Chapter 2

After the engagement party, I moved into Julian’s apartment.

Zinnia’s stock had only just stabilized, and the public was still watching us closely.

Temporarily living together was the easiest solution we had agreed upon.

He gave me the primary bedroom and took the guest room for himself.

“If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me.”

I had thought there would be many things I could not get used to.

But the slippers in the entryway were exactly my size.

The pajamas in the bathroom were the soft cotton style I usually wore.

Even the toothbrush was the brand I used at home.

The mattress was just the right firmness, almost identical to the one in my own bedroom.

When I opened the refrigerator, I found milk, eggs, and neatly portioned ingredients. There was no shrimp, no crab, no shellfish of any kind.

On the refrigerator door was a sticky note.

Seafood allergy. Do not store.

I turned to look at Julian.

“Did you investigate me?”

He was pouring water. His movement paused for the briefest moment.

“We’ll be living together. It’s only practical to prepare in advance.”

He said it so naturally that I found it difficult to question him.

Then I opened the bedside drawer and saw a box of stomach medication.

It was the brand I had taken for years. Not especially common.

I took the box out to the living room.

Julian glanced at it.

“The first-aid kit is in the same drawer. If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”

I swallowed my questions.

It was not difficult for Sterling to investigate a company.

It probably wasn’t difficult to learn the habits of a fiancée either.

Still, that level of thoughtfulness had already gone beyond what our agreement required.

The next afternoon, we attended the financing press conference together.

The debt restructuring was only the first step. Zinnia still needed new capital to restart production.

I had prepared all night for that event.

The first half went smoothly.

Then, during the question segment, a reporter stood up.

“Ms. Hart, Zinnia previously struggled to secure financing. After your engagement to Mr. Shaw, Sterling announced its investment.”

“Can this be understood as you exchanging marriage for funding?”

The room went quiet.

I gripped the microphone.

“Zinnia’s operating data and restructuring plan have already—”

“I’ll answer that.”

Julian pressed the button on his microphone.

“Sterling began due diligence on Zinnia before the engagement.”

“Our investment decision is based on its brand value, orders, and post-restructuring repayment ability. All relevant information will be disclosed in accordance with regulations.”

The reporter pressed further.

“But your personal relationship with Ms. Hart had no influence at all?”

Julian’s voice was not loud, but it left no room for insinuation.

“Sterling’s investment judgment is independent of my personal feelings.”

“Ms. Hart is here today as Zinnia’s operator. Please direct your questions to her business plan.”

He turned slightly and gave the floor back to me.

I looked at him gratefully.

Then I opened my materials and answered the remaining questions.

Orders.

Capital usage.

My mother’s design team.

When the event ended, the reporter from earlier had already put away his microphone.

I released the pen I had been gripping all afternoon.

My palm was damp with sweat.

Julian handed me a bottle of warm water.

“You did very well just now.”

My hand paused on the bottle cap.

He took it from me, opened it, and placed it back in my hand.

It was at that moment that I saw the number between us again.

Nine days.

I instinctively checked the date on my phone.

I had not misread it.

Yesterday, it had been seven days.

After one night, it had grown by two.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I took a sip of water, but for the first time, an inappropriate thought rose in my mind.

Maybe this engagement could last longer than seven days.

That night, Julian cooked noodles in the kitchen.

I sat at the dining table and watched him put chopped scallions into a separate little dish.

I did not like scallions in soup, though sometimes I would mix in a little on the side.

He knew even that?