[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-428":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},428,80,"Chapter 80: The Morning Kiss Clause","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell King didn’t notice the look of sheer bewilderment on Spencer Miller’s face; he was too busy firing off messages to Arianna Stone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell: [So cute.]\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna paused, staring at her screen. Was he referring to the sticker she’d sent, or… herself?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Definitely the sticker. She chided herself for letting her imagination run wild. Still, while she typed back, she couldn’t help but save the entire series of stickers he’d just used.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back at King Enterprises.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer Miller stared at Maxwell as if he’d grown a second head, the food in his mouth forgotten. It had been five whole minutes. Ever since his friend had picked up his phone, the smirk on his face hadn’t budged.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer leaned in, his curiosity getting the better of him. \"Who are you texting? You look like you just won the lottery.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"My wife.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Oh, right. Spencer finally remembered that Maxwell was actually married. Out of their entire circle, the man voted most likely to die a lonely workaholic had been the first to tie the knot. Spencer still struggled to process the reality of it. After all, his own love life was still a desert…\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer shoveled a spoonful of rice into his mouth, bitter, and gestured vaguely at a teacup on the table. \"That’s a nice mug. Where’d you get it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh… the cufflinks? You mean these?\" Maxwell casually adjusted his wrist, his tone impossibly detached. \"You can’t buy them. My wife got them for me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Who asked about the cufflinks?* Was he just going to force-feed him relationship status updates all lunch?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer pretended he didn't care, digging into his food while saying as casually as possible, \"Oh, right. Julian Adams’ brother is back from overseas. We’re doing the usual spot tonight. Don't be late; I'm not calling you to remind you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell leaned back in his chair, looking effortlessly relaxed. \"Can't make it. Too busy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer didn’t buy it for a second. \"Too busy? Doing what?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell let out a melancholic sigh, brushing a speck of dust off his perfectly tailored suit jacket. \"I’m not like you guys. I’m a married man now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The tone was weary, but his expression was pure, sickening contentment. \"I have to get home to cook dinner for my wife.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He really hoped he’d choke on his lunch. If the food hadn't been halfway decent, he would’ve walked out right then.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">For the next few days, Arianna obsessed over one question: How do you actually pursue someone like Maxwell?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She’d Googled it, scoured relationship advice forums, and even pulled an all-nighter binge-watching romantic K-dramas. The results were pathetic. Mostly because she never had a chance to put any of it into practice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were both swamped with work. Their only quality time was a few disjointed sentences over dinner or the brief moments while waiting for the milk to heat up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Having just taken over a new project, Arianna was struggling to keep her head above water. Her body and spirit were both taking a beating, and she was reaching a level of exhaustion that went deep into her bones. Often, she’d be mid-conversation with Maxwell before a yawn cut her off. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was out, waking up only when the sun hit her face the next morning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few days later, in the afternoon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stepped out of a meeting with Charlotte Marshall and glanced at her phone. Two missed calls. They were from Maxwell, logged about thirty minutes ago. She’d had her phone on silent during the conference; she hadn't heard a thing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In her memory, Maxwell rarely called. He preferred text. Worried something might be wrong, she stepped out of the office area to the quiet end of the hallway to call him back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It rang for a long time without an answer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her heart skipped a beat. She dug through her contacts and dialed Cole Parker, his executive assistant.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hello?\" Cole’s voice was as professional as ever. \"Mrs. King? Mr. King is currently in a meeting. Is there something I can relay for you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s nothing major,\" Arianna said, her voice soft and hesitant. \"He called me earlier, and I missed it. I just wanted to make sure he was alright.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To Cole, the CEO was his boss, and the CEO’s wife was, by extension, his boss too. Those were Maxwell's explicit instructions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cole thought for a moment before speaking with clinical precision. \"I believe Mr. King was likely calling to share the good news with you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna blinked. \"Good news? What kind of good news?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"The partnership between King Enterprises and Volber Group has finally been finalized. Mr. King was quite stumped by the negotiations just a few days ago, so it’s a stroke of luck that it went through so smoothly.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt a genuine sense of relief. \"Does he seem happy?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Happy? He’s ecstatic,\" Cole reported, dutiful as ever. \"Mr. King has been beaming all morning. I’ve never seen him look so… smitten.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was skeptical. *Maxwell, beaming?* Was he really that excited about a project?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That morning, before she left, Maxwell had stopped her. He’d put on a strictly \"business-like\" expression, as if he were discussing a corporate merger, and brought up the subject of a \"morning kiss.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna still didn't understand how he could manage to keep that pure, disciplined, cold-as-ice expression on his face while saying such insanely suggestive things.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">And he’d presented it with such rigorous logic: \"We should take things slowly, but that doesn't mean we should be at a total standstill. Let's start with a morning kiss.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna had been clutching her bag, standing in the entryway, desperately wanting to bolt for the door.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell had guessed her intentions immediately. He’d blocked her path without a word, sealing off her escape route.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She couldn't help herself and retorted, \"What kind of nonsense is a 'morning kiss'? I’ve only ever heard of a goodnight kiss.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh, right. Goodnight kisses, too,\" Maxwell had curved his lips into a smile, his voice slow and deliberate. \"Thanks for the suggestion, Mrs. King. I nearly forgot. Shall I take that as a ‘yes’?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">No, she absolutely hadn't said yes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thankfully, that conversation had been cut short by a call from Cole, giving her just enough time to flee.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back on the phone, Arianna felt a surge of warmth toward the assistant she hadn't seen in days. \"Alright, I see. Thank you, Cole.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"My pleasure, Mrs. King. It’s my job.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After hanging up, Arianna remembered a high-rated post she’d read the night before. An impulsive idea sparked in her brain, and she suddenly had an epiphany.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That afternoon, when she brought some files to Charlotte, she mentioned off-handedly, \"Charlotte, do you think I could skip the overtime tonight?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Charlotte looked up from her paperwork. \"Is something up?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna nodded. \"Just for tonight.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Is the proposal for the new launch ready?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt a twinge of guilt. \"Just a little bit more to go. I’ll pull an all-nighter to finish it; I promise it won’t affect the meeting tomorrow.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Given that, Charlotte offered a rare, indulgent nod. \"Fine. Go on then.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After clocking out, Arianna walked with a light step toward the parking garage on the basement level. It was her first time doing something like this, and her heart was racing with a mix of nerves and anticipation. She sat in her car, taking a few long, steadying breaths, before finally dialing the number for Maxwell’s driver.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272908731]