My Husband, the Assassin

Chapter 001

The early morning air felt crisp and cool. William stretched lazily, catching a glimpse of the sunlight pouring in through the window. The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. "Well, look at that. Sun's already scorching my ass, huh?"

As he spoke, he actually turned around and gave his butt a little wiggle toward the sunlight.

"Wait... something's off." William froze, his brow furrowing slightly. "This room faces west. How can there be morning light? Unless... that's the sunset?!"

His heart skipped a beat. He snapped his head toward the vintage European wall clock—

5:00 PM!

Oh, screw me.

He had an appointment with his "future wife" at 10:00 AM sharp.

He snatched up his phone and slapped his forehead in frustration. Smack! A crisp sound echoed in the room. He was truly screwed this time.

Eleven missed calls. One text message. All from the fiancée he had never met.

William tapped open the text: "If you aren't here before the workday ends, the engagement is void!!!"

Staring at the three aggressive exclamation marks at the end of the sentence, William actually grinned. "This Miss Fiancée certainly has that domineering CEO vibe. Interesting..."

With a smooth, practiced motion, he vaulted right off the bed.

Looking up, the sign for "Ning Group" glittered on the exterior of the office tower.

Current time: 5:20 PM.

Oversleeping was honestly excusable—William had just flown in from the Middle East yesterday. He hadn't fallen asleep until 2 AM, and his internal clock was still a mess. Back in the sandbox, he was used to waking up at 05:00 hours.

"Does the Ning Group get off at 5:30 or 6:00? Or... did they already clock out at 5:00?"

No time to think. Gripping his flip-flops tight with his toes, he rushed headlong into the building.

Oof!

Caught off guard, he slammed right into someone. He heard a soft, startled cry as a woman in an exquisite business suit lost her balance, teetering on the verge of hitting the floor.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to!" Acting on instinct, William shot his hand out and firmly grabbed her wrist, stabilizing her before she could fall.

The moment their skin touched, William almost let out a low whistle. It had been a long time since he’d touched a hand like this.

The sensation instantly redefined his understanding of "skin like snow"—warm, smooth, with a hint of coolness.

And the woman herself? Stunning. She possessed a clear, untainted beauty. Her delicate features were flawless under light makeup, and her bright eyes were particularly captivating, shimmering like water.

William couldn't help but narrow his eyes, his thumb unconsciously grazing the back of her hand. The texture was exquisite... truly delightful.

"You... what are you doing?" the woman whispered, glaring at him awkwardly.

William answered with a straight face. "Appreciating the texture."

"You! You p*****t! Let go!" She struggled, but couldn't break his grip.

William finally snapped out of it. He immediately released her, looking embarrassed and apologetic. "S-Sorry! I was afraid you’d fall, and in the heat of the moment... I really didn't mean to be rude. It’s just that your hand... is incredibly memorable."

The woman panted, annoyance written all over her pretty face. Fire burned in her eyes. Her lips parted as if she wanted to curse him out, but she managed to hold back, spitting out only one word: "Bastard!"

She glared fiercely at the man before her, her frown deepening.

Tank top. Beach shorts. Flip-flops. And a straw hat that looked like it had survived a war.

"Where... did this hillbilly crawl out from?" she muttered to herself.

"Who are you?! And why are you running around like a maniac?" she demanded, suppressing her rage. Her wrist still tingled slightly from his grip—mostly due to her own struggling. This guy was way too reckless.

However, recalling his comment about her hand being "incredibly memorable," a faint, almost imperceptible sense of satisfaction flickered in her heart. That tiny compliment was the only reason she maintained a shred of politeness.

William, meanwhile, was still reeling from her beauty. Her figure was graceful, her skin fair, her curves dangerous—basically every man's fantasy.

‘Soft as a reed, skin like congealed cream...’

William quickly reined in his wandering mind. Just as he was about to explain himself, three security guards swarmed them.

"Director Lan, are you alright?"

"Where did this bumpkin come from? What are you doing here?!"

"What did you just do to Director Lan?"

The three guards barked over each other, glaring at William. They had clearly seen him bold enough to grab Director Lan's hand. They were cursing internally: Damn it! We haven't even touched the hem of Director Lan's jacket, and this random hick dares to fondle her hand? Unforgivable!

William rolled his eyes at them. What is up with security guards these days? Does my unique, carefree, bohemian vibe not scream 'CEO's Fiancé' to you people?

Annoyed, he said bluntly, "I'm looking for your CEO. Her name is Sophia, right?"

"Our CEO is named Sophia, sure! But do you think knowing a name gets you a meeting?"

"Hah! You kidding me? A guy like you... knows our CEO?"

"Quit making trouble! Pal, go back to wherever you came from! Don't loiter around here!"

The guards burst into mocking laughter, looking at William like he was a walking joke.

