Still wincing softly from the pinch on his hand earlier, Rey briefly glanced at the reddish mark that was clearly printed on his skin. If Luana could cut the distance between them, then don't forget that he could do it too.

Taking two steps forward, Rey further narrowed the space that separated the two.


"What's the reason you want to go in there?" It was Rey who asked this time, with his eyes looking straight into his wife's face. "Is it because Valerie is there, or because Pedro is there?"

Luana frowned again, not understanding why Rey had brought Pedro into their conversation. Who the hell was that guy?

"Why do you ask that?" Luana frowned. "So what if Pedro is there? Isn't he also one of your business partners?"


Rey chuckled as Pedro's name was uttered by Luana's soft lips, as if he could not accept those lips saying the name of a man other than himself.

Clenching his fists tightly, Rey still did not understand why he could overreact like this.


"Aren't you interested in him?" Rey shot to the point. "Didn't you want to join the club because he was there?"

Luana blinked her eyes a few times, looking strangely at Rey with a heart full of question marks.

What exactly was going on between Rey and Pedro? Why did Rey seem overly sensitive because of Pedro's presence this afternoon?

But the more curious Luana became, the more curious she became.

"So what?!" she snapped, not to be outdone. "He's nice, and we've met before. Being in the same club might be nice, since I already have friends. And I like that."

The third electric shock had just come, when Rey widened his eyes in disbelief.

"What did you say?!" Rey snorted in annoyance. "You like him?"

Luana sighed again. "Like who?"

"You said you liked him," Rey retorted with his intonation raised. "Didn't you mean you like Pedro? That guy? Tell me!"

But indeed the devil is always between two humans, as Rey now pressed Luana more and more against the wall of the car.

With the distance shrinking, Luana could clearly hear the roar of the nobleman's labored breathing.

Being that close to Rey made Luana feel awkward and clumsy, especially since her memories of the night on the island yesterday were still wet.

Backing up her body even though there was no more space back there, Luana formed a defense with two hands that were simultaneously right on Rey's broad chest.

Restraining the man, restraining everything that might happen in the next few moments.

"Don't come any closer," Luana spoke in a half-whisper this time, because the pounding of her heart inside was getting out of control. Especially now that she could smell the distinctive perfume Rey always used.

Masculine, and maybe... Dominant.

"Why can't I come closer?" Rey asked without wasting time. "Am I not your husband?"

Luana swallowed hard, understanding that this situation would not be favorable for her. Her arms were still trying to put some distance between her and the man, even though she knew her strength was never equal to that of the nobleman.

"But this isn't how it's done," Luana said still softly. "You're suffocating me, and I can't breathe air. Back off now, okay?"

Luana had to close her eyes tightly, because Rey's face was too close to her. The eyes with the bluish irises felt unreal, and Luana did not like this situation.

She didn't want to hope, she didn't want anything inappropriate to happen between her and the man.

Finding Luana who seemed really awkward, Rey finally took two steps back even if half-heartedly.

Just now the woman exclaimed and almost screamed in front of her, but see this time how Luana seemed to be fragile and unresisting.

Every touch that happened between them made Luana weak, because there were bad memories that had been unlucky enough to be scratched first.

Exhaling heavily, Luana was grateful that Rey was willing to give her space.

"I didn't say I liked the guy," Luana said after a few moments of silence between them. "I said that it would be nice to have a friend, and I like that."

Again Rey looked at her sharply, with both hands clasped around his waist this time.

"Like what?"

Luana couldn't understand why Rey was repeatedly asking about this. She didn't think she had said anything wrong, but why did Rey seem upset?

Breathing tiredly, Luana opened her voice again.

"Love the fact that I already have friends," she corrected. Luana secretly regretted how a young, supposedly successful businessman like Rey had problems communicating. "Not because I like him, but because I'm glad I have a friend. Do you understand?"

We don't know where the devil came from again, but what is clear is that this time Rey smiled as wide as he could.

"Ah, I see," he muttered almost inaudibly. "So it's not because you like Pedro, right?"

Luana wanted to pinch the head of the man in front of her, because it seemed that one pinch was not enough for Rey. But remembering that Rey might retaliate like he had punched her earlier, Luana decided against it.

"How? It's clear, right?" Luana asked. "It's all your fault anyway, because you bothered me knitting a handkerchief. If we hadn't come here, my handkerchief would have been finished by tomorrow morning."

There was definitely a whining tone to Luana's sentence, but Rey didn't care about that. Because most importantly, he had at least confirmed the one thing he wanted to be sure of.

That Luana was not there for Pedro, that Luana was not there to be with him.

"Alright then," Rey said then. After the pointless debate above, the noble finally nodded vaguely. "You may join, but on the condition that I must be the one to escort you every time you attend a meeting. Do you understand?"

Luana seemed to think for a moment, but then she immediately nodded her head. She didn't care who drove her there anyway; whether it was Jovi, another personal driver, or even Rey. As long as she was not told to walk, then everything would be fine.

"Alright. So we have a deal?"

Rey nodded her head again. After all, it had just occurred to him that Valerie Genneth was a friend of Rouletta's, and it seemed that the woman did seem nice.

At least Rey could monitor what Luana's association was doing, and Valerie seemed trustworthy. And on the other hand, it seemed like she had a pretty close relationship with Pedro.

"Okay," Rey said excitedly. "Remember our agreement."

Luana sighed softly, before nodding half-heartedly. "Alright, alright. Let's sign up now."

Rey seemed to agree with that, as he had already turned around to give way to Luana.

The half hour they had spent arguing had been quite draining, especially since Luana's pinch still left a slight mark on the man's arm.

Stomping her foot impatiently, Luana had already walked on and left Rey who was still stuck behind there.

Grumbling silently, Luana was glad that she was able to let out an exclamation right in the nobleman's face that afternoon.

Even though it ended again with an ancient agreement, Luana didn't care. Because Valerie's warm smile earlier had already attracted her attention, and she really wanted to experience being friends with that woman.

Keeping up the pace, Luana did not even glance back. Her delicate hand had already grasped the door handle and pushed it open to enter Der Beste's large building.

"What a strange man," Luana whispered to herself. "Why is he associating Pedro with me, when I have no interest in him at all. Seriously!"

Madame Luiec seemed ready for the new gathering, though one thing escaped her attention this time.

Luana might have forgotten that attraction can come from a lot of time spent together.

With Pedro filled with friendly smiles at their gathering, would Luana really not even glance at him later?