The Tycoon's Gutsy Wife

Chapter 34: Mind Your Business

Darien looked genuinely confused. "Don’t tell me you’re bothered by what that reporter said?"

Adeline looked up at him, her icy blues wet with tears she didn’t want to fall. Then she tore her gaze away from him, completely ignoring his question.

Darien snorted. "I didn’t think you would be the one to get so easily affected by what people said about you."

Once again, she ignored him.

He can go ahead and say whatever he wanted to say to her but she wasn’t going to entertain him by giving him a response.

Darien seemed to have noticed she didn’t care about responding to him, so he dropped trying to piss her off.

As they walked towards the couple whose anniversary they were attending, he noticed some men stealing glances at Adeline.

She’d worn a simple red dress but somehow, she’d managed to pull off the beauty of the dress despite its simplicity. Her body was one to die for, and everything she wore suited her perfectly.

No wonder then males were already drooling at the sight of her.

He glared at them as he unlinked his arm from hers and wrapped it around her waist, slowly pulling her closer to him.

He cast a warning glare at the men and they seemed to have understood his message when they tore their gazes from her.

Meanwhile, Adeline felt her heart skip a beat at Darien’s action.

His arm was perfectly wrapped around her waist, keeping her so close that she could smell his cologne—Sí by Giorgio Armani. It was one of her favorite colognes but it got her thinking why he would be wearing a woman’s perfume.

’So weird,’ she thought, slightly shaking her head.

"Will you take your hand off me?" She whispered low enough for his ears.

"Why? You don’t like me touching you?" He asked, a grin on his lips.

She clenched her fist, resisting the urge to wipe the grin off his face with a slap. She couldn’t do that. There were so many things that she wanted to do to him that she couldn’t get them done. And it only infuriated her.

If anything, she felt his hold on her tighten as they walked past the guests who tried to steal him away for a talk or two.

He ignored every one of them and headed straight for the couple’s anniversary they were there for.

The couple was busy greeting their guests with a big smile on their faces.

Once they saw Adeline with Darien, that smile dropped for a second before they picked it back up.

"Darien," Martin called, his arms open for a hug. "Long time no see, my friend."

Darien forced a smile on his lips as he hugged the man.

Friend wasn’t the title he would give to his relationship with Martin. It was unfathomable. They’d met as college students who happened to be in the same classroom.

Nothing big of a deal.

"Happy anniversary, my friend," he said, his lips stretching further towards his cheeks as he moved into the hug.

Adeline’s lips tightened, trying to hold back the laughter that tried to burst past her lips when she saw his face.

"I have to say, I didn’t think you would make it considering how busy you are these days," then his gaze fell on Adeline. "Especially with your relationships." There was an edge to his tone, the type that made not only Adeline, but Darien frowned slightly. "I believe you’re Mrs. Westwood, am I right? The wife of Theodore Westwood."

Adeline sighed inwardly. She knew where this conversation was heading, but she was not ready to have it.

She forced a smile on her lips.

"Yes, I am." She nodded.

Martin glanced between her and Darien, then his hand was resting on her waist.

Any other person would have felt uncomfortable holding someone else’s wife like that, but not Darien. He was utterly shameless.

He claimed his territory like she was his to have, his grip tightening even further as he pulled her closer to him without a single regard for her status.

"But she came with me today as my plus one," Darien added, staring at Martin, as if daring him to ask the question that was hovering on the tip of his tongue. "Do you have something else to say?"

Elise, his wife, laughed as she linked her arm with her husband’s.

"You can’t blame us for simply being curious," she smiled, turning to Adeline. "As a married woman, don’t you think it’s wrong to hang out with another man who is not your husband? That’s cheating, you know?"

Every day that passed by, Adeline was tempted to reveal to the public that Theodore had cheated on her.

In their world, a man wouldn’t be judged for cheating on his wife and family but once a woman does the same thing, it’s considered an abomination.

She’s treated like an outcast, both by her family and society. Which was absolutely absurd.

"You seriously want to talk about cheating?" Darien cuts her off before the couple speaks. "If I remember correctly, Martin cheated on you with your maid. It made a headline five months ago but you’re still together with him."

Elise paled, the color draining from her face. Martin cleared his throat but still kept the smile on his lips.

"But that was all in the past—"

"That’s not the point," Darien cut him off, his tone deadpan. "No one is talking about how you cheated on your wife but still together with each other. So don’t start acting like the perfect couple when you’re not. Who Adeline walks with or talks to is none of your business. Do you understand?"

Martin frowned, wondering why Darien was suddenly aggravated by his wife’s comment. But he nodded in understanding nonetheless.

Darien reached into his pockets and brought a box.

"This is my gift for you," he said, handing out the jewelry box. "Happy anniversary."

Then he turned to leave, taking Adeline with him.