Chapter 3

But the good times didn't last long. Trouble came knocking at our door.

A woman who claimed to be Jordan's first crush landed out of nowhere at the Lynch Group as the new vice president.

Her name was Aurora Frost, and she was his stepmother's niece.

Everyone could see the ulterior motive from a mile away.

Jordan's assistant slipped me the news in secret.

I barely blinked when I heard it. First crush? Seriously?

With how much of a wimp Jordan was, forget first crush, even if an angel descended, one call from his dad and he'd be back home giving me a foot massage.

But to keep up my act as the devoted wife, I decided to make an appearance at the office and stake my claim. Honestly, I was just bored out of my mind.

Just then, Jordan's father handed me a new mission. I should bring Jordan a lunch made with love.

I walked into the kitchen, staring at a pile of premium ingredients, and had no idea where to start.

I was hopeless when it came to cooking. Even the dog wouldn't touch anything I made. But when Jordan's father gave an order, it was basically law.

Gritting my teeth, I just winged it in the kitchen and hoped for the best.

In the end, I wound up with a plate of charred mystery that looked nothing like the ingredients I started with.

I named it Velvet Ember.

With my Velvet Ember in hand, I marched into the Lynch Group, head held high, like I was carrying a trophy.

Right outside the CEO's office, I got stopped by a woman rocking a Chanel suit and perfectly done makeup.

"Hi, who are you looking for?" she asked, giving me a quick once-over, her eyes sizing me up.

"I'm here to see Jordan," I said.

"Do you have an appointment?" she pressed.

"Nope," I replied, giving the lunchbox in my hand a little shake. "Just here to drop off his lunch."

She let out a little laugh, her tone dripping with superiority. "Jordan doesn't eat takeout. He has his own personal nutritionist."

"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is homemade."

This was my homemade poison.

"Miss, if you don't have an appointment, you can't go in," she insisted.

I was just about to argue with her when the office door swung open.

Jordan stepped out. His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Honey, what brings you here?"

Then he spotted Aurora standing next to me, and his brows knitted together.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Aurora, his tone sharp and unwelcoming.

Aurora looked a little hurt. "Jordan—"

"Didn't you see my wife just walk in?" Jordan cut her off. "From now on, keep your distance from my office."

Aurora's face went pale.

I couldn't help but feel a little smug inside. He did well.

I handed him the lunchbox. "Honey, I made you lunch."

Jordan took the lunchbox and opened the lid.

When he saw the charred lump inside, his face froze. His expression was a cocktail of shock, horror, and utter despair.

I could see his hand trembling a little.

Aurora saw it, too, covering her mouth with an over-the-top gasp. "Oh my god, what is that? Is that even edible?" she exclaimed.

She turned to me, putting on an exaggerated look of concern. "Hey, I know you care about Jordan, but you really shouldn't let him eat this. He might get food poisoning."

Wow, what a drama queen.

Before I could say a word, Jordan slammed the lid shut with a loud bang. He looked up at Aurora, his gaze unwavering. "Anything Nina cooks is a feast," he said.

Then, right in front of both of us, he grabbed a spoon, scooped up a massive chunk of the charred Velvet Ember, and shoved it in his mouth without flinching.

He chewed, even putting on a look of pure enjoyment. "So good," he said, flashing me a gentle smile. "No one cooks better than you, honey."

Aurora and I just stood there, totally lost for words. His stunt left both of us reeling, our scalps tingling from the shock.

No one but me knew I'd poured in half a bottle of vinegar and tossed in a fistful of salt. Jordan was amazing.

Aurora pointed at Jordan, so angry that she could barely speak. "For her, you'd actually—"

"For my wife, I'd do anything," Jordan interrupted, his voice firm and unyielding.

He took my hand, pulled me into the office, and slammed the door shut behind us.

As soon as we stepped inside, the mighty CEO act disappeared instantly.

He rushed straight to the trash can and, with a loud retch, spat out everything he'd just eaten.

Then he grabbed the water on his desk and chugged it down.

"Honey," Jordan looked at me, eyes pleading, "can you please not do this cooking thing again next time?"

I tried not to laugh. "Didn't you just say that no one cooks better than me?"

"Yes, it's good, really," he scrambled to say. "It's just the taste is a bit too much for me."

I was about to keep teasing him when something suddenly hit him, and his expression shifted.

He hurried over to his desk, pointed at a surveillance camera in the corner, and whispered, "Dad's watching us."

I looked where he was pointing. Hidden away in the corner of the bookshelf was a barely noticeable pinhole camera.

Suddenly, it all made sense. His dad had been watching the whole show, live and unfiltered.

No wonder he'd rather choke down poison than spit it out in front of the camera. Fatherly love really hit hard.

Aurora clearly wasn't about to let this go. Ignoring the secretary's protests, she barged right in.

"Jordan," she sobbed dramatically, looking utterly pitiful. "How could you treat me like this? After all these years together—"

Jordan's face was so dark as he snapped, "Aurora, get out."

"No way," Aurora shot back, throwing a tantrum. "You owe me an explanation. What's so special about her? She's just after your money, isn't she?"

She got more and more hysterical, reaching out to shove me. "You gold digger, stay away from Jordan," she screamed.

Jordan moved fast, pulling me behind him in a flash.

Aurora missed me completely, lost her balance, and the coffee in her hand spilled all over Jordan's desk.

The coffee drenched an open document.

On the document, [Cross-Border Merger] was written in bold letters, followed by a string of languages that looked impressive but made zero sense to me.

Jordan's face turned pale in an instant. This wasn't an act. He was white as a sheet, no faking this time.

Aurora froze, too, staring at the coffee-soaked document. There was a flash of panic in her eyes, but mostly, she looked smug.

She knew she'd just screwed up big time. But she also knew Jordan would totally dump the blame on me. After all, I was the spark that started this whole drama.

The office was dead silent. I could hear my own heart pounding in my chest. I was so screwed. That document looked like it was worth a fortune.

Was Jordan just going to kick me out right now? Was he going to think I was just a troublemaker?

I looked at him nervously. He was staring right back at me, his eyes full of panic, fear, and something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Then he took a deep breath and started to speak, slow and steady.