Edward entered her number and began typing a message, his expression thoughtful. He considered being completely direct.

He had messed up the night before-had too much to drink and ended up with someone else. That was on him, no excuses. He figured if she didn't want a divorce, she would remain his wife. But if she did, he would make sure she was taken care of.

Sitting across from him, William glanced over and smiled faintly, thinking Edward might finally be softening.

"About time you reached out to your wife. The two of you got married two years ago, and then you took off overseas almost immediately. Not exactly a honeymoon phase. Now that you're back, you're still buried in work," William remarked lightly. "Want me to pick out a gift in advance?"

Edward's fingers stilled over the screen. His sharp eyebrows drew together.

Given how fractured things were between them, showing up in person was the least he could do.

After a moment's hesitation, he deleted the entire message.

"Pick out a gift," he said flatly.

William smiled understandingly. "Consider it done."

--

The entire day, Alice tried to focus on work, but her mind kept wandering.

She had joined GrandVerse right out of university. From the beginning, she knew who Edward was-the golden boy of the Hawthorne family and the undisputed leader of GrandVerse.

His reputation preceded him: shrewd, ambitious, with an uncanny instinct for investments. Every industry he touched seemed to turn to gold.

Ironically, two years ago, just as she started, he was transferred overseas. She never had the chance to meet him-not until last week, when he returned and she was promoted to senior secretary. That was when their paths finally crossed.

He was every bit as impressive in person-the youngest and most capable executive she'd ever worked for. He made her believe true talent could shine through even the stuffiest corporate environments.

He was someone she deeply admired professionally. But now. this had happened. Just when she thought she could learn and grow under his leadership, everything had become complicated.

From the way he spoke earlier, it seemed he truly cared for his wife. She could only hope she hadn't damaged their relationship. She never wanted to be that woman.

--

As the workday ended, heavy rain began to pour outside. Just as Alice was heading downstairs, her phone buzzed with a new message.

It was from her legally wedded husband.

"Who is this?"

She froze, staring at the screen. Her heart sank.

He hadn't even saved her number.

Taking a deep breath, she gripped her phone and typed slowly, carefully:

"This is your wife-the one who signed the marriage license with you two years ago. Do you have time to return to the country? I need to talk to you."

But almost immediately, she sent a second message:

"I'm sorry. I had too much to drink a few days ago and made a mistake. It wasn't intentional, but I was unfaithful. I'm truly sorry. If you have time, let's proceed with the divorce."

Once the messages were sent, she felt a strange sense of relief. Now, all she could do was wait.

What she really wanted, if she was honest, was for him to call.

She wasn't brave enough to dial herself, but if he called-even if he yelled-maybe some of this guilt would ease.

--

Meanwhile, in the underground parking garage, a black Bentley glided smoothly out into the rain.

Through the narrowly cracked rear window, a glimpse of an strikingly handsome face appeared for just an instant.

In the driver's seat, William looked conflicted-an expression difficult to describe.

He'd received three texts today, all from the same unknown number.

The first one read: "When are you coming back? Can we meet? I've got something to talk to you about."

Assuming it was someone whose number he hadn't saved, William replied asking who it was.

To his surprise, the person texted back twice-claiming to be his wife, saying she'd cheated after drinking and now wanted a divorce out of guilt.

William was speechless. He didn't even have a girlfriend-where would a wife come from? And now he was being dumped over infidelity? Unbelievable.

Clearly, some poor woman had messed up and sent the messages to the wrong person. But honestly, not even having your own husband's number saved? That was next-level chaos.

He shook his head, glancing in the rearview mirror at the man in the back seat.

Edward had always carried an untouchable aura-elegant, detached, the kind of person people admired from a distance but rarely dared approach.

"Mr. Hawthorne, shall we head to the villa now?"

The villa belonged to Edward. He had given it to his wife after they married.

Edward glanced down at the report in his hands. "Yes."

William nodded and began to drive. Soft music filled the car-Edward's usual track, "All I Wished For."

