RETALIATION

(Brandon's POV)

I let her have her fun.

I let her think she's won.

I let her bask in the temporary illusion that she has control.

But she forgot one thing.

I own this house.

I own her life.

And now, she's about to learn exactly what that mean

The second she falls asleep, I call my staff.

By morning, the house is back to its original state.

No pink. No floral pillows. No trace of her rebellion.

When she steps into the living room, she freezes.

"What the—"

I sip my coffee, not even looking at her.

"Morning, wife."

She whips around to glare at me. "What did you do?!"

I finally meet her gaze.

Cold. Calculated.

"Fixed your mistake."

Her eyes narrow.

Then, slowly, her lips curl into a smirk.

"Oh, so we're doing this now?"

I lean back in my chair, smirking.

"No, sweetheart. I'm just getting started."

I leave her alone for most of the morning. Let her stew. Let her think she's safe.

Then, at exactly 12 PM, I find her lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone.

I walk in, arms crossed.

"Get up."

She doesn't even look up.

"Busy."

I step closer, grabbing the phone from her hands. She glares at me. Good now l have her attention.

"Remember the stupid stunt you pulled online?" She looks at me confused.

"Let me jog your mind, l made you responsible for all house chores. Remember that?"

Realization finally hits her. But a second later she smirks.

"In need of another diarrhea session? "

Naah don't worry sweet heart you won't be burning tour hands cooking for me

I step closer, my voice dropping.

"And since you enjoy making my life hell, let's see how you like it when the tables turn."

I hand her a mop.

"The floors need scrubbing."

Her jaw drops. "You can't be—"

" am dead serious wife now get cleaning! "

She bits her tongue stares dip in my eyes trying to intimidate me then she started mopping. Like my good little wife.

Two hours later, she's covered in sweat.

I watch from the doorway as she scrubs the floor, muttering curses under her breath.

"I hate you," she grumbles.

I sip my whiskey.

"I'm aware."

She glares up at me. "This is abuse."

"This is consequences."

She throws the sponge at my face.

I catch it.

Toss it back.

"Missed a spot."

Her rage is delicious.

But I'm not done yet.

Not even close.

As am busy inspecting her work, my phone buzzes. It linda

" sir should we reschedule your meeting. With the investors? " with all her drama l nearly forgot about it. "No am on my way. "

Within 20 minutes l am at the meeting place.

...

These investors were driving me insane.We were supposed to meet for lunch, but they rescheduled to dinner and now they were thirty minutes late.I knew this was a power play.

A reminder that I needed them more than they needed me.The success of my company expansion depended on this deal.It hasn't been long since I was appointed CEO, and if I lose this project, I lose the trust of my shareholders.

Korea is known for its class—and if I can open a luxury mall offering everything from designer clothing, high-end shoes, and exclusive jewelry to our top food brands, it could be one of my company's biggest investments.

That thought alone makes it easier to wait patiently.

After another fifteen minutes, they finally grace us with their presence.Even before they sit down, I can smell their arrogance from miles away.But one thing about these men?They turn investments into gold.So, with my fakest smile, I stand to greet them."Sorry for being late, Mr. Garcia. Traffic around here is crazy." His expression is insincere, but I don't care.

As long as they sign the deal, they can lie all they want.

"No worries. We've got the whole night."They settle into their seats, place their orders, and I sit back, already mentally preparing for their nonsense.I had studied their profiles, so I knew exactly what to expect.

Mr. Andreas – 63 years old, billionaire, owner of a major oil company. Loves collecting historical artifacts.

Mr. Tate Soo – 79 years old, billionaire, owner of the largest clothing brand in Korea. A very traditional man.

What do they have in common?

Arrogance and pride.

I knew exactly what to poke and what not to.

"So, Mr. Garcia, when are we going to meet your famous, beautiful wife?"Andreas leans forward, curiosity evident in his eyes.I fake a polite chuckle. "Well, you can meet her at my birthday party this Saturday."He hums in approval. "Then we will surely be there."

I turn to Tate, who has a subtle scowl on his face."Is everything alright, Mr. Tate?" I ask.He looks me dead in the eyes and states,"I just don't understand you young men. Why did you marry that girl when you had a much better option?"My jaw clenches."What are you talking about?"He waves his hand dismissively. "What was her name again…?""Ms. Chloe," Andreas answers with an amused smirk.

"Yes, Chloe. She's from an influential family, has a successful brand, and is incredibly beautiful. So why did you marry a girl who embarrasses you everywhere?"

My vision turns red. A slow burn of rage consumes me. My fingers tighten around my glass, the urge to shatter it nearly overwhelming. A dull headache pulses in my temple but l keep my expression unreadable.

With a dead pan voice l respond

"Mr. Tate, I don't believe I owe you an explanation for why I married my wife. Because, as you just pointed out—she is my wife. And as far as I'm concerned, what she does or doesn't do is none of your business. My wife is not an embarrassment.Besides, we are here to discuss business, not my personal life."

Their eyes widen, clearly not expecting my rebuttal. They're used to people nodding along to their every word.

Not me.

No one insults my wife—and they certainly won't be the first to get away with it.

Andreas clears his throat, attempting to diffuse the tension. "I think Brandon is right. Let's focus on business." Tate still looks unhappy, but he holds his tongue.He starts to speak again, but I cut him off by jumping straight into my business pitch.

"Our plan is to acquire a highly popular location in Seoul. With your investment, we will build a luxury mall—exclusive, high-end, and profitable."

I hand them the building's blueprint.

"The mall will feature limited edition clothing, accessories, and high-end brands. Wealthy customers love exclusivity, and we will capitalize on that."

I point to the three-floor layout.

"Top floor – VVIP access only. Membership required. Net worth must be verified before handed the member ship

Second floor – VIP customers with special access. Membership still required but they won't experience the same services as the vvip

First floor – Open to the general public but still high-end.we are going to open stalls that sells out food products. We are going to conduct food tasting as if possible open a restaurant. We'll create a balance—exclusivity for the rich, accessibility for the elite and availability to the general public."I watch their faces as they scan the designs.

Their expressions shift—from arrogance to genuine interest.Andreas nods approvingly. "The concept is unique. But how do you plan to acquire a prime location in Seoul? Spots like that are nearly impossible to get."

I smirk.

I was waiting for this question.

"There's a company rumored to be going bankrupt. I reached out to them, and they are ready to sell. We'll take over their property and transform it into our mall."

Tate frowns. "That's ambitious. But demolishing a building in the middle of Seoul will be a logistical nightmare."

I lean forward.

"We won't demolish it."

Their brows furrow.

I flip to the next design blueprint.

"We'll mold the new mall's structure around the existing building. It will be more of a renovation than a complete demolition."

Tate exhales, still skeptical. "Well… let us think about it. We'll get back to you." I nod, standing up. "That would be great. And if you'll excuse me, I need to get home before I make my wife worry. "They chuckle lightly before dismissing me.

Time to go see how my dear wife is fairing.