chapter[34]

chapter[34]
CHAPTER 34

Noah.

Selena was staring at me bluntly, her expression unreadable. She didn’t move a muscle—not a toe, not a brow. It was as if she was waiting for something monumental to happen, something that would break the tension hanging thick in the air. Just when I began to feel the weight of her gaze, my cell phone rang. Thank God it was Steven; he was my saving grace in this moment. I forced a slight smile at Selena before stepping away a bit to answer.

"Yes, Steven, where are you?" I asked, trying to sound composed. But then, my heart dropped as I caught sight of something that made my blood boil—someone was kissing Selena. My voice faltered, "Wait! Who the hell is he?"

Steven, sensing my agitation, asked with genuine curiosity, "Who is he?"

I frowned, irritation bubbling up. "Ahmet!" I spat out, the name feeling bitter on my tongue.

To my shock, Steven burst into laughter, sounding almost like a witch cackling in the night. "Don't worry about him; he's a nice guy, honestly. I like him so much! I wanted to date him before, but I held myself back. He's hot and sexy."

I was taken aback. "What the hell are you saying, Steven? Are you insane?! You have some interest in Selena's best friend?" The realization hit me like a jolt of electricity. This was actually good news—it proved Steven wasn’t truly in love with her.

Clearing his throat, Steven trembled slightly. "Okay, to be honest, at first, I was really attracted to him. That was actually the reason I started dating Selena—to stop falling in love with a guy. But then I did fall for Selena, I swear! Anyway, your personal assistant called me and informed me that you’ve arrived. Do you want me to come to you now to talk business?"

I was about to say no, but then I thought of Ahmet lingering so close to Selena. Maybe I could use Steven this time; perhaps they would hit it off and let me have some fun with my wife.

"Yes, I'm waiting for you, Steven. Don’t be late. And bring a few clothes with you. I’ll prepare a room for you to stay with us for a while," I informed him, trying to sound nonchalant.

"A room? I want a royal suite! Don’t look down on me, Mr. Noah, please," he murmured, an exaggerated pout in his voice.

"Steven! I swear I will kill you if you say another word." I warned him firmly, trying to keep my temper in check.

"Okay, calm down! Sorry. I won’t be late," Steven replied, and I hung up, feeling the annoyance flood back as I shot daggers at this guy called Ahmet, who hadn’t left Selena's side for even a second.

Selena smiled brightly, introducing him to me. "Noah, this is Ahmet, my best friend."

Ahmet smiled back, and then, out of nowhere, he hugged me. "Thank you for making her fall in love! From now on, I’m your brother," he declared, handing me a flower as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I widened my eyes at him. "You mean my sister," I smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

Selena gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed. "Noah! Don’t."

Ahmet ruffled Selena’s hair affectionately. "It's okay, sister! I like that. At least he knows I’m gay. He should keep his sexy body away from me," Ahmet teased, and they both erupted into laughter.

Why didn’t I laugh? I felt a surge of irritation boiling inside me. I hated when someone touched her, especially when he kept moving his fingers through her hair. I wanted to punch his face, but to be honest, he looked so tiny and sweet that I worried he might die if I yelled at him.

I sighed, interrupting their warm exchange. "Okay, both of you. Could we have a break? Ahmet, they will show you your room, which is on the same floor as ours. We need to take a nap now; she just left the hospital. We’ll meet you downstairs at night. Please feel free; it’s my hotel," I informed Ahmet, feeling a hint of authority return.

He nodded, waving goodbye to me before he leaned in to kiss Selena’s cheek, a gesture that made my stomach churn.

I turned to Selena, both of us feeling the fatigue settle in. We desperately needed a nap, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had urgent calls to make. There was a delayed meeting I needed to handle in the coming days, and I had to keep my mind focused.

"Honey, thank God you left the hospital. Now I will take care of you. Just stay in the hotel for a few days as if we were on a honeymoon. I promise I will prepare the most beautiful wedding party for us here. I promise I will make you happy every day and every second once your toes step back into our house," I said softly, kissing her hands and forehead gently, pouring all my love into those small gestures. She seemed to soften under my touch, yet I noticed a flicker of something else in her eyes—was it fatigue or irritation?

I walked with her to the elevator, helping her sit at the edge of the bed as we reached our royal suite. I couldn’t help but tease her with a wink.

"I have to go now," I said, hugging her tightly.

