Magnus Marshall was exceptionally handsome — sharp, aloof features that radiated an almost untouchable aura. When Astrid asked her question, she did so carefully.

"And so?" He raised an eyebrow, urging her on.

Astrid didn't sugarcoat it. "If you don't mind, then I certainly don't. I'm grateful to you. Your presence gave my dad peace — let him pass with a sense of comfort. Liver cancer in its final stages is pure agony. Even though I didn't want to lose him, ending his suffering was a blessing. I'm happy for him."

After days of mourning, a smile finally tugged at her lips.

She had made her peace with it.

She realized she couldn't selfishly keep her father tethered here — he needed to move on to where he belonged.

Turning to Magnus, she added, "Magnus, I promise I won't have any private dealings with River Knight anymore. Now that I'm your wife, I'll stick to our agreement. But... could you do me a favor? Keep my identity under wraps at the company. Since we're only doing this for a year, I just want to work there without any fuss."

"Of course."

Astrid hesitated before speaking again. "You probably need to manage the family situation, right? You've helped me so much these past few days, so I'll support you as much as I can. Though, while we're pretending, there might be some physical contact. I hope you don't mind."

Magnus looked at her, his tone calm and sincere. "Since you're my wife now, do you still need to call me Mr. Marshall?"

A blush crept across Astrid's cheeks. It was hard to adjust — her boss had become her husband. She used to secretly complain about him. Calling him by his first name felt weird, but she softly ventured, "Magnus."

His lips twitched, almost forming a smile. He then pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to her. "You should move your things over. I'm a bit busy these next few days and can't help you. You can hire movers, and I'll cover the cost."

Astrid raised the bank card in her hand. "No need. I've got money here. I'll use this."

She hesitated again before asking, "Could you send me the address? I'll move my stuff today. I—"

She stopped, feeling awkward.

Magnus caught on to her discomfort. "During our agreement, we'll have separate rooms."

After her father's recent passing, Astrid definitely wasn't in the mindset for anything else and nodded gratefully. "I'll be going then."

"Alright."

Magnus stood, watching her leave.

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was his eighty-year-old grandmother, Norah Howard, calling him.

"My dear grandson, how did it go? Did you manage to win over that young lady?"

Magnus rubbed his temples, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Grandmother, it wasn't deception."

"Oh, wasn't it? You said she didn't like you, and the message probably ended up in your inbox by accident. Yet you went along, got the marriage certificate, spun some reasons. If that's not deception, what is?"

Magnus shook his head wryly. "Please, grandmother, don't let anything slip in front of her."

"Rest assured, my dear. My lips are sealed! But remember, you need to hurry and give me a great-granddaughter while I'm still around."

A chuckle escaped Magnus. "Understood."

"And another thing," Norah sighed. "It's unfortunate timing. I would have loved to visit her family. Losing her father must be so hard on her. You'd better treat that young lady well, understand? If you mistreat her, I'll be the first to object."

"Yes, I understand."

"And when will you bring her over? Don't worry about River. It's his loss; a fine girl like her deserves someone better."

"In a little while, grandmother."

Norah wanted to push, but she knew not to overwhelm Astrid and reluctantly agreed.

"As for your father, don't worry about him. As long as I approve, no one can say a word against you."

Thinking about that distant relative, Magnus fell silent.

Norah sensed his thoughts and quickly changed the topic.

Before long, Norah ended the call.

Magnus pocketed his phone and then took out the marriage certificate, glancing at it, his finger gently tracing Astrid's face on the photo.

*Astrid, have you really forgotten me?*

...

Astrid moved her belongings to Magnus's place and stood awestruck in the sprawling five-thousand-square-foot luxury apartment. Such opulence she had only ever seen on TV or social media. The thought of living there — even as a housekeeper — was staggering.

But there was already staff. Norah Ferguson, the housekeeper, took Astrid's luggage to her room. Astrid thanked her with a smile and unpacked.

She didn't spend much time settling in and headed straight to work.

She worked in environmental design, a division of the Marshall Group, though it functioned as an independent company, never relocating from the Marshall Group's building.

Upon her arrival, her colleague Katalina Larson approached her with concern. "Why didn't you stay home and rest a few more days?"

Astrid smiled. "No need. I've got a lot of work to do. Best to get back to it."

"You always push yourself so hard!"

