7:30 a.m. local time. The morning after the embarrassing kitchen fire incident.
Kirana slowly stepped out of the bedroom, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and her favorite sweatpants.
At the kitchen table, Aldo was already sitting neatly dressed in his work shirt and tie. He looked fresh, as if none of last night's chaos had ever happened.
"Morning, Walking Disaster," Aldo greeted her flatly without looking away from his coffee cup.
Kirana grunted in annoyance as she pulled out the chair across from Aldo. "Don't call me that. Last night was just a little accident."
"A little accident that nearly burned down the entire apartment unit," Aldo corrected coldly. "The water utility and firefighters almost had to come over because of a bowl of instant noodles."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry!" Kirana grumbled, propping her chin on her hand. "Besides, the stove was just too sensitive."
Aldo slowly set down his cup. Then he pushed a plastic cup bearing the logo of a famous coffee shop directly toward Kirana.
Kirana blinked, staring at the iced coffee topped with caramel sprinkles. "What's this?"
"Your favorite caramel milk coffee," Aldo replied calmly. "To replace your burnt instant noodles from last night."
Kirana was stunned for a moment. She studied Aldo suspiciously. "How do you know what my favorite drink is?"
"As both your superior and your contract husband, I pay attention to the little details," Aldo answered indifferently. "Drink it quickly. We have to leave."
Kirana smiled faintly, hiding her happiness behind the coffee cup. "Thanks, Mr. Fridge."
9:00 a.m. The administration division office.
Kirana sat in her cubicle, sipping the coffee Aldo had given her. It tasted absolutely perfect.
"Hey, Kir!" Siska suddenly appeared carrying a stack of folders. "Why'd you come in with Mr. Aldo again this morning? Don't tell me you two left from the same place now."
Kirana immediately choked on her coffee. "Cough! Don't be ridiculous, Sisk!"
"Are you lying?" Siska pressed, narrowing her eyes. "He drove you home yesterday, and this morning you got out of the same car in the basement. This smells like some hot gossip."
"Just go deal with your audit report!" Kirana deflected, quickly changing the subject. "I'm busy."
Siska clicked her tongue softly, then walked away. Kirana let out a sigh of relief. Her secret had almost been exposed.
Suddenly, the phone on her desk vibrated. A text came in from an unnamed number—or more accurately, Aldo's number.
[Come to my office immediately. Bring last month's inventory report.]
Kirana quietly snorted as she read the message. "What a dictatorial boss. We literally just saw each other downstairs a minute ago."
11:00 a.m. The CEO's office.
Kirana opened the door and placed the report folder on Aldo's desk. "Here's the inventory report you requested, Sir. It's been fully audited."
Aldo examined the pages one by one with care. His face was as serious as usual.
"Good," Aldo said briefly without looking at Kirana. "Oh, and about last night's incident... the apartment cleaning staff already cleaned the kitchen."
"Thank goodness," Kirana murmured. "If you deduct it from my salary, my life will be ruined."
Aldo looked up at Kirana, one eyebrow raised. "Do you really think I'm that cruel?"
"Much worse, actually," Kirana answered honestly, without filtering herself.
Aldo snorted softly, then rose from his chair. He walked over to the small table in the corner of the room and picked up a bottle of mineral water.
"We're not eating out tonight," Aldo said suddenly.
Kirana frowned in confusion. "Why not? Are you going to cook, Sir?"
"I will be cooking," Aldo replied calmly. "As punishment for the mess you made in the kitchen."
Kirana's eyes widened. "Huh? The CEO is cooking? Can you even cook anything besides crunching numbers, Sir?"
"You'll see tonight," Aldo challenged her with a faint, confident smile.
Kirana snorted softly. "It better not taste awful, or I'll throw the plate right in your face, Sir!"