She closed her eyes, seemingly anticipating a kiss, her lips slightly parted. I gazed at her, trying not to laugh, but ultimately, I couldn’t hold it in. My laughter echoed in the room, and she widened her eyes, baring her teeth as she groaned. "Are you teasing me, Noah?" she muttered, her frown deepening.

I patted her head affectionately. "I’m not, honey. It’s just that you’ve pouted your lips for too long. How could I kiss a pregnant woman?"

"What?" she groaned, pushing me away with a feigned annoyance.

"I’m just kidding, Selena. But I might feel it’s a bit weird to kiss you or even sleep next to you; I’ve never done that with a pregnant woman before," I said, raising my brows playfully.

Her expression shifted from annoyance to a pout, and she gritted her teeth before pushing me out of the suite. "Then get out of this room now, Noah!" she exclaimed, slamming the door in my face and locking it with a definitive click.

"Wait! I was just—" I stuttered, but the door was already closed.

"God, Selena! I was just teasing you! Maybe pregnancy makes women crazy!" I muttered under my breath, rubbing my chin in frustration as I stood outside the suite.

I suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out my name. "Noah! She kicked you out of the room!" Steven laughed hysterically, smirking at my predicament.

I spun around, huffing in irritation. "Don’t start with me, or I will fight you. I’ve already ruined the day!" I mumbled, feeling the stress begin to bubble up again. I wondered how Ahmet and Steven had arrived so quickly.

"Pregnancy makes women like witches! So watch out, man! Don’t tease her, or she’ll throw something hard at you! Maybe a knife to cut your neck!" Steven mocked, his laughter ringing in my ears.

"This is not funny at all, Steven!" I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to regain my composure.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Huh? Do you think I’m kidding you? Just read about it or call a doctor to check it out! I’m serious, man! You have to sleep with your gun under your pillow for safety! Women in this period change completely from soft and kind to horror and violent!" Steven said, his tone grave.

I walked away from him, waving my hand dismissively. "Nice try, Steven; that was close!" I winked at him, turning my back and heading toward the elevator. As I pushed the call button, he followed me, still stressing the seriousness of his words.

"Man, I’m serious!" Steven hollered, his voice echoing down the hall.

I gasped, clearing my throat as the elevator doors opened. I stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor. Then, an afterthought struck me—I had forgotten to ask Selena what kind of food she wanted for dinner. I quickly picked up my cell phone and dialed her number. "Hey, sweetie! What do you want for dinner?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Um, I want Ramen!" she giggled, her voice brightening.

"What is that?!" I asked in curiosity, genuinely confused. I had never heard of it before.

She blurted out, "It’s something like noodles, I guess, with seafood!"

"Okay, I’ll command the chefs in this hotel to make it for you!" I informed her, feeling a sense of relief.

"No! How am I supposed to know if it will be the same as real Ramen? I’ve never eaten that before!" she hollered, her tone rising.

I pulled the phone away from my ear for a moment, surprised by her volume. "Honey, so tell me where I can find this Rammo?" I frowned, trying to wrap my head around this request.

"It’s so easy! In Asia! Korea, I guess!" she replied with a grin that I could almost picture.

"What? Korea?! How am I supposed to get you a plate now? Honey, could you change this Rammo to something else? I’m asking what you want for dinner, not for the breakfast of the next month. Be reasonable, please!" I begged her, trying to sound sweet.

"First, it’s Ramen, not Rammo. Second, I know it will be for dinner, or I will lock myself in this room until I get my bowl of Ramen or die. Got that??!" she screamed, huffing before hanging up on me.

"Honey, honey! What just happened?! She hung up while I was talking to her? And she kicked me out of the room and slammed the door in my face!" I muttered, baffled but also amused by the absurdity of it all.

Steven approached me, a knowing smile on his face. "Told you!" he chuckled. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Noah!" He winked at me, clearly enjoying my misery.

"God, you scared me! I guess you were right. I thought she was just teasing me, but she is really serious and nervous. She said she would lock herself in the room until I got her the Ramen! How am I supposed to do that for God’s sake? If I send my private jet to Korea now to get one, it will take at least 30 hours to arrive! She’ll faint or die! She must eat now!" I huffed, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration.

Steven glared at me, running his fingers through his hair before snapping his fingers in excitement. "I have an idea!"

I widened my eyes, raising my eyebrows as I grabbed his raised hand. "Really? Tell me now!"

"Don’t touch me! This is so weird! You look silly!" Steven huffed, blowing out a sharp breath and looking at my hand as if it were a snake.

