The Billionaire's Perfect Match

Chapter 4:

At seven o’clock on weekdays, Emily’s alarm clock would ring on time. Had it malfunctioned today, or had she been so sound asleep that she didn’t hear it?

“You’re awake,” Ricard’s warm voice came from the room. “I saw it was still early, so I turned off your alarm to let you sleep a bit more.” Hearing Ricard’s voice, Emily realized another presence in the room. She looked up to see Ricard, fully dressed, sitting on the single sofa with a newspaper in hand. He seemed to have waited for her.

“Give me a moment, and I’ll quickly make breakfast,” Emily said, scratching her head as she jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.

“Breakfast is already prepared. I’m waiting for you to eat together,” Ricard’s deep voice came from behind her, leaving Emily unsure how to respond.

Seeing Emily like a frightened rabbit, Ricard couldn’t help but smile slightly. His usually cold eyes held a hint of amusement. Is this the same Emily who angrily scolded him for hours and vomited on him?

...

After washing up, Emily walked to the dining room, dressed for work. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt that stressed her curves, making her look a bit older and extremely attractive.

Seeing Emily like this, Ricard’s eyes slightly narrowed. He silently withdrew his gaze and sat down to eat breakfast. This led to his first directive as CEO of William Group: changing the female staff uniform from skirts to trousers.

Looking at the exquisite and delicious breakfast on the table, Emily smiled, “Did you make all this?” Last night, he had claimed not to know how to cook, but overnight, he prepared such a tasty breakfast. It was almost magical.

Seeing through her thoughts, Ricard handed her a cup of warm milk and said, “The housekeeper brought it.”

Ricard was a clean freak and a picky eater, usually avoiding eating out, so his housekeeper would prepare his meals in advance.

“It looks delicious,” Emily said, sitting down and taking a bite of the breakfast. “It really is delicious.” The food melted in her mouth, leaving a fragrant taste, exceeding her expectations.

“Mm,” Ricard responded lightly, saying nothing more, his demeanor still cold. Ricard didn’t engage further, and Emily didn’t push, focusing instead on her meal.

After another bite, Emily glanced at Ricard, noticing his refined eating manners, reminding her of British nobility. Even without trying, he exuded an elegant and noble air.

“Is there something on my face?” Ricard suddenly asked, his eyes questioning.

“No, nothing,” Emily replied, blushing as she was caught staring again, quickly lowering her head to eat.

“If you like this food, I’ll have them prepare it regularly,” Ricard said after a long silence.

Emily felt a bit guilty. “There’s no need to trouble yourself.”

Ricard put down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and said calmly, “You are my wife.”

“Right,” Emily responded, not arguing further. His reasoning made her heart soften. She was his wife, he was her husband, and they would spend their lives together.

Emily enjoyed the delicious breakfast and warm milk, feeling grateful. Though the path to happiness seemed blocked, a window of hope remained open for her.

Emily had experienced the harshness of gossip firsthand. If her colleagues saw her arriving at work in the CEO’s car, the rumors alone would crush her. So when Ricard offered her a ride to work, she immediately shook her head, refusing.

Although she didn’t ride with Ricard, they arrived at the company around the same time.

As Emily waited for the elevator with a group of people, Ricard, escorted by two assistants, headed to the CEO’s private elevator. She initially planned to pretend not to see him, but that felt inappropriate, so she joined the others in greeting, “Good morning, CEO.”

“Mm,” Ricard responded coldly, his gaze sweeping the area before stepping into the elevator, leaving everyone with a cold silhouette.

Ricard’s coldness didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, who agitated the new CEO. Emily didn’t join in, but found the situation amusing. Ricard’s professionalism was apparent. At that moment, she thought of a term from the internet to describe Ricard—an “abstinence god.”

Once at work, Emily pushed aside thoughts of Ricard and focused on her tasks.

Recently, Emily and her colleagues were busy preparing an investment project for Aliba Company. With the bidding deadline approaching, Emily was engrossed in her work, too busy to even have lunch.

Known for her workaholic tendencies, skipping meals while busy was normal for Emily, and no one really cared. But today, as she worked tirelessly, she received a call from Ricard. Ensuring no one was around, she cautiously answered, “Is there something you need?” Hinting subtly that personal calls at work were unwelcome to avoid revealing their relationship.

