The Strange Groom's Cursed Bride-Chapter 50: Thinning line

The ride back was... painfully silent.

Outside, city lights streaked like lazy comets, and a soft pitter-patter of drizzle tapped against the roof. No open sunroof this time, which only made the silence more awkward. Alice wanted to die for real. She wouldn’t have much regrets since she’d met her idol already.

The tension sat between them like a third passenger—heavy, oppressive, and smelling faintly of unspoken drama and melted ice cream.

Alice sat rigidly in her seat, hands folded tightly in her lap. Her puffy eyes had calmed somewhat, though her face still bore the faint signs of her earlier breakdown. She had dabbed at her face in the restroom, trying to salvage what little dignity remained, but without any makeup to touch up, it was a spectacular mess. What was worse? Her stomach felt utterly revolted. She’d had to eat every bit of that colossal ice cream under his watchful gaze. He hadn’t explicitly forced her, but she’d felt obliged. And for some reason, he’d looked pleased. Not with her, but with himself, as if he’d pulled off some special feat. The man was impossible to read.

But now, he sat beside her, as silent as a statue. His profile—sharp, clean, terrifyingly beautiful—was illuminated in flashes by the passing city lights. His fingers rested on the armrest, long and elegant, while his other hand loosely gripped the steering wheel as if the powerful machine beneath them was hardly worth his effort.

Alice hated that she noticed. But she couldn’t pretend she didn’t. Even though he was an arrogant, cold-blooded demon in human form, blackmailing her for a staggering 10 million, it didn’t stop him from being undeniably attractive. It wasn’t fair.

The silence stretched longer, thick enough to cut with a spoon.

After several minutes, Hades finally spoke, his voice deep and steady, as though the restaurant drama had never happened. "Tomorrow evening, we are attending dinner at the Cresswells’."

His voice startled her, snapping her out of her frustrated internal battle. That. Suddenly, the dread she had meticulously pushed aside came rushing back. Cresswell. Hardy Cresswell.

Alice swallowed, unsure what to say without setting off Hades’s alarm bells. But he spoke before she could think of anything. "Appearances must be maintained."

Appearances. What did he mean?

She turned to look at him. "You want me to... act wifely?" she hesitated.

His eyes flickered toward her for a brief second before returning to the road. "Would you prefer to act husbandly?"

A beat.

Wait a minute.

Was she alive to witness Hades being sarcastic?

She tucked in her lips, trying to hide the amusement, but she couldn’t stop it. A choked laugh escaped her. "Are you... making a joke right now?" she asked, genuinely amused. However, seeing his perpetually stoic face, she quickly straightened, settling back into her seat. "Sorry," she said awkwardly, clearing her throat.

He was quiet for a moment, as if carefully considering his next move. Finally, he replied, "Just stay close to me. Speak little."

Her stomach twisted—part from nerves, part from irritation. The controlling nature of this entire arrangement sometimes made her feel like a well-dressed prop. Still... when he said stay close to me, a ridiculous flutter stirred in her chest. She crushed it ruthlessly. Her voice came out softer than intended. "How close?" she wondered.

"Would you try to strangle me again for touching you? You know... like normal couples touch and hold each other? Not like we are normal. But if you’re asking me to maintain appearances, you need to consider this," she rambled, the words tumbling out.

The silence resumed, as if she hadn’t just poured out a stream of anxious thoughts.

"Look, I know you don’t like me," she tried again. "And honestly, I’m not sure what happened with your entire family, but we both know I was not supposed to end up with you. So don’t you think I also feel some grievance? Or you don’t feel pity for me that now I’m even made to serve in the kitchen? Being locked in that apartment? And my so-called husband doesn’t want me to move in with him and also blackmails me to pay him 10 million?" She paused to breathe for a second and then continued, "And yes, I admit I caused a lot of trouble because I had decided to leave the apartment that night you found me. But what would you have had me do if you were in my shoes? I needed... to breathe."