But today, Edward looked up slightly, his brow furrowing.

Was it just him, or did the singer's voice sound faintly familiar-almost like that of his secretary?

--

Soon, the car entered a quiet, upscale neighborhood filled with standalone villas.

When the car stopped, Edward stepped out alone. He walked up to the villa's front door and rang the bell.

He waited, but there was no response. The house was completely silent. He took a few steps closer, peered inside, then pulled out a bronze key and unlocked the door.

It was already dark outside. Inside, the villa was pitch black.

He turned on the lights. The entire place was immaculate-perfectly arranged, but eerily lifeless. Even the plastic covers on the sofa remained undisturbed.

His dark eyes narrowed as he stepped into the bedroom and opened the closet.

It was empty, save for a few wooden hangers.

She had never moved in.

His expression unreadable, Edward took out his phone. His long fingers tapped the screen, and he dialed her number.

No one answered. Eventually, the call went to voicemail. His brows drew together as he let out a quiet breath and turned back toward the car.

"Find out where she's living now."

"She doesn't live here?" William looked stunned. Turning down a villa like this? That didn't sound like the woman he thought he knew.

Noticing Edward's darkening expression, he quickly added, "Right away, Mr. Hawthorne."

He worked quickly. Soon, an address came back: The Lodge Apartments.

It sounded like an ordinary residential building-nothing special.

The black Bentley soon merged back into the capital's busy evening traffic.

Edward sat with his long legs crossed casually, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal strong, defined forearms. Delicate veins traced beneath his pale skin.

He stared out the window, his face cool and detached.

His phone remained silent.

His mood was clearly souring. Being ignored like this was not something he was accustomed to. No one dared give him the silent treatment.

With a quick motion, he redialed the number.

This time, after several rings, someone finally picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?"

It was a man's voice-deep and unfamiliar.

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly. His voice was calm, his lips barely moving. "I'm looking for Emily Sterling."

The man on the other end sounded unbothered. "Oh, Emily's in the shower. I'll have her call you back when she's done."

.Shower?

Edward's voice dropped, low and cold. "Who the hell are you?"

Before the man on the other end could finish, the call abruptly disconnected.

Edward's eyes turned to ice, his handsome features darkening like a gathering storm.

William ventured cautiously, "Mr. Hawthorne, what's wrong?"

Edward's expression was grim, thunderous.

"Does Emily have another man in her life?"

She wasn't living in the villa he provided. Some guy was with her at night-close enough to answer her phone while she was in the shower. That level of intimacy? Every sign pointed to one conclusion: his wife was very likely seeing someone else.

William was taken aback, his tone disbelieving.

"That can't be. Why would a woman married to someone like you even look at anyone else?"

Edward let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Do you even know what she's really like?"

He'd left for overseas right after their wedding and spent two full years building his career abroad. The truth was, he probably knew even less about her than his own secretary did.

William responded carefully, "From what we've gathered, Mrs. Sterling has a calm and kind personality. She leads a healthy lifestyle, respects her elders, and is warm and generous to those around her. Everyone who knows her speaks highly of her. She doesn't seem like the type to."

Catching himself before overstepping, William rephrased, ".to act inappropriately."

Edward remained silent, his long fingers tapping rhythmically against his phone.

After a moment's hesitation, William gently suggested, "Mr. Hawthorne, could this perhaps be a misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding?" Edward's voice was sharp with cold anger. "We've been married for two years. She never once reached out to me first. Now there's suddenly a man around her, and I'm supposed to pretend it's all innocent?"

Aside from that one drunken mistake last night, he hadn't violated their marriage. For two years, he'd done his best to provide for her from afar, even though she felt like a complete stranger.

If she didn't want to be with him, fine-she could have filed for divorce. But this? This was downright disrespectful.

William fell silent. He didn't dare say another word.

"Turn the car around," Edward said abruptly.

William blinked. "You're not going to see Mrs. Sterling anymore?"

Maybe this was all a big misunderstanding. If they could talk face to face, things might be cleared up. But on the other hand. what if he walked in on something awkward? The embarrassment would be unbearable.

