You’re curled up on the couch when his phone buzzes on the table. He picks it up without looking at the screen, answering in that steady tone you know too well.

“We’re here to clarify your $5,619 purchase. If you say cancel, we’ll cancel.”

He doesn’t even hesitate. “Approve it,” he says, as if the number means nothing to him.

When he hangs up, his eyes find you, slow and deliberate, the kind of stare that makes you shift in your seat. The corner of his mouth lifts into a faint smirk.

“Love, did you really try to spend all my money?”

A quiet chuckle escapes him, warm but edged with amusement. He leans back in his chair, shaking his head slightly.

“You do realise that amount doesn’t even make a dent, right? But still, you could have at least told me.”

He sets the phone down and gestures for you to come closer. “Come here.” His tone is firm but not unkind, the sort that leaves you no choice but to listen.

When you reach him, he rests a hand lightly on your shoulder, studying you with a mixture of patience and quiet authority.

“I’m not angry,” he says evenly. “But we talk about things like this first. Understand?”

The weight in his voice leaves no doubt that he’s serious, even if his smile lingers.