I threw his hand away. "Okay, now tell me. You should care about her a little bit, or do you want her to starve? If you help me, I’ll help you date Ahmet," I raised an eyebrow, trying to seal the deal.

"Dammit! You’re using me because you know how much I love him—um, I mean her!" Steven stuttered, his cheeks reddening slightly.

"Now tell me, what should we do?" I asked him seriously, feeling a sense of urgency.

"It’s so easy! Every hotel must have some Asian chefs, and I’m sure yours does. So we’ll ask them to cook one bowl of Ramen for her," Steven said confidently, pointing at the manager and some of the employees bustling around.

"I want the Asian chefs in the hotel now!" Steven ordered, taking charge. After all, even if this hotel wasn’t his, it wasn’t difficult to command hotel employees for extra money. I couldn’t help but think how well this was going.

"Okay, sir. I will be right back with the Asian chefs. Just a few minutes," the manager said, bowing his head and nodding before hurrying away.

True to his word, a few minutes later, the manager returned with an Asian chef in tow. "Sir, you called for me?" the chef asked, looking slightly bewildered.

"Yes, we called you. I need you to make the best bowl of Ramen with a lot of seafood immediately!" I commanded him sternly, my patience waning.

Steven spun his head toward me, chuckling at my serious demeanor. "God, you look nervous and serious, Noah. Calm down."

Then he turned to the chef. "Do what he asked for and send it to the royal suite for Mrs. Selena Blanco Corsini."

I quickly interjected, "No, I think we should go with the chef to Selena's room. She might kill him or stab him with a fork or knife!"

I widened my eyes, feeling a sense of dread creeping in.

"I guess you’re right!" Steven rubbed his jaw, glancing at the chef, who was visibly shaking.

"Sir, I think I should make it now, and both of you can send the bowl to the room," the chef said, excusing himself and running toward the kitchen like a scared child.

"God, you scared him, Noah!" Steven teased, unable to contain his laughter.

"Now, Steven, until he finishes this weird dish, I want to talk to you about something very important! It’s a matter of life or death!" I squeezed his hand, dragging him toward the outdoor pool, desperate to get this off my chest.

"Stop, Noah! I’m not a cow for God’s sake! What’s wrong with you?! You’re not the pregnant one!" Steven shrieked near my ear, clearly annoyed.

"What is this? A family habit? Even Selena does this thing, yelling directly in my ear every time she takes advantage of me!" I furrowed my brows, rubbing my ear from the impact.

"Be serious, Noah! Tell me what’s happening!" Steven demanded, spinning to face me, his expression shifting from annoyance to concern.

"What do you think about me, Steven?" I pointed my fingers at my face, widening my eyes to emphasize my seriousness.

"What do you mean? I’m not the one in a relationship with you! Are you bisexual or gay, maybe?" he raised an eyebrow, his mouth dropping open in shock.

"God! Are you serious? Steven, wake up! I’m a womanizer for God’s sake!" I said, exasperated.

"I know, it’s a joke, Noah! I was trying to lighten your stressed mood. Now ask me again!" he smirked, crossing his arms.

"What do you think of me? As a man! A businessman! I mean, if I asked Selena to marry me, what do you think she would say?" I asked, my heart racing as I awaited his answer.

"As a woman, no one likes to marry a womanizer. But if she were to marry Noah Blanco Corsini, I’m sure she would be flying from happiness," he informed me, his expression serious yet encouraging.

I rubbed my palms together, excitement bubbling inside me. "Then do you think Selena will accept?"

"No, she will refuse for sure!" Steven muttered, his frown deepening.

"What? But you said any woman would accept!" I huffed, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"I said any woman. But not Selena; she is not just any woman," Steven mumbled, his tone final.

"Okay, what should I do now? You have to help me," I pleaded, placing my hand on Steven's shoulder, desperate for support.

"Dammit, man! What’s going on with you? Both of you are already married!" Steven exclaimed, gazing at me in disbelief.

"I want to propose to her tonight—with a romantic party. In front of everyone. I want to kneel and place a real diamond marriage ring on her finger. I do love her, Steven, so please help me!" I begged, feeling a surge of determination. For the first time in my life, I was ready to take this leap.

"Okay, Noah, I will help you. But for now, let’s take a look at the kitchen and see what the chef has prepared for Selena’s dinner. Then I’ll help you plan everything. Don’t worry," Steven said, patting my shoulder as we headed toward the kitchen.