Chapter 35
When Karine returned that day, no one could explain why her cheeks were swollen, and there was blood at the corner of her lips. She looked as clumsy as Jesse had after his own beating. The more observant colleagues quickly connected the dots, suspecting Cordelia’s involvement. However, as Cordelia was well-liked, kind, and hardworking, even if she had been the one to hit Karine, they would assume Karine had provoked her. Without solid proof, the rumor quickly faded.
Although there were no cameras capturing the incident, Fredric had witnessed everything. He had been running an errand at a nearby law firm when he saw Cordelia slapping Karine. It was quite a spectacle. Fredric immediately reported to Marcus. His tone, oddly reminiscent of Josiah’s, was laced with amusement. “Z, your wife is a spicy little missy. The slaps she served were so precise! She even warned the person that she’d suffer worse consequences if she dared criticize you again!”
Marcus raised an eyebrow, a faint smile curving his lips. No wonder Cordelia had looked a little panicked when she got home the other day, asking about prison sentences for assault. He had assumed she wasn’t really afraid, but now he realized she had braved it all to protect him. Warmth spread in his chest, and his gaze softened as he looked at her busy in the kitchen.
He walked in slowly, watching Cordelia struggle with a fish on the chopping board. It was gasping for breath as she placed the knife flat, raised it high, and then brought it down with a thud. The fish was stunned. She scraped its scales with precision and then cut open its belly as its mouth opened and closed slowly.
Marcus chuckled. It was the first time he had seen such a gruesome scene with Cordelia—especially considering how soft and delicate she seemed.
“Why are you here?” Cordelia asked, turning her head toward him as strands of hair fell over her eyes.
“Why can’t you just buy a dead fish?” he asked gently, his voice carrying a hint of concern. “Why bring so much trouble on yourself with a live fish?”
“You’ve got a lot to learn!” Cordelia replied, her tone a mix of frustration and amusement. “If you get them to kill the fish, they might switch it out with a stale one. I’d rather do the work myself and have peace of mind!”
Marcus smirked, amused by her reasoning.
The weather had been warm lately, and Cordelia was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at home. The white T-shirt was a little see-through, revealing her bra straps, and her long, fair legs were right in front of him. As he watched her, his heart raced before he quickly looked away.
Cordelia adjusted the strap on her apron, which landed right on her thighs, and Marcus felt a tightness in his throat. The scene—the kitchen, the apron, her busy movements, the sweat on her forehead, the tip of her nose—sent a strange, tingling sensation through him. He took a few deep breaths, trying to suppress those feelings.
It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the cause—this was his wife, after all! He reasoned with himself that it was perfectly natural, even legal, to feel this way.
When he didn’t say anything and simply stood there, Cordelia turned to face him fully. She noticed the odd expression on his face and the slight flush on his cheeks. Concerned, she quickly wiped her hands on a towel and reached up to feel his forehead.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Do you not feel well? Jeez, why are your cheeks burning?”