"That into Silas Norwood?" Celia Sterling asked slowly.

Quinn Sinclair ranted, "Who isn’t? Besides you, that is. You’re really something else. You knocked the man off his pedestal, played with him until you got bored, and now you don’t even appreciate him. Disappearing for months on end... it’s a criminal waste! If you don’t want him, all the other women in our circle are dying to love and dote on him for you. Behind your back, they’re all gushing, ’Norwood, oh, Norwood’..."

"Say no more." Celia Sterling wasn’t annoyed in the least. "Just give me a list of all the women who have their eyes on Silas Norwood. I’ll have him pay each of them a personal visit and let them stare their fill."

Quinn Sinclair yelped, "Their fathers and brothers would skin them alive before Silas Norwood even made it to the door..."

That evening, Celia Sterling lay in bed and decided to bring the matter up with Silas Norwood. "Your charm hasn’t faded one bit, Norwood. Still attracting a swarm, even though you’re a married man."

Silas Norwood appeared to be fishing, with the lake at Jade Orchid Manor in the background.

His gaze softened as it landed on her face, a smile playing in his eyes. "Ever since I got together with you, I’ve been eating much better. With the improved nutrition, my complexion has naturally improved. I guess that’s bound to attract some attention."

Celia Sterling shot him a playful glare. "You’re getting more and more glib."

Silas Norwood hummed. "If I’m too serious, I’m afraid you’ll find me boring, baby."

’Never mind all the sweet-talking tutorials online. Just the things people sent him privately in the Perfumer group chat were eye-searingly cringey. He was already trying his best to learn from the less explicit material.’

"You’re hardly boring. I’d say you’re quite unrestrained," Celia Sterling hinted.

A glint appeared in Silas Norwood’s eyes, but he only smiled without saying a word.

"And you’re smiling," Celia Sterling warned softly. "Stop flitting around all those women in our circle like a social butterfly, or you needn’t bother visiting me next time."

"I really haven’t," Silas Norwood said helplessly. "I’ve only attended three business functions in the last two months, and I stood in a corner the entire time at each one."

"Then I blame you for being too handsome," Celia Sterling said, being deliberately unreasonable. "Why does a man need to look like that, anyway?"

"But you obviously like it, baby."

The moment the words left his mouth, Silas Norwood felt a flush of heat spread through him. ’Back when they were inseparable, he had always been the one to take the initiative—kissing her, nipping at her, teasing her mercilessly. All she could do was cling to him and sob helplessly.’

’But this time apart had allowed something intangible to slowly ferment. Now, she would often stare at his face in a daze, the adoration in her eyes impossible to hide. She had even initiated their kisses several times, her passion like a blazing fire.’

’It just went to show that married couples needed to spice things up now and then. While being joined at the hip was wonderful, a brief separation could trigger a secret thrill.’

"Baby," Silas Norwood said in a low voice, "if you decide to go with the Summer Sutton identity, let’s get married again."

"We’ll see," Celia Sterling said thoughtfully. "Actually, it might be nice to be single and play the field for a few years."

"And what about me? You don’t want me anymore?"

"Can’t you just be my boyfriend for a while?" Celia Sterling said teasingly. "You’d still have the title of the Sterling family’s son-in-law, but you’d be secretly having an affair with Miss Sutton. Wouldn’t that be thrilling?"

Silas Norwood: "..."

’Thrilling? What was so thrilling about that? Without the bonds of marriage, the prize he’d already won could just slip through his fingers.’

’Play for a few years? By the time she was done, he’d be thirty-five or thirty-six and past his prime. Who knew if he’d even be in the picture anymore?’

’Besides, if he did the math, the Summer Sutton identity was a year or two younger than Celia Sterling, which would make his age gap with her even wider...’

’He didn’t dare to dwell on it.’

Late that night, Assistant Thorne was out drinking with Theo Chambers when a call from Silas Norwood forced him to cut the night short.

"The boss has really been relying on you lately," Theo Chambers remarked mournfully. "There’s not much left for me to do. I’ve been completely sidelined."

Assistant Thorne downed another cup of sobering-up tea. "I’m just his personal assistant. How can I compare to you? Don’t think I don’t know that the boss has been giving you a ton of important tasks behind the scenes. I heard your year-end bonus was tripled."

After he said that, he felt the effects of the alcohol had completely subsided, so he called a cab and headed straight for Jade Orchid Manor.

Silas Norwood was still by the lake, supposedly fishing. He hadn’t caught a single fish; instead, his head was bowed as he scrolled through his phone’s photo album.

"Boss, I’m here." Assistant Thorne casually glanced over. ’Of course,’ he thought, ’photos of his wife.’

He sat down properly beside Silas Norwood. Sensing that his boss was not in a good mood, he probed cautiously, "Boss, was there something you needed me for?"

"It’s about that friend of mine again."

"Oh." Assistant Thorne thought for a few seconds. "What’s wrong with your... friend... this time?"

"Some things are getting out of my control." Silas Norwood’s cool gaze fixed on the lake. "Assistant Thorne, is there a way to... lock a woman down?"

’Assistant Thorne shot Silas Norwood a discreet glance. With the boss’s looks, build, and charisma, did he really need a way to "lock a woman down"?’

’What woman could possibly escape his charm?’

’Besides, they were already married. Why was he still so insecure?’

But when the boss asked a question, he had to answer. Thinking like a normal person in a relationship, Assistant Thorne answered offhandedly, "Have a kid. It’s not a guarantee, but once most women have a child, it’s like their wings are clipped. They can’t fly away even if they want to."

"..." Silas Norwood rejected the idea without a second thought. "No. Another one." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Why not?"

Assistant Thorne remembered how Theo Chambers had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a little Norwood Family Crown Prince for years, but the boss was clearly not pulling his weight on that front. He couldn’t help but add a few more words:

"If the man treats the woman well, it’s not really a restraint. Love is always more perfect when it bears fruit, right? Just imagine a little munchkin—whether they look like the boss or his wife, they’d be so soft and unbelievably cute..."

Silas Norwood cut him off. "What does that have to do with me?"

Assistant Thorne faltered. "My mistake. I meant a little munchkin that looks like your friend. Boss, it would actually be a pretty great feeling."

"No," Silas Norwood repeated.

Assistant Thorne thought for a moment. "Well, the other methods require more effort. Giving gifts, sending money, creating romance and surprises, changing up your routine to find a new spark... oh, and fending off rivals is absolutely crucial. Guys these days aren’t like they used to be. They don’t care if a woman is married or not. If they want her, they’ll try to steal her away right out in the open. They’ll use any shameless trick in the book. Seduction is just the most basic tactic."

He was getting carried away and didn’t notice Silas Norwood’s expression turning even frostier as he continued to add fuel to the fire:

"You don’t have to worry about the guys who just throw money at her. Your... friend, I mean. Since he’s a friend of the boss, he’s obviously loaded. No one can outspend him. The ones to be afraid of are those ’young pups’ and ’young wolves.’ You might not know this, but there’s a saying online that a twenty-year-old ’young wolf’ is a real diamond—energetic, a real sweet-talker... They just have to whine ’pretty lady’ a couple of times and what woman’s heart wouldn’t melt? That’s the kind of happiness money can’t buy."

Silas Norwood’s already bad mood seemed to sour even further.

’After all that, wasn’t Assistant Thorne just implying that he was old and couldn’t compete with the younger guys?’