I absentmindedly poked at the soup buns that were starting to grow cold. Just as I was about to put down my chopsticks, my phone rang with a call from Sera. On the other end, Sera's voice sounded completely drained of energy, saying she had bought two tickets and wanted to drag me out for a movie.

This girl had recently been forced into blind dates by her family, and the moment she stepped through her front door, she would face a double bombardment from her parents, leaving her ears practically calloused. Saying she was treating me to a movie was actually a coded cry for me to go rescue her.

Come to think of it, Sera was one of my few true confidantes. She was incredibly innocent, fierce with her loyalty, and completely dedicated to her friends. After my family lost everything, she didn't turn her back on me like the others did. Having known each other for over a decade, our friendship had only grown stronger.

Chapter 13: A Top Performer

Sera had known about my relationship with Christian from the very beginning. At first, she was naturally worried, terrified that I was jumping straight into a fiery pit. Later, seeing that Christian treated me quite well and that I wasn't suffering any grievances, she stopped interfering. True friends need to grant each other independent space; she never looked down on me because of it, nor did she ever point fingers at my life.

Sera sat huffily in the cafe beneath the cinema, venting about the bizarre blind date her mother had introduced her to the previous week.

Except today, I possessed absolutely no spirit. Once Sera finished pouring out her grievances, she finally noticed my off mood and asked what had happened.

"And what was wrong with your phone anyway? I called you five or six times yesterday and no one picked up."

Not wanting her to worry, I used the excuse that I had lost my phone, quickly changing the subject to the newly released movie we were about to watch. Sera, however, was sharp-minded. "Alright, I can tell you two are having a fight. Christian must have done something to make you uncomfortable."

Her eyes were remarkably sharp.

I laughed it off, brushing it aside by telling her she was overthinking. In reality, though I always considered my mental fortitude quite strong, having her hit the nail on the head made me feel a bit embarrassed. What right did I even have to feel uncomfortable? What qualification did I have to feel slighted?

Sera ultimately didn't push me further, letting me head back home before the movie even started. The moment I stepped through the front door, a delivery courier knocked to hand me a bouquet. A massive arrangement of beautifully fragrant roses, stunningly gorgeous, with a card bearing a single letter: "C".

My eyes grew hot, and it would be a lie to say I wasn't moved. Calculating the time, Christian should be on the plane right now, forced to rush straight to a meeting the moment he landed. Despite being so busy, he still kept me on his mind. Even during his conference, Christian carved out time from his packed schedule to call me three times a day just to check in.

Having managed to be a mistress to this extent, I could consider myself a top performer in this circle.

It was from that day on that Christian began to pamper me even more, as if trying to make amends. Although he never brought up Mr. Weston or the DV camera again, and though I never received an actual apology, I obtained his altered compensation instead. This transaction wasn't a losing bargain.

On my birthday, Christian even gifted me a one-carat diamond ring from a luxury brand. The next day while shopping with a younger girl I knew from the circle, her eyes lit up as she gripped my wrist tightly, staring at it repeatedly with intense envy. "It has to be a full carat, right? What kind of blessing did you accumulate in your past life? I have to beg my man for ages just to get a bag worth a few thousand..."

I raised my hand to look at the ring. The diamond sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight, slightly dazzling. I knew well enough that I would never have a legitimate status to wear it properly in this lifetime, yet my heart still felt as sweet as honey.

This was merely a small interlude in Christian's spoiling. When the weekend came, he even accompanied me to the luxury mall for a shopping spree. I just never expected that on the day I went out with Christian, I would run into him there.

Since following Christian, I had never once actively opened my mouth to demand anything from him; this was a vital rule of thumb to understand. If he was in a good mood and gave me something, I would accept it gracefully, ensuring both of us were happy. Otherwise, it would be boorish and look small-minded. That was why I always felt fortunate to have encountered a benefactor as generous as Christian.

Some girls had it far worse, landing a wealthy man who turned out to be incredibly stingy, requiring them to report every single expense, spending ages wearing down their lips just to get a desired pair of shoes or a bag. After all, wealthy men weren't fools; providing enough for your daily expenses was one thing, but actually buying a mountain of gold to hand over to you was entirely out of the question.

Chapter 14: Fragrance is Poison

Christian was an exception.

Over the weekend, he accompanied me to a luxury boutique to pick out a bag. Christian had brought me here a few times before, and the young sales assistants already recognized us. One immediately stepped forward with immense enthusiasm, holding up an item. "Mrs. Christian, do you like this style?"

I turned back to look at Christian, meeting his smiling eyes. The innocent sales girl added with a naive face, whispering in my ear, "Your husband is truly wonderful to you." This wasn't the first time; countless times when Christian and I went out, we were mistaken for a married couple or a couple in love. Someone had even complimented us twice on having matching couple faces.

I hadn't slept well the previous night, leaving my eyelids heavy and my head groggy, so after buying the bag, I wanted nothing more than to head straight home. Christian had been completely compliant with my wishes lately, agreeing to absolutely everything I said. His large hand pressed against my forehead, and seeing that I didn't have a fever, half the worry in his eyes finally dissipated.

Still uneasy, he ran his fingers through my hair. "Should I take you to the hospital?"

"It's just a lack of sleep, look how tense you are." I let out a laugh, thinking that the sales girl from earlier was right—Christian really was wonderful to me. I began to feel that the silent grudge I held over the incident with Mr. Weston was entirely my own fault.

Walking toward the exit, I tugged at Christian's sleeve, casting a glance back at a perfume boutique. Christian paused. "Do you want to buy some perfume?"

I marched straight toward the counter displaying men's fragrances. Christian pulled me back from behind. "Where are you going?" I offered a coquettish smile. "I'm not lost." I wanted to buy it as a gift for him. Even though the money came from his pocket, this was my way of expressing my affection for him.

Christian let out a low laugh, wrapping his arm around my waist, saying he appreciated the thought. Then he pulled me over to the women's fragrance counter instead. The assistants were all foxes, immediately launching into pitches for various signature perfumes, many of which were limited editions with highly unfriendly price tags. Throughout the entire presentation, the assistants barely cast a single glance at me, their eyes glued entirely to Christian.

Feeling uncomfortable under their stares, I nudged Christian, but he remained completely oblivious. Meeting their expectations, he pulled out his card, instructing them to wrap up several bottles, causing the female assistants to smile like blooming flowers.

Christian had been gifting me things far too frequently lately, and I was starting to find it overwhelming. Pushing the paper shopping bag back onto the counter, my tone turned firm. "I don't want these, let's just go back."

The moment the words left my mouth, a voice suddenly piped up from behind. "Indeed, those fragrances don't suit Mrs. Christian's profile at all. It's best to return them." I whipped around in shock, only to find Julian standing right behind us.

Dressed in a flawlessly tailored suit, his towering stature looked even more imposing. The cold white lights of the boutique struck his face, carving out his deep features. Several sharp-suited men stood respectfully behind him as he kept his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, nodding slightly toward Christian as a greeting.