"Ma''am, we made chicken soup tonight. If you''d like something different, just let us know a day ahead," the housekeeper murmured softly beside ra.
Everyone in this house treated ra with genuine warmth-so long as she didn''t ask to borrow their phones, life stayed peaceful and easy.
ra cradled her mug of ginger tea, taking a forced sip. Just then, she heard footsteps in the hallway.
Dn must be back.
She''d thought he''d be workingte, especially since he''d skipped out on the office for days. But here he was, home earlier than she''d expected.
ra kept her eyes down, refusing to even nce at the entryway.
She''d been living at Palm Bay for quite some time now, and not once had Dne looking for her. Marrying her seemed more like cing a vase in the living room—a decoration, nothing more.
She didn''t get him at all. Was he really willing to go against Walter''s orders just to keep a stand-in around?
As soon as Dn walked in, the staff started setting the table,ying out a proper feast. The housekeeper called out, "Ma''am, dinner''s ready."
But ra, still shaken from her dream about Z, felt no hunger at all. She put down her teacup and headed straight upstairs.
Dn watched her go, his face unreadable. All he said was, "Put it all away."
The housekeeper looked surprised. Hadn''t Mr. Ferguson asked them to make dinner tonight? Why were neither of them eating?
Then she remembered: the past few days, even if the couple sat at the same table, they never spoke. Or rather, ra never answered Dn''s questions, never even looked his way. Silence had be their routine.
Living under the same roof, they were like strangers who''d known each other too long.
"Sir, you should try to eat a little," the housekeeper said quietly.
Dn just walked away toward the elevator, not saying a word.
The staff exchanged nces and quietly cleared away all the food they''d worked on so carefully.
Dn went to his study, opened a drawer, and took out a ring. He turned it slowly between his fingers, a small smile ying at his lips.
He wore his wedding ring, but after a closer look, he realized ra didn''t wear hers.
The wedding ring was the only piece of jewelry he could wear openly.
As he traced the band with his thumb, his mood almost visibly lifted.
Aiden came in, pausing when he saw the softness in Dn''s expression. He sighed to himself.
"Mr. Ferguson, I don''t think we can keep this from Walter much longer. He''s already picked someone from the Warren family. It''s Tara."
Walter''s choice was clever. Dn and Richard Warren were close, and out of respect for Richard, Dn couldn''t just turn the Warrens down.
For all his arrogance and sharp edges, Richard doted on his cousin Tara. Tara had liked Dn once; after he gently turned her down, she threw herself into her architecture career.
Among all the socialites, Tara stood
Built
out. She was low-key, talented, and after being rejected, she never chased after Dn again. She''d an impressive career-she''d even helped design that famous library overseas. People called her a genius in architecture.
No one would question her being with Dn.
But if Dn embarrassed her, how could he face his best friend?
Aiden looked troubled. "I called
Richard. He didn''t know anything about this. Ms. Warren''s been
abroad thesest years, winning
awards and joining design institutes. He thought she''d stay overseas longer. Walter must''ve reached out to her privately. She''s already on a flight back tonight. Apparently, she epted Walter''s invitation."
Back when Tara was chasing Dn, it was during the toughest period of his life.
"Sir, this..."
Walter was making a huge show of Tara''s return. He''d already told the rest of the Warren family. Word was spreading fast-everyone thought the Fergusons and the Warrens were about to be joined by marriage. If nothing happened, it would look like Ms. Warren came home for nothing.
Dn might be the golden boy, but Tara was just as aplished. Neither family
was the type to swallow their pride.