Just like promised, Vincencio went back to the company. His charming smile was always dashing, making colleagues or newbies still gawk each time he passed by and greeted them. But he was not alone. He was with his wife, the CEO who could make anyone stare too long at him sent into oblivion. However, some still befriended and tried to flirt with him openly despite the heat-cursing stare she was giving them on the side.
"Mr. Saison-Monsour, how long you're going to preoccupied my employee in the lobby?" with a cold-blooded tone, Skylar asked, making the employees around him jolted. It seems they had forgotten the existence of their boss beside him.
"They flock around me," Vincencio replied, shrugging his shoulders, suppressing his amusement over his wife's jealousy.
"Shoo them before I fire them without hesitation," Skylar said in a warning tone before she walked away like a queen. "I'm warning you, hubby."
***
The workflow went smoothly but to Skylar's sight, it became a different story. She watched the CCTV with a hawk eye. Never letting anything slip away regardless if Vincencio was taking a break or simply talking with the department's secretary. She was not jealous but when flirtatious advance came into the picture, trying to get his attention during working hours, Skylar's patience was running thin.
"Can't he decline their advances, engraving it in their thick heads?" Skylar grumpily groaned as she carefully watched the footage live on her desk.
"I know you're jealous but please, don't fire them because they flirt with your husband," Medina commented amusingly as she placed her tea on her desk.
"That's the thing. Even if I want to, I can't use my authority like that." Skylar sighed grumpily before sipping her tea.
"I'm glad you remember that." She chuckled before she began giving her boss the reports that Skylar needed to check. "And here's the report for the SaiRus Corp. and here's the updates from our designer and engineer at the JohnSling resort. Also, you have five minutes before your noon meeting."
"Nice reminders but Medina, I want to strangle them." She groaned, pouting as she accepted the files.
"Hold it because from what I could see from here, Vince knew how to handle them without being obvious," Medina assured her. However, Skylar wasn't buying it because even without trying, Vincencio always be surrounded by that kind of people – flirtatious kind.
"Sometimes he needs to make it obvious and make them leave." She sighed in defeat, making her secretary chuckle.
"I love how he could make you possessively territorial but trust Vincencio on handling those flirty people flocking around him." She sincerely reminded, making Skylar sigh and nod.
"I know but if they touch him more than five or ten seconds, I'm locking him here." She firmly warned before watching the CCTV again.
"Good luck with that." Amused, Medina chuckled, shaking her head before reminding her boss about her upcoming meeting. "Remember, Boss, five minutes before twelve."
"Fine, I get it. You may leave." She nodded, dismissing her secretary before groaning again. "What should I do to you?"
***
The meeting flew without care, however, since her body knew what to do, she easily handled everything like a functioning robot in routine. However, when she checked the footage of her husband's department, something stirred inside, making her stand up from her desk and without a word, she left the office. Walked like a storm in the hall until she reached the design department. When she descended and her presence was notified, everything went silent, filled with agitation.
"Where is he?" Skylar coldly asked as soon as the department's secretary approached her.
"At third designer cubicle, boss." Samantha, Antonio's secretary answered worriedly.
Skylar stormed to the third cubicle across the department's meeting room. She could hear commotion regarding the two projects until it escalated, followed by a clattering sound. Skylar and Samantha quickly checked them. Skylar furiously arrived in the area but she seemed to partially halt when a punch landed on her face. Everything halted. Everyone who witnessed the commotion gasped.
"Boss, I'm sorry…I…" The third design team leader quickly apologized but Skylar kept it quiet.
"Wifey, why didn't you catch it?" Vincencio asked like it was nothing, making Skylar glare at him.
"Shut up. You and your team meet me in the meeting room. Now." Without looking at any of them, Skylar demanded and walked toward the meeting room before whispering. "Sam, tell Antonio to handle the department."
"Yes, boss." Samantha nodded and went to report to her department boss.
Inside the meeting room, the third design team sat, agitated while Vincencio sat comfortably across them, checking his work tablet. Skylar, on the other hand, was silently watching them.
"Mr. Saison-Monsour, can you tell me what's the commotion about before a punch landed on my face?" Skylar coldly asked him, breaking the ice around the room.
"Alright, it's my first time returning after being confined and I read every file that is updated on my desk. Everything was good and updated but two projects haven't sent their updates. So, I went to check on them. I asked where it was and when they were going to submit it or if they're going to meet the deadline but seems like asking for the fourth time to snap their team leader." Vincencio explained his side honestly and Skylar knew that, she had been watching him like a hawk.
"You're pressuring us." The team leader of the third design team scoffed.
"I'm not pressuring you. I've been checking for three to four hours threegap before asking. I just needed a response because I have to send the update to the department head and the boss before the deadline hits." Vincencio defended.
"We're doing it but you kept coming and asking…" The team leader tried to reason dodge it but Vincencio didn't let him.
"Then why didn't you say it that you're doing it or telling me that one of your team was doing it for you? Vincencio quickly asked, making the team leader glare.
"You! I hope you didn't return because we couldn't do our projects without your help." The team leader refuted, glaring at Vincencio who was just doing his job, making Skylar sigh.
"You two leave the room. Come in when I call you." Skylar dismissed the team leader and Vincencio before turning to the team. "Tell me the truth or I'm pulling the entire team from doing these two projects."
"Please, boss, no. Don't do it. We invested in it already." They quickly defended themselves like a whining kid.
"Then tell me." Skylar coldly said, making them gulp.
