Chapter 4

Alexander was in a meeting, so his assistant asked me to wait in his office and brought me coffee.

Lowering his voice, the assistant said, "Mrs. Merchant, it's lunchtime, but the CEO is still in the meeting. He's not satisfied with any of the proposals. Could you possibly..."

I understood what he meant and immediately stood up to go to the meeting room. This wasn't the first time I'd been asked to do this.

I knocked on the door of the meeting room. As soon as I opened it, Alexander's piercing gaze met mine. Even through his glasses, the intensity was breathtaking. But his expression quickly softened as he stood and walked towards me.

"What brings you here?" he asked gently.

"I wanted to have lunch with you," I replied.

Behind him, I could see the relieved expressions of his employees. With the CEO's wife here, they could finally catch a break.

Alexander ordered food and gestured for me to look out the window.

"I heard you can see the most beautiful fireworks in the city from here on New Year's Eve. Let's come here then," he suggested.

New Year's was indeed approaching, but by then, I would probably be gone.

"Mm... okay," I mumbled.

He immediately noticed my mood shift and frowned. "What's wrong? Didn't enjoy your shopping trip? Or don't want to see the fireworks? Would you prefer to stay home?"

I looked into his concerned eyes, thinking about how I had deceived him.

"It's nothing. I just realized how happy I am with you," I said softly.

My childhood hadn't been happy. After it was discovered that my father had a child before marriage, my parents argued constantly. I never felt secure.

Later, when Natalie was brought to live with us, I was too timid to stand up for myself and was often bullied. My father usually turned a blind eye, only addressing the issue when my mother made a fuss.

Alexander, on the other hand, loved me unconditionally. He bought me whatever I wanted, came home on time and avoided unnecessary social engagements, and never had any scandals. He was the perfect gentleman.

Sometimes he would get angry if he saw other men talking to me, but I knew it was because he cared too much.

No, he cared too much about Natalie.

Hearing my words, Alexander's expression softened. "Me too."

"Lily, you're a gift from heaven."

There was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite understand... was it nostalgia?