Chapter 1

In the emergency department of Feynman Hospital in Nordenton, Ariana Lubove had just completed several surgeries. The intense exhaustion caused her to feel a little light-headed.

Just as she was halfway through taking off her scrubs and thinking that it was time to call it a day, someone pushed the door to the emergency department open and barged in.

Dressed in an expensive tailor-made suit, Spencer Ulrich appeared before her. He exuded an air of detachment and nobility. He had stern brows, a high nose, thin lips, and a sharp, well-defined jawline—the classic traits of a handsome face.

At the moment, he was holding a petite young woman in his arms. His expression was composed, but the anxiousness and concern behind it were apparent.

"She's hurt. Take a look at her," he requested.

Ariana's gaze fell on the young woman's face. She had delicate features and innocent doe eyes.

She was Spencer's type, and Ariana knew this more than anyone. For years, his taste in women hadn't changed.

"Where is she hurt?"

"She sprained her ankle."

Ariana looked down at the young woman's ankle blandly. "How did you sprain it? Can you move it?"

As soon as Ariana's fingers came into contact with the young woman's skin, she gasped. In the next second, tears started to well up in her eyes.

Spencer immediately bent down and glanced at her injury. His voice was icy as he reproached, "Can't you be more gentle?"

Then, he lowered his head and spoke tenderly to the young woman, "Bear with it."

With tears in her eyes, Joanne Yates said, "It's not Dr. Lubove's fault. I'm just too sensitive."

In the three years Ariana had been married to Spencer, he had never spoken to her in such a gentle tone. The current situation was quite ironic.

Ariana smiled bitterly as she wrote a medical note. "Go get an X-ray first."

Without another word, Spencer scooped Joanne up and carried her out to get the X-ray.

When they returned with the results, Ariana glanced at them and said, "The bones and ligaments are fine. You just need to rest at home. I'll prescribe you some medication. Remember to apply it on time."

She then handed the prescription note to Spencer.

He took it and said to Joanne gently, "Wait here. I'm going to pay the bill."

Joanne nodded meekly.

Spencer gave Ariana a cold look and instructed, "Take care of Jojo for me."

Without waiting for Ariana to respond, he strode away.

Under Ariana's intent gaze, Joanne lowered her head and explained softly, "I accidentally twisted my ankle, and Mr. Ulrich saw it. He's just being helpful by bringing me to the hospital."

Ariana thought that Spencer being helpful was the funniest joke of the year.

When his parents were hospitalized, he ordered his secretary to take care of simple tasks such as registration and payment. Today, he came to pay for Joanne's medical fees in person.

Ariana felt a bit upset and annoyed, but she explained the precautions to Joanne while keeping her emotions from showing on her face.

Joanne nodded to show that she understood.

Soon, Spencer returned.

The moment Joanne saw him, her eyes welled up with tears again. "Mr. Ulrich, Dr. Lubove told me so many things, but I can't remember any of them…"

The doting and indulgent look in Spencer's eyes was one that Ariana had never seen before.

"You don't need to remember anything. Leave it to me," Spencer said.

Joanne blinked innocently, her eyes full of admiration. "You're so amazing, Mr. Ulrich."

After they left, a young nurse approached Ariana and gushed, "Dr. Lubove, that man was so handsome! He looked just like the CEO of the Ulrich Group."

The Ulrich family was the most affluent family, even among Nordenton's high society. So, they frequently made the front-page news. Everyone recognized Spencer and knew who he was.

Ariana replied impassively, "I don't know him."

She changed out of her scrubs and finally got off work.

…

When Ariana returned home, she was embraced from behind. The familiar scent made her pause.

He had come back yesterday, so why was he home again today?

Spencer's voice was frosty. "You saw me with Jojo and couldn't resist complaining to Grandpa to make me come home, huh? How clever of you."

Ariana stood with her back straight and stated, "Grandpa said we should have children."

