Tuesday was the only day of the week Daniela came home.
Yes. We were husband and wife, yet the only time that belonged to me was Tuesday night.
She always said she was busy, that her workload was enormous every single day.
I'd complained about it before, but each time she told me we were still young, that we should focus on building our careers now. There would be plenty of time to enjoy life later.
Like every other Tuesday, I prepared a full spread of dishes and sent Daniela a photo.
Waiting for you to come home for dinner.
The moment the message went through, her call came in.
At work she was poised and untouchable, but with me, her voice was always soft.
"Babe, I'm sorry. There's an important client I need to wine and dine tonight. Don't wait up for me, okay?"
"Sorry, babe..."
My throat tightened. She was still calling me babe. Still being playful and sweet with me. Could she really be the same woman who'd held a marriage certificate with another man for two years?
"Babe? You still there?"
Daniela's voice pulled me back.
"It's fine. No matter how late it gets, I'll wait for you."
"Ugh..." A conflicted little whine, half protest, half affection. Then she relented. "Okay. No matter how late the dinner runs, I'll come home to you."
After the call ended, I stared at the table full of food and shook my head.
I knew what her "client dinner" most likely was. She and Geoffrey were celebrating their renewed marriage certificate.
...
It was past midnight when Daniela finally walked through the door.
She was still lucid, but her body was spent.
She threw herself into my arms like she was starving for warmth. A faint fragrance clung to her clothes.
I recognized it immediately. I'd smelled it that very afternoon, on Geoffrey.
Daniela had carried traces of that men's cologne before. I'd always assumed she wore it to project the image of a powerful businesswoman. It had never once crossed my mind to question it.
She seemed riddled with guilt. Nestled against my chest, she shed the icy composure she wore during the day and curled into me, small and tender.
"I'm sorry, babe. I made you wait so late..."
Any other night, seeing her like this, flushed and beautiful in her tipsy haze, I would have already scooped her up. The bedroom, the kitchen, the balcony. It wouldn't have mattered where.
But tonight, I didn't feel a thing.
I guided her gently onto the couch and kept my voice as even as I could manage.
"Daniela, you have to be up early for work tomorrow, so I'll keep this brief."
"I've been thinking. What if we opened a subsidiary under the company's name?"
The moment I mentioned work, she snapped into focus.
"We can barely keep up with what's already on our plate. Why would we open a subsidiary?"
I watched her face. When I brought up the subsidiary, there was nothing. No flicker, no tell.
I nodded slightly and explained. "I just want to take some of the weight off your shoulders. Once the subsidiary gets off the ground, the pressure on your end would drop significantly."
Her gaze softened. She pulled me down beside her and leaned into me.
"Don't worry about all that. I'll work my fingers to the bone to keep you comfortable, okay?"
"What?" I blinked.
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a Muyuan Investments proposal, then settled against my chest and flipped it open.
"Look. I closed this deal yesterday. Twenty billion dollars in committed capital."
"The investment is massive, so I need you to personally oversee this project. Can we table the subsidiary talk until it's wrapped up?"
Before I could respond, she pressed her lips to mine.
