Bondage and Marriage - 71

“Sir, the Chairman is unavailable.”

In response to Noah’s question about whether Ian was inside, Daniel answered with an embarrassed expression. Daniel’s eyes looked a bit tired, almost like he hadn’t slept much. Even while talking to Noah, Daniel kept glancing at his watch, holding a stack of documents in his arms.

“Suddenly, for some reason, I haven’t seen him in three days. I have my limits handling things on his behalf.”

Daniel sighed deeply and complained. Noah blinked in surprise when he heard that Ian hadn’t even come to the office. He hadn’t expected that. Seeing how heavy the stack of documents seemed, Noah reached out to help, but Daniel waved his hand in refusal and asked.

“Could it be… that he hasn’t even returned to the mansion?”

“That’s… Yes.”

At Noah’s response, Daniel sighed again, lamenting. How old is he, yet running away from home after an argument with his wife…? He said goodbye, claiming he had to leave because he was busy, and quickly disappeared into the Chairman’s office. Watching Daniel’s back, Noah felt puzzled. When did I ever say anything to Daniel about any conflict between Ian and me (even if it was almost one-sided)? How does he know about the argument…?

Noah, who had come to the office to find Ian, sat down in the lobby after getting no results. So, according to Daniel, today was already the third day since Ian had supposedly “run away.”

The morning after asking for a divorce, Noah had come downstairs to breakfast feeling a little restless. To his surprise, only his meal was prepared on the table. Although they had often eaten together recently, sometimes Ian would leave early for work, so Noah assumed it was just one of those times. But that day, Ian didn’t come for lunch or dinner, nor did he even return to the mansion.

On the first day, Noah thought Ian might be busy with work, but by the third day, he was sure Ian was purposely avoiding him. No, I didn’t even know I would say I’d leave the mansion.

Seeing Ian’s firm resolve not to get divorced, Noah felt his own plans starting to falter. At this rate, even if he wanted a divorce, it wasn’t just difficult to get one—it was hard to even meet Ian. What is going on? If I’m not careful, it seems like Ian’s business will fall apart. Trying to get a divorce is difficult, and now I’ve kicked the master of the house out of his own home.

“Ugh…”

Noah shivered unconsciously as he muttered the word. What was I even trying to say? But thinking about it, it seemed plausible. Pretend to be innocent and enjoy everything, make him fall in love, make him choose my side even at the cost of business losses… As Noah thought about all of it, he shook his head. No, that’s not going to work. First, I need to find Ian and get him back to the mansion. Hayden is worrying every day, and Daniel looks exhausted with dark circles under his eyes…

Noah tried calling Ian again that day, but the phone rang a few times and then abruptly disconnected. It was a subtle way of rejecting the call without answering. Needless to say, messages wouldn’t be answered either.

“Where could Ian be…”

Feeling guilty when thinking about Hayden, who was worried that the master hadn’t returned to the mansion for so long, and Daniel, who was suffering from exhaustion due to the lack of Ian, Noah was lost in thought. He gave up and stood up, when suddenly, his phone rang.

“Ah…”

Thinking it was Ian finally responding, Noah quickly checked the screen, but instead of Ian’s name, it was “Father.” Feeling a bit nervous, Noah carefully pressed the call button and answered with a forced cheerful voice.

• Noah, is that you?

“Yes, Father. What’s going on?”

The tenor’s voice was very warm and friendly, which made Noah even more nervous. If it had been his usual blunt tone, Noah would have felt better…

• Have you thought about visiting home? It’s been hard to see you since you got married. You’ve been there for three months now, so it wouldn’t hurt to spend a few days at home, would it?

“Ah…”

After talking to William, Noah immediately realized that if he went home, it would mean he wouldn’t be going back to the Miller mansion for a long time. It wasn’t just going back, but as William had said, if his father was angry and still had bad feelings toward Ian after the last visit to the Miller mansion (which was likely the case), the divorce would probably proceed right there… Noah didn’t think that would be the case. Instead of avoiding the conversation or refusing, Noah answered in the same cheerful tone.

“I’d love to stay at home. I’ll visit in three weeks. Ian is busy with work and can’t take time off right now. I regret he had to go to the last birthday party alone because I wasn’t feeling well.”

• Hmm… I see. Well… if you both come together, it would be better.

By indirectly mentioning that she would visit with Ian, Noah noticed her father reluctantly agreeing, though he obviously preferred Noah to come alone. Noah, with a bright voice, said she’d visit when the date was set and ended the call. She sighed deeply.

“Now… I really have to find Ian.”

