CHAPTER 6
920 Words
I woke up with the mansion quieter than usual.
It was not peaceful. It felt controlled.
There was an obvious difference.
I noticed it the moment I stepped out of my room.
The staff moved differently today. Not slower. Not faster. Just... careful. Like they had been given instructions.
It made sense though.
Yesterday's breakfast didn’t end like a normal breakfast.
Nothing about my life here would ever be normal again.
I already expected it though. The moment I signed the marriage contract was the moment I knew my life would change forever.
A maid approached as I descended the staircase.
"Good morning, ma'am. Your schedule for today has been prepared."
Ma'am. There’s that word again.
I extended my hand, and a sleek tablet was placed into it.
I glanced at the screen.
Meetings. Reports. Corporate briefings.
I bit my lower lip. That is a lot of work.
As I read through it, my attention was caught at the very top.
Hemenez Financial Division – Restricted Review Session
My fingers paused for half a second.
Restricted?
Of course. What do I expect?
Even in this house, nothing was simply given. Everything was controlled, measured, watched, and calculated.
"Who prepared this?" I asked as I looked up.
"Mr. Dominic himself, ma'am.”
Of course. Why did I even ask?
I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the details more carefully this time.
Every line was precise. It's... too structured.
It wasn't just a schedule. It was control.
I bit my lower lip again. This man literally screams control.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"In his study, ma'am."
I nodded once and handed the tablet back to her.
"I'll review it later. Thank you."
The maid looked at me with hesitation in her eyes for a second before bowing her head. "Yes, ma'am."
I started walking towards Dominic's study.
By the time I reached his study door, I already knew one thing. Nothing on that schedule was accidental.
I knocked once.
"Come in."
I stiffened a little. Even until now, I'm still not used to his tone.
His voice was the same as always. Calm and controlled.
I opened the door and stepped inside before closing it behind me.
Dominic was already seated behind his mahogany desk, a file open in front of him, and his attention was fixed on it like I wasn't even standing in front of him.
"You prepared quite a schedule for me," I said, breaking the silence.
Only then did he look up and meet my eyes.
"And you're late."
My eyes furrowed slightly. "By five minutes."
"And already making excuses... how unfortunate."
"I wasn't aware that I married a stopwatch," I said, and a faint smirk touched his lips.
"I don't tolerate inefficiency... Mrs. Hemenez."
"Then you married the wrong woman," I replied.
A dark chuckle escaped his lips. "And pray do tell who exactly proposed this marriage?"
Silence stretched and my fingers curled slightly.
I was about to say something when he suddenly closed the file in front of him.
"Sit," he ordered.
I took the seat across from him without hesitation.
He slid the folder toward me.
"Hemenez Financial Division," he said as he leaned back into his armchair.
"It was restricted, I noticed."
"It is," he said and gestured for me to open the file.
I opened it and inside were transaction summaries, account movements, and flagged irregularities.
Clean and organized.
"They've been careful. It's clean. Too clean," I murmured.
"They've been sloppy," he corrected.
I looked up and my heart pounded.
His gaze was already on me.
Sharp and focused.
"Careful people don't leave patterns," he continued.
"Sloppy ones think small inconsistencies won't be noticed, Mrs. Hemenez. Learn the difference."
I flipped through another page and there it was.
A repetition. It was not obvious, but it was consistent enough to matter.
"You want me to find the pattern," I said.
"No. I want you to confirm it."
He already had an idea. He just wanted to see if I could catch up.
I gave a small smile before closing the folder and leaning back slightly.
"And if I do?"
"Then you stay."
That made me pause. He caught me off guard in just three words.
It was not the answer I had expected.
"Stay?" I repeated.
"As my wife. My asset. As someone who is worth keeping."
The words he stated were calm, but they weren't light either.
"And if I don't?"
A brief silence.
He straightened his posture. "Then you become a liability."
It's not a threat, but a fact.
I held his gaze. I refused to look away.
"You don't like liabilities."
"I eliminate them."
The room went still and the air got heavy.
Instead of backing down, I smiled.
"Good," I said softly before standing up.
"Because I don't plan on being one."
I saw his expression slightly shift.
I mentally applauded myself. He was hooked. I had piqued his interest.
"Prove it," he said.
I picked up the folder. "I will... Mr. Hemenez."
I turned toward the door.
"One more thing."
I stopped but didn't turn around. Instead, I waited.
"The schedule isn't just for work. It's to see how you handle pressure... living with me."
My fingers tightened on the folder. "I handle pressure well. You might be surprised."
Behind me, I could feel his gaze again, but it was heavier.
"Don't get comfortable."
Slowly, I looked back.
"Comfort makes people careless," he said, his eyes scanning me.
"And careless people get exposed faster."
- Writer
