Chapter 414
“Ahem,” Ken cleared his throat and playfully frowned. “What’s with the stare?”
Melody gave him another once-over and said, “You changed clothes, but it looks pretty much the same as before.”
Ken realized she was only focused on his outfit and not anything else. He was a bit put off. “All my clothes are pretty similar. It saves time. I don’t want to waste time picking out outfits.”
Melody couldn’t help but point out, “You don’t really look like you’re heading to a class reunion. You look more like you’re off to a business meeting.”
Ken shrugged and said, “It’s kind of both. What’s the difference?”
Melody shook her head. “Well, for a reunion, you don’t want to come off as too stiff. You might miss out on making some connections if people think you’re unapproachable. How about we stop by the mall on the way to the Swanson villa? You can pick up something more relaxed.”
Ken was about to refuse, but when he saw the look Melody gave him, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. He just muttered, “Okay.”
So, they headed out together to the mall.
As they drove, Melody brought up Janet. “Aren’t you worried about Miss Murphy? You mentioned she had an accident with Ulric’s guys. What if Ulric makes it difficult for her?”
Ken barely blinked as he replied, “Don’t worry about Sid. He may seem unreliable, but the Quant family reputation speaks for itself.”
Melody couldn’t help but frown. She wanted to point out that Janet’s accident with Ulric’s guys seemed way too coincidental, but she knew Ken wasn’t interested in hearing that theory.
She sighed quietly, deciding not to press further. After all, she had no solid proof, maybe it was just a coincidence.
When they got to the mall, Melody noticed Ken usually went for black and decided to pick out a more relaxed blue outfit for him.
Blue had a soothing effect, and sure enough, when Ken stepped out in the new outfit, his usual serious demeanor seemed to soften.
“That looks great,” Melody said, turning to the sales assistant. “We will take this. Can you pack up the clothes he changed out of?”
“Of course,” the sales assistant said, though she was clearly puzzled. The pair looked like they belonged together, but their styles were so different. She couldn’t help but think, ‘She must be loaded!’
As the assistant went to pack the clothes, Melody and Ken noticed her curious look.
Ken chuckled quietly and said, “Looks like I might be mistaken for a kept man with a rich partner.”
Melody gave him a playful nudge. “Oh, stop it. I’m too broke for you. Just go pay the bill so we can head out.”
Ken chuckled and refused, “Since you’re the one who suggested buying new clothes, I think you should cover the bill.”
Melody shot him a mock glare. “Seriously? This is all because of your social connections.”
Ken shrugged, a playful smirk on his face. “If you’re not paying, I’m not buying.”
Melody, remembering how much she owed him, reluctantly handed over her card.
The sales clerk, seeing the interaction, confirmed her earlier hunch and looked at Ken with a bit of pity. ‘Too bad, such a handsome guy…
Ken noticed her glance but took it in stride, enjoying the moment.
About ten minutes later, they arrived at the Swanson villa. Ken had booked Villa Number 1, and since the parking lot was a bit of a walk, Melody got out of the car first.
As soon as Melody arrived at the entrance of Villa No. 1, she saw Sid and Janet chatting with a few people.
One of them asked, “I heard Ken is married now. Is that true? I haven’t heard anything about it. You two are close to him, right? Is his wife pretty?”
Janet, catching a glimpse of Melody out of the corner of her eye, played it cool and replied with a smirk, “I can’t say if she’s pretty or not, but she’s coming over today. You’ll see for yourself.”
“So, he is married! She must be super gorgeous then,” the other person said.
Janet’s smile turned a bit mocking. “Maybe!”
Sid, looking a bit uncomfortable, chimed in, “Looks aren’t everything. Ken is not that superficial.”
Since Sid’s recent check-up showed high blood pressure, his view of Melody had shifted a bit.
Even though he knew the real story of their marriage, he felt uneasy thinking about how Melody might be judged solely on her looks.
Then, Sid spotted Melody and quickly called out, “Melody!”
The people at the door turned their attention to her. Melody’s appearance, with her red, bumpy skin, caused some startled reactions.
“Who is this?” One guy scrunched up his face and said, “Sid, no offense, but is this your idea of a date? Bringing someone like her? It’s like you’re trying to disgust us and ruin the vibe.”
Sid’s face darkened, but Janet cut in before he could respond. “What are you talking about? She’s Ken’s wife.”
The crowd was taken aback. “Seriously? You’re not kidding, are you?”
Janet enjoyed the surprise on their faces and grinned. “Guys, I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”
She then waved at Melody, calling out with feigned warmth, “Melody, come over here!”
Melody’s hearing was sharp, so she caught the tail end of their conversation. When Janet greeted her with fake enthusiasm, Melody chose to ignore her and just gave Sid a nod.
Janet, on the other hand, was pleased to see Melody’s cold shoulder.
Even if Ken had feelings for Melody, Janet figured he wouldn’t be dumb enough to stay with someone everyone else thought was so unattractive.
Sid, noticing Melody’s greeting, asked with a smile, “Where’s Ken?”
“He’s parking,” Melody replied.
“I see then. I thought he was just running late,” Sid said. “He mentioned he had something urgent to deal with before handling Janet’s accident. Any clue what’s up?”
“Something urgent?” Melody asked, looking confused. “He didn’t mention anything to me.”
When Janet saw this, a dark look crossed her face. It was clear to her now: Ken’s top priority was picking up Melody.
Melody was acting clueless about it, and Janet found it disgusting.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms without her even noticing.