Chapter 0002

Charlotte’s POV

For a few minutes after Alexander walked upstairs, I remained standing in the living room, staring at the staircase.

The house suddenly felt too quiet. Normally when he returned from work he would at least ask how my day went or pull me into a brief hug before disappearing into his study. Tonight he had barely looked at me.

I glanced toward the kitchen where dinner sat waiting.

Even though my chest felt heavy from the hospital visit and his cold reaction, I could not bring myself to leave things that way.

Alexander might say he was not hungry, but he had not eaten anything since morning. I knew him well enough to recognize when he was pushing himself too hard.

With a small sigh, I walked back into the kitchen and placed his meal neatly on a tray. The aroma of the roasted chicken and vegetables filled the air, but my appetite had completely disappeared.

Balancing the tray carefully, I carried it upstairs to our bedroom.

The door was slightly open. I pushed it gently with my elbow and stepped inside.

Alexander was sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows resting on his knees, staring at his phone. His brows were drawn together in a tight frown.

“I told you I’m not hungry,” he said without looking up.

I set the tray on the small table beside the couch. “I know,” I replied calmly. “But you still need to eat.”

He finally lifted his head and looked at me. The frustration in his eyes softened slightly. “Charlotte, you don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do,” I said as I walked closer to him. “You have not eaten all day. Please, just try a little.”

For a moment he looked like he wanted to argue, but then he exhaled heavily. “Fine.”

I pulled the chair closer to him while he picked up the fork. As he took the first bite, the tension in the room eased slightly.

After a few moments of silence, I finally asked the question that had been weighing on my mind. “What happened at work?”

Alexander continued eating slowly before answering. “Have you seen what people are saying about us online?”

I frowned slightly. “No. I have not been checking social media today.”

“That makes one of us,” he muttered. He reached for his phone and handed it to me.

The screen displayed several trending posts. My name and his were everywhere.

My stomach tightened as I began reading. “They are calling our marriage a corporate arrangement,” I said quietly.

Alexander nodded. “There is a trend now,” he said bitterly. “People are claiming our relationship is nothing more than a strategic business alliance.”

I kept scrolling.

Some tweets claimed Alexander had married me to gain influence in the architecture and infrastructure sector. Others said I had married him for wealth and connections.

My chest felt tight. “These are just strangers talking,” I said carefully. “People on the internet say anything for attention. We should ignore them.”

Alexander shook his head. “It is not that simple.”

I looked up at him.

“These rumors affect perception,” he continued. “Investors watch everything. Business partners watch everything. If people begin believing our marriage is some calculated alliance, it could affect how they view every partnership connected to our companies.”

I understood what he meant.

Eight months ago I founded my own company specializing in urban infrastructure consulting. Alexander had been incredibly supportive, helping me secure early investors and connections.

Our businesses were linked in many ways.

“But we know the truth,” I said gently. “That should be enough.”

Alexander gave a humorless laugh. “In the business world, perception is often more powerful than truth.”

He pushed the phone aside and ran a hand through his hair. “That still isn’t the real reason I was in a bad mood tonight.”

I waited for him to spill it out.

“The regional construction board issued a temporary pause order on the Seattle headquarters project.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

Alexander nodded grimly. “They claim they need to conduct further environmental impact reviews.”

“That makes no sense,” I said immediately. “The environmental studies were already approved.”

The Seattle headquarters project had been the most ambitious collaboration between us.

It was designed to be an eco-smart tower that integrated my architectural designs with Alexander’s advanced AI systems. The building would regulate its own energy consumption, traffic flow, and internal climate systems through intelligent automation.

It was meant to be revolutionary.

“It was supposed to be the project of the decade,” I said quietly. “That building could transform the city.”

“I know.”

My mind immediately jumped to one name. “Victor Kane.”

Alexander’s eyes flickered slightly at the mention of the name.

“He has been trying to sabotage your projects for years,” I continued. “This pause order could easily be his doing.”

Victor Kane was Alexander’s longtime rival in the tech industry. Their competition had escalated into open hostility over the years.

Alexander shook his head slowly. “I am not jumping to conclusions yet.”

“But it fits his pattern,” I insisted.

“Maybe,” Alexander replied. “But I need evidence before accusing anyone.”

He set the almost empty plate back onto the tray and leaned back against the headboard.

Then he looked at me carefully. “How did your hospital appointment go today?”

The question instantly dragged me back to the weight I had been carrying all evening.

I looked down at my hands. “The same as always,” I said quietly. “The doctor says there is nothing wrong.”

Alexander studied my face for a moment. “Charlotte.”

I forced a small smile, though my chest felt painfully tight. “Maybe it really is just a matter of time.”

He reached for my hand. “We will keep trying,” he said firmly. “And do not worry about my mother. I will not allow her to harass you about this again.”

I nodded, grateful for his support.

Then his expression softened slightly as he moved closer. “Well,” he said lightly, “we could try again right now.”

I blinked, surprised. “Alexander…”

He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my shoulder. “Stress relief,” he murmured. “We both need it.”

I gently pushed his chest. “You should finish eating first.”

He laughed quietly but did not argue.

While he finished the rest of the meal, I sat beside him watching silently and my thoughts drifted.

When Alexander and I first got married, everything had felt perfect. We had been deeply in love, full of excitement for the future we planned to build together.

But lately it seemed as if obstacles kept appearing everywhere.

The rumors online. The Seattle project pause. Our struggle to conceive a child.

It felt like the universe had decided to test every part of our marriage at once.

A strange thought crossed my mind. ‘Maybe I am the problem. Maybe my bad luck had followed me into Alexander’s life.’

The thought made my chest ache.

Later that night we finally went to bed. I had fallen asleep quickly from exhaustion, but sometime after midnight I felt Alexander’s hand sliding gently along my arm.

I stirred slightly.

“Charlotte,” he whispered and I opened my eyes halfway.

“I cannot sleep,” he said quietly.

His hand moved across my waist. “I am extremely tense.”

I understood what he was asking but I was not in the mood at all.

The hospital visit had drained me emotionally, and the conversation earlier had left me feeling heavy inside.

Still, I knew how stressed he was so I nodded slightly. “Alright.”

He leaned closer and kissed my neck, but my body felt distant from the moment. I simply lay there without responding.

After a few minutes, irritation began creeping into my chest. “Alexander,” I said softly.

He paused. “Yes?”

“Please stop.”

He frowned slightly. “What is wrong?”

“I am not comfortable,” I admitted.

For a moment silence filled the room then he exhaled and sat up. “Alright.”

There was no anger in his voice, but I could sense the frustration.

To avoid turning the moment into an argument, he slid out of bed and grabbed his robe.

“I will go finish some work in my study,” he said quietly.

I watched him leave the bedroom and as the door closed behind him, guilt slowly crept into my chest.

I hated disappointing him, especially when he was already under so much pressure.

Eventually sleep claimed me again.

The next morning, sunlight streaming through the curtains woke me.

I reached toward Alexander’s side of the bed, but it was empty.

He had already left and a familiar ache settled in my chest.

After getting out of bed, I showered and dressed quickly. I had an important meeting with potential investors for my company later that morning.

Just as I finished adjusting my blazer, the maid knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “Mrs. Voss?”

“Yes?”

“There is a guest downstairs.”

I frowned slightly. “Who is it?”

The maid hesitated. “The person asked not to be announced.”

Confused, I walked downstairs toward the living room and the moment I stepped inside, I stopped.

Standing in the middle of the room with a furious expression was Mrs. Voss.

Alexander’s mother.