He couldn’t be out of the country, could he? Well, whatever… If he still doesn’t come back by then, or if he’s gone overseas, I’ll have done all I can. Finding someone who’s gone abroad was impossible for Noah. Even now, she had checked all the places Ian might be around town, but nothing came of it. Ian wasn’t at any of the villas he owned in the city or nearby areas. He wouldn’t be sleeping on the streets, so he must be staying at a hotel, but with the number of hotels around here—even if she looked for a four-star one, there were so many…

“Ah? Now that I think about it, the hotel…”

Noah suddenly remembered Tear. On the surface, it was disguised as a perfect hotel, but once you passed the entrance, a different world unfolded. It was also the place where Ian was… the president.

“Why didn’t I think of that…”

It seemed that Noah had been deliberately trying to act like he wasn’t interested, so he naturally excluded it from his mind. Why didn’t I think of Tear? It’s my hometown, after all.

“Alright, then… I’ll do some shopping while I’m at it.”

Last time, Ian had caught him and unintentionally caused a misunderstanding, but Noah was confident that he wouldn’t be caught this time. Since that day, he hadn’t been able to satisfy his desires at all, and it had been exactly as long as Ian had been gone. He would go there, pick up the items he had left, and maybe buy one or two new things…

This time, he had a good excuse in case he was caught. He could always say he came to look for Ian. Noah carefully avoided the limousine waiting in front of the company and stopped by a store to buy a hoodie and change into it. After pulling the hood up to his head, putting on sunglasses, and securing his mask, Noah looked very suspicious, but he was satisfied with the fact that no one would be able to recognize him.

Besides, people in Tear often covered their faces anyway… He folded the sunglasses and mask neatly and stuffed them into his pocket before getting into a taxi toward Tear. As soon as he got out of the taxi, Noah quickly put his sunglasses and mask back on. Great, now he just had to get inside.

Entering Tear after a long time, Noah felt very happy. It had probably been three months. He used to come at least once a week, but lately, he hadn’t been able to visit at all. Last time, he had only seen the entrance.

“If Ian is here, he’s probably on the top floor…”

The upper floors of the hotel were made up of hotel rooms, and since Ian was the president, if he were here, he would be occupying the best room. Noah was willing to bet even his most prized toy on it. Tear had tight security, and the higher up you went, the more intense the security. Noah wondered if there was any way he could find out if Ian was here…

He stood still for a moment, looking around. People passed by with sticky vibes, but it seemed like none of them would tell him where Ian was. Maybe they would try to act like they knew the president and say something like, “Noah Frost came to see you…”

Or maybe he should just stop by Tear’s adult shop first. Noah stood there, debating. After meeting Ian, he probably wouldn’t have a chance to buy anything. It seemed better to shop first. After deciding, he lifted his head and noticed a man glancing at him from the side. Since it was such a common occurrence in Tear, Noah ignored him and headed to the floor where the adult store was located.

“Welcome.”

A familiar employee greeted him politely. This was the staff member who always welcomed him warmly whenever he visited the adult shop. Since Noah was covering his face, the employee didn’t recognize him. Tear required a membership card to purchase anything, so he would eventually figure out who Noah was when it came time to pay, but for now, Noah pretended not to know him and headed to the display shelves.

“There are quite a few new products…”

Tear consistently released new products or improved upon previous ones every month. Since it had been three months since Noah had last visited, there were several items he had never seen before. As he walked slowly down the display shelves, he swallowed dryly. Ah, this one looks good… this one seems nice too…

Since Ian was being like this, Noah thought his chances of satisfying his own preferences for play were pretty slim for the time being. He felt the need to at least relieve his urges in some way. He didn’t want to buy too much, so he decided to pick up something that looked like regular items. He moved away from a section labeled “Monster.”

He paused for a moment, staring at a male android in the middle of the store, before finally reaching the section he was aiming for and browsing through the shelves. It was a display that looked like ordinary items, and though nothing particularly caught his eye, Noah was able to pick out a vibrator that looked like a massager and a n1pple clamp that resembled a keychain.

“That should be enough,” Noah thought as he turned around and headed toward the counter. However, a rather familiar person was standing behind the counter. It was the manager of the adult shop, the man who was practically the owner and developer of all the products.

“Hey, Noah. Long time no see.”

Noah, who had been casually walking toward the counter, jumped in surprise. For a moment, he wondered if his mask or sunglasses had fallen off, but they were still securely on his face. He had met a few familiar people on the way here, but none of them had recognized him. Mikhail smiled broadly.

“Hello, Mikhail. Um, how did you know it was me?”

“I have a good eye. I’ve done some work finding people before.”

Finding people…? Noah, still puzzled, was glad he didn’t have to bother pulling out his membership card, and he placed his selected items on the counter. It had been a long time since he last saw Mikhail. Usually, Mikhail was holed up in an office or workshop, so he was a busy person, and Noah only saw him once every couple of months.

