As I brought it up on my own, Ryder was beyond excited.
"You're up for the role? That's great! Alexander, you're an exceptionally rare talent when it comes to business development and management. If you're interested, I'll have them start arranging everything right away.
"The salary will be much better than what you're earning now. If Ms. Lambert doesn't want to let you go, I'll speak to her myself. How does that sound?"
Ryder was a well-known business tycoon in this city, and his wife used to be one of my university professors.
The overseas branch of Ryder’s company was on an upward trajectory but still faced limitations in cash flow and access to top-tier talent.
So, Ryder had been trying to recruit me to help expand his business.
Naturally, I'd turned him down.
After all, my wife and I built Lambert Group together.
It was like our child.
Looking back, I was too fixated to think clearly. I shouldn't have been so set in my ways to have let go of such a great opportunity.
"Thank you, Mr. Zen. I'll give it my best."
…
When Kameron came back, I was in the middle of writing my resignation letter.
She didn't even look at me. From the moment she walked in, she was busy with her phone.
After showering, she was drying her wet hair as she sat in front of the vanity.
"Alexander, I'm flying to Harborview in a few days for a conference. Keep the company in check while I'm gone," she said.
She was always like this.
She would slap me now, but talked to me calmly the next second as if none of our arguments had ever taken place.
That was partly because I always gave in.
Our relationship was so fragile that I constantly feared it would shatter completely if I wasn't careful.
Hence, I kept backing down, pretending not to care.
Evidently, trying to force a fresh start without resolving the issues clearly never worked.
After drying her hair, Kameron walked to the bed and leaned down to kiss me.
I instinctively turned my head, causing her lips to land on my jaw instead.
We were both caught off guard by the move.
Usually, I was the one clinging to her, trying to be intimate.
It was rare for her to take the initiative, yet I avoided her kiss.
I closed my laptop and said softly, "It's late. Let's go to bed."
Kameron frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
I coughed vaguely. "I caught a cold. I don't want to get you sick."
She didn't question it and changed the subject. "Mr. Sebastian Larkin from Everrise Group invited me for dinner this Friday. Come with me."
"Okay," I answered, not looking at her.
We rarely attended business dinners together, partly to avoid suspicion, and partly because we had different social styles and ways of handling things.
Going separately actually made us more effective. It helped us win more opportunities and benefits for the company.
Usually, Kameron only brought her secretary to these events.
But she had fired her former secretary, who used to work seamlessly with her, after the latter had offended Elliot.
Elliot was all talk and no action. He had no social skills, no ability, and couldn't hold his liquor.
He was no help at all. No wonder Kameron turned to me.
After turning off the lights, we lay down to sleep.
The next day, I met up with a few close friends for drinks—it was a farewell of sorts. But I didn't tell them everything outright.
They could only guess blindly, assuming I'd taken a hit in the romance department.
Just as we were having a good time, I spotted Kameron and Elliot leaving a restaurant nearby.
All my friends knew she was my wife.
Kameron's expression immediately turned awkward. She clearly didn't want Elliot to know she was married, much less married to me.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a forced casualness.
"Catching up with the guys, as you can see," I replied calmly.
Upon seeing this, my friends couldn't resist throwing some shade her way.
"Ah, if it isn't Ms. Lambert's little sidekick. It must be exhausting staying that close."
"It's after office hours, and she still needs her assistant in tow. That's some serious dedication."
Kameron's face darkened.
She shot me a glare, then refuted, "If you've had too much to drink, just go home. Don't make these stupid jokes in public."
Elliot quickly explained, "You've got the wrong idea, gentlemen. I'm just trying to learn from Ms. Lambert. We're strictly business—nothing like what you think."