Yes. The emotional blackmail. She was going to squeeze the guilt out of him.

If he was kind enough to provide her with that huge ice cream when she cried and had also brought her out of the estate without her asking, then he, at least, had a heart inside of him.

She wanted to trust that—

But then, his quiet voice surprised her.

"You prefer marrying Dawin?"

Alice blinked, stunned by the question. Of all the things she had thrown at him, that was what he latched onto?

She swallowed, unsure whether to lie or tell the truth. The drizzle outside made blurry halos around the streetlights, as if even the city itself was holding its breath.

That was when she realized she wasn’t exactly sure what was a lie and what was the truth. Would she have preferred marrying Dawin instead?

The answer that came to her mind swiftly, made her... confused.

"No," she said softly. "I... never wanted to marry Dawin. I didn’t want any of this." She hesitated, realizing how small her voice sounded in the cavernous silence of the luxury car. "But that doesn’t mean I wanted you either."

The words hung there, vulnerable and sharp all at once. She risked a glance at him, but his face was unreadable as always, his eyes fixed on the road.

"I see," was all he said.

And yet... the atmosphere inside the car subtly shifted, as though something unspoken settled between them.

The rest of the drive passed in heavy silence until the car finally pulled to a smooth stop outside Block A.

She was back in this prison.

The drizzle outside had thickened into a light rain, softly hissing against the car’s windows.

Just as she reached for the door handle, Hades moved first.

Without a word, he reached into the console between them, pulled out a black compact umbrella, pressed the button to release its canopy, and handed it toward her without looking.

The gesture stunned her more than any words could have. Not because it was grand or romantic—it was painfully simple—but because it was... considerate.

That wasn’t Hades’s style.

She took it slowly, her fingers brushing his briefly. His skin was warm. Hers was cold.

"Thank you," she whispered, almost afraid to break the fragile peace.

She stepped out, opened the umbrella, and paused, glancing back through the door before gently closing it.

But before she could fully turn away, the passenger window rolled down and his voice called after her. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Aurora."

She froze, heart leaping against her will, turning slowly to meet his gaze through the drizzle.

His face remained unreadable as ever, but his eyes locked on hers.

"You... are ugly when you cry."

Her breath caught in her throat—half insult, half... strange, almost teasing observation. Before she could form any reply, the car’s window slid back up, and the vehicle pulled smoothly away, disappearing into the rain-slicked estate driveway towards his Block.

Alice stood there a moment longer under the umbrella, blinking.

She didn’t know whether to laugh, scream, or cry again.

What the hell was wrong with him?

And—more alarmingly—what was wrong with her that her stomach had flipped a little at hearing her name from his lips? Even though it wasn’t her name.

The moment Hades entered his apartment, his team straightened as if on cue. Milo, Gavin, Clarisse, and Rowan were already gathered, standing in a loose semicircle near the center of the room like soldiers awaiting orders after a covert operation that involved... well, they weren’t quite sure what yet.

The door clicked shut behind him. His coat was removed with a swift, practiced motion, tossed casually onto a nearby chair.

They watched him closely. Quietly.

Gavin turned off his vape and looked at Hades, almost suspiciously. "Well?" Gavin ventured, his tone casual. "Everything handled?"

Hades’s cold gaze swept over them. "It’s handled."

Silence.

Handled.

That was all they were getting? After summoning them into an emergency group call because his "wife" was crying in public, that was his full debrief?

Milo exchanged a knowing glance with Rowan, who was already stifling the urge to roll his eyes so hard they might pop out. Clarisse’s lips pressed into a tight line, silently begging anyone to say something—anything—before the awkwardness choked them all like a bad tie.

Milo, as always, took the initiative. He smiled lightly, adopting his most diplomatic tone, as though discussing a minor business proposal involving artisanal cheese. "Boss... with your permission, I’d like to offer a few suggestions. For tomorrow’s dinner at the Cresswells’."