Katalina sighed, patting her shoulder.

Living well was Astrid's way of ensuring her father could rest peacefully.

Once back at work, she was swamped with tasks, especially a project for an out-of-state government that she couldn't delay any longer.

But before she could make significant progress, she was summoned by Fallon Silva.

Fallon was River's sister-in-law, the one who'd had an affair with him. A year ago, River's cousin had passed away suddenly. Fallon had been with the Marshall Group for years, and feeling guilty, they kept her on, making her Astrid's direct supervisor.

As soon as Astrid entered, Fallon tossed a file at her. "Look at what you've done. Don't let your personal life interfere with work; that's a basic rule. Keep this up, and I'll have you fired."

Astrid didn't pick up the file. Instead, she met Fallon's gaze. "That's not my work. If you want to bully me, at least do it more convincingly."

Fallon glared. She wouldn't have reached her position without Astrid's past help. At the time, River had pleaded, "Astrid, Fallon's had it rough; help her out. You'll have other opportunities."

Feeling sorry for Fallon and grateful to River's cousin for past support, Astrid had obliged.

But she listened to River not because she was naive about love, but because three years ago, after a car accident, River seemed like her savior when she regained consciousness.

Little did she know that River and Fallon had been deceitfully involved all along. Now, she wasn't going to let Fallon push her around.

"You dare talk back? One word from me, and you're out of here."

Astrid leaned over Fallon's desk, meeting her eyes. "Let's see who falls first — your reputation or my job."

With that, she walked out of Fallon's office.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the emotional strain and lack of sleep, she headed to the break room for a drink.

The room seemed to spin slightly as she moved, her steps faltering.

Just as she thought she might fall, a steady arm caught her waist, supporting her.

She looked up to find Magnus.

River's voice echoed behind her, "What are you doing?"

River Knight's booming voice drew stares from coworkers nearby, but the second they caught sight of Magnus Marshall, they quickly averted their eyes, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.

Astrid didn't budge from Magnus's steady grip. She stood her ground, meeting River's gaze coolly. "Do we owe you an explanation?"

River glanced between them, then addressed Magnus as "Uncle" before trying to steer Astrid away.

Astrid brushed his hand off firmly. "Please respect personal boundaries."

River let out a frustrated sigh, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Astrid, I know you're upset with me, but can we just sit down and talk?"

Wanting to clear the air, Astrid turned to Magnus. "Mr. Marshall, mind if I step out for a bit? I'll be right back."

"Go ahead," he said, his tone softer than usual.

Both Astrid and River caught the shift in Magnus's voice, but neither said a word. They headed to the café downstairs.

River ordered two Americanos.

Astrid looked him dead in the eye. "River, you know I don't like American coffee—or any coffee, for that matter—right?"

River blinked, caught off guard, then let out a heavy sigh. "Sweetheart, I get that you're mad because I didn't marry you just to please your father. But I can't rush into something that big. We've been together three years, and there's still so much to figure out. Marriage is forever—and getting divorced later would be a total mess."

Astrid let out a dry chuckle. "Actually... isn't Fallon Silva the one who likes Americanos?"

River's face went pale, and he slammed his palm on the table. "What are you implying? That I'm messing around with my sister-in-law? That's insane—"

Before he could finish, Astrid pulled out her phone and played a video.

River watched the footage—captured on a rainy day by a dashcam—where he and Fallon were caught mid-kiss, badmouthing Astrid.

The worst part? Learning they'd been sneaking around before Fallon's husband—River's cousin—had even died. Fallon had gotten pregnant, and the family had believed the kid was her late husband's. They'd mourned with her when she lost it. But Astrid had overheard the real truth: that baby was River's.

That was when Astrid finally saw the man she'd loved for three years for what he really was.

River's face crumbled as he kept watching. "Have you been spying on me?"

Astrid tucked her phone away. "You're overthinking this. I was working five gigs to cover my dad's medical bills. I overheard everything from passengers while I was driving rideshare. The dashcam caught it all."

Desperate, River reached out, trying to grab her wrist.

"Astrid, listen to me. Fallon was just a fling. You're the one I actually care about. If I'd known how bad your dad's condition was... I came here today to tell you I've made up my mind. I'll marry you now. We can go see your dad together."

