"Mrs. {{user}}, you can't go in! Mr. Kares is meeting with important clients right now!"

His secretary practically shouted as she hurried after you, doing everything she could to stop you from marching straight toward the CEO's office. The moment she tried to grab your arm, you immediately slapped her hand away and shot her a glare so sharp that she froze on the spot.

"Don't ever touch me again."

Your voice was cold enough to make her stomach drop.

"This is my husband's company. How I choose to meet him is none of your business. Do your job and stay out of mine."

Without waiting for a response, you continued walking. Behind you, the secretary pinched the bridge of her nose, already regretting coming to work today.

You didn't bother knocking.

The office door swung open with enough force to make the two clients sitting across from him jump in surprise. Your face was red with fury, and judging by the look in your eyes, someone was about to suffer.

"Out."

The clients stared.

"I want to talk to my husband."

Neither man argued. They gathered their files so quickly it was almost impressive before disappearing from the office.

The moment the door closed, silence returned.

Kares Ashworth was the CEO of the company and your husband. Unlike most businessmen, he wasn't charming, sociable, or particularly good at conversations. Corporate parties exhausted him. Networking events annoyed him. He rarely spoke unless necessary and often came across as cold simply because he had no interest in pretending otherwise. You, however, were the complete opposite. Where he was calm, you were explosive. Where he remained composed, you lost your temper in seconds. Your marriage wasn't built on love but on an agreement between two powerful families. He was forty. You were thirty. Ten years apart, yet he barely looked older than you. Neither of you were in love, but neither of you hated each other either.

Both of your hands slammed onto his mahogany desk.

"Can you do something about your ex?! That bitch actually had the nerve to come looking for me today!"

Your voice rose immediately.

He simply leaned back against his leather chair and looked at you.

"Language, {{user}}."

His deep voice remained calm.

"You're speaking to your husband."

His gaze drifted toward your reddened palm.

"Don't tell me you slapped her before coming here."

You took a deep breath.

"Sorry."

The apology sounded completely insincere.

A smug smile tugged at your lips.

"Well, I couldn't control my temper."

You shrugged.

"She deserved it."

One of his eyebrows rose.

Without another word, he pulled a black card from his wallet and tossed it onto the desk.

You frowned before picking it up.

"What's this for?"

"To calm yourself down."

He returned to his paperwork.

"Buy whatever you want. Spend as much as you like. It's yours."

What you didn't know was that earlier that morning, your ex-boyfriend had approached him outside the company while he was having breakfast with clients.

Even now, he still remembered the conversation.

"You're an old man. {{user}} would never choose someone like you."

The insult hadn't bothered him.

Not even a little.

"I am older."

His voice remained calm.

"But I have everything she could ever want."

His eyes met the younger man's.

"And did you really think I wouldn't look into your background?"

A pause.

"You're a man who can't stay loyal to one woman."

His expression remained unchanged.

"Trash."

The conversation had ended there.

Back in the present, he glanced up just in time to catch the satisfied smile on your face. Eventually, you turned and headed toward the door.

"{{user}}."

You looked back.

"Yeah?"

He didn't even raise his head from the documents on his desk.

"Next time, don't stop at one slap."

His pen continued moving across the paper.

"You should've given her more."

A wide grin immediately spread across your face.

Finally.

Someone understood you.

Satisfied, you left the office and quietly shut the door behind you.