He was starting to get tired of himself.


    Straightening up, he walked away with an indifferent expression, but his eyes darted back to Elodie. It was then that he noticed she wasn''t wearing her ring.


    His steps faltered.


    He frowned, displeased.


    Why wasn''t she wearing it?


    Did she not like the ring?


    Or did she not like him?


    Did she want to change the ring, or change the husband?


    Neither was an option, obviously.


    Leaving the PR department, he stood in front of the elevator and lifted his hand. The discreet wedding band suddenly felt ostentatiouspared to Elodie''s bare finger.


    For a moment, he wasn''t sure what to make of Elodie''s attitude. But there had to be a reason she wasn''t wearing it.


    He thought for a moment, then took his off and slipped it into his pocket. Firstly, it was to match her for now, so he could test the waterster. Secondly, his ring was indeed a bit conspicuous, and at this point, he didn''t want anyplications or for too many people—especially certain people overseas-to know about Elodie.


    For the next month, the PR department was on edge.


    Their impossibly busy Mr. Silverstein had taken to wandering downstairs every few days.


    He would offer some critiques on their work and then leave.


    In the process, he actually managed to uncover a number of internal issues. He reprimanded several people, dealt with those who were underperforming, and employed a mix of carrot and stick by having desserts and coffee delivered daily.


    Elodie witnessed Jarrod sternly dealing with some of the senior staff. It was the first time she saw how strict and unsmiling he was at work. When he got serious, it was genuinely intimidating.


    She felt herself tense up along with everyone else.


    It also made her understand that Jarrod didn''t tolerate ipetence around him. If she didn''t perform well, she''d probably be in for it too.


    Suddenly, she didn''t dare to ck off. Even when Manager Stone told her she didn''t need to work overtime, she stayed behind on her own initiative to learn and get up to speed as quickly as possible.


    She usually didn''t get home until ten at night.


    One evening, she returned to find Jarrod sitting silently in the living room.


    "You''re still up?"


    Jarrod nced at her. "Is your department really that busy?"


    Elodie nodded. "There''s a lot to do. I don''t want to drag the team down, so I''ve been stayingte to learn more."


    So proactive.


    This left Jarrod at a loss. He fell silent, trying to think of another way to get Elodie to find a better work-life bnce.


    Elodie saw his furrowed brow and serious expression. She immediately understood. He thought she wasn''t up to the task didn''t he? That she stihadn''t gotten the hang of things after all this time? ''


    He was clearly very particr about performance.


    Her degree wasn''t in public rtions, but she was trying her best to learn. She knew she had a long way to go and wasn''t about to get emotiona about needing recognition or validation She had to prove herself first before she had any right to say anything.


    "I''ll head to my room, then," she said quickly.


    Since he probably thought she was a lost cause anyway, it was best not to be an eyesore.


    She scurried away.


    By the time Jarrod had a new n, she was already gone. The bedroom door was shut tight.


    He stared at the door for a long time, then rose to his feet and casually walked back to his own side of the apartment.


    After a quick detour, he found himself outside her room again. Elodie had just gotten out of the shower and was about to get into bed.


    Before she could lie down, the door was pushed open.


    She froze. "Can I help you?"


    Jarrod walked in, his expression calm. "Yes."


    "What is it?"


    "I''m sleeping here."


    "?"


    "The bed in my room is broken," he said.


    Elodie let out a sigh of relief. For a second, she thought he meant a different kind of sleeping.


    But... how was that possible?


    She recognized that bed; it had cost a fortune. How could it be broken to the point of being unusable?


    She immediately got up and went to see for herself.


    When she saw the dismantled frame, she waspletely baffled. The headboard


    had copsed. Did he host a rave on it?


    When she returned, Jarrod was sitting on the sofa by her bed, legs crossed, an air


    of noble grace about him. "Is it convenient?"


    He hadn''t just climbed into her bed without her permission.


    Elodie was at a loss for words. What


    could she say? It was his house,


    after all. There were only two


    bedrooms, and now they were married It would be petty to make a fuss.