Chapter 34 Bristling with Spines to Protect Him
That day, no one knew why Stacy Chen returned from her outing with both cheeks swollen and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Her disheveled appearance was strikingly similar to how Jason Ford looked after being beaten.
Some clever people connected the two incidents and quickly linked it to Clara Bennett. But because Clara was generally well-liked, had a gentle personality, and was diligent at work, even if she had really hit Stacy, people would think Stacy had pushed the mild-mannered Clara too far.
Moreover, without solid evidence, the gossip soon died down.
However, though it wasn't caught on camera, the scene was indeed witnessed by Chase Ye.
At the time, Chase was at a nearby law firm on business and saw Clara hitting someone, which was a rare sight to behold.
He immediately reported it to Mason Reed, and perhaps influenced by Jasper White, his message carried a hint of Jasper's tone: "Third Brother, your little wife is quite the firecracker.
Those slaps were swift and decisive! She was shouting that if anyone dared to speak ill of her husband again, they'd suffer worse! "
Mason raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing on his cold face.
No wonder she came home that day looking a bit flustered and kept asking him about the penalties for fighting...
She must have been scared inside, but to protect him, she had bristled with spines.
Mason felt a warmth in his heart and looked at the busy little woman in the kitchen, his eyes softening.
He quietly walked in.
Clara was struggling with a fish.
The fish was barely alive on the cutting board. Clara flattened the cleaver, raised it high, and brought it down with a thud, knocking the fish out cold. Its mouth opened and closed slowly, and Clara quickly scraped off the scales and gutted it.
Mason smiled. It was the first time he'd seen a woman handle such a bloody task.
Especially a soft and gentle woman like Clara.
"Why did you come in?" Clara turned around at the sound, a few strands of hair falling over her face.
"Why not just buy a fish that's already cleaned?" he asked gently. "Why go through the trouble of buying a live one and cleaning it yourself?"
"You don't understand!" Clara explained confidently. "If you let the vendor clean the fish, they might switch it with a less fresh dead one! That's not worth it! It's better to go through the trouble and clean it myself to be sure!"
Mason smirked.
It was hot these days, and she was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at home.
The white T-shirt was a bit see-through, faintly revealing the straps of her undergarment, and her long, fair legs were exposed beneath the shorts.
He watched for a moment and suddenly felt his heartbeat lose its usual rhythm. He quickly averted his gaze.
Clara adjusted the straps of her apron.
The apron fell just at her thighs.
Mason felt his throat tighten and dry up.
The kitchen, the apron. Her busy demeanor, her exposed legs.
The beads of sweat on her forehead and nose...
All of these stirred a restlessness in him.
Mason took a few deep breaths, trying to suppress those lascivious thoughts.
He then realized it was unnecessary; after all, she was his wife! Having such thoughts, or even acting on them, was perfectly legal!
Seeing him standing there without moving for a while, Clara straightened up and looked at him. His face was slightly flushed, he was breathing heavily, and his gaze seemed off... She was startled and quickly wiped her hands to feel his forehead.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Oh, your face is so hot!"