Surprised by her response, Ricard paused before saying, “I know work is important, but don’t skip meals.” His tone was still flat, but concern was clear. Emily’s face warmed as she replied, “Got it.”

With nothing more to say, Emily was about to hang up when Ricard added, “I’m in room 1808 at Lenozo Restaurant.”

Emily nodded instinctively. “Alright, you eat. I won’t bother you anymore.”

“Emily!” Ricard’s tone was noticeably firmer. After a few seconds, he added, “I’ll wait for you.”

“There’s no need…” Emily instinctively wanted to refuse, but before she could finish, the line went dead. Staring at the darkened phone screen, Emily frowned slightly, then sighed. What reason did she have to refuse having lunch with her newlywed husband?

Lenozo Restaurant was a five-star establishment near the company, with steep prices. Emily rarely came here unless the company was hosting an important client. When she arrived at Lenozo, she hoped not to run into anyone she knew, but immediately encountered Amile, Ricard’s assistant. Emily wanted to pretend she hadn’t seen her, but Amile called out, “Ms. Anderson, the CEO, asked me to escort you.”

Emily smiled awkwardly and pursued Amile. Although she and Ricard were legally married, it felt like they were sneaking around, which was incredibly embarrassing.

In room 1808, Emily saw another one of Ricard’s assistants, Jayce. Ricard stood up to take Emily’s coat, hung it on the nearby coat rack, and pulled out a chair for her. “Amile and Jayce have been long-time colleagues.”

Emily nodded, looking briefly at Amile and Jayce.

Both assistants nodded politely at her and left the room without saying a word.

Ricard served Emily a bowl of soup. “Over the years, I’ve done some business dealings, so I have a few people working with me.” Hearing him explain, Emily felt reassured and shyly smiled, “I understand.”

In the morning, the housekeeper had brought breakfast. With capable assistants like Jayce and Amile, Ricard’s background was more complex than she had imagined. Emily didn’t want to delve into it. She had agreed to marry him because she thought he was a good person, not because of his background.

Emily didn’t ask more questions, and Ricard didn’t elaborate. They quietly ate their meal. Ricard had been taught from a young age not to talk while eating or sleeping, so he wasn’t used to chatting during meals. They ate their meal in silence.

When they both put down their chopsticks, Ricard nonchalantly said, “From now on, no matter how busy you are at work, don’t skip meals.”

Emily nodded. “I promise to exercise greater caution.”

Seeing her perfunctory response, Ricard’s eyes darkened behind his gold-framed glasses, clearly dissatisfied. He continued, “From now on, have lunch with me.”

Ricard’s tone was domineering, but Emily didn’t find it unpleasant. She looked up at him and smiled, “Thank you for your concern, CEO William, but…”

“CEO William?” Ricard raised an eyebrow. “If you’re calling me CEO William, then you should listen to what the CEO says, right?”

This man, so quickly using his position to pressure her. Emily, with three years of hard work in the Business Department of William Group and her savvy, now felt lost with Ricard.

Seizing the opportunity, Ricard said, “Then it’s decided.”

Emily didn’t want to “secretly date” Ricard like this every lunch, but she couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so she nodded in agreement. She even found a flimsy excuse to leave in a hurry.

Watching Emily’s hasty departure, Ricard’s eyes darkened slightly, and his slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if he were planning something.

“Young Master.” A woman in her fifties or sixties knocked on the door, interrupting Ricard’s thoughts. He looked up, his familiar coldness in his eyes. “What is it?”

She inquired about the dishes’ satisfaction.”

Ricard was known for his cleanliness and rarely ate outside. However, Ricard owned Lenozo, and he furnished room 1808 according to his preferences. Someone prepared the food specifically for him. This woman had been responsible for Ricard’s meals since he was a child, understanding his tastes well.

“From now on, prepare two French dishes for each meal, slightly spicy.” Ricard didn’t respond directly, but issued another command. His usual diet was mild, but Emily liked spicy food. Although she hadn’t told him this, Ricard knew.

Leaving Lenozo, Emily nervously glanced around, relieved not to see anyone she knew. She then realized it was ridiculous to worry about being seen eating with her husband.