"Our team leader has been slacking since yesterday but we're not sure why." One of them answered skeptically.
"We're thinking, he's going through something and it's affecting our job." Another one was supported and added. "So, we try to help him out."
"Okay, where are the reports for the two projects?" she wondered.
"I'm doing it, boss, but the commotion happened." Another one answered with a reason, making Skylar sigh. She carefully thinks about what to do with the case before looking at them again.
"Okay, I'm going to be considerate in this case. You'll still be handling the projects but don't slack on reporting your updates to my husband since he has been making your projects flow smoothly without overlapping with each other without him, your department workflow will fall and if one department fails, the rest will follow." Skylar said, reminding them of her husband's position was important in their department. "Are we clear?"
"Yes, boss." They agreed.
"Then call your team leader when you leave and send the report to my husband as soon as you finish it. Dismiss." She said and dismissed them and once they left, Skylar was touching her lip when Vincencio came.
"Is that hurt?" Vincencio asked softly as he kneeled in front of her.
"Not strong as yours but it still cut," Skylar responded when Vincencio started disinfecting it. "Thanks."
It was a simple moment filled with silence and treatment, but it held intimacy that belonged only to them. But the moment was cut when a knock happened.
"Boss, you call?" the team leader of the third design team asked after a knock.
"Yeah, come inside." Skylar coldly responded and their direct meeting started.
***
Even though the small commotion had been settled, there was a flick of uneasiness swirling around Skylar's chest. She could not understand the feeling but whenever something bad happened to Vincencio or he got entangled in office conflict, Skylar always ran to his rescue. It has been happening ever since the commotion happened and slowly, it was spreading like wildfire in the company.
"I'm jealous."
"I am too. I wish I had a sugar daddy like Vincencio had a sugar mommy."
"Isn't it supposed to be sugar wife than mommy?"
"Hahaha, you're right."
"What a rumor," Skylar mumbled when she decided to eat at the cafeteria during her break time.
"Well, I told you, you're my sugar wife." Vincencio chuckled teasingly before adding, "So, wifey, can I hire bodyguards too?"
"No, they might take you away from me. So no." Skylar quickly declined, glaring at him but Vincencio just chuckled.
"Oh wifey, so adorable when jealous." Amused, he pinched her cheek, making Skylar blush a little when they heard whispers again.
"How sweet."
"I thought PDA isn't allowed here."
"Well, who's going to fire the CEO?"
"The boards?"
"But let's be honest, they were a cute married couple. And it's a rare sight to see our intimidating CEO blush like that."
"True, I didn't know she could be cute too."
"Now, I don't want to be sweet with you." Vincencio grinned, finishing his meal.
"And why is that?" Skylar wondered although she knew the answer.
"They're thinking how adorable you were. I'm jealous now." He reasoned, pouting, making Skylar giggle.
"Very funny. I'm more jealous because you're surrounded by them." She said with firmness in her tone before asking. "Can I just lock you in my office?"
"No, you can't." He chuckled.
"Oh, I can. I'll hire you to ask Medina's assistant." She grinned mischievously and Vincencio didn't like that smile. He knew she'd do it.
"I'm leaving." He quickly dropped the topic, grabbing their tray and leaving his wife first.
"HUBBY! Don't leave you, sugar wife." Skylar teased, not caring if her employees in the cafeteria heard it. She just chased her blushing husband out of the cafeteria.
"Oh my gosh, save me from her sweet-clingy side," Vincencio mumbled but it was clear enough for Skylar to hear.
"Oh, you love it." She teased and kissed his cheek, making him blush more.
Since their sweet-teasing incident in the cafeteria, sweet rumors ignited and spread like a contagious plague. Skylar didn't care about it and just openly showed adoration toward her husband. She either used the department as an excuse to drop Vincencio's morning coffee, and snacks, or even a sticky note just to invite him out for lunch. At first, it was sweet and adorable but Vincencio was the one has been hit with teasing comments from his department and envious whispers from the others. He could ignore and handle them easily but since Skylar hadn't stopped, Vincencio's ears gave up.
"Wifey, please, can you stop it?" Vincencio asked while they were having lunch in her office since Skylar picked him up from their department as soon as their break time ticked.
"Stop what?" Skylar asked, trying to be oblivious about it.
"As if you're not watching the CCTV like a hawk-like what Medina said." He pouted before demanding Skylar to stop giving him special treatment. "So please, stop what you're doing to me. Stop giving me special treatment."
"Special treatment? What special treatment you're saying?" Skylar played it cool but Vincencio was serious and not buying her pretend.
"As if you haven't given me morning coffee waiting on my desk, snacks on break time, taking me out for lunch after our outdoor meeting or directly picking me up just to eat with you. You even waited and picked me up after my shift." Vincencio stated everything that Skylar has been doing to her lately.
"Is that bad doing it for my husband?" She asked coldly, making Vincencio flinch a little.
"No, but we're at work. It stirs unwanted rumors and jealousy which it's not good if the HR or the boards got involved too." He reasoned, making Skylar silent for a moment before turning serious.
"They weren't because they all answer to me." Skylar sternly responded, making Vincencio frown but she continued. "I'm not just the CEO of my companies. I'm their boss inside or outside of the company. But fine, for the sake of your peace at work, I won't do it again. But I'm watching you like a hawk."
"Thank you, Wifey. I'll go now. Let's cook your favorites later." He kissed her temple and left the office but something was off inside Skylar.
"If only you knew why I can't stop watching you…" Skylar thought, sighing the fear swirling inside her chest.