Edward's eyes were shadowed, simmering with suppressed fury. "There's no need. Take me back to the office."

--

Meanwhile, at The Lodge Apartments.

Alice stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a soft towel, and immediately caught the delicious aroma of food filling the apartment.

She took a deep breath and glanced toward the dining table, where a tall, clean-cut young man stood. He looked relaxed in casual wear, his features handsome and gentle.

"Tony, you've outdone yourself again," she grinned. "I'm literally drooling over here."

This was Anthony Hayes, her childhood best friend. After university, she'd rented an apartment near his. They often dropped by each other's places for meals-their friendship was that close.

Anthony lounged comfortably in his loungewear, his short hair tidy. His features were sharp, and there was a lazy confidence in his bright eyes.

He shot her a sidelong glance. "Enough flattery. You're in your twenties-shouldn't you know how to cook by now?"

Eyeing the spread on the table, Alice couldn't resist snatching a piece of ribs. One bite and she was in heaven.

She beamed, "Soon, soon! When I finally cook my first meal, you'll be the first to try it, I promise."

Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Please don't. I still want to live a few more years. Let Elbert be your taste-tester."

The little boy sitting at the table, around eight or nine years old, was sneakily munching on a rib. When he heard his name, he grinned at Alice, dimples showing. "Alice, I'll totally be your taste tester!"

He had fair skin, lively bright eyes, and features that closely resembled Anthony's. Honestly, he was almost too good-looking for a boy.

Alice lifted her chin proudly. "Elbert, you're the best. From now on, I'm counting on you."

Elbert Hayes grinned even wider, happily devouring his rib.

Anthony set bowls of soup in front of them and mentioned casually, "Someone called your old phone earlier."

"Who'd be calling that number?" Alice frowned. That was her backup phone-she still kept her old SIM card mainly because switching numbers was too much hassle.

She wiped her hands, picked up the phone, and checked the screen. There were two missed calls from an unknown number-the first one she'd missed, the second one Anthony had apparently answered.

"Did they say who it was?"

"Nope. I was cooking, so I just said you'd call back and hung up. Try calling them back."

Alice hit redial, but the phone just rang and rang. No one picked up.

Anthony placed a piece of beef in Elbert's bowl. Elbert took small, happy bites, clearly enjoying himself.

Anthony glanced at Alice. "No answer?"

"Probably a wrong number," Alice muttered.

"He asked for 'Emily Sterling' specifically. Didn't sound random to me." Remembering the cold tone on the other end, Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me it's that husband of yours-the one you've never even properly met?"

Flashback to two years ago: her grandfather had fallen seriously ill, and his final wish was to see her married. The marriage had been arranged between her grandfather and an old family friend. With no romantic prospects at the time and trusting her grandfather's judgment, she'd agreed. Just like that, she'd married a total stranger.

On the day they signed the marriage license, she'd had an accident on the way and broken her glasses. Severely nearsighted, she'd missed her only chance to clearly see her new husband's face. Anthony had never let her live it down. Eventually, she'd gotten laser eye surgery just to avoid any future disasters.

Alice shot him a look. "Can you not joke about this right now?"

Anthony looked surprised. "What's up? You're usually all sass when I tease you. Something wrong?"

Alice scrolled through her phone but found no new messages or missed calls from her all-but-invisible husband. She sighed. "I'm getting a divorce."

Even though he hadn't replied yet, she could feel it in her bones. No man would put up with an unfaithful spouse, even if it was unintentional. Divorce was inevitable.

"Should've done it sooner," Anthony remarked bluntly. "Next time, I'll introduce you to someone decent-you know, a guy who doesn't vanish overseas right after marrying you. Someone who actually knows how to be a husband."

Alice gave a wry smile. "Wow, thanks."

--

After dinner, Anthony left with Elbert.

Back in her room, Alice collapsed onto her bed. The walls were covered with sheet music, and instruments stood in every corner. Too tired to practice, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through the music charts. A small smile touched her lips when she saw her name still lingering on the list. She started reading comments, losing track of time.