Astrid shook his hand off again, her voice steady. "There's no need, River. I thought I made myself clear last time: if marriage was off the table, we were done. I'm already married. And... it's been five days since we last saw each other. If you really cared, you'd know my dad's already gone. In that time, I nearly lost everything trying to pay for his treatment—and then I lost him. That kind of pain doesn't just disappear.

You weren't there when I needed you most. That tells me everything I need to know about us. Don't come looking for me again—my husband might not take it well. Oh, and wasn't it someone else who pulled me out of that car crash three years ago?"

River's eyes went wide, panic flickering through them. "Astrid, back then—"

He trailed off, but Astrid had already connected the dots.

"I know now. And even if you had been the one who saved me, I paid that debt when Fallon miscarried—I helped her recover and designed several projects she asked for, free of charge. So I owe you nothing. Goodbye, River."

Astrid stood up, surprised by how calm she felt. Their three years hadn't been all bad. When she'd asked him to marry her, it wasn't just for her dad's sake—she genuinely saw a future with him.

But he'd never planned on marriage. He'd just wanted to keep stringing her along.

Now, accepting that their paths had split for good, she felt relief washing over her instead of grief. Her eyes were set on a brighter future: saving up enough to help Abby Carter buy a big house, and maybe get Baylor Morrison a decent car when he tied the knot.

River kept calling after her as she walked away, but Astrid tuned him out completely.

Back at the office, she spotted Magnus standing near the entrance—unusual for him. Was he heading out?

She couldn't just ignore him, so she walked over. "Mr. Marshall."

Magnus gave her a short nod.

Trying to keep things strictly professional, Astrid didn't say more and headed to her office.

Magnus watched her go, a little disappointed that all they'd exchanged was a simple greeting.

...

Astrid had learned that Magnus was River's uncle during a date where River had addressed him that way. Magnus had been born to Howard Marshall late in life, after an affair with a young housekeeper. Howard's wife couldn't stand having Magnus around, so she had him sent to an orphanage—until Howard eventually brought him back and handed him the family legacy.

With that kind of complicated family history, Astrid felt grateful that Magnus had been there for her during her darkest days. She made up her mind not to avoid him.

Once she settled into her office, she got buried in her work and didn't look up until after nine in the evening. Exhausted, she dozed off without realizing it.

When she woke up, the office was empty. She checked the time—past eleven. As she got ready to head home, she noticed a men's jacket draped over her—one she recognized from Magnus's wardrobe. He must have covered her while she was asleep.

She quickly set the jacket aside, not wanting to give coworkers any reason to gossip. Grabbing her things, she called Magnus.

He picked up right away. "I'm sorry about that—I must have dozed off while working. Is there a curfew at your place? I'll be more careful next time."

Magnus's voice was calm and understanding, clearly aware of how much the past few days had taken out of her.

When Astrid heard silence on the other end of the line, she wondered if she’d already managed to upset Magnus Marshall on day one of their marriage. Their arrangement didn’t exactly come with the usual marital perks, but they still had to share a roof and interact on the regular. So how was she supposed to play this?

"Do I look like the kind of boss who'd make you work late and then have you crash in the office?" The voice didn’t come from the phone—it came from the doorway.

She looked up, shocked to see Magnus standing there, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Astrid hung up in a hurry, disbelief written all over her face. "Have you been here the whole time… waiting for me?"

He walked toward her, and she instinctively took a step back.

He let out a low chuckle. "Relax. Everyone else is gone. It’s just us. I texted you earlier, and when you didn’t reply, I figured you’d probably dozed off."

Astrid checked her phone—sure enough, Magnus had messaged asking when she’d be heading home. She’d clearly said she’d leave once she wrapped up her work. When she didn’t get a response, she just assumed he’d taken off. But he’d been waiting?

"You… waited for me?" she asked hesitantly.

"I had a few things to finish up. By the time I was done, I wanted to see if you’d left. When I saw you hadn’t, I figured we could ride back together."

Astrid felt a wave of relief—it wasn’t purely about waiting, which made her feel less guilty. She handed him back his jacket, packed up her stuff, and followed him into the elevator.

Still, she couldn’t shake the unease. Even with Magnus assuring her everyone else was gone, what if someone spotted them leaving together? How would they even explain that? She was so tense that she nearly tripped stepping out of the elevator—it was only Magnus’s quick reflexes that saved her.

Feeling like a total klutz, she mumbled, "Sorry… I got distracted."

