Chapter 13 The Madam is Angry

Seeing her stop eating, Roland asked, "You barely ate. Are you full?" Sandra finally put down her chopsticks and said, "Yes, I had a heavy breakfast." She lied.

Roland nodded and rose from the sofa. He walked to his desk, retrieved a file, and handed it to Sandra. "You can take your time reviewing the contract." Thank you," she replied. She opened the file and began reading. The more she read, the more puzzled she became. The contract stipulated that their marriage would last one year from the date of signing. Upon divorce, she would receive an alimony of 50 million dollars along with a 2% share of Fleming Corp. She should have been thrilled—she loved money, after all—but she wasn't in the mood today. The voice of that strange woman still lingered in her mind. 'I'll ask him tonight'.

She shook her head slightly and considered how much she could expand her business in a year with that money. She'd be set for life. The thought of swimming in wealth lifted her spirits a little.

After carefully reviewing the contract and finding no loopholes or irregularities, she signed the papers and handed them back to Roland.

Roland signed them as well, a smirk playing on his lips. He really liked this woman. "We're flying to the U.S. next week," Roland said. Sandra nodded in acknowledgment. "My mother will probably call you tomorrow and ask you to go shopping with her. I told her you're busy, so you can just decline," he continued.

Sandra frowned slightly, thinking, there's no way I can decline that sweet lady. "I understand," she replied. She was about to bid farewell when a knock sounded at the door. A woman, very familiar to Sandra, entered and walked toward them with a gentle smile. She glanced briefly at Sandra before turning her smiling gaze to Roland."Mr. Fleming, these are the documents you need to sign for the Greenhouse Club project," the woman said.

Roland nodded at Jenny and kept his eyes on Sandra. Andreas, standing nearby, reached out to take the documents from her. Suppressing the fire in her heart, Jenny said goodbye and left the office.

Feeling awkward under Roland's unwavering gaze, Sandra said, "If there's nothing else, Mr. Fleming, I have to go. "Alright, let Andreas drive you back," Roland offered.

"No need. My assistant will pick me up," Sandra lied. She just wanted to walk around for a bit to clear her head. Roland nodded hesitantly and escorted her to the elevator. Once the elevator doors closed, the gentle smile on Roland's face vanished, replaced by a cold, stern expression. Turning to Andreas beside him, he said, "The madam is in a bad mood today. Find out what happened."

Andreas, puzzled—The madam is in a bad mood?—nodded and replied, "Yes, Mr. Fleming."

Walking through the bustling streets of Makati City, Sandra felt a bit better. Hardworking people hurried around her. She used to work in this area and knew the roads like the back of her hand. Deciding to indulge herself, she headed to Greenbelt, a high-end mall, to shop and escape the hot weather.

Sandra entered Greenbelt 3, where luxury brands showcased their latest designs. Being in the clothing business, she studied the trends to stay competitive in the fashion market. Since she had cleared her schedule for the afternoon, she took her time browsing.

Unbeknownst to her, two pairs of eyes watched her every move. One sent timely reports to her husband-to-be, while the other carried multiple shopping bags. Their instructions from their boss were clear: everything "the madam" touched or admired in the mall would be purchased and sent to their future home. At that moment, Sandra had no idea she'd already "spent" thirty thousand dollars on bags and clothes.

Looking at photos of his wife shopping, Roland wore a gentle smile. She really has good taste, he thought. Most of the items that caught her eye were the latest and trendiest from top brands.

Andreas rose from his desk and approached Roland. "Boss, nothing significant came up in my investigation, except that the madam had a brief encounter with Director Chua in the lobby earlier." He handed Roland a tablet with CCTV footage from the lobby.

Roland might have been oblivious, but Andreas knew Jenny had been trying to catch his boss's attention for a long time. He stayed silent because she was a competent employee and had never crossed any lines with her subtle flirting. Besides, his boss—who seemed immune to it—had never noticed.

"Continue to monitor and protect the madam," Roland instructed as he put down the tablet. Andreas nodded and walked away. Lost in deep thought, Roland began formulating plans in his mind. There was no room for mistakes. He was determined to make his wife fall in love with him before their one-year contract ended. After nearly two hours of nonstop walking, Sandra finally felt tired. Parched, she sat down at one of the café's al fresco seating areas and ordered a refreshment.

Sandra took her laptop out of her bag and started working. She still had a lot to finish before leaving for the USA.

The two bodyguards sat at the outdoor seating of a coffee shop next to the café where Sandra was. Dozens of luxury shopping bags were piled on the table and in front of them. One discreetly snapped a photo of Sandra and sent it to their boss. Both remained silent, carefully watching her from behind their black sunglasses.

After a while Sandra stopped working and began packing her things. She then stood up, walked out toward the taxi bay, and hailed a cab. A black car immediately pulled up in front of the two bodyguards' position and followed Sandra until she arrived home safely, reporting her safe arrival to their boss. 

In the office, Andreas was checking his messages for the day and nearly had a heart attack when he opened the bank notifications from his boss's accounts. Multiple transactions from the afternoon totaled almost three hundred thousand dollars, and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He then reviewed the reports from the madam's bodyguards and realized his boss's instructions. Goosebumps prickled his skin immediately—he hadn't known that his boss could turn into a borderline obsessed psychopath when in love. It was terrifying.

Andreas decided that to secure a bright future, he would need to serve his madam well. She was the goddess who would be his salvation down the line. If he pleased this figure of fortune, he'd be set for life.