Chapter 3: Treating Her with Sincerity

Marilyn hurriedly said, "Mr. Steve, I think the diamond ring alone should be enough." But Steve shot her a cold glance, and Marilyn quickly bowed in apology. Meanwhile, Amia realized that the CEO was already married. She guessed that the CEO and his wife must have a very good relationship. Honestly, Amia’s admiration for this tall, handsome, and wealthy man, who seemed to value his wife so much, only grew. Amia then suggested, "Mr. Steve, I’m sure your wife will love the diamond ring, but I think what women appreciate the most are romantic surprises." "You could create small surprises regularly, like giving her a bouquet of flowers during a meal or hiding a ring among the flowers." Hearing Amia’s words, Steve nodded, finding some sense in them, and said, "Alright, I’ll leave this task to you. Make sure it’s done well." Amia then went to a flower shop and personally selected a large bouquet of pink roses, symbolizing their pure love. She also scouted several restaurants and hotels to find the perfect romantic spot for them. After finalizing the flowers and the date location, she handed everything over to Steve and finished her work for the day. Once she got home, Amia collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep. Later that evening, Steve arrived at an apartment complex. As he prepared to make a call, he realized that he didn’t even have his wife’s number saved in his phone. This realization filled him with guilt; he hadn’t bothered to get his wife’s number when they got married. But this time, he vowed to treat his wife a thousand times better. After getting the number from his grandmother, Steve dialed it. "Who’s this?" came a tired voice from the other end, sounding as though the woman had just woken up. "It’s me, George." Steve was still using his disguised identity for the call. "Oh, it’s you. What’s up?" The woman’s voice was lazy and relaxed. "Baby, now that you’re awake, why don’t you take a shower?" Suddenly, Steve heard a man’s voice in the background. Steve immediately understood what was happening and silently hung up the phone. He returned to his car and instructed the driver to leave. On the other side, Amia, who had just woken up and was still groggy, was completely confused, especially since she had no memory of anyone named George. But since it wasn’t an important client, Amia didn’t think much of it. When she fully woke up, she saw her roommates, Brooke and Jonia, in the kitchen making pasta. "When did you two get back? Why didn’t you wake me? I could’ve come to pick you up," Amia said, stretching. Jonia laughed, "We saw you were sleeping so soundly, so we didn’t want to disturb you. Come on, get ready to eat." The three of them had been close friends since childhood, and after graduating from college, they decided to rent a three-bedroom apartment together. Their relationship was very good, with clear boundaries that kept things comfortable and not too close. Seeing the table filled with steak, Boston lobster, and pasta, Amia’s eyes lit up. "Wow, did you guys win the lottery? Why are we eating so well tonight?" Jonia brought out a bottle of Lafite wine and said, "We’re celebrating you becoming the CEO’s assistant. We prepared all this just for you." Brooke, however, leaned in close to Amia with a curious look and asked, "Amia, did you get to see Steve? I’ve heard he’s incredibly handsome, but there are no pictures of him in the papers." Jonia chimed in, "Why are you so nosy? Whether he’s handsome or not, what does it matter? He’s a wealthy CEO, after all." Amia chuckled bitterly, "You two can stop prying. Mr. Steve is already married." Both Brooke and Jonia exclaimed in unison, "What? He’s married?" "Yes, and he treats his wife very well. But I feel like I’ve seen Mr. Steve somewhere before; he seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it." Amia frowned, deep in thought. Jonia teased, "You better not use that as an excuse to get close to Steve. Remember, he’s a married man." "I wish I could, but I don’t have the chance," Amia replied, mocking herself. "Amia, you’re already married. Don’t even think about it," Brooke warned her. "Hah, so what if she’s married?" Jonia jumped in. "Amia can’t even fantasize? Besides, where’s her husband? He’s practically a ghost." "I can’t stand seeing Amia all alone. What’s the difference between being married and not?" Jonia felt genuinely sorry for Amia, thinking she deserved better. Before the wedding, Amia had hoped to build a life with George. But after the wedding, George disappeared, and even his grandmother stopped visiting. As they continued talking, they finished their dinner together. The next morning, Amia arrived at work half an hour early. Now that she was the CEO’s assistant, she knew she had to give 100% to her job. As she was about to enter the building, a silver Rolls-Royce pulled up at the entrance. Amia quickly walked over to open the door, saying, "Good morning, Mr. Steve. Please step out." Steve nodded, getting out of the car, but his expression seemed off, as though something was missing. Later that morning, Steve met with the CEO of Lyle Group to play a round of bowling. His mood seemed to improve slightly. Marilyn noticed the change, puzzled by Steve’s fluctuating emotions. "Amia, what do you think is going on with Mr. Steve?" Marilyn asked, genuinely confused since she had never seen Steve like this before. Amia shook her head vigorously. "I’m sorry, Ms. Marilyn, but I don’t know." Marilyn thought hard. The company hadn’t faced any major issues lately, so could it be something in Steve’s personal life? Then, an unsettling thought crossed Marilyn’s mind: Could it be that Steve’s wife isn’t satisfying him?