Xander was at a loss, chain-smoking one cigarette after another, his mind becoming more perturbed and helpless with each drag. The more he wanted to make his marriage with Abigail work, the less he knew how to go about it. He was born into business, taught how to conduct it, and possessed a natural talent for it. Over the years, he had never had a failed business, leading many to hail him as a king in the business world. Yet, nobody had ever taught him how to manage a marriage, and he certainly was not a love genius. Faced with what many found an easy task – marriage – he felt like a clueless child, not knowing where to start.He tilted his head back slightly, gazing at the slowly rising moon in the sky, and a memory from many years ago surfaced in his mind.He could not recall how old he had been when the event occurred, but he remembered clearly walking in on his mother in bed with a man he did not recognize. He was too young at the time to understand the concept of betrayal or inf
His voice was not only pleasing to the ear, but the sincerity laced with a hint of helplessness and vulnerability was something Abigail had never seen in him before. As inexperienced in marriage as she was, she found herself wanting to help him."Mr. Zane," she said, "I personally believe the fact that you're even thinking about this is key to the success of your marriage.""Really?" Xander paused before asking, "Let me ask you: what do women expect from their husbands?""I can't speak for all women," she began, "But for me, I don't need my husband to be wealthy. He should be faithful, respect me, my family, my career, and make decisions with me. A married life is definitely something both partners need to work on together." From her perspective, Nathan had already met several of these conditions, which was why she was willing to give him a chance. When he had misunderstood her before, he was still willing to visit her sick grandmother, which showed his respect for elders.Hearing
While Felix and Melody were engaged in an animated debate, Abigail and Xander were unusually quiet. With a top-tier executive in the car, Abigail was entirely focused on driving, barely daring to glance aside.Xander, sitting in the front passenger seat, wanted to strike up a conversation a few times, but could not find a suitable topic. He knew all too well that if he wanted Abigail to engage, it had to relate to work; otherwise, she might brush him off with a polite decline to discuss personal matters. At times, he felt as if his role as the boss was subject to the whims of his assistant. With these thoughts, he shook his head helplessly. 'What could I do? After all, the name on my marriage certificate is Abigail.'Abigail noticed his gesture. "Mr. Zane, is something the matter?"Xander chuckled. "Just thought of something amusing."Abigail responded, "Oh."Xander asked, "Aren't you curious about what's so amusing?"Abigail asked, "May I ask?"Xander reassured her, "You can as
"This gal sure knows how to nurse a grudge. Just called her a little silly a couple times, and she's already ticked off." He chuckled. "If not a little silly, then what? Little smarty?"Abigail remained silent.Xander continued, "You're very intelligent, and you should believe in your own abilities. The Zane Corporation doesn't carry dead weight. You've climbed to your current position through your own hard work, which speaks volumes about your excellence. Don't ever doubt yourself because of anyone, including me, understand?""I understand."His words resonated with her. If she did not believe in her own capabilities, she would not have had the guts to bring up these issues. But his response surprised her once again. He never held back on praising his subordinates and acknowledging their capabilities, which was something only truly competent leaders could do. Unlike some company leaders who constantly belittled their subordinates, claiming they would be worthless without the compa
Malcolm tried to retort, but one icy glance from Xander had him promptly shutting up.Felix, who had just parked the car, approached. "Bullying women all day, what kind of man does that make you?"Melody looked Malcolm up and down with clear disdain. "Just because he looks like a man doesn't mean he acts like one."Her words were not damaging, but they were a massive insult. Malcolm was so enraged he could have swallowed Melody whole. "Xander, you heard that. They're ganging up on me. You can't keep siding with them."Xander replied, "Why is a grown man like you picking a fight with a girl?"Feeling defeated, Malcolm admitted he should act like a bigger person. "Alright, I'll listen to you. Why should I, a grown man, argue with a little girl? Wise men have said that petty men and women are hard to deal with. Why bother?"Melody shot back, "Who are you calling petty?"Malcolm smirked. "If the shoe fits.""You lousy male chauvinist. You're asking for it!"Furious, Melody lunged
As they chatted, the waiter began serving the food. Despite being a North Floriveran restaurant, they respected local customs. The first dish was a slow-cooked, nourishing soup. Floriverans enjoyed a bowl of soup before their meal, warming their stomachs for the main course. With the day being gloomy and cold, starting with a soup could not be more fitting.After ladling the soup, the server first handed it to Xander, who sat at the head of the table. Xander promptly passed it to Abigail on his right. "You first."Abigail smiled. "Thank you."Malcolm clicked his tongue. "So, you only see the person on your right and totally ignore me on your left, huh?"No one paid him any mind. The dishes were served in succession. The Parlour served North Floriveran cuisine, a favorite of Abigail and her friends. Xander had also mentioned that he was learning to appreciate North Floriveran food, so Abigail had ordered a couple of lighter dishes for him.Like Xander, Malcolm was a local Florivera
Malcolm was merely grumbling whimsically but had already figured out an answer himself. He did not need Xander to answer.Yet Xander answered, anyway, "It's because my wife is a North Floriveran, so I'm learning to cook North Floriveran dishes."Malcolm stared at Xander as if seeing a ghost, and a loud voice popped out in his mind saying, 'Xander is done for!'Xander, who avoided the opposite sex for twenty years, used to think being in a relationship was a waste of time. Now, he had changed his dietary habits that had lasted for more than twenty years for a woman.'Is he still Xander Zane? Could he be possessed by some other spirit?' Malcolm thought.Malcolm thought that Xander would definitely regret this one day and said, "Then you can learn to eat North Floriveran cuisine. I'm still used to eating our Floriveran dishes. They're much lighter and nutritious."Once he said that, Melody grew mad again. "What do you mean?"Malcolm questioned her back, "What do you mean?"Melody
Melody raised her head and glanced at him before saying, "What a pansy."Malcolm turned around to ask her, "What did you say?"Melody retorted, "If you're not eating, you should leave. Stop affecting our appetite.""I'll leave then. Who would want to eat with you anyways." After Malcolm left, he instantly regretted it. 'Am I a buffoon? Why did I leave just because someone told me to?' he wondered. With nowhere to go, he moved toward the smoking section."Malcolm?" Hearing someone call for him, Malcolm immediately turned around. Almost everyone was meeting and gathering here today; even Max was here at this North Floriveran restaurant."Is it really you? When did you like North Floriveran cuisine?" Max walked toward Malcolm while asking, "Could it be that your new girlfriend is a North Floriveran?"Malcolm was still furious. "What new girlfriend? I just went to the wrong place. What about you? Why did you come to this kind of place?"Max lit a cigarette and said, "One of the boss