Chapter 2

After leaving the detective agency, I headed straight to the headquarters of Sampson Jewelry, my family's company.

"Ms. Sampson? What are you doing here?" Sally, my father's secretary, stared at me in surprise.

"Just came to see my father," I said.

"He's in a meeting right now. Just hang tight for a sec," Sally told me.

I sat in the office, waiting for my father, my mind already spinning with my next move.

Murray thought he could snatch shares of Sampson Jewelry. Then I'd make sure he'd only end up shooting himself in the foot.

"Elizabeth? What brings you here?" My father walked in, looking a bit worn out.

"Dad, I want to talk to you about the share transfer," I said.

My father's expression changed. "What's wrong? Is Murray treating you badly?"

"No, it's not that. I just want to go over the details," I replied.

"What details?" my father asked.

"If Murray and I split up, who would actually own the 20% shares of Sampson Jewelry?" I pressed.

My father was taken aback. "Elizabeth, you guys just got married today. Why are you already talking about divorce?"

"I just want to make sure I understand," I said.

My father thought it over. "Under the agreement, if you two get divorced, the shares will still belong to you. But if the divorce is your fault, the shares will be reclaimed."

"What exactly counts as my fault?" I asked.

"Infidelity, domestic violence, committing a crime—things like that," my father clarified.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it."

"Are you okay, Elizabeth?" my father asked, his eyes filled with worry.

"It's nothing, Dad. I'm heading out now," I said.

*****

After leaving the office, I went straight over to Murray's office building.

I wanted to see with my own eyes how they were about to put on their big show.

Once I got to the company, I didn't head up right away. Instead, I parked myself at a café downstairs, keeping an eye on the upstairs action through the huge glass windows.

Before long, I spotted Sylvia stepping out of the elevator, clutching a file in her hand.

She was dressed in a loose white shirt, looking every bit the part of a pregnant woman.

I pulled out my phone and started recording.

Sylvia walked up to Murray's office and knocked.

"Come in," Murray's voice called out from inside.

Sylvia pushed open the door and slipped in, closing it quietly behind her.

I waited for ten minutes and then headed upstairs.

"Mrs. Johnson, what brings you in today?" The receptionist spotted me right away.

"Just here to see my husband," I replied.

"Mr. Johnson is in a meeting right now. Would you like to wait for him?" she asked.

"No need. I'll just head in," I said, brushing her off.

"Wait, but..." The receptionist tried to stop me.

But I was already heading straight for Murray's office.

As I pushed open the door, I caught Murray holding Sylvia in his arms, their lips locked in a kiss that clearly wasn't meant to be interrupted.

I cleared my throat deliberately, making sure they noticed me.

They jumped apart at once. Sylvia's face turned bright red, while Murray looked completely flustered.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" Murray blurted out, hurriedly straightening his clothes.

"Just popping by to see what my husband is up to," I said with a sweet smile. "Clearly, you're busy."

"Sylvia got dizzy just now while giving her report, so I caught her before she fell," Murray explained.

"Really?" I fixed Sylvia with a look.

Sylvia stared at the floor, unable to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Johnson. I wasn't feeling well."

"No worries. It's totally normal for girls to have off days," I said breezily, striding over to Murray's side. Then I slipped on a smile and turned to him. "So, honey, our celebration dinner tonight—is that still on?"

"Of course it is," Murray replied, pulling me close by the waist. "Sylvia, why don't you head home and rest up?"

"Okay, Mr. Johnson," Sylvia muttered and then hurried out of the office.

After Sylvia left, Murray loosened his grip on me. "Elizabeth, what was that all about just now?"

"What do you mean?" I replied, raising an eyebrow like I had no idea.

"I mean, your whole attitude... It's like you suspect I'm hiding something," Murray said.

I chuckled. "What could I be suspicious of? That my brand-new husband is cheating on me on day one of our marriage?"

"Elizabeth," Murray said more sharply. "That's not something to joke about."

"I'm dead serious," I shot back, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Murray, we're married now. I expect you to stay loyal to me."

Murray paused for a second and then broke into a smile. "Dummy, of course I'll be loyal. You're my wife—the one I love the most in the world."

"The one you love the most?" I echoed those words, my voice flat.

"Yes, the one I love the most," Murray said, pressing a kiss on my forehead. "Elizabeth, don't overthink it. We're going to be happy together."

I just watched him silently as he put on his little performance.

*****

That night, Murray took me to the fanciest restaurant in the city.

"To celebrate our marriage, I booked the presidential suite here," Murray said, raising his champagne glass.

"The presidential suite?" I echoed, a little surprised.

"Yes. Tonight is our wedding night. It has to be something special," Murray replied with a grin.

I clinked my glass with his, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Sylvia. I wondered if he would go to see her later tonight.

Throughout dinner, Murray's phone went off several times, and every time, he'd just silence it right away.

"Who's blowing up your phone like that?" I asked.

"Just some work calls. Nothing important," Murray said.

"If it's nothing, then why not answer?" I pressed, giving him a look.

"Tonight is our night. Nothing else matters but you," Murray said, his tone dripping with charm.

The words would have melted my heart before. Now, they just sounded hollow.