Chapter 40 40

Chapter 40 40
Episode 40

...

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Their hearts were racing... They were already inside Matthias's private office, but ever since that sudden confession in the car, the atmosphere between them had become strangely awkward.

The two of them looked like teenagers hopelessly in love for the first time.

Luna sat at her desk, pretending to be busy with documents she had actually finished reviewing a long time ago.

Meanwhile, Matthias kept opening and closing the files on his computer for no reason at all. He was nervous.

His face was still red, and he had absolutely no idea how to handle whatever it was he was feeling right now.

'Why can't I calm down?'

'Why is my heart beating this fast?'

'And what kind of confession was that anyway?'

'Forcing me to fall in love with him? As if feelings can be forced!'

'Although...' Luna's cheeks grew hotter. 'For some reason, I don't know why I'm so happy.'

'Aaaaaah! Why am I getting embarrassed now?!'

'Pull yourself together, Luna!'

'Don't sit here looking nervous and pathetic!' She screamed internally, trying desperately to regain her composure.

She had never imagined that such a strange, overbearing confession could actually make her this happy. Lost in her thoughts, Luna stole a glance toward Matthias. Unfortunately for her, Matthias happened to be doing the exact same thing.

The moment their eyes met, both of them froze, their eyes widened and somehow their faces became even redder than before.

Silence.

A painfully awkward silence settled between them. Neither knew what to say and neither knew what to do.

Finally, Matthias decided he couldn't endure this atmosphere any longer.

Bang!

His hand slammed against the desk. The sudden noise made Luna jump in her seat. "I-I-I already told you that I like you!"

"And I said it clearly!"

"So I want a reward!" His confidence had returned in full force. The declaration was so direct that Luna immediately became flustered again.

"A reward?"

"What kind of reward could I possibly give you?" She blinked. "Everything I own right now came from you."

"Wouldn't it be strange to buy you a gift using your own money?"

"And you know this is my first day at work."

"It'll take me a whole month before I even get paid." Luna answered with complete seriousness. She looked so innocent.

That Matthias could only shake his head. His wife was far too naive, far too simple and maybe that was one of the reasons he'd fallen for her so easily.

"Ahem." Matthias lifted his chin. The familiar arrogant expression returned immediately. His sharp gaze locked onto Luna, whose large eyes blinked back at him innocently. "That's not what I mean."

"I want something else." A slow smile spread across his face. "You know exactly what I want, don't you?"

"That." The smile became even more mischievous.

"Huh?" Luna followed his gaze. Her eyes moved downward and immediately widened. The instant she realized where he was looking, she threw both arms across her chest.

"Ah! You pervert!" She shook her head furiously. "I refuse to think about it!"

"I absolutely refuse to think about it!" There was no need for further explanation.

From that grin alone, Luna already knew exactly what kind of reward her husband wanted.

"Pffft!" Matthias couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Relax, babe."

"I'll wait until tonight." He leaned back in his chair, looking entirely pleased with himself. "I'm a very patient man."

"So I'm not going to devour you in broad daylight like this." His laughter echoed through the office. And judging by how entertained he looked, teasing his wife seemed to be his favorite hobby these days.

...

Knock... Knock... Knock...

The sound of someone knocking on the door immediately pulled both Matthias and Luna out of their thoughts.

Their attention shifted toward the office entrance.

"Sir, the next meeting is about to begin." Frank's voice came from outside. He no longer dared to walk into his boss's office without permission. The last thing he wanted was to get dragged into his boss's love life again.

Honestly, in Frank's opinion, their romance was so innocent it felt like watching two high school students fall in love for the first time.

"Hmm, alright." Matthias rose from his chair at once. He straightened his suit and started walking toward the door. But before leaving, he suddenly changed direction.

Instead of heading straight out, he stopped beside Luna's desk. Then he leaned down and whispered near her ear.

"Wifey..." A mischievous smile appeared on his face. "I'd be very happy if you went shopping today."

