Chapter 6: Steve's Charm

Steve furrowed his brow and replied, "The problem is, I’m not sure if she’d want this." Amia smiled and reassured him, "I think as long as it’s a gift from you, your wife will love it. You care about her so much; she’ll definitely be happy." "Maybe…" Steve muttered, still unsure. After all, he didn’t even know his wife’s contact information or clearly remember her appearance. But the thought of having abandoned her for over a year now gnawed at him. Buying just a stuffed toy wouldn’t suffice; he needed to choose more gifts to make up for it. However, Steve wasn’t sure what women liked, so he turned to Amia and said, "Buy everything you think a woman would like." Amia was speechless. Although Steve had the means to buy out the entire store, it seemed wasteful. Despite Amia’s attempts to persuade him to buy less, Steve ended up picking out so many gifts that they could barely carry them all. Amia regretted asking Steve to come shopping. Now they’d have to buy an extra suitcase just to fit everything. The next morning, they boarded a flight back to San Diego. They sat in business class, with Amia and Steve in one row and Marilyn in the row behind them. A flight attendant approached and asked, "Sir, ma’am, would you like something to drink?" Amia waved her off, "Just bring us some bottled water, please." She knew Steve had very particular tastes—usually drinking only glacier water or coffee made from beans flown in from abroad. The plane wouldn’t have those, so she just requested water. But the flight attendant didn’t leave; she kept staring at Steve, clearly captivated by his good looks. "Sir, would you like coffee? Or perhaps a different drink?" she asked, trying to engage him. Steve, however, didn’t even glance at her. He turned to Amia and said, "Make sure to book the restaurant in advance for tonight. I’m taking my wife out to dinner." "Of course," Amia nodded. She then noticed the flight attendant’s awkward smile—it was an embarrassingly tense situation. To ease it, Amia added, "And could you bring me a newspaper?" With no internet access on the plane, Amia often turned to newspapers for news. As she flipped through, she noticed a headline about the Lyle Company. **"Lyle Group CEO Will Under Investigation for Embezzlement, Loses Right Leg in Car Accident While Fleeing."** Amia turned to Steve and asked, "Mr. Steve, did you hear that Mr. Will was in a car accident?" Steve raised an eyebrow, keeping his eyes closed as he replied, "He should be thanking God for sparing his left leg." Steve’s calm demeanor, paired with his indifferent tone, sent chills down Amia’s spine. The rumors about Steve being ruthless and decisive seemed more credible now. Thirteen years ago, Steve had been seen as an inexperienced young man, someone not taken seriously. But he quickly proved everyone wrong by cleaning house at Tech Group, taking out the old guard in just a decade, and bringing the company back to global prominence. Since then, his name had struck fear in the business world. Suddenly, Steve opened his eyes and gave Amia a cold, piercing look. "Are you scared?" he asked icily. Amia shook her head, though she couldn’t quite meet his gaze. "No, I’m not scared," she insisted. Steve smirked, clearly unconvinced. Despite his cold and ruthless reputation, Amia couldn’t deny that Steve was a man who genuinely cared for his wife, carefully choosing gifts for her, protecting his company’s interests, and standing up for his subordinates. Amia was Steve’s assistant, his closest aide—not his enemy. There was no reason to fear him. Afterward, Amia tried to nap, but a voice woke her up. "Do you really think I’m the type of man who can be easily controlled by anyone?" Steve’s cold voice cut through the air. Amia opened her eyes to see the same flight attendant turning away in embarrassment. It seemed she had been staring at Steve for too long, and he had finally snapped. Amia was surprised. Not only was Steve rich and handsome, but he also wasn’t easily swayed by temptation—a rare quality in men of his stature. Amia found herself wondering what kind of woman Steve’s wife must be to inspire such loyalty and self-control in him. When they arrived in San Diego, they returned to the office. Amia had to arrange Steve’s dinner plans, including ordering flowers and reserving a restaurant. She put extra effort into it, wanting to lift Steve’s spirits. After a long day, Amia was about to hail a cab home when a message popped up in their group chat from Brooke. "Amia, we’re roasting a turkey tonight. Can you grab some turkey sauce from the store on your way home?" Amia replied with a simple "Okay." Meanwhile, Steve was on his way to Amia’s place when his grandmother called again. "Grandson, you’re being far too neglectful of your wife. You’ve left her alone for over a year! Do you expect poor Amia to just endure that? If you don’t bring her back tonight, I might just die of anger right here!" Steve was shocked. "Grandma, what did you just say my wife’s name is?" His grandmother, now furious, shouted into the phone, "Are you trying to drive me to my grave? You don’t even know your wife’s name? It’s Amia! Did you hear me? Amia!" "Amia…" Steve repeated, the name ringing in his ears as his mind flashed to his assistant, Amia. No wonder she had seemed familiar from the start—they shared the same name as his wife. Steve chuckled, "Don’t worry, Grandma. I’m on my way to her place right now. I promise I’ll bring her to see you." His grandmother, now relieved, replied, "Remember, you better bring her back. Amia is a wonderful girl—you take good care of her."