Spencer didn't respond. The next second, his presence overwhelmed her.

His sexual urges and needs had always been above average. But on that night, something seemed to have triggered him, and he was more fierce than usual.

Ariana could barely handle his intense pounding. She couldn't help but plead softly, "Hey… S-Slow down…"

Spencer bit at her sensitive spots without stopping. "How can I satisfy you if I slow down?"

In retaliation, Ariana bit his Adam's apple. However, this only spurred him to hold her tighter and intensify his lovemaking.

Who would have thought the indifferent and aloof Spencer could be so passionate in bed?

…

The next day, Ariana slept until noon. After her meal, she got a call from her friend and headed out to meet them at an exclusive clubhouse.

She had just entered the place when she caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

That figure entered a private room. And if she remembered correctly, that room was exclusively reserved for Spencer. Did this mean he was here, too?

She sent a text to her friend and walked over to the room. Just as she raised her hand to knock, the door opened from the inside.

A face with an innocent, sweet smile appeared in front of her. Joanne was wearing a dress with a Peter Pan collar that made her look cute and doll-like.

Ariana couldn't help but look down at her ruffled collar as a trace of sadness flashed across her eyes.

"Spence, you're back—" Joanne's smile vanished when she saw Ariana standing outside.

She looked down and put her hands behind her back while pouting a little. This series of gestures made her appear even more harmless.

"Where's Spencer?" Ariana asked, scanning the room.

Spencer had kept her up for most of the previous night. So, she didn't have the energy to doll herself up. She wore simple clothes since she was just meeting up with some friends.

Even so, her features were outstanding. Despite being bare-faced, she was so gorgeous that most people would find it hard not to stare at her. She had elegant and striking features. So, cute and girly apparel didn't really suit her.

Upon seeing that it was her, Joanne became alert and took a step back. She looked flustered as she said shakily, "Um… Mr. Ulrich is…"

She had just called him "Spence". But now, she addressed him as "Mr. Ulrich".

Ariana asked patiently, "Where did he go?"

"He went to buy something for me." Joanne bit her lip. She sounded even more innocent as she explained, "My period suddenly started…"

Ariana crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. She had grown up with Spencer and had been married to him for three years. Yet, she had never sent him out to buy anything for her, let alone something as private as sanitary napkins.

Moreover, Ariana noticed that the suit jacket draped over Joanne's shoulders looked familiar.

She was Spencer's wife, after all. So, Joanne felt uneasy holding her gaze. She lowered her head and spoke even softer, "I think… he should be back soon."

Just as her words fell, a guy appeared behind Joanne. As he approached, he said, "Why are you standing there, Jojo? Spence has only gone out for a moment. Are you so eager for him to be back…"

He stopped mid-sentence when he realized that Ariana was there.

It wasn't exactly quiet in the private room, so Ariana might not have heard him.

But as he met her beautiful hazel eyes, he looked away guiltily. He chuckled dryly and went back inside.

Joanne became even more flustered. "Please don't misunderstand. Mr. Ulrich was scared that I'd feel awkward. He was kind enough to help me out, so…"

Spencer had been helpful the day before, and now he was kind. Ariana was his wife, but even she wasn't aware that he had so many good qualities.

Besides, she heard what the man had said just now. He was Spencer's childhood buddy. The way he spoke to Joanne indicated that something fishy was going on.

In the past, Spencer's buddy had made his dislike of Ariana widely known. From how he addressed Joanne by her nickname, as if they were close friends, Ariana knew that Spencer had either allowed it or implicitly agreed to it.

Otherwise, his friend wouldn't have overstepped his boundaries like this.

Any scions in Nordenton were haughty and arrogant. They couldn't be bothered to treat a newbie secretary like Joanne so nicely or cordially.

Ariana gave Joanne another glance. Suddenly, she realized that Joanne looked kind of familiar.

Soon, footsteps sounded from behind them.

Ariana turned back and saw that it was Spencer.