Loud music filled the bar and made it hard to hear anything else.
Nathaniel sat back in the booth, looking relaxed as he held a cigarette between his fingers, the end already half-burned.
"Hey, Nate, isn't today you got married?" one of his friends said with a teasing smile. "Why aren't you at home with your wife?"
Nathaniel put out the cigarette in the ashtray casually. "It's just a woman. There's nothing to be excited about," he said.
At that moment, Natalie's calm face appeared in his mind for no reason.
He still couldn't accept that she had called him a lunatic.
She would never say something like that in front of Alexander.
What confused Nathaniel even more was this. Why would she seem ready to take Alexander, but refuse him without hesitation?
He picked up his glass and drank half of it, trying to calm the restless feeling inside him.
"Hello, Mr. Evans, I'm the new bartender," a woman said.
Nathaniel looked at her casually. She wore a light-colored long dress that covered most of her skin, yet her figure still stood out.
Normally, he would've flirted. This time, her clothes somehow reminded him of Natalie, that dull woman.
"Leave. Tell your boss to send someone else," he said.
"Seriously?" his friend said, widening his eyes on purpose. "It's your first day of marriage, and you're already being loyal?"
Nathaniel found that ridiculous. His marriage to Natalie only happened because his mother arranged it, and there was no feeling behind it.
To him, Natalie was just a clean sexual partner.
That was all.
He sneered. "Loyal? I could choose anyone here, and they'd still be more fun than her."
At that moment, a man rushed in from outside. It was the driver who had taken him and Natalie to the registry earlier.
"Your phone, Mr. Evans," the driver said.
Nathaniel gave him a brief look. "So she went alone and handled the registration herself?"
"Yes, Mrs. Evans already finished everything and went back to your residence," the driver replied.
Reaching out, Nathaniel took the phone and leaned back, crossing his legs. "Did she leave any message?" he asked, sounding casual.
"Nothing," the driver answered right away, but then hesitated as something came to mind.
"Oh, right, Mr. Evans," he added, his voice dropping a little. "Mrs. Evans said... you should enjoy yourself."
A short laugh slipped from Nathaniel as he tossed the phone onto the table. "Tell her I'll make sure I do."
The driver swallowed and shifted his stance. "Should I pass that message to Mrs. Evans?"
Nathaniel looked at him with a cold expression. "Do I need to repeat myself?"
"Got it, got it..."
...
The following morning, when Isabella opened her eyes, Alexander was no longer beside her.
She hadn't fully adjusted to his routine yet.
Even though sleep still clung to her, she didn't stay in bed. That habit had followed her since she was young.
When she walked downstairs, she didn't see Alexander anywhere. Instead, someone unfamiliar sat in the living room. The woman had long, smooth hair and wore neat professional clothes, paired with simple black flats.
Isabella stopped where she was.
Hearing movement, the woman lifted her head. Her makeup was precise, and her expression remained composed.
She stood and greeted her with a polite smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Evans. I'm Jasmine Nelson, Mr. Evans' secretary."
Isabella tightened her grip on her clothes without thinking. So Alexander had a secretary this capable and beautiful...
"Hello... are you here for something?" she asked.
"There was an urgent meeting this morning, so Mr. Evans asked me to come and pick you up instead. I'll take you to the Evans Estate first, and then you and Mrs. Pamela Evans will head to the hospital together," Jasmine said with a calm tone.
"I appreciate it. Give me a moment. I'll go change," Isabella said.
Standing inside the walk-in closet, she hesitated as she looked over the rows of clothes in front of her.
Everything there had been arranged by Alexander. Each piece fit perfectly in style and size, yet Isabella didn't recognize any of the brands. She also had no idea what would be appropriate to wear when meeting Pamela and Celine.
The only thing she was sure of was that the outfit couldn't be too revealing, and it couldn't look too casual either.
"Mrs. Evans, I can help you pick something," Jasmine said.
Hearing that, Isabella turned and spotted Jasmine.
Being Alexander's secretary, Jasmine had to know the Evans family more than she did, and in that moment, it felt like help had finally arrived.
"Thank you, Jasmine."
Isabella moved out of the way at once.
With steady steps, Jasmine moved into the closet and took in the rows of clothing without hesitation. Her gaze passed over several pieces before she reached for a light beige cashmere dress.
"This should suit you well," she said as she brought it forward. "The color is soft, and the design carries a refined look. It fits the setting you're heading into."
As Isabella accepted it, her fingers brushed over the fabric, and she paused at how smooth it felt.
It slowly became clear to her that Alexander had arranged clothes for different situations ahead of time.
Even though he kept his distance outside of intimacy, she had to admitted that no one had ever shown her this kind of care before.
He had even set up an entire closet just for her.
A quiet emotion rose within her. These things belonged to Alexander's wife, yet for a short moment, she was the one holding onto them.
"Thank you, Jasmine," she said softly.
A faint smile appeared on Jasmine's face. "Mr. Evans doesn't concern himself with these details, so I manage the wardrobe."
That answer made Isabella stop for a moment.
Noticing her reaction, Jasmine continued in a calm tone, "I chose everything based on your measurements."
After a brief pause, she added, "Of course, all of it followed Mr. Evans' instructions."
Hearing that, Isabella looked down at the dress in her hands and felt like something placed carefully on display.
"You've done all this so carefully, Jasmine," Isabella said with a small smile.
"It's part of what I do," Jasmine replied as she opened the accessory cabinet and took out a pearl necklace. "This will go well with the dress. Mrs. Celine Evans prefers a more proper style."
Watching the other woman handle everything with ease, Isabella felt a weight settle in her chest.
After marrying Alexander, she had become "Mrs. Evans."
Only when she was with her sister did she still feel like Isabella.
Pulling herself back, she quickly changed into the dress.
During the drive to the Evans Estate, Jasmine spoke in a composed tone. "When you talk to Mrs. Celine Evans, never to interrupt her. Let her finish before you respond. If she brings up children, just say you're not rushing anything."
Isabella nodded again and again, committing every word to memory.
At the same time, a question lingered in her mind. With someone like Jasmine, she couldn't understand why Pamela hadn't chosen her instead.
Jasmine was clearly smart as well as beautiful.
"Jasmine, you've helped me so much. Did Mr. Evans ask you to explain all of this to me?"
Lowering her eyes, Jasmine shook her head gently. "Mr. Evans is focused on his work. He doesn't spend time on these smaller matters."
Isabella pressed her lips together. That sounded reasonable; or Alexander would've told her himself last night.
To him, her situation probably didn't matter much either.
"Last year, I assisted Mr. Evans in choosing a birthday gift for his grandmother," Jasmine said as she turned toward her. "From now on, those responsibilities will fall to you."
Before Isabella could respond, the car had already slowed to a stop as it entered the courtyard of the Evans Estate.
