Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 129

Hearing his assistant's words, Alaric felt a sudden spike of tension, his hands unconsciously curling into fists.

But he had already given her the money.

Was offering money really considered humiliating for a girl?

Ivy herself had explicitly told him before that if he paid her, she would fulfill her wifely duties.

So surely Ivy wouldn't misinterpret the money as him treating her like a hooker.

Besides, that hadn't been his intention at all.

He simply felt that since he had taken advantage of her, it was only right to offer her compensation.

Ivy needed money, and he provided it—wasn't that perfectly logical?

Noticing his boss's terrible expression, Leo Archer asked cautiously.

"Boss, you didn't actually give her money, did you?"

Alaric didn't deny it.

Leo looked utterly horrified, actually feeling a wave of pity for Ivy.

"When have you ever heard of a married couple paying each other after sleeping together? You're practically degrading the missus."

Of course, if the missus had explicitly asked for it, that would be a completely different story.

Alaric was speechless.

He and Ivy weren't a normal married couple.

There were zero feelings between them to begin with.

He had clearly taken her, so he absolutely owed her compensation, otherwise the guilt would have eaten him alive.

Seeing his boss's face growing darker by the second, Leo backed off.

Not daring to push too far, he offered one last cautious piece of advice.

"If you already paid her, don't dwell on it. You guys are married, after all. Just treat her better from now on, and she probably won't overthink it."

Alaric only grew more irritated the more he listened, barking out a cold retort. "Mind your own business."

Taking the hint, Leo immediately clamped his mouth shut.

When Alaric arrived at The Starlight Estate, he heard a scattered, disjointed melody drifting down from upstairs.

It sounded downright awful.

He strode into the villa, and Mrs. Gable called out to him from the dining area.

"Sir, you're back. While you're heading up, could you tell the missus and the young lady to come down for dinner?"

"Your daddy just doesn't seem like the type who can play the piano. Forget it, I'll just teach myself."

Ivy pinched the little girl's cheek and laughed. "I'll teach you once I master it."

Stella looked exasperated, her little face scrunching up.

"Why would you think Daddy doesn't look like someone who can play?"

Ivy thought about it for a second before answering.

"Pianists are usually incredibly emotionally expressive and deeply romantic people. Your dad is way too cold. I highly doubt he's capable of appreciating the romance and beauty of a piano piece."

However, every single word of that echoed perfectly into the ears of the man standing by the door.

Alaric felt an inexplicable, suffocating tightness in his chest.

So in Ivy's eyes, he was cold, completely incapable of enjoyment, and entirely devoid of romance?

She even had the sheer audacity to assume a man like him couldn't play a beautiful melody?

He had no idea what wire had just snapped in his brain.

Alaric decided he needed to open Ivy's eyes, otherwise he simply couldn't swallow this insult.

He strode directly into The Music Conservatory Room.