Saving the Villain

The corner of her lips curled up even broader, arms crossed underneath her bosom. "How interesting."

When Cosette returned in time and was still clueless, Doctor Matthew was one of the people she wanted to meet so badly, aside from the protagonist and the antagonist of the story she read over and over on her deathbed. After all, Doctor Matthew was Asher\'s best friend.

It seemed they were still friends, considering Asher was now working in the hospital owned by Doctor Matthew\'s family. The only difference between then and now was that the role was reversed.

Instead of Matthew following Asher around, the latter was now calling the former his boss. Cosette wasn\'t sure how and why Matthew suddenly became a doctor, instead of pursuing business.

"I guess they were both meant to be good friends, regardless of the situation." Peace washed over her eyes, replacing the gloominess in them before meeting Asher Quinn. "I almost forgot the value of the wonders of life."

Even though she already knew Matthew the first time she saw him, she didn\'t feel the relief and excitement she felt after discovering his friendship with Asher. She thought Asher lost a good friend after pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor.

"Really... an interesting fact to discover," she whispered as her eyes softened.

Her train of thought came to a halt when she heard the digital sound of someone pressing the house\'s passcode. She blinked ever so slowly, turning her head to where the sound was coming from. Her lips stretched even more, waiting and watching who would come into the kitchen.

"You\'re early," she remarked as soon as she met the dashing Maxen in his suit. "I was just about to call you and ask what time you\'re going home."

Maxen smiled that brightened up his face, leaving his briefcase on the bar counter as he approached the kitchen.

"I know my wife has a long weekend. So, of course, I have to make the most out of it," he mused, picking up an apple before leaning his side against the counter she was leaning on. "Is that a bad thing?"

"It will be if your assistant starts nagging you again because of me."

"I turned off my phone." Maxen took a bite of the apple, winking at her as he chewed slowly. "How\'s my wife\'s day?"

"Good. Like always." Cosette shrugged, unfolding her arms before she marched toward the stove to check the food she was cooking for dinner. "The kids are becoming more obedient -- although some of them were stubborn. They remind me of a certain wounded cat."

Maxen chuckled upon hearing her remarks. It had been their ritual to talk about their day; Cosette does most of the talking. After all, Maxen doesn\'t have that many complaints, not because he wasn\'t having any issues in his business, but because he would always resolve them in time. Meanwhile, Cosette was more emotional.

Her work required a lot of her heart. She not only paid attention to the children\'s learning or their grades, but she also established a much more personal connection with them. Cosette was changing many lives. Even though she liked it, there were times she would confide in him or just use his ear to vent out.

Maxen was always all ears. He remained quiet as he fixed his eyes on her back while she continued, telling him about the student who had been worrying her.

"Seriously. These kids sometimes..." Cosette trailed off when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her body from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled while Maxen rested his chin on her shoulder.

"These kids are troublesome, but I\'m sure you already got through them." Maxen set his eyes on her side profile, smiling. "They\'re still probably scared of many things, but they will be alright. I know, because I\'ve been and walked in their shoes back then."

The two of them stared at each other warmly, smiling.

"Was work been tough?" she asked after a moment, changing the subject. "You\'ve been a little busy."

"Merging companies is tougher than I thought, but it\'s alright."

"Merging?" her brows furrowed, and his as well. "What do you mean..."

Cosette trailed off while her lips parted slightly, remembering an important detail that slipped her mind.

"BLK Corporation will soon be under mine," Maxen reminded her, but his tone was a little confused. "Don\'t tell me you forgot about that. It\'s been all over the news."

"Right..."

Maxen frowned. "Cozie, I know you have a lot of things on your mind and I understand that. But you\'ve been quite forgetful. I\'m about to worry about you."

"I\'m..." Cosette pressed her lips and cleared her throat. "... sorry. It\'s just the kids -- I know it sounds like I\'m like using them as an excuse now, but it really slipped my mind --"

"I\'m not angry." Maxen cut her off mid-sentence as she panicked. "I\'m just worried, that\'s all."

It was already part of Cosette\'s nature to forget certain things whenever she was focusing on something else. She even forgot his birthday several years ago, even though she said she had been planning for it. Therefore, Maxen found nothing suspicious about her reasons and excuses.

Cosette just cared a lot about her students, and he wasn\'t selfish to be angry because of that. That was what made her happy, after all.

"Anyway, everything is going on smoothly. What are you making tonight?" Maxen changed the subject, pulling her body closer. He set his eyes on the pot before her. "I\'m so hungry."

As Maxen shifted his focus to the change of subject, Cosette could only stare at him for a while. At this point, she didn\'t know if the feeling in her heart right now was relief that he concluded on his own or guilty for not telling him his conclusion was wrong.