Just before bed, a random thought struck her, and she sat up suddenly.

"Wait a second. It should be daytime over there now. Why hasn't my so-called husband texted me back yet?"

No calls, no messages-what was his problem?

She considered calling him herself, but in the end, she just pulled the blanket over her head.

Forget it. She'd deal with it tomorrow.

--

The next morning, at GrandVerse Group headquarters.

A girl in a sweet, flowy dress stepped into the elevator heading straight to the 33rd floor. A man in a suit and glasses followed closely behind her.

"I'm just going to freshen up in the restroom quickly."

"Of course, Miss. I'll wait outside."

She stood in front of the mirror, carefully reapplying her lipstick, when two voices drifted out from one of the stalls.

"Alice has only been with the company for two years and she's already Edward's secretary. How'd she manage that?"

"Lots of people here are more qualified than her. Who knows what she did to get that position. Probably not entirely on merit."

"Right? I heard she's a bit too friendly with a lot of the higher-ups. Now that Edward's back-good-looking, powerful-maybe she's trying her luck with him, too?"

The girl's hand paused mid-motion. Her pretty face tightened slightly in displeasure.

She let out a soft, cold laugh, then turned and walked out of the restroom without another word.

--

Meanwhile, in the CEO's office-

William stood with his hands folded, speaking quietly. "Mr. Hawthorne, the Grants have sent Sophia Grant to discuss the partnership."

Edward's expression remained unreadable, though his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Get James Grant on the phone."

"Right away, Mr. Hawthorne."

William had already guessed Edward wouldn't meet with Sophia. Everyone knew she was hopelessly infatuated with him-completely obsessed. The only reason Edward tolerated her at all was out of respect for James.

When Edward was abroad for those two years, things were finally peaceful. Now he'd barely been back a week, and she was already showing up at his doorstep.

William stepped out of the office, glanced at Sophia and her assistant waiting nearby, and motioned for Alice to come over. He spoke in a low voice:

"Please escort Miss Grant to the conference room. Make sure she's comfortable. I'll contact Mr. Grant directly."

"Understood." Alice nodded and led Sophia to the meeting room.

She was well aware that Sophia's feelings for Edward were hardly a secret. He might ignore her, but Sophia clearly had other ideas.

"Miss Grant, may I offer you something to drink?"

Sophia gave Alice a deliberate once-over, then replied in an overly sweet tone, "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Mr. Hawthorne's secretary, Alice."

"So you're Alice?" Sophia let out a derisive snort, her eyes full of contempt.

"Yes." Alice chose not to react to her tone and repeated politely, "What would you like to drink, Miss Grant?"

Sophia didn't bother hiding her disgust. She barely looked at Alice before muttering, "Coffee."

Alice raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Sophia, then prepared two cups of coffee and set them on the table.

Sophia took a sip and immediately spat it back out.

"What is this? It's disgusting. Get me another one."

Ginny Lewis, her assistant, took a sip and nodded slightly. "It smells rich and tastes smooth." But since Miss Grant said it was terrible, then it was terrible-no arguing.

Alice smiled faintly at Sophia. "If this isn't to your liking, Miss Grant, I'll prepare another one for you."

She made one cup after another-five or six in total-yet Sophia found something wrong with every single one.

"Too bitter."

"Too sour."

"Too cold."

Alice was running out of patience, but she handed over yet another cup and said, "Miss Grant, Mr. Hawthorne is waiting. Please enjoy your coffee."

Sophia raised an eyebrow smugly and reached for the cup. "Oops-it's hot!"

Scalding coffee splashed all over Alice's arm.

"Hiss-" Earlier, Sophia had insisted the coffee be served hot, so Alice had used freshly boiled water. Even through her sleeve, the burn was intense. She drew a sharp breath.

A flash of triumph crossed Sophia's eyes before she slammed her hand on the table. "Trying to burn me with boiling coffee? Apologize. Now."

