The car stopped in the parking and the elevator opened into the penthouse. Usually, Asher would head straight to his home office, disappear for few hours for work before bed. But tonight, he paused as soon as we entered inside and turned towards me.
"Are you hungry?" His question was simple, yet it caught me off guard.
He never asked this question before.
"I... yes. A little."
He pulled out his phone, and called someone.
"Send dinner for two. The usual. In ten minutes." He hung up and looked at me. "We'll eat here."
We walked into the living room, and I sat on the sofa. Asher loosened his collar, poured two glasses of wine from the bar without asking if I wanted any, and handed me one.
"Thank you." I said.
He sat in front of me, and stared at my face. We drank in silence. I could tell he wanted to say something but he didn't. Then, we heard a knock at the door. The staff had brought dinner, exactly in ten minutes, and within a few minutes multiple dishes were arranged on the dining table.
We moved towards the table, and for the first time in our marriage, we sat across from each other without the social obligations, just us, eating dinner together.
"Your father…" Asher said suddenly. "When did he tell you business was too complicated for your pretty head?"
The question caught me mid bite.
"Many times. But the one that stuck was when I was fresh out of university."
"And then he arranged our marriage."
"Yes. To secure deals he was already losing, though I didn't know that at the time." I set down my chopsticks. "I was the daughter he traded for business advantages except the advantages didn't materialize, and the business collapsed anyway."
"Leaving you with me."
"Yes."
"I married you for the connections. But if I'd known about your capabilities…"
"Would it have mattered?" I interrupted. "Would you have wanted a wife who could challenge your business decisions instead of one who smiled at parties and stayed out of your way?"
He didn't answer immediately, which was answer enough.
"I don't know. Two years ago, probably not. I wanted efficiency, not complication. A marriage that served its purpose without requiring management."
"Like a good investment."
"Like a strategic alliance." He said as he took his bite.
"And now?" I asked.
"I'm not sure." He replied.
This answer was of his way to stop the conversation. And I didn't ask him anything more. Rest of the dinner went in silence. After dinner, we both walked towards the bedroom where we slept side by side but with distance between us.
The next morning, I again arrived at the office alone because Asher had to go meet someone outside. The floor was almost empty. I started my work and after sometime, I felt someone's presence. I looked up.
Julian Wang was standing near my office door with a smirk on his face. He was Asher's cousin. Where Asher was controlled and strategic, Julian was impulsive and chaotic.
I'd met him maybe five times in two years of marriage. He worked in the company's international division and spent most of his time in Hong Kong or Singapore.
"Look at this." He said. "My big brother's forgotten wife has suddenly became his right hand woman. How interesting."
"Good morning, Julian." I retorted back.
"Is it?" He entered inside the office. "I heard some fascinating rumors yesterday. Mrs. Wang, the decorative wife, found a massive error in the Shanghai Zenith deal. Mrs. Wang has her own office now. Mrs. Wang is suddenly sitting in senior strategy meetings."
The way he said "Mrs. Wang" made it sound like a title I'd stolen rather than earned.
"News travels fast." I replied.
"Always." His smirk widened. "Especially when it involves Asher's wife suddenly becoming relevant. People are curious."
I put down my pen. Julian was trouble, everyone knew it. He'd been involved in various scandals that costed millions of dollars to the company. Asher kept him in the company out of family obligation but far away from anything truly important, and Julian resented every second of it.
"It's just business, Julian. I found an error. Asher gave me more responsibility. That's all."
"That's all?" He laughed. "Rysa, nothing is ever 'just business' with my brother. Especially not when it involves letting someone new into his inner world."
"I'm his wife not some outsider.'"
"You've been his wife for two years, and in all that time, he's kept you as far from his business as possible. So I'll ask again, what changed?"
"Maybe he realized I'm more capable than he thought."
"Oh, I doubt it's that simple." He continued, picking up a pen from my desk and twirling it between his fingers. "Asher doesn't let anyone into his inner circle. He trusts maybe three people in this entire company, and I'm not one of them despite being family."
"So when my brother suddenly elevates his decorative wife to Special Assistant and gives her access to sensitive deal information..." He leaned forward slightly. "Well, that's not just business, Rysa. That's personal."
My heart was pounding now, but I kept my voice steady.
"You're reading too much into it."
"Am I?" He put down my pen and picked up the file I'd been working on. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you've gone from invisible to indispensable in forty eight hours. That's quite a transformation."
"Julian, I don't know what you're implying…"
"I'm not implying anything. I'm just curious. What's your secret, Rysa? What changed? Did you threaten him? Seduce him? Finally consummate the decorative marriage?"
"Get out."
"Or what?" He laughed. "You'll tell Asher his little brother was mean to you? We both know how that conversation goes, he'll tell me to leave you alone, I'll agree, and nothing will actually change."
"Julian…"
"So what is it? What hold do you have over my brother that made him suddenly decide you're worth more than a trophy?"
Before I could answer, before I could stand up or push him away or do anything, a voice cut through the tension.
"Get out, Julian"
We both froze. Asher stood at the door. He had no anger visible on his face but his eyes were ice cold. There was fury in them. Julian straightened slowly from my desk, his cconfidence wavering.
"I was just getting to know our newest executive. She's fascinating, big brother. You should have told me you were hiding such potential."
Asher's jaw tightened, a muscle ticking near his temple.
"Out. Now."
Julian held up his hands in a mocking way.
"Alright, alright. I know when I'm not wanted."
He moved toward the door, but paused beside Asher, lowering his voice.
"Careful, brother. The more you value something, the more vulnerable it makes you."
Then he left but Asher didn't watch him leaving because his eyes were fixed on me.
"My office. Now."
It wasn't a request. It was an order.
I immediately walked towards the door, and as I passed him, I felt the heat radiating from his body. We both walked together to his office in silence.
He held the door open, and I walked inside. The door closed behind us. Asher walked past me towards the windows, his back was facing me. For few minutes, he just stood there.
"Asher…"
"Did he touch you?"
"What? No. He just was being invasive…"
"Julian has always been a problem. He's brilliant when he chooses to be, but he's also reckless, resentful, and provocative."
"He was just…"
"He was testing boundaries." Asher turned.
"And do you care?"
"You're my wife, Rysa. You sit in an office next to mine. You have access to sensitive company information. You represent me, my judgment, my trust."
My wife. My office. My judgment. My trust.
Always mine. Everything came back to possession.
"Of course I care." He continued, moving towards me slowly. "You're the most valuable asset I have right now."
He stopped close enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact.
"Julian doesn't get to question you. He doesn't get to invade your space, doesn't get to imply things about our marriage or your position in this company."
"He's your family."
"Which is why he's still employed here instead of thrown out on his ass. But family or not, he doesn't touch what's mine."
"I'm not…"
"Yes, you are." His hand cupped my jaw. "You're my wife, and I protect what's mine."
I'd spent two years being overlooked, ignored, treated as a decorative wife. And now, suddenly, I was valuable enough to defend, important enough to protect.
I couldn't understand Asher at all. Someonetimes he's cold as ice and sometimes he take as if he's the best husband in the world.
I wanted to know what goes in his mind? What he thinks of us? About our marriage?
But I didn't had the courage to ask him these questions. Because, maybe, I was afraid of the answers.
Ring Ring.
Phone rang, and Asher answered the call. It was the work call, as expected. I just stood there waiting for him to hang up. He must have seen me, when he paused the call for a second.
"Rysa!! Our conversation isn't over. We'll continue the conversation at home tonight." He said and went back to talking on his phone.
Conversation isn't over?? What more is there to talk about?