"What floor is your CEO on? If she won't come down, I'll go up. I promise not to 'loiter'." William smiled, though he was getting irritated.

I’m rocking a stylish, casual look here. Since when did I become a 'bumpkin'?

What kind of terrible fashion sense do these guys have?

"Kid, do you not understand human language?" The tall, skinny guard stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as if ready to throw down.

The other two glared at William, clearly convinced he was a mental case looking for trouble.

They rolled up their sleeves. One of them lowered his voice threateningly, "Leave immediately! This isn't a place where just any trash can walk in! If you don't walk out, we'll throw you out!"

William ignored their threats completely, flashing a harmless smile. "Oh? Want to try?"

"Wait."

Director Lan suddenly spoke up. She studied William seriously, her brow furrowed. "What is your name?"

William looked at her and grinned. "William. Why? Did your CEO send you down to pick me up?"

"Okay, William," Director Lan said skeptically. "Call the CEO right now. Let's confirm if she's actually waiting for you." She remembered the CEO mentioning she was expecting someone today.

Although, this guy didn't fit the CEO's circle at all. He looked like he’d just returned from a safari in the African desert, not to mention his brazen behavior earlier...

Could this guy actually know the boss?

"Right! Good point. Why didn't I think of that?" William slapped his forehead in mock realization. He fished a phone out of his pocket—it looked like a thick brick but was actually a custom-made, secure device unique in the world—and started scrolling through his contacts.

The three guards immediately started whispering.

"Is this i***t seriously pretending to call?"

"It's just for show! Watch, he'll say no answer or line busy."

"Look at that junk phone. He's just a village thug. No way he knows the CEO!"

"Hmph. What's there to doubt? He's faking it! If he can actually reach the CEO, I'll livestream myself eating a keyboard!"

"Haha, you said it! Now I actually hope this hick gets through!"

William glanced at the skinny guard who threatened to eat a keyboard, memorizing his face. "I heard that. Get ready for your livestream."

He really wanted to see how this guy planned to digest plastic. A bit gross, maybe, but the guy kept calling him a hick, so fair is fair.

Just as his thumb hovered over the dial button, his screen lit up first.

Caller ID: Sophia.

"Talk about telepathy." William chuckled. He turned the screen toward Director Lan and the three guards. "Look closely. Caller: Sophia."

The guards' faces instantly went pale.

William leisurely answered the call.

"Where are you?" A cold voice came through the speaker, instantly conjuring an image of a woman frowning in impatience.

My wife's voice is so nice... sounds like a total beauty, William thought, his heart fluttering with anticipation.

He laughed quickly. "I'm right downstairs. Your security guards stopped me... How about you come down and get me?"

"I assumed you had enough self-awareness to leave on your own," Sophia scoffed. Her voice was like thousand-year-old ice that fire couldn't melt. She hung up immediately.

William raised an eyebrow at the skinny guard, flashing a brilliant smile. "Remember to prep that keyboard."

With that, he turned and walked straight toward the elevators.

The three guards stood frozen, unsure if they should stop him. The skinny guard, in particular, felt his heart pounding like a drum, his face turning green. Do I... really have to eat a keyboard?

"No way..."

"It was just a joke, right?"

"Why do you have to be so cruel?!"

The guard screamed internally, his face twisting like a bitter melon.

Director Lan was still wondering if this was an elaborate prank when her own phone rang. After answering, shock washed over her face—this misfit really was the person the CEO was waiting for. Sophia had explicitly ordered her to bring him up.

Pushing down her astonishment, she hurried to catch up with William.

Seeing Director Lan follow, William grinned. "Perfect timing, beauty. What floor is the boss on?"

"Follow me. The CEO asked me to bring you up," she said, her tone flat.

The elevator doors slid open.

Director Lan stepped in first. William followed, his eyes naturally drifting to the elegant curves of her back. So pleasant to look at. Truly refreshing for the soul.

He wondered how Sophia compared to Director Lan. If the CEO wasn't as hot, maybe he should just switch targets?

As the elevator ascended, William prayed silently, My dear future wife, please don't let me down...

"What is your relationship... with the CEO?" Director Lan asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

She was direct, turning slightly to look at him.

William met her gaze and replied with absolute seriousness:

"Me? I'm her husband."

"Husband?"

Director Lan narrowed her eyes, her expression darkening. So, he really is just a delusional hillbilly after all.

Despite her curiosity, she knew she wouldn't get a straight answer out of him. She was now convinced he couldn't be the husband. The CEO didn't even have a boyfriend; how could she suddenly have a husband?

Deciding he wasn't worth the energy, she turned back to face the doors and fell silent. Talking to a guy who spoke practically gibberish was exhausting.

Which, of course, just gave William a free pass to happily admire her view from behind...