Alice clutched her arm, her lips pressed into a tight line as she stared coldly at Sophia. If this weren't a client, she wouldn't have held back. But for now, she had to.

Sophia crossed her arms and sneered, "What are you staring at? Apologize now-unless you want me to make sure you're blacklisted across the entire capital."

"You're welcome to try," a deep, calm voice came from the doorway.

Alice turned quickly to see Edward standing tall at the entrance-sharp suit, commanding presence, as if he owned the very air around him.

She froze, completely caught off guard.

Right behind him, William stepped forward immediately. "Miss Grant, this way, please."

"Edward, what are you doing?" Sophia refused to move, her eyes fixed on him. "I came here to discuss business. You can't treat me like this."

She hadn't even gotten a word in with him, and now he was throwing her out?

Ginny Lewis rushed to plead. "Mr. Hawthorne, Miss Grant didn't mean to harm your secretary. Please, for Mr. Grant's sake, let this go?"

Edward glanced at Alice's scalded arm, his tone icy. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"My apologies, Miss Grant," William said firmly as he began to escort her out.

"Let go of me! Edward, if my brother finds out how you're treating me, he'll be furious-he's your best friend!"

"Mr. Hawthorne. Miss Grant." Ginny tried to intervene, but as Sophia was led further away, she had no choice but to follow.

--

Sophia was unceremoniously escorted out of the GrandVerse building by William. Her face was flushed with rage.

"You'll regret this! I'm telling my brother, and he'll make you pay!"

"Goodbye, Miss Grant," William said curtly before turning back inside.

Fuming, Sophia stomped her foot in frustration.

"Miss, are you alright?" Ginny caught up, only to be slapped sharply across the face.

Humiliation flashed in the secretary's eyes, but she still lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Miss."

Sophia's beautiful face was twisted with cold hostility. "Edward actually threw me out over a secretary? Keep an eye on her. If she dares get close to him again, I'll make sure she regrets it."

--

Back in the executive lounge.

Edward glanced at Alice's reddened, burned arm and said calmly, "There's a first-aid kit in my office. Go treat that. If it's too painful, go to the hospital."

Alice nodded quickly. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. Some ointment will be enough."

She followed him back to his office, cleaned the burn, and applied the medication. The pain eased significantly. Turning to him, she said sincerely, "Thank you for stepping in earlier."

She finally understood why Sophia had targeted her-it wasn't about work. She'd been seen as a rival.

Mr. Hawthorne really did have that kind of effect. Just being his secretary had already made her a target. She couldn't imagine the pressure his wife must be under.

It also made her more cautious. That night with him-they couldn't let anyone find out. If it got out, she was finished.

Edward sat at his desk, his expression unreadable as he studied her. "What were you so afraid of back there?"

Alice met his gaze, then understood what he meant. "Miss Grant is a business partner. I didn't want to create tension that might affect the collaboration."

Edward let out a cold laugh. "Do you think we're that desperate for business? That GrandVerse will collapse without her?"

"Of course not." She bit her lip. "GrandVerse and the Grants have a long-standing relationship. It just seemed unnecessary to escalate things-"

He cut her off before she could finish.

"Alice, remember your position. You're my secretary. Everything you do reflects on GrandVerse. Since when do we bow and scrape to anyone?"

She stared at his sharp, cold features, completely stunned.

This was the first time she'd ever been criticized for being too accommodating.

She'd always been taught to play it safe, be polite, and avoid conflict. But Edward was different. No wonder people said he was difficult-he truly didn't play by the rules.

Still, having a boss who had your back like that? It felt pretty good.

"I understand, sir. It won't happen again."

Just then, William knocked and entered. "Mr. Hawthorne."

Alice took her cue. "I'll return to my work, then," she said, and quietly closed the door behind her.

William spoke softly, "Miss Grant has left, but. she didn't look very happy."

Edward didn't even blink, clearly unconcerned.

William placed a folder on the desk. "Here's the updated file on Mrs. Hawthorne-"