A chill swept over Xander's face as he said in a firm voice, "I don't enjoy such jokes."Samantha laughed. "Of course, not for real. Just to make Abigail misunderstand that we've been intimate. If she gets jealous or upset, it means she cares about you. If she doesn't, well, I wish you both good luck in nurturing affection over time.""I refuse to use a method that could potentially hurt Abigail to test her feelings for me," Xander said. Even if Abigail did not accept him, he, as her legal husband, could not bear to cause her any distress.Samantha knew Xander was a man of strong principles. If he said no, no amount of persuasion would sway him. "Okay, pretend I never suggested it. But I can't think of any other way to help you.""Goodbye, Samantha." Xander ended the call and scrolled through his contacts once again. His work phone was filled with business partners, and his personal phone did not contain many contacts he could rely on. After several minutes, he had not made a singl
Susanna paused, before she replied, "Abigail is such a darling, beautiful and kind. How could anyone not adore her? But the most important factor is that she's your wife. Of course, I'm going to like your wife, Xander, and I'm going to take great care of her. I'll ensure that she feels nothing but comfort when she moves in."Xander could not help but feel a wave of satisfaction wash over him at Susanna's acceptance of Abigail. "Susanna, I appreciate it," he said.Susanna blinked, taken aback. "What's gotten into you today, Xander?"Xander glanced at his wristwatch, his brows knitted in concern. "Abigail should be up by now.""I've got it covered, don't worry. I've prepared breakfast—both Alvonian and Chrysalian cuisine. We'll make sure Abigail is satisfied."Just as Susanna left the room, Xander's personal cell phone on the coffee table buzzed. He picked it up immediately, a text from Abigail lighting up the screen. His eyes lingered on the words, "Even if the whole world turns it
With gentle tenderness, he stroked Esther's head and cradled her in his arms, heading out of the room. "Don't worry, Essy," he whispered, "We'll go outside and play." From that moment on, he shielded Esther from the nauseating quarrels of the bickering couple; he used every ounce of his strength to protect her, weaving a protective web around her, creating a blissful, happy family, sparing her from the distress of her birth family.Yet dreams were just that, mere dreams. And dreams were meant to be woken up from; the more perfect he created this dream for Esther, the harder the shattering of it impacted her.He remembered vividly the day of Esther's fifth birthday. She sat by the door, expectantly waiting for her parents to come home to celebrate with her. Eventually, their return did come, but Esther's cheerful greetings were met with indifference; they were too engrossed in their quarrel. The man, defeated by the woman, redirected his anger at Esther, who had been waiting for them
Esther gave her little head a vague nod. "I understand." From that day onward, Xander barred that repugnant couple from setting foot inside the Zane residence. He forced himself to grow stronger so he could protect the Zane Corporation, allow his weary grandmother to retire, and shield his vulnerable sister."Ha..." Xander scoffed coldly as the memories flooded back. 'That man couldn't even protect the woman he loved. He had to marry a woman he didn't love for the sake of benefits, and then blamed everyone else for his misfortunes, such a display of weakness and incompetence.'"M-Mr. Zane, good morning."A crisp voice snapped Xander back from his childhood reverie. Lifting his gaze, he saw a slender, radiant figure before him. Florivera did not have harsh winters, so the weather was quite warm in early March, which was why Abigail was wearing her summer work clothes. A simple yet sophisticated white blouse paired with a black skirt accentuated her already appealing figure. He found
Breakfast was a grand affair prepared by Susanna herself. Not only did it include a variety of Alvonian and Chrysalian dishes, but it also featured Abigail's favorite spaghetti bolognese. Overwhelmed by the spread of her favorite breakfast items, Abigail could not help but express her surprise, "Susanna, aside from the dishes Mr. Zane enjoys, did you prepare the rest just for me?"There was something irresistibly captivating about Abigail, Xander found. Seeing her elated over a simple breakfast made him inexplicably happy, enhancing his appetite.With a warm smile, Susanna began to pile the various dishes next to Abigail. "Indeed, it's all for you. Why don't you try the spaghetti bolognese and see how it compares to your grandmother's?"Though unaccustomed to having pasta for breakfast, Abigail was unable to resist Susanna's enthusiasm. She took a bite, savoring the firm texture of the pasta and the specially made bolognese sauce. Emotions welled up, threatening to spill over. "Susa
Susanna replied, "Yes."Abigail finally managed to carve out a moment of tranquility, quickly devouring the plate of spaghetti. With the plate emptied, her morning appetite satiated, she was nearly full.Seeing her untouched assortment of food, Xander asked, "You don't like any of it?"Abigail retorted, "I do, but I can't eat anymore."Xander said, "You don't have to finish everything you like, a taste of each would do."Abigail replied, "I don't want to waste food."Xander was left speechless.They shared their silence, finishing their breakfast and heading off to the office together. Susanna, brimming with enthusiasm, escorted Abigail to the door. Abigail was beginning to feel overwhelmed by Susanna's fervor. It was not the welcome of a guest, but the adoration for a lady of the house. Upon leaving the Monsoon Villa, Abigail expelled a sigh of relief.The sigh barely left her lips before she heard Xander's low, challenging tone. "Is it that uncomfortable staying at my place?"
Abigail turned back, a smile playing on her lips. "Can I help you?"The young man, clearly out of his depth, nervously adjusted the frame of his glasses. "Are you busy later today? May I invite you to dinner, alone? I have some work-related queries I would like to discuss with you." During the past couple of weeks, the entire team had been tirelessly discussing the project together. Meals were often working lunches, time spent discussing tasks at hand.With the young man calling out to Abigail in front of everyone, even going as far as inviting her to dine alone with him, anyone could decipher his true intentions.Xander, who had not strayed far, was listening with keen interest, confident that Abigail would refuse without a moment's hesitation. But Abigail's response landed like a slap across his face.Abigail responded with a smile. "Sure. But I'm not free tonight—"Before she could finish, the young man blurted, clearly anxious, "It's okay if you're not free tonight. I'll add y
Xander's gaze locked onto the grinning Keith. "You may leave now."Sensing the underlying displeasure in his boss's words, Keith did not hesitate. He gave a quick nod and beat a hasty retreat. As Abigail approached to hand Xander the files, she heard him ask in a dark tone, "Why didn't you reject that man immediately?"Abigail looked up at Xander. For a fleeting moment, she felt his gaze bore into her with an intensity that reminded her of a jealous husband catching another man's interest in his wife. But she quickly dismissed the thought as fanciful—just because a coworker expressed interest in her, she was getting ahead of herself, imagining that even the CEO had a thing for her. She replied, "Mr. Zane, he mentioned wanting to discuss work with me, not directly expressing any romantic interest. If I had outright rejected him, what if I misinterpreted his intentions?"Upon finishing her explanation, Abigail realized something was off. "Mr. Zane, does our company have a rule against