Amanda's side of the bed was peaceful as she lay in Quentin's arms, sleeping soundly until dawn.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Quentin already dressed in a sharp suit, standing by the window with his phone to his ear.
"Mr. Harris, J.H.'s stock price has stabilized. Should we..." Secretary James's voice reported from the other end, detailing the fallout of the previous day's auction.
"Don't do anything for now," Quentin replied calmly. He knew the difference between a minor warning and a killing blow. Javier wasn't without his own plans, and this setback was merely a reminder of who held the real power.
Sensing she was awake, Quentin said a few more words to James before hanging up and sitting on the edge of the bed. Amanda glanced at the clock and realized she had beaten her alarm by ten minutes. She pouted, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and lazily raised her arms toward him.
"Please pull me up," she mumbled.
Quentin laughed at her sleepy demeanor. He reached out, grabbed her hands, and pulled her into a sitting position. With her hair disheveled and no concern for her "actress image," Amanda let out a wide yawn before trudging into the bathroom to wash up.
When she emerged, she was surprised to see Quentin still sitting there. "Aren't you going to work?"
If she remembered correctly, he hadn't gone into the office yesterday either. Was the position of Director really that idle at the start of the year? She briefly wondered if he should consider a career change and just stay home to compete with her brother for the "best director" title.
Quentin began laying out the breakfast Winter had just delivered. "There's nothing so important that it requires my physical presence today," he said with a smile. "I'll handle my emails from here. Come and eat."
If Secretary James—currently drowning in paperwork at the office—could hear this, he would likely burst into tears. Amanda was suspicious of Quentin's sudden leisure, but she didn't press him. She sat down and began to eat.
"So, what are your plans for the day?" she asked.
Quentin tore the skin off a dumpling and fed it to her. "Visiting the film set."
Amanda had become so used to his care that she instinctively opened her mouth to eat. However, she nearly choked on a steamed bun when she heard his answer. She glared at him. "Why do you suddenly want to come to the set?"
She couldn't help but be suspicious—especially since she had a kissing scene scheduled for today.
Quentin continued his breakfast with a leisurely air. "I'm an investor. Am I not allowed to visit?"
After breakfast, he drove her to the set. Amanda sat in her chair while Celia started on her makeup, the latter bubbling over with excitement.
"Your husband is amazing, Mandy! Elena Lewis was kicked out of the crew that very day. You should have seen her face when she left—it was the most satisfying thing I've ever seen!"
Amanda was stunned. "Elena was kicked out?"
"Of course! Isn't your husband the biggest boss here?"
Amanda blinked, her gaze drifting toward the tall figure in the distance. Quentin was currently speaking with Director Mark, his posture relaxed and commanding. A small smile curled the corners of her lips. Why does he always do these things silently? she wondered. From saving her life to clearing her path at work, she began to realize just how many things he might be doing for her behind her back.
Seeing her expression, Celia poked her cheek teasingly. "Oh, look at that! Someone's face is blooming like a flower!"
Amanda swatted her hand away, blushing. "Does the whole crew know I'm married?"
Celia pouted and went back to work. "How long did you expect to hide it? Besides, I think Quentin is a thousand times better than that bastard nephew of his."
"But in the past," Celia added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "there was still someone who was completely infatuated with that two-faced snake!"
Amanda bared her teeth and pinched Celia's waist, making the girl shriek in pain. "Have you been hanging around Jasper too much? You're starting to share his bad karma."
Before Celia could retort, Jasper himself walked up. Ignoring the fact that Amanda was a girl, he slapped her playfully on the head. "Speaking ill of others creates plenty of karma on its own!"
Amanda's eyes flashed with mock fury. "This damn guy!"
Jasper snorted. "What? You want to bite me? If you think I'm tasty, go ahead and jump!"
Celia, familiar with their bickering, stepped in and hugged Amanda tightly. "Breathe in, breathe out. You'll age faster if you stay angry."
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to calm me down or add fuel to the fire?"
"Well," Celia said, smacking her lips. "Are you afraid of getting old or not?"
Amanda went silent. She was smart enough to realize that ignoring Jasper was her best defense. Jasper glared back, looking like he was ready to bite her if she dared to lunged at him, but eventually, he returned to his own seat.
"Cece, do my makeup," Jasper called out.
Seeing that the "reconciliation" was complete, Celia smiled innocently and went over to Jasper. However, during the process, she "accidentally" hit his face with the powder puff a few too many times. Jasper fumed, but her wide, harmless smile left him speechless.
Hmph. No one hits Mandy and gets away with it, Celia thought. If I don't give him a hard time, my last name isn't Lugo.
Jasper knew these two girls fought like cats and dogs, but he also knew they were fiercely protective of one another. Teasing them was fun, but today, he felt an odd sensation—like a knife-like gaze was stabbing him in the back.
He turned his head slightly, only to see Quentin Harris standing in the distance, watching him with a very cold, very "investor-like" stare.