Husband With Benefits-Chapter 877: A Chance

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."

Cai narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Oh, I’m aware you find her attractive. Soon enough, the whole world will too, no doubt."

Rafe winced at the jab but held his ground. "Look," he said, his tone softening, "I know things didn’t exactly progress in the... traditional order. But I care about her, Cai. I’ll take care of everything moving forward. Trust me."

Cai’s lips curved into a smile then, but it was far from friendly. There was something cold and calculating in his expression, a sharpness that made Rafe uneasy.

"Trust you?" Cai stepped closer, forcing Rafe to straighten up. "Rafe, let me be very clear. Bell has... issues. Things from her past that she’s still grappling with. I’m trusting you to protect her—not just from the ghosts of her past, but from all the problems that come with being involved with someone like you."

Rafe stiffened but remained silent, sensing there was more to come.

"And another thing," Cai added, his voice cutting like steel. "My hands are far too precious to waste punching you. But if you hurt her—physically, emotionally, or in any other way—I won’t hesitate to use my scalpel. Do I make myself clear?"

Rafe swallowed hard, his usual charm faltering under his friend’s icy gaze. "Crystal," he replied, his voice steady but quieter than usual.

Cai stepped back, satisfied, though the edge in his demeanor hadn’t dulled. "Good," he said simply, turning on his heel and striding away from the room with one last sentence," Take care of her, okay?"

Rafe exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as he watched Cai disappear.

A few minutes later, Rafe entered the room and could already feel Arabelle searching his face, looking for signs of a scuffle for sure. "Where is he?" She asked eventually when she did not find him hurt.

"What? Do you want to check him for injuries as well?"

Arabelle blushed. Well, she was worried about the men punching each other. She’d seen more than her share of ’brawls’ between her uncles who seemed to think a few punches were the best way to solve things.

"Well, don’t worry. We didn’t hit each other."

Arabelle nodded and exhaled slowly," Well, that is a relief."

But then Rafe continued," He’s only threatened to use his scalpel on me if I hurt you."

"I’m sorry," she murmured, guilt creeping into her tone. "Cai’s just... he means well. He’s always been—"

Rafe cut her off with a gentle wave of his hand. "No need to apologize," he said firmly. "Honestly, I’d expect nothing less from someone who cares about you. Besides," he added with a lopsided grin, "I’m planning to make sure the threat stays purely hypothetical. I have no intention of hurting you, Arabelle."

"Now, it’s really late. Should we sleep? You will be discharged tomorrow." Rafe closed the distance between them and leaned over her. Arabelle stiffened at the sudden closeness, her breath catching in her throat. "I can do that," she protested weakly, leaning back to put some distance between them.

Rafe ignored her attempt to pull away, his hands steady as he adjusted the incline of the bed and fluffed the pillows. Once satisfied, he reached for the blanket and tucked it around her snugly, his movements careful but firm.

"There," he said, stepping back slightly but still hovering close. His voice dropped to a murmur. "Let’s get some sleep, okay?"

Arabelle’s heart raced as she nodded, unable to find her voice. He was indeed a kind man. She could not burden him with the past. That would be wrong. Having a baby with him would mean tying him to her forever. And once he knew of the past, he would be in complete favour of not keeping ties with her. So, it was for the best if she did not get herself too attached.

On the other hand, as Rafe went to lay down on the visitor bed, he could not help but keep stealing glances Arabelle. Tomorrow would be a new day and they might have a new beginning. He’d thought about it. He might not want to pressure her but his child still deserved a chance of someone speaking up for it. Whatever she chose, he would accept it but he was going to try and convince her at least once.