POV: Alex Ren
I hadn't even reached the bottom step when I knew something was off.
Too quiet.
Too… coordinated.
Six pairs of eyes lifted in perfect sync the moment my foot hit the marble. I paused mid-step.
"What."
Chef Li smirked. "Good morning, Mr. Ren."
"Mm." I kept walking.
One of the maids coughed something that suspiciously sounded like Mrs. Ren.
I ignored it. "Is the coffee machine working?"
"Oh, absolutely," the chef replied. "In fact, Ava made her own cup this morning. Right after she left your room."
I stopped.
Paused.
Turned to look at them.
One maid gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "He froze."
"He definitely wasn't expecting us to know," another whispered like we were in a courtroom drama.
"She was wearing his hoodie," Chef Li added, eyes gleaming. "She said she was 'getting a book.'"
I stared at him.
"There are no bookshelves in that hallway," he confirmed unnecessarily.
"She was glowing," the head maid added proudly. "Like—like sunshine after a thunderstorm. A honeymooner's glow."
"She looked like a rom-com protagonist," the youngest one sighed, dreamy-eyed.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Did she bribe you?"
"No," Chef Li said. "But she did hug us all goodbye and tell us to stay hydrated. And then she tripped over a decorative rug and still managed to land like a fairy."
"I was genuinely impressed," one of the guards admitted. "Not even mad."
I shook my head, heading toward the kitchen. "You're all unbelievable."
"Oh, no," the maid called after me. "You're unbelievable, Mr. Ren. And we're all watching you now. So treat her right."
"Or we riot," someone muttered.
"I'm confiscating every gossip magazine in this house," I muttered under my breath, pouring myself a mug of black coffee.
The mug had #1 Husband written on it.
I stared at it.
Then at Chef Li.
He grinned.
She'd clearly gotten to them first.
Of course she had.