Chapter 146 | Just Friends, Nothing Else…
Dexter blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Rachel?"
Her smile widened briefly—then shifted into an exaggerated pout.
"Dexter," she said, her voice carrying a teasing edge. "You came to the Hero Association and didn’t inform me?" She placed a hand on her chest. "I’m slightly hurt by that."
Dexter scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I wasn’t coming here for anything related to your department. I only came to receive my promotion. That’s why I didn’t visit."
Rachel’s pout softened into a genuine smile. "Yes, I heard about your feat. They said you fought alongside Aurora, Kinetic Man, and Bullet Spear Man during the outbreak." Her green eyes widened with interest. "It must have been quite the scene, right?"
Dexter nodded modestly. "It was quite all right. I only assisted a bit."
Rachel laughed softly, shaking her head. "Don’t be modest. I heard you saved more than ten heroes’ lives during the monster outbreak. You should be quite proud of yourself."
She fell into step beside him as they walked toward the main exit. The corridor was busy with heroes and staff moving between departments.
"Almost everyone is starting to learn about the hero who saves other heroes," she continued, her voice carrying a note of genuine admiration. "That’s quite the title, you know."
Dexter was quite stunned.
’The hero who saves other heroes?’
He hadn’t thought of it that way.
But the title was different than "the bastard son of the Ashford family" or "the man who married three cripples."
Dexter smiled faintly but said nothing.
They reached the main entrance. The massive glass doors slid open, letting in the afternoon sunlight and the distant sounds of the city.
A brief silence settled between them as they walked.
Rachel broke the silence first.
"So," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Where are you heading? Are you going home right now?"
Dexter nodded. "Yeah, I just need to pick up a couple of things at the mall before heading home."
Rachel’s green eyes brightened. "Why don’t I take you for lunch? I’m on my break anyway." She smiled warmly. "I know a restaurant nearby."
Dexter was stunned.
’Why do women feel the need to take me for lunch?’
He was supposed to be the one asking women for lunch. But now, for the second time, a woman was asking ’him’ out for a meal. First Violette, now Rachel.
Dexter shook his head. "No, I have quite a lot of things to do at home."
Rachel nodded, her smile dimming slightly. "Oh, your wives. How are they?" She forced a smile. "How are they? I hope the house renovation was up to their standards?"
Dexter nodded. "It’s holding quite all right."
He paused. He had been about to mention the cabinet incident—how the wall-mounted cabinet had nearly crushed Selene’s skull. But something stopped him.
If he told Rachel about the cabinet, she would immediately offer to inspect the house. She would use it as a reason to visit—citing safety concerns, Association protocols, or follow-up evaluations. And once she was inside the bungalow, Mira, Lyra, and Selene would not let it go.
The first time Rachel had visited, when she hugged him on the porch and mentioned their kiss at the hotel bar, the girls had nearly destroyed the living room.
A second visit would be worse. Especially now that the girls were cultivating again, their powers were growing, and their tolerance for perceived threats to their household had not improved.
And Rachel worked for the Hero Association.
So Dexter said nothing about the cabinet.
"The house is holding quite all right," he repeated. "The renovation was okay."
Rachel nodded. "All right."
She was quiet for a moment, then glanced at him sideways. "I’m assuming if I offer to drive you home, you would also decline."
Her tone was bitter, carrying an edge of accusation.
Dexter replied awkwardly. "I’m sorry about that, but I’m afraid I have to decline."
Then Rachel spoke again in a much quieter tone.
"So... am I really that difficult to be around?"
Dexter blinked. He turned to look at her. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, her jaw tight, her posture stiff.
The playful, confident woman who had greeted him at the elevator was gone, replaced by someone more vulnerable—someone who was genuinely asking.
"What?" Dexter said.
"Every time I offer to help, you politely refuse. Lunch, a ride, even a simple conversation." She sighed softly, the sound carrying a weight that surprised him. "It makes me wonder if I’m doing something wrong."
Dexter shook his head immediately. "You’re not."
"Then what is it?"
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The honest answer was complicated, and he wasn’t sure how to deliver it without sounding either arrogant or insulting. But something about Rachel’s expression—the genuine confusion and hurt in her eyes—made him choose honesty over deflection.
"Because I already have three wives waiting for me at home."
Rachel stared at him, her brow creasing. "What?"
Dexter continued, his voice measured but firm. "I don’t want to create misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?"
He nodded. Rachel was silent.
Dexter looked up at the sky. The afternoon sun hung high above the Association compound, casting long shadows across the polished courtyard. He watched a distant hero streak across the sky, leaving a faint trail of light.
"They’ve already been through enough," he said quietly. "The last thing I want is to make them feel insecure."
Rachel frowned. The silence between them stretched for several paces.
Then she spoke, her voice carrying a note of frustration.
"I just want to be friends," she said. "Simply friends with no strings attached. You’re a good person. You took in three strangers without complaining. Making you one of the rarest men out there with a good heart."
She sighed and continued. " I just want to be friends with a good person like you." She turned to face him, her green eyes earnest.
"How is that going to create a misunderstanding?"
Dexter frowned as he studied her face carefully, searching for any trace of hidden intent.
"Just friends?" he asked. "Nothing else?"
Rachel nodded her head confidently. "Yes. Just friends. Nothing else."