by another round of laughter from the call. “Alden, today you’ve really shown a new side! It’s hard to believe a man as stern as you could be so compliant with his wife p>
Alden just smiled softly and chose not to respond.
One of the businessmen inquired, “Could you introduce us to your wife? I’m eager to meet the woman who has captured your heart p>
Alden responded with ease. “She’s a news anchor, not only stunning but also compassionate, kind-hearted, and extremely competent. She truly is enchanting p>
Such genuine admiration from a man as reserved as Alden reinforced to his business partners that his affection for his wife was profound. Helena listened, her skepticism mingling with a surge of unexpected warmth.
After their curiosity was appeased, the foreigners proposed concluding their video call.
Only once the laptop was shut did Helena ask, “Why did you bring me up to those foreigners? I thought we agreed to keep our marriage under wraps p>
Alden’s face took on a grave expression.
Did she really worry so much about others discovering their marital status?
His voice deepened as he explained, “These people place high value on personal relationships and romantic narratives. Being seen as happily married tends to build trust p>
Helena’s initial touch of joy gave way to a sharp sting of cynicism, mocking her own fleeting belief in his words.
It reminded her of Terry, who often embellished their relationship to outsiders to foster envy and project an image of the ideal partner. The realization that Alden might be adopting a similar tactic, mirroring Terry’s behavior, weighed heavily on her, making her feel oppressed, almost suffocated by the implication.