That night, Andre didn't return before midnight. I tried to cherish the time we had together. He quickly called, explaining that there was work at the company and he wouldn't be coming home. Expressing my disappointment, I told him to take care of himself and not overwork.

After hanging up, I decided to look at the racer dolls I had brought back. For the past few months, most of Andre's work had been done at home, and even when he went to the office, he'd be back by 8 pm. I had grown used to this; he'd become my routine. Now that he was suddenly staying overnight at the company, it felt strange.

Unable to sleep in the empty, oversized bed, I got up and went to the art studio, hoping to pass the time by painting. Sitting quietly in front of the canvas for a moment, I considered what to paint, picked up the brush, and started working nonstop. By the time daylight broke, I finally set the brush down. Only then did the drowsiness catch up with me.

I carefully stored the painting away, returned to the bedroom, and fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed. I woke up to Andre's presence. Groggily opening my eyes, I saw him sitting by the bed, leaning over to kiss my brow. When he noticed I was awake, he placed another kiss on my forehead. "You're up?"

Still half-asleep, I murmured in response, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed his lips. "When did you get back?"

"Not long ago. Just came to grab a file before heading back to the office." He gently stroked my head. "The butler said you didn't eat anything today. Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm fine. I just had trouble sleeping last night and went to bed late."

"Get up and eat something before going back to sleep," Andre said. "I'll eat with you."

At the dining table, I noticed the fatigue on his face and asked if he had been working late last night.

"Pretty late," he admitted, rubbing his temples. "I only managed about three hours of sleep!"

"Is it something serious at the company?"

Hearing this, Andre chuckled. "Not that serious. Don't overthink it. The company is just busy with new projects."

"Once this busy period is over, I'll take you on a trip. Speaking of which, our honeymoon was only ten days. Way too short, don't you think?" He deliberately dragged out the last word, a playful hint in his tone.

Remembering those ten days of "indoor adventures" during our honeymoon, my ears flushed red.

Later, my best friend called. She told me that Clint had snatched a project from the Koch family, causing some trouble for their company. Thinking about Andre's recent unusual overtime, I couldn't help but wonder. While both Clint and Andre were considered outstanding among their peers, Clint's abilities couldn't compare to Andre's. Besides, the Koch family's foundation was far deeper than the Mars family's. I didn't believe Clint could affect Andre.

But what my friend said next made me waver. Apparently, Clint had discovered a loophole in the Koch family's operations and used public opinion to manipulate their stock prices. On top of that, a senior figure in the company who had issues with Andre took the opportunity to stir things up.

After hanging up, I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest. It didn't hurt, but it was suffocating. I had learned all this from my friend, not from Andre. Andre must have hidden it from me to keep me from worrying.

That evening, when Andre came home, I wanted to ask him about it, but he went straight to the study and didn't come out until late. Hearing him return, I quickly sat up. "Are you done?"

"Mm," he replied, exhaustion evident on his face. "I'll be traveling for a few days starting tomorrow."

I stepped forward to massage his temples. "I'll pack your luggage for the trip later."

Andre closed his eyes and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. The room fell silent.

After finishing the massage, I held his hand and asked quietly, "I've heard some rumors recently. Are they true? The company's busy partly because of Clint, isn't it?"

Andre lowered his gaze, looking at me. The warm light from above cast a small shadow across his forehead. His deep, dark eyes seemed to see right through me.

"Not entirely," he replied. "The company's had some minor issues lately, but it's not because of Clint. Clint's little tricks can't harm the company. I'm just dealing with some internal problems."

"Really?"

"Of course, honey." He caressed my cool face. "Do you think Clint has the power to shake the Koch family?"

The answer came to me instantly. The Koch family had weathered countless storms to get where they were; this was just a small obstacle to overcome.

"Got it." My mood lifted, and my tone grew lighter. "Want me to help you with a bath?"

I assumed he was too tired from work to think about anything else, so I said it casually. To my surprise, Andre seemed interested. "Sure, I'll leave it to you tonight, my dear wife."