"No worries. Just watch your step," Magnus said, but his hand lingered on hers.

Realizing it, he quickly pulled back. "Sorry—I just didn’t want you to fall."

"It’s fine," Astrid said quickly. "I get it."

Oddly enough, his touch felt… reassuring. Nothing like River Knight’s—that always felt distant.

Magnus headed to the car first, and just as Astrid was about to get in, her coworker, Katalina Larson, called out.

"Hey, Astrid! Heading out now?"

Startled, Astrid turned and tried to play it cool. "Yeah—had a mountain of work to get through. Before I knew it, it was this late."

She tried to flip the conversation around. "What about you? You weren’t still working, were you?"

Katalina sighed. "Ugh, I left my heating pad in the office. Cramps are killing me, and I can’t function without it. Figured it wasn’t worth buying another since I live close by."

"Right. Go grab it, then. I’m heading home," Astrid said, eager to get out of there.

As Katalina passed her, she added, "Oh, by the way—I thought I saw Mr. Marshall."

Astrid tensed. "Really? Didn’t notice. I figured I was the only one left."

Katalina gave her a curious look. "You seem… off tonight."

Astrid forced confidence into her voice. "What do you mean?"

Katalina frowned. "I don’t know—you’re acting like you’re hiding something."

Astrid let out a nervous laugh. "Me? No way. Just exhausted."

Katalina finally backed off. "Alright, get home. It’s late—you need rest."

Astrid waved her off. "You too. Get home safe."

"Sure thing."

Astrid watched Katalina disappear, then quickly slipped into Magnus’s car. She opened the back door, but that small move seemed to irritate him.

"Sit up front with me. I’m not your chauffeur," he said coolly.

Only then did she catch the slight annoyance in his tone. She scrambled to the front passenger seat, frantically searching for something to say.

Magnus suddenly leaned in, and Astrid froze. Was he going to kiss her? She’d suggested they put on a show of physical affection, but she wasn’t ready for a sudden move like this.

When she realized he was just reaching for her seatbelt, embarrassment washed over her. What was she even thinking?

"I—I can do it myself," she stammered, reaching out—only to brush his hand and yank hers back like she’d touched fire.

Magnus finished buckling her in. "Buckle up. Let’s go."

All she could manage was a flustered "Okay."

Magnus drove smoothly. Since their home was conveniently close to the office, the drive took less than twenty minutes.

Before she got out, Magnus handed her the car keys. "I remember you can drive. You can use this one."

Astrid stared at the keys, surprised. It was a sleek, practical SUV—perfect for her needs. Since their place wasn’t anywhere near public transit, having a car would be a lifesaver.

"But I can’t accept this," she protested.

Magnus pressed the keys into her palm. "It’s part of our arrangement. I’m not doing much for you, but you’re doing a lot for me. Think of it as compensation."

Astrid opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off before stepping out. "Unless you’d rather throw it away."

She stood there speechless, realizing she might have rubbed him the wrong way again.

After a moment, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to use the car while their agreement lasted. She could always give it back later.

Following him inside, she called out, "Magnus—"

Catching herself, she tried again. "I mean, Magnus… I’ll accept the car."

Magnus finally looked pleased, a smile creeping onto his face. "It’s late, so don’t stuff yourself. I’ll make us some pasta."

"I can cook too," Astrid offered, liking the idea of starting fresh in a new home.

She’d stayed at her family home up until now—left to her, her stepmother, and her brother—but she wasn’t eager to stay there, too haunted by memories of her father.

"I’ve got this," Magnus said, heading to the kitchen.

Astrid was curious—could someone with a demanding job like his actually manage to cook? She was pleasantly surprised by his skills.

He made a simple yet delicious pasta with tomato and egg sauce. As she ate, she couldn’t hold back the praise. "Magnus, you’re amazing—both at work and in the kitchen. Whoever marries you is seriously lucky."

A slow smile curled his lips. Didn’t she know? There was more to that saying—something about being a skilled lover.

Astrid cleaned up after dinner and headed to her room.

The next morning, she woke up rudely—hit by a wave of nausea. She bolted to the bathroom retching, but her stomach was already empty, so there was nothing to bring up.

She lifted her head, staring at her disheveled reflection, and spotted Magnus standing in the doorway, concern etched on his face. Her face flushed with sheer embarrassment.