“Is that all you’re buying today? And it’s probably not enough, is it?”

Mikhail raised an eyebrow as he looked at the small vibrator and n1pple clamps Noah had placed on the counter.

“Well, there’s a bit of a situation…”

“Hm, wait a minute. It’s a new product coming out next month… Here.”

Mikhail pulled out something that clearly resembled a thin pen. The middle part was slightly bumpy to prevent slipping, and no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a pen. When Noah looked confused, Mikhail proudly explained.

“It looks like a pen, but it’s a urethral plug.”

“Ah…”

It was thicker than the one Ian had used last time, but since the shape seemed like it could only be used there, Noah nodded. And then he heard Mikhail’s next words, which made his eyes light up.

“The best part is that it also delivers electrical stimulation. Since you’re a VIP, I’ll give it to you as a bonus.”

Noah didn’t hesitate to accept it and thanked Mikhail. He immediately tried it out, and his fingers tingled as he held it. It had a nice texture, with appropriate bumps, and it was small enough to hide easily. It looked like a pen, which made it perfect for blending in. It would be a little tricky to clean, but that wasn’t a big deal.

“By the way, I’ve noticed you haven’t been visiting Tear much lately. I guess you’re really enjoying married life.”

While slowly ringing up the purchase, Mikhail asked. Noah briefly wondered how Mikhail knew about his marriage, but he realized he had talked about it to more people than just Alex, so it must have reached Mikhail.

“Hmm, it’s just…”

Noah smiled awkwardly and shrugged. After finishing the purchase, Mikhail kindly packed it for him and placed it in Tear’s signature box before asking, “So, how’s married life treating you?”

Noah, who had been paying attention to the pen Mikhail gave him, blinked in surprise.

“It’s… amazing.”

“Well, now that I smell the pheromones you’re giving off, I can tell. You must be really jealous.”

Noah, who had gotten used to Ian’s alpha pheromones, tilted his head. After hearing Mikhail’s words, he thought maybe it was a bit stronger than usual.

“If it’s extreme, it must be exactly what you like. Then why are you here?”

Mikhail, who had packed all the items into a shopping bag, thought for a moment and rummaged through the counter. He pulled out a handful of things and dumped them into Noah’s bag. From what he could see, there were condoms, gels, and even eggs that were only given with a certain purchase amount. Noah felt happy with Mikhail’s generosity today and started talking freely.

“It used to be really good, but lately, it’s just… too much…”

“Not like before?”

“Well… you know my preferences. I like it rough. But lately, it hasn’t been like that…”

Mikhail, who kept rummaging through things even after adding all kinds of samples and freebies, smiled slyly at Noah’s words.

“Of course, if it’s you, not just a little, but really rough, right? Michael said the last time you were down in the basement, it was amazing.”

Michael? Oh, Michael. After thinking for a moment, Noah remembered who Michael was. Before getting married, he was the beta who had played the role of a police officer during the last “cop and criminal” roleplay with Alex at the club. As Noah was trying to remember, Mikhail added a few more items to the bag, things Noah had never seen before. It looked like a vibrator with spikes… or maybe a ring decorated with spikes, but before Noah could look properly, Mikhail quickly closed the box. It was so packed that it wouldn’t close properly.

Noah thought, It’s hard to take this much… but he packed the box carefully. He would just take two or three items, and leave the rest here for storage. When Noah thanked Mikhail sincerely, Mikhail gave him a strange, smiling look.

“Thank you? For what?”

“By the way, have you seen someone named Ian Miller here?”

Noah suddenly remembered about Ian and asked. Since Mikhail ran this adult store, Noah thought he might know Ian. As expected, Mikhail rested his chin on his hand and grinned.

“Of course. I’ve seen him.”

Noah brightened at those words.

“Then… can you tell me where he is?”

As Noah asked, he didn’t expect a positive answer. Even regular hotels wouldn’t give out information about their guests, let alone someone like Ian, who was the owner of Tear. But unexpectedly, Mikhail nodded solemnly. Then, what he said froze Noah.

“Of course. It’s easy. He’s been standing right behind you the whole time.”

“…What?”

Noah doubted his ears, but Mikhail just smiled, looking very amused. Suddenly, the air behind him felt very cold, and Noah tensed. Somehow, the strong pheromone of Ian that he had been sensing earlier seemed to be getting even stronger… Terrified, Noah slowly turned around. Usually, when Ian approached silently, Noah would be startled, but nothing could compare to the shock he felt now.

Ian, wearing only a shirt and pants, his slightly messy hair, was standing right behind him, smiling brightly. Noah gulped, then awkwardly chuckled.