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
Suddenly, Melody chirped, "Look who's coming!"Abigail and Felix followed her gaze, and sure enough, Xander and Malcolm were striding toward them. Malcolm, seeing them from afar, waved enthusiastically in their direction."Ms. Renee," he greeted when he was close enough, "it's been a while, haven't you missed me?""Can I say no?" Abigail retorted, managing a playful grin. Even off the clock, she felt the need to maintain a respectful demeanor toward Xander. "Mr. Zane, are you here to check on the renovations too?""Hmm," Xander responded, his voice hardly above a whisper. He would never tell Abigail that he had engineered this "chance encounter" upon learning she would be here tonight. To make it seem more believable, he had roped in Malcolm.While Xander was usually tight-lipped, Malcolm was quite the chatterbox. "Renovations? That's hardly Xander's forte. The only reason he's here is because his wife took a fancy to these properties, so he bought a few of them. I swear, Xander,
It could have been the result of being conditioned for so long, or perhaps it was Abigail's relentless commitment to her role as an assistant in Xander's presence. Whatever the case, she had always dutifully followed his commands, never contemplating defiance. "Can I even say no to him?"Felix nudged her forehead, frustration radiating off him. "Caterpie, you're his assistant, not his wife. Why can't you say no to dining with him? Call him right now and say you won't go."Melody instantly moved to Abigail's defense. "Caterpie, why wouldn't you go if he's inviting us? We get to dine at Florivera's finest without spending a dime, feasting on the meal we've always desired but never wanted to splurge on. Why would we refuse?"At the mention of money, the penny-pinching Abigail was easily swayed. "Alright, we'll go! But only to an upscale restaurant where the average cost per person hits the thousands."Melody clapped her hands in delight. "Perfect! We get to enjoy the handsome man's co