Husband With Benefits

You. Me. Outside." Cai’s voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument as he gestured toward the door.

Rafe raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, but complied nonetheless. "I’ll be back right away, Miss Arabelle," he said, his tone overly polite as he pushed back his chair and stood.

Cai mimicked Rafe’s words under his breath in a mocking tone, earning a faint scowl from Arabelle, who looked like she wanted to intervene. But one pointed look from Cai silenced her, leaving her biting her lip in frustration as the two men stepped outside.

Once in the corridor, silence stretched between them like a taut rope. Cai crossed his arms, his posture radiating authority, while Rafe leaned casually against the wall, seemingly unbothered. The tension in the air was palpable as they stared each other down, neither willing to break first.

Finally, Rafe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you’re planning to punch me, may I politely request that you avoid my face?I have a press conference tomorrow. It wouldn’t do for the citizens of this country to think I’d been in a brawl. It’s bad optics."

Cai let out a derisive scoff, his glare intensifying. "Don’t flatter yourself," he snapped, though he made no move to strike. Instead, he stood his ground, arms folded, his gaze unwavering.

Rafe shifted, clearly growing uncomfortable under Cai’s scrutiny. After another few moments of silence, he threw up his hands. "I thought we had an understanding," he said, exasperated. "You gave me your blessing earlier, didn’t you? When you told me about your uncle’s plans? So why exactly are we here now?"

Cai’s jaw tightened, and he shook his head. "What were you thinking, Rafe? She’s like my sister."

Rafe blinked at him, then straightened up. "Your sister," he said slowly, as though testing the words. "Your sister happens to be a beautiful, intelligent, and captivating woman, Cai. You can’t expect me—or any man, for that matter—to not notice that."