The Live‑In Son‑In‑Law Who Ruled The World

Chapter 5 — The Seat That Was Never His

Alexander lay on the soft bed, staring quietly at the ceiling. The faint light of dawn slowly filtered through the curtains, painting pale streaks across the quiet bedroom. The house remained still and undisturbed, as though nothing had changed overnight.

But inside Alexander, everything had changed.

He had not slept at all, not even for a minute. It was the first time in his life that he had stayed awake the entire night. Strangely, his body did not feel tired. Instead, his mind felt unusually clear, as if the sleepless night had stripped away the last traces of hesitation in his heart.

Because of his past experiences and harsh training, he had come to view pain not as suffering, but as a test of endurance he was meant to overcome.

Alexander slowly sat up; the injuries from yesterday had mostly healed, leaving only faint bloodstains on his shirt.

The torn fabric still marked the spot where the champagne rack had struck him. He glanced at his arm and found that not even a scar remained.

For someone like him, this level of injury meant almost nothing. However, the wound in his heart had only deepened overnight.

At that moment, the faint sound of a car engine came from outside. Shortly afterward, footsteps echoed through the hallway, followed by the sound of the front door opening. Aurelia’s voice drifted faintly into the room, but she was not alone. Her best friend had come with her.

Today was the day Aurelia planned to make him apologize to Nah Virel, and her friend had clearly come along to support her.

Their footsteps approached the bedroom. Without knocking, the door was pushed open.

Aurelia walked in directly, followed by her friend. "Didn't I tell you yesterday that you need to apologize today?" Aurelia said sharply, her tone filled with impatience. "Why are you still not up?"

Alexander slowly sat upright. His pajamas were slightly open, exposing part of his chest. His broad shoulders, firm muscles, and powerful physique were immediately visible.

Despite being a househusband for years, he had never stopped training, and his body still carried the strength and discipline of someone accustomed to intense physical conditioning.

Both women froze for a moment.

Aurelia's friend blinked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at Alexander. His physique was impressive, with broad shoulders, defined muscles, and perfect proportions, as though he had stepped straight out of a professional photoshoot. Even the male models they had hired for the bar previously did not compare.

Aurelia frowned as a strange irritation rose within her chest. "Dressed like this…" she muttered, her tone sharpening. "Who are you trying to seduce? Go change into something proper before coming out."

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she quickly grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her outside. The door closed behind them.

Aurelia's friend let out a soft breath, her thoughts briefly drifting as the image lingered in her mind. She quickly suppressed her reaction and returned to a calm expression before probing cautiously.

"Are you sure you want Alexander to apologize?" she asked gently. "He didn't really do anything wrong yesterday."

Aurelia rolled her eyes, clearly displeased. "Are you my best friend or his? Why are you defending him?"

She crossed her arms, her expression turning colder. "He may not have done anything wrong," Aurelia admitted, "but he offended my guest."

Her voice softened slightly as she continued. "Do you know how long I've waited for him to return?"

Her expression grew complicated, and she hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Even though Alexander is my husband… there's a world of difference between them."

Her tone became quieter, yet the meaning behind her words grew heavier. "One of them is like dust… while the other is like a shining star."

Inside the room, Alexander had already changed his clothes. As he approached the door, he heard every word clearly. His heart tightened involuntarily. Although the wounds on his body had healed, he instinctively touched his chest, as if the pain still lingered beneath the surface.

He pushed the door open. Aurelia froze slightly, her expression stiffening as she realized he had likely heard everything.

Her friend quickly raised her hand in greeting. "Hey," she said with a gentle smile. "I heard you were injured while saving Aurelia yesterday. Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Alexander nearly lost his composure. Even someone he barely knew showed concern, yet his own wife had not asked about his condition even once. At that moment, he finally understood that indifference was simply indifference. "I'm fine," he replied softly, nodding slightly. "Thank you for your concern, ma'am."

Aurelia let out a faint sneer. "He was pretending yesterday," she said dismissively. "Otherwise, how could he recover so quickly? There's not even a scar left."

Alexander tried to explain. "I—"

However, Aurelia interrupted him immediately. "I don't want to hear it. You're just trying to mislead me."

Silence filled the hallway for a brief moment. Then Alexander spoke in a calm but cold tone. "You've been like this since yesterday. You never believe anything I say, and you keep interrupting me before I can even finish."

He paused briefly before continuing. "If that's the case… let's go."

With that, he walked forward first. Aurelia's friend watched him thoughtfully; the injury yesterday had been real, and even Nah had confirmed it. Yet Alexander had recovered unusually fast. 

She quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought as unrealistic, though she quietly kept the possibility in mind.

Outside, Alexander walked toward the passenger seat, but Aurelia stopped him. "That seat…" she said firmly, "is reserved for him. It's always been like that."

Her friend laughed lightly as she explained, "They were childhood sweethearts when they used to play house; she was always the bride, he was the groom, and I played their child."

Alexander stepped back silently and moved to the rear seat instead. The car soon sped forward.

As Alexander looked out the window, a strange feeling grew inside him. It seemed that from today onward, the distance between them would only grow wider.

They soon arrived at Nah Virel's house, where he joined them, and afterward they drove together to a café.

Before entering, Alexander noticed several strange glances directed at him, then a waiter stepped forward and blocked his path politely. "Sorry, sir… we're not hiring part-time workers at the moment."

Silence fell instantly.

Aurelia looked embarrassed and spoke hesitantly. "Honey… maybe we should go somewhere else."

Nah stepped forward calmly. "He's with us," Nah said.

The waiter shook his head. "VIPs only."

Nah turned slightly and looked at Aurelia. "Should I call the owner?"

Aurelia nodded.

Nah took out his phone, preparing to make the call. However, before he could dial, Alexander sighed softly and pressed his hand down gently. His voice was calm and composed. "And who said that I need help?"