FAZER LOGINNORA POVWhen I get home from work the next evening, I notice something different in the sitting room.There is a large box near the sofa.I put my bag down and walk closer.“What is that?”Davis is standing beside the box, looking at it.“A new center table.”I look at the box.“You ordered a new one?”“Yes.”“Why?”“The old one was too small.”I glance at the table we have been using.I never thought there was anything wrong with it.“It looked fine to me.”Davis looks at it.“It was.”“Then why replace it?”“Because I wanted a bigger one.”I look at him for a moment before looking back at the box.“Okay.”He starts opening the box.I watch him for a few seconds before asking, “Do you need help?”“I can handle it.”I nod and pick up my bag.“Okay.”I turn toward the stairs.“Actually, wait.”I look back.Davis has removed part of the packaging and is trying to lift one side of the table.“Can you take this side?”I walk back over.“Sure.”I stand opposite him and take hold of the ot
NORA POVI get home from work that evening expecting the house to feel quieter because there is no work waiting for me.It is going to be a free evening since the presentation is over.Davis is not home yet.I go upstairs to drop my bag and change my clothes before coming back downstairs.I sit on the couch and check my phone. A few minutes later, Davis arrives.He steps inside with his briefcase in his hand.“Hey,” he says.I look up from my phone.“Hey. Welcome.”He nods and goes straight upstairs.I stand up and walk into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. I put my phone on the dining table while I start cooking.A few minutes later, Davis comes back downstairs and walks toward the dining table with his phone in his hand.He sits down and starts checking his phone.After a while, he looks up.“What are you cooking?”“Pasta.”He nods and returns to his phone.A few minutes later, he looks up again.“Can you help me pass a glass? I want to get some wine.”“Okay.”I reach for on
DAVIS POVIt’s the day of the executive strategy meeting.I arrive at the office with the presentation already prepared. I sit at my desk, checking my phone while waiting for the time of the meeting.A few minutes later, Nora steps into my office with her own materials in her hand.“I’m prepared for the meeting,” she says.I look up and hold out my hand. “Okay. Let me see your final copy.”She hands it to me.I go through the pages, checking the figures and the sections we reviewed together. Everything is in place.“This is perfect.”I hand the materials back to her.“It’s a few minutes before the meeting starts.”She nods. “Yes. I’m ready.”My eyes stay on her for a moment longer than usual. She looks composed and prepared, even though she knows the executive team will question her directly.I stand up from my chair.“Let’s go to the conference room. It’s time already.”She steps away from my desk and lets me lead the way.We walk down the hallway together and enter the conference ro
NORA POVThe next morning, I’m going through the Operations reports at my desk when Clara sends me the updated schedule for the strategy meeting.I open it and see my name beside Davis’s.We’re listed as the people responsible for presenting the Operations plan to the executive team.I raise my eyebrows in surprise because I expected to prepare the material and have someone else present it.I remind myself that this is a work assignment and I need to treat it professionally.I go through everything carefully. A few minutes later, I stand up and head to Davis’s office with the Operations materials in my hand.I knock before entering.I see him working on his computer. He looks up as I enter.“Good day,” I say.“I brought the Operations materials for us to review.”I hold them out to him.He sits up in his chair and stretches out his hand.“Okay, let me see.”I give them to him.He looks through the materials for a moment before looking at me.“Let’s use the conference room. We’ll have
DAVIS POVIt’s Monday morning at Rowan & Co., a few days after the family gathering.I’m back at my desk, dealing with the work that has been waiting for me.There are already several reports in my inbox. I open my computer and start going through them, signing documents and reviewing project proposals.My mind briefly returns to the family gathering.The way my family treated Nora made it clear they already saw her as part of the Rowan family.Then there were my father’s words before we left.The coming months will require my attention.I still don’t know exactly what he meant by that.Thinking about it won’t give me an answer, so I push the thought aside and focus on work.I’m still going through a report when I hear a knock on my door.“Come in.”The door opens, and Nora walks in with a file in her hand.I feel something shift inside me when I see her. Not because I haven’t seen her today. I saw her before we both left for work.I don’t know what the feeling means, so I ignore it.
NORA POVI stand in front of the mirror in my room, fixing my hair and smoothing down my dress as I prepare for Davis’s family gathering.This is different from the board meeting.At the board meeting, I was there because I needed to be presented publicly as Davis’s wife. It was about the company and making our marriage official in front of people who needed to know.Tonight is different.I’m entering his family environment.I take one last look at myself before picking up my bag. No matter how much his family pushes us into their world, the contract hasn’t changed. We still have rules, and I intend to follow them.I only need to get through tonight, behave appropriately, and leave.I walk downstairs and wait in the sitting room.A few minutes later, I hear Davis coming down the stairs.He walks into the room and looks at me.“Are you ready?”I adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder.“Yes, I’m ready.”His eyes stay on me for a moment before he speaks.“Remember, you don’t have to a







