Chapter 2

The room was filled with a tense quiet.

Marco pressed his mouth shut, not uttering a sound.

As a fellow man, he ought to understand the source of my irritation.

No gentleman could tolerate seeing the woman he adored spending his own funds on presents for other males.

Even if the gift she bestowed was ultimately for her own benefit.

"I'm to blame, Mr. Gilmore. I shouldn't have taken Ms. Watson's present."

"I'll reverse the transaction and send it back to the seller right away."

Ha ... His words made me sound like a penny-pincher.

"Marco Tucker, is it? It's just an automobile. I can handle the expense."

"I've got more than ten luxury vehicles in my garage. Pick any one you fancy and consider it a present from me."

He raised his head, a flicker of astonishment crossing his face.

I fixed him with an intense, commanding stare.

"Louisa has been by my side for nine years and has witnessed plenty. I don't think a luxury car is anything extraordinary."

"But you need to recognize, as an aide, what's appropriate to accept and what isn't."

Marco retreated a step, losing his composure and apologizing repeatedly.

"It's my error, Mr. Gilmore. Please don't hold Ms. Louisa responsible."

Ms. Louisa?

His way of addressing her had become more familiar.

Louisa stepped forward in her high heels to shield the man behind her and embraced my waist.

She retrieved a bottle of fragrance from her eight-figure Hermes handbag and smiled affectionately.

"Come now, my darling, look ... I bought you a new limited-edition cologne, so don't be cross."

I gazed at the perfume in her grasp and reflected on every moment we'd shared over the past nine years.

Louisa and I had been a couple since our university days until now.

As a cool and distant beauty, men chased after her and vied for her attention.

But she firmly refused them and remained entirely devoted to me.

When we were in the throes of romance, she once murmured in my ear that I would be her only love for life.

She claimed I was her entire world.

But now everything had shifted.

I noticed admiration and concern for another man in her eyes.

Watching her smile and express her emotions towards him.

The cologne in her hand was a brand I had long since grown to dislike.

Then, her tone, both coaxing and chiding, brought me back to reality. "I know you're jealous because you care for me, but others who don't know might think you're singling out someone else's employee."

Singling out? He wasn't worth the effort.

I narrowed my eyes as I walked into the house, speaking coldly.

"The way he looks at you isn't how a typical subordinate regards their boss."

"As the marketing director, you have a sharp eye, so you shouldn't miss it."

"You dare to give a luxury car worth two million seven hundred thousand dollars to the man who admires you, Louisa ...."

She furrowed her brow and pouted.

"Alright! Marco and I have nothing going on, not now and not ever."

I looked at her intently and chose to believe her declaration of loyalty for the moment.

I had loved her for so many years, what challenges hadn't I faced.

Being jealous over a slightly more attractive male assistant was truly beneath me.

I simply wanted my favorite luxury car returned.

I didn't need to be overly concerned.

After all, there was no proof they were having an affair.

Louisa then led me all the way to the bathroom.

Her eyes were slightly red and her gaze was full of allure.

"Rosie has the day off today. You shower first and I'll go cook you a steak," she said.

I nodded and watched her retreating figure, then opened the cabinet where my undergarments were kept.

I frowned.

Her voice came from beyond the door. "Oh, by the way, Rosie mentioned that your underwear needs replacing, so she discarded them all. You can find new ones at the bottom."

I bent down and opened the lower cabinet.

I had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, so everything had to be meticulously arranged.