"Buy something you'll wear exclusively for your husband." His eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement. "I'm looking forward to it." After delivering that shameless suggestion, Matthias simply walked away. Just like that. Leaving Luna completely frozen in her seat.

Boom.

It felt as though a bomb had exploded inside her head. Her entire face turned bright red. She understood exactly what her husband was implying.

Of course she did.

Matthias wanted her to buy lingerie. Something she would wear for him tonight.

"Heh, no way!" Luna immediately shook her head. "I refuse!"

"Without wearing something like that, I can barely walk afterward."

"If I actually wear it, I'll probably end up in a wheelchair for real!" She shook her head even harder. There was absolutely no way she was agreeing to that request. No matter what. It was simply too dangerous for the health of her waist.

...

A little while later, another knock sounded from the door. Luna immediately became alert. Just in case it was Matthias coming back because he'd changed his mind and decided he wanted to do something shameless right now.

Fortunately... It wasn't him. Instead, it was one of Matthias's secretaries.

"Miss Luna." The secretary bowed politely. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Morgan Grayson wishes to meet with you." Luna's expression changed instantly. The secretary continued. "He said the matter is extremely important."

"There's a car waiting for you in the lobby."

"You're expected to get in and meet him." Luna was stunned. She knew perfectly well that Matthias's father disliked her. So this invitation felt suspicious from the start.

Her first instinct was to refuse but before she could say anything, The secretary spoke again. "Mr. Grayson also asked me to inform you that if you refuse to meet him..." The secretary hesitated briefly. "...he'll take more drastic measures."

"So unfortunately, you don't really have a choice." The words left Luna silent.

She had no idea what Morgan Grayson wanted to say to her but she knew one thing. Avoiding this wouldn't solve anything and eventually, she would have to face him.

Taking a slow breath, Luna nodded. Then she followed the secretary downstairs toward the lobby.

A black luxury car was already waiting and inside, there was only a driver. No one else.

Apparently, she was being taken directly to Morgan Grayson's residence for a private conversation.

Meanwhile, Morgan sat at home completely convinced that he would be able to force Luna out of his son's life. He was certain of it.

...

As soon as Luna got into the car, it pulled away and headed toward Morgan Grayson's mansion. Luna quietly stared out the window.

The passing scenery blurred before her eyes. 'I knew this would happen sooner or later.' A faint smile appeared on her lips. 'At least it happened after Matthias decided to keep our marriage.' She lowered her gaze. 'And if I'm being honest with myself...'

'Even though I didn't like him at all in the beginning... My feelings have changed too.' Her fingers slowly tightened around her purse. 'And as a woman...'

'I don't want to become a divorcee.'

'Maybe it's simply a woman's instinct to protect her marriage.' A soft sigh escaped her lips. 'Especially because after marrying him...'

'It feels like I have a family again, and I don't want to lose that happiness.' Luna had already made up her mind. She didn't want this marriage to fall apart. She wanted her feelings—and Matthias's feelings—to continue growing as the years passed.

Life with Matthias wasn't bad at all. In fact... It had given her a kind of happiness she had never imagined she could have. A happiness she had once believed was forever out of reach.

By the time she finished gathering her resolve, the car had already arrived at Morgan Grayson's estate.

Luna stepped out with her head held high. She refused to lower her gaze. She was Matthias's legal wife and she needed to believe in herself.

When she entered the luxurious living room, she immediately saw Morgan Grayson seated on the sofa and beside him sat his younger wife. Both of them had clearly been waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Morgan." Luna greeted him politely. Unfortunately, Morgan had no interest in exchanging pleasantries. Not even a little.

"I don't care for small talk." His voice was cold and direct. "Let's get straight to the point." Morgan looked at her as though she were something unpleasant.

"How much do you want?" The question struck Luna by surprise. Morgan leaned forward. "Name your price."

"I want you to leave my son." His gaze turned even colder. "I refuse to watch my son's life be ruined by a woman with no class." His words cut through the room like a blade — cruel, sharp and aimed directly at Luna.

...

To be continued...