John's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a second before he said through clenched teeth, "You really are dedicated to your job."

Well, obviously.

We arrived at the auction venue soon after.

During the bidding, I was not sure if my changed behavior had somehow created a butterfly effect, but this time John never raised his paddle. In the end, the sapphire necklace was won by a middle-aged man.

Sitting for so long made me restless, so I told John I was stepping out and headed to the restroom.

When I returned to the auction hall, John's assistant came hurrying toward me in a panic.

"Mrs. Dyke, Mr. Dyke isn't feeling well. Please go check on him."

I followed him over and found that John had already been moved into a private lounge.

He was leaning against the chair, face pale, sweat beading at his temples.

After examining him, the doctor's expression turned serious.

"Something was added to Mr. Dyke's champagne. Rather than taking him to the hospital, it would be better if you personally took care of him."

The meaning behind his words was obvious, and I immediately understood what he meant by 'take care of him.'

If this had happened in my previous life, I would have thrown myself at him without hesitation.

But now, all I felt was annoyed.

I pulled out my phone and called Claire, asking her to come over.

This kind of situation was better left to the happy couple.

Claire arrived quickly. After taking over from me, she shot me a smug, provocative look.

"At least you know your place. Calling me was the smart move."

I could not be bothered arguing with her. Just as I was about to leave, a message from Vivian popped up on my phone.

[Naomi, are you at the auction? There are reporters everywhere outside. I think they're targeting John. Be careful!]

I immediately looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows and, sure enough, spotted several shadowy figures lurking outside with cameras in hand.

My heart sank.

It clicked instantly: someone had deliberately set this up for John. They wanted photos. They wanted a scandal involving the Dyke family.

The cooperation between the Dyke and West families was still underway. If the Dyke family got dragged into controversy, the West family would inevitably suffer too.

Which meant I couldn't leave John alone right now.

Not only that, I had to create the illusion that I had been with him the entire time.

The whole thing irritated me, but after thinking about the business partnership between the two families, I swallowed my frustration.

I booked a room next door to John's.

Before going to sleep, worried I might overhear something I really did not want to hear, I even put in earplugs.

But whether the earplugs actually worked or the hotel's soundproofing was just excellent, I heard absolutely nothing all night.

The next morning, I knocked on John's door.

After quite a while, the door finally opened.

John looked terrible.

He was wearing a bathrobe, his whole body carrying a chill, his hair still dripping wet. Anyone seeing him would think he had just been dragged out of the water.

I glanced around the room but saw no sign of Claire.

Confused, I asked, "Where's Ms. Rogers?"

John suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me into the room. The door slammed shut behind me with a loud bang.

Before I could react, he pinned me heavily against the door.

He stared at me intensely, eyes burning with an anger I could not understand.

"Naomi, are you really that eager to push me into someone else's arms?

"Don't forget. You are my wife."