The next day started peacefully, but it didn't take long for chaos to arrive.
Ethan was at EC Games headquarters, sitting in his sleek glass office on the 14th floor. He was sipping his black coffee and reviewing reports when his assistant, Rhea, burst in—completely out of breath.
"Sir, we have a situation."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What kind of situation?"
Rhea looked like she didn't know whether to panic or faint. "The shareholders… they found out about the company investing in that virtual reality project without board approval. There's a meeting in thirty minutes. And… the press is already sniffing around."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Who leaked this?"
"No one knows. But it's all over the finance blogs. And sir, some people are saying…" Rhea hesitated. "...that you're too distracted lately. Because of a personal relationship."
Ethan froze for a moment. His first instinct was to defend Elena, to throw the entire company out the window and protect her name—but he knew better.
"Call the PR team," he said coolly. "And reschedule my 1 PM meeting. I need to handle this."
---
Meanwhile, back at home...
Elena was trying to convince Alex to eat his carrots. It was an uphill battle.
"But they're orange!" Alex whined.
"That's the fun part!" Elena said, attempting a bribe with a cookie.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Text from Ethan:
> "Big day. Might be late. Don't wait up. Kiss Alex for me."
She smiled faintly, but something in her gut twisted. Ethan had been working hard lately, and she'd seen the tension on his face even when he pretended everything was fine.
But she didn't want to be the clingy wife.
Wait—fake wife, she reminded herself. A detail that was becoming harder to remember lately.
Still, something told her today wasn't just another "CEO problem." Something was wrong.
---
Back at EC Games…
The boardroom was tense. Men and women in expensive suits whispered, and the air was thick with suspicion.
Ethan walked in, his presence instantly commanding attention. His eyes were sharp, his posture relaxed, but every movement screamed power.
He listened. He responded. He defended the company's choices with logic and confidence.
But the whispers returned the moment he stepped out.
One of the directors muttered, "He's not the same since she came around."
Another said, "She's not even from our world. He needs to focus."
Ethan heard it. Every word. He didn't respond.
But later that night, as he finally came home and saw Elena asleep on the couch with Alex cuddled in her arms, something in him cracked.
He sat beside them, brushing Elena's hair from her face. Her eyes fluttered open.
"You're home…" she murmured.
"I am," he whispered. "And I almost lost my mind today."
Elena sat up, concern growing. "What happened?"
He leaned closer, his voice low. "Some people think you're a distraction."
Her face fell. "Ethan…"
"But they're wrong," he cut in. "You're not a distraction. You're the reason I fight harder. You, and that little chaos monster," he added, glancing at Alex.
Elena blinked, surprised by his sudden emotion. "So… what now?"
Ethan looked at her with the softest smile. "Now? I protect both my worlds. My company. And my family. No one gets to pit them against each other."
And just like that, the walls around his heart chipped a little more.