Anderson's gaze remained on her, his lips slightly parted.
For once… he was caught off guard.
But a part of him—the curious part—wanted to see just how far she would go.
"These are your words, not mine," he said, leaning back into his chair. "What do you plan to do?"
Rebecca beamed as she rose to her feet, stepping closer to his desk.
"I'm willing to learn from you." Her voice was steady as she spoke.
Anderson went silent, tapping his pen lightly against his jaw.
"Do you want a job in my company?" he finally asked.
Rebecca blinked.
"Work? In your company?" The disbelief in her voice was obvious.
He nodded once. "Only if that's what you want."
She hesitated, but only for a moment.
"Okay," she said. "But I don't want any privileges. I don't want to be treated as your wife."
Her gaze sharpened.
"I want to start from the bottom. Like everyone else."
Her words truly surprised him.
"Are you sure?" Anderson asked quietly. "Starting from scratch isn't... easy."
"I'm not afraid." She shook her head. "In my memory, I never even made it past high school. If anything, I'm the least qualified in this company. So… I want to learn everything properly."
Understanding flickered in his eyes.
"If this is what you want…" he rose to his feet, closing the distance between them. "…then I support you."
Rebecca gave a bright and genuine smile.
"Thank you."
"I'll assign someone to train you," he added.
Rebecca tilted her head. "As long as it's not Sarah."
Anderson raised a brow. "Oh?"
"She looked like she wanted to kill me earlier."
A low laugh escaped him.
"I thought you weren't afraid of anyone."
Rebecca placed her hands on her hips, protesting. "I'm not. But I also don't like unnecessary drama. It drains one quickly."
She met his gaze directly.
"And I have a feeling she is drama. Hence, why I need to avoid her."
Anderson chuckled again, but this time, there was something softer beneath it.
He studied her quietly. This Rebecca… was dangerously easy to like.
The day passed by in a blur.
Anderson has requested for some documents to be sent to his office. This was the beginning of Rebecca's lessons.
And while he might have said he would assign someone to her, a part of him—that dark part which he had suppressed for a while—didn't want his wife out of his sight.
"Oh no!" Rebecca suddenly slammed the document on the table, shooting up to her feet while gaining Anderson's attention.
A trace of panic crossed his eyes as he slowly stood to his feet.
"What's wrong?" He asked carefully, a part of him wondering if 'she' had returned.
But her next words dispelled his doubts.
"I promised the twins that I'd be the one to pick them up." She said, falling to the sofa, while taking deep breaths. "They have about fifteen minutes before they close from school. And I'm without a car nor a driver."
She rubbed her forehead, biting her lower lip. "I don't know what to do. I have... I've made a promise to them. And I'd hate to break it."
Anderson listened to her quietly, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This was what he longed to see. Rebecca being worried about the kids.
"Don't stress." He said, and walked to her. Squatting next to her, he took her right hand into his. "We can pick up the kids together."
Rebecca cast a skeptical gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be busy?"
He smiled, patting her hands. "I can spare these few minutes for my kids... and wife."
Rebecca's eyes met his, and her heart skipped a beat.
She cleared her throat awkwardly and averted her sight. She couldn't handle the intensity of his stare. It was something she had never seen anything like that before.
"I'm sure the kids will be excited to see you."
"Us." He corrected. "They will be excited to see you and I."
Rebecca's eyes softened.
"Us." She repeated quietly.
For a moment, something warm settled between both of them. It was fragile, yet real.
Anderson rose to his feet, pulling her up with him.
"Let's go before you break your promise," he said, already reaching for his keys.
Rebecca countered. "I won't break my promise. Not now. Not ever."
Anderson gave her one final glance, and the corner of his lips pulled up into a faint smile.
-------------
The ride to the school was silent, but not uncomfortable.
Rebecca sat in the passenger seat, stealing glances every now and then, while Anderson focused on the road, his lips curved faintly.
He noticed her actions and it felt... normal.
The moment the car pulled up in front of the school gates, a few children began to pour out.
Anderson parked the car before he and Rebecca walked to the school gate to wait for the kids.
Rebecca leaned forward slightly, her eyes scanning anxiously.
"Where are they?"
"Relax," Anderson said calmly. "They'll be out soon."
As if one cue—
"Mommy! Daddy!"
Cheryl's voice rang out first.
She came running, her small bag bouncing behind her. Liam followed right after her. He was slower than her, but just as eager.
Rebecca's face brightened seeing the two kids.
Cheryl crashed into her arms without hesitation.
"You came!" She beamed, her arms wrapping tightly around Rebecca.
"I said I would, didn't I?" Rebecca laughed softly, hugging her back.
Liam stopped just a few steps away. His gaze shifted between them and hesitation flashed in his eyes.
Rebecca noticed him immediately.
She gently pulled away from Cheryl and crouched slightly, meeting his eyes.
Anderson looked on quietly. He wanted to see how she'd handle Liam. The little boy had one thing in common with him—they were equally stubborn.
"Liam." Rebecca called softly, extending her hand.
For a moment, Liam stood unmoving.
Then, he walked forward... slowly.
Rebecca smiled as she pulled him into a hug.
He didn't resist. He wrapped his tiny arms around her.
Anderson stood frozen, the heavy car keys still biting into his palm. He had spent years trying to bridge the gap between Liam's silence and Rebecca's coldness, and here it was—happening effortlessly in a school parking lot.
Liam, who usually held himself with a miniature version of Anderson's own stoicism, had his face buried in Rebecca's shoulder. His small fingers were bunched in the fabric of her expensive dress, anchoring himself to her.
This wasn't just a hug; it was a surrender.
"You're late," Liam mumbled into her neck, his voice thick. It was the ultimate 'Liam' way of saying I was afraid you wouldn't come.
Rebecca didn't correct him. She just held him tighter. "I know. I'm sorry, baby. But I'm here now."