3

Jensen Sterling, surprisingly, didn't get up early today.

He's usually much busier than I am, so I normally sleep in while he gets up and heads to the office.

I was still a bit dazed when I saw the faint smile on his face.

It wasn't until he leaned in for a kiss that I suddenly remembered what happened yesterday.

"Jensen Sterling! We're not done with yesterday's business! You have to give me a harsh scolding when you get to the office today, you hear!"

Jensen Sterling looked at me teasingly, completely unconcerned. "Oh? And how would you like me to scold you?"

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Like last night?"

My face instantly turned red.

I shoved him away and scrambled out of bed, putting distance between myself and this indecent man!

Jensen Sterling laughed heartily.

I couldn't be bothered with him. I quickly changed and went downstairs, ready to give my son, whom I hadn't seen all day, a big kiss.

My son, Chase Sterling, is already four years old this year.

He's perfect in every way—cherubic, well-behaved, and bright—just a little too clingy.

Normally, those two are always bickering over who gets a few more minutes of my attention.

And sure enough, the moment I got downstairs, my son was already leaping into my arms.

"Mommy! You didn't come give me a goodnight kiss last night!"

I hugged my son as he looked up at me, his big, dark eyes brimming with grievance.

I found it a little funny and patted his head. "Mommy got home too late yesterday, and you were already asleep. How about I make it up to you today, okay?"

"No!"

Jensen Sterling's voice suddenly cut in.

Before I could react, he had already lifted our son out of my arms and pulled me into his own.

"Why should my wife give you a goodnight kiss? She has me, and that's enough!"

Jensen Sterling felt no shame whatsoever about getting jealous and vying with a child for attention.

The moment his feet touched the floor, our son started protesting indignantly.

"Daddy, you've been hogging Mommy for days! It's my turn for her to spend time with me!"

Jensen Sterling immediately tightened his grip on me, eyeing our son with a vigilant look.

"No way! If you want someone to keep you company, go find your own wife! Why should my wife keep you company!"

"You...!"

Our son's face turned red with anger.

But he was just a little kid with a limited vocabulary; of course he couldn't win an argument against Jensen Sterling.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, my head aching. 'These two probably have the same mental age,' I thought.

I pushed Jensen Sterling away and gave him a disdainful look. "You're a grown man, picking a fight with a child. Have you no shame?"

Jensen Sterling immediately put on an aggrieved expression.

He mumbled quietly, "What's so shameful about fighting for my own wife? Even a kid shouldn't be allowed to steal another man's wife."

I shot him an amused glare, then picked up our son and went straight to the dining table to get ready for breakfast.

Jensen Sterling followed behind me. As he sat down, he shot a glare at our son, who responded by making a defiant, goofy face at him.

I put a fried egg on each of their plates.

I sincerely hoped the food would shut them up.

4

After breakfast, we got ready for work.

The nanny took our son to kindergarten, so Jensen Sterling and I prepared to go straight to the office.

Ever since we got married, I've always ridden in Jensen Sterling's car to work.

But to keep our relationship a secret, I usually get out a little early, a short distance from the office.

Today was no exception.

As I sat in the passenger seat, resting my chin on my hand and gazing out the window, I suddenly started thinking about the origins of my relationship with Jensen Sterling.

The story of how we got together is actually quite remarkable.

For a long time in the past, my family and the Sterling Family were on roughly the same level.

You could say we were betrothed before we were even born.

Before we were born, our parents had joked about arranging a marriage for us, saying it was the only way for them to truly become one family.

But later, not long after I was born, my family's company faced a crisis and went bankrupt.

My parents were so overwhelmed with paying off debts that they naturally cast the so-called marriage arrangement to the back of their minds.

Until I was twenty-two, I had no idea this part of our past even existed.

Then one day, when I was twenty-two, the Sterling Family, who we hadn't been in contact with for many years, suddenly reappeared.

It was Jensen Sterling who came to our door, stating bluntly that he was there because of the old marriage agreement.

When I first heard it, I thought he was a con artist and threw him right out of the house.

But when my parents came home and heard what had happened, they both fell silent.

Over the years, my parents had started a small company. Although it was nothing compared to what they once had, it was at least enough for us to live a normal life.

I had always thought we were just an ordinary, comfortable family. It wasn't until my parents told me about our past that I was shocked to realize I had almost been the heiress to a great fortune.

Back when my parents went bankrupt, the Sterling Family had wanted to help them.

But my parents were too proud to accept their help, and they eventually lost contact with the Sterling Family.

No one had expected Jensen Sterling to show up on his own initiative and ask to honor the marriage agreement.

After hearing the full story from my parents, my entire worldview was turned upside down.

After that day, my parents reconnected with their old friends for the first time in a long while.

And Jensen Sterling began to appear more and more in my life.

He would show up out of the blue and suddenly declare he was going to pursue me.

He courted me with a relentless, full-blown offensive for three months, and I finally couldn't help but give in.

We fell for each other, and our parents also let go of their past grievances and reconnected.

Our marriage agreement then became a matter of course.

Jensen Sterling and I married soon after, and the following year, our child was born.