Ethan, in an unusual move, finished work early today, fully cognizant of the reason behind it. To his own surprise, he'd found himself extending an invitation to dine with Vivian, and her earnest agreement had left him with an unexpected sense of tranquility.
The thought of neglect seemed...juvenile. If Vivian harbored no ill intentions, then perhaps they could coexist peacefully, as...what exactly?
Ethan paused, momentarily at a loss for how to define their marital relationship. After a moment's contemplation, he settled on an analogy—it was like being roommates?
Yes, as long as Vivian didn't betray him, he could share the same roof and maintain a civil, roommate-like relationship. Ethan thought magnanimously.
The driver swiftly brought him to his luxurious city mansion. Stepping out, Ethan took the private elevator up to his floor. It was precisely 7:30 pm, and he imagined Vivian obediently waiting for him to return for dinner.
The thought brought a smile to his lips—except, not really.
"Vivian, what are you doing?"
"Working."
Vivian sat before the dining table, wearing just a bra and shorts, her damp hair loosely piled atop her head, stray strands clinging to her cheeks. She clutched a laptop, a half-eaten sandwich dangling from her mouth, fingers dancing across the keyboard as her eyes remained glued to the screen, offering a muffled response.
Ethan felt his temples pulse with irritation.
"Don't eat while using the computer!"
"I'm done eating!"
Vivian demonstrated remarkable dexterity by cramming the remaining chunk of sandwich into her mouth, chewing hastily before swallowing it whole.
Ethan watched, utterly bemused.
"Enjoy your meal," she announced, promptly scurrying off to the living room sofa with her laptop, the sound of her typing echoing once more.
Ethan glared at the meticulously prepared cuisine before him, his appetite suddenly vanished.
He had come home early to make up for his cold demeanor, only to find Vivian indifferent to their shared meal. True, she was home waiting for him, but why did she eat a sandwich while he was served a formal dinner? And she hurriedly finished and left—was this considered dining together?
"The madam doesn't prefer hot meals," the butler explained.
With over twenty years of service in the Sharpe household, the butler took pride in his professionalism. Despite Ethan's lack of endorsement, as long as Vivian remained under the Sharpe roof, the butler would cater to her needs, providing the highest level of service.
He quickly observed that Vivian ate rapidly, indifferent to what was served, consuming whatever was available, treating eating as a waste of time. She lacked patience for hot food, prompting the butler to prepare quick sandwiches to prevent burns.
Ethan frowned, a sour taste in his mouth. This wasn't what he had envisioned, yet voicing his disappointment would imply he craved her company, something he wasn't ready to admit.
Forget it, they were just roommates, eating separately was normal.
Ethan finished his tasteless meal and returned to the living room, where Vivian remained engrossed in her laptop, typing furiously. Peeking at the screen, Ethan saw lines of code he doesn't know flashing, messages appearing and disappearing one by one, akin to a digital battle.
"What are you doing?" Ethan queried, curiosity piqued.
"Shh, don't disturb me!"
Ethan repressed his annoyance, intrigued and curious. Seeing no objection, he seated himself beside her, watching the screen intently.
Moments later, the last message vanished, and the screen transitioned, barraging them with data too fast for Ethan to process. Vivian looked happy, exclaiming, "It worked!"
"What worked?" Ethan stared at the names and files, baffled. turning his gaze to her
Vivian divulged without hesitation, pointing to a bearded figure, "This is a renowned information broker in A Country..." She moved on to another person, "This is the biggest black market lord in E Country... And this one deals in arms..."
"Wait..." Ethan felt a chill. "How do you know this? Where did you get this information? And what are you planning?"
"I was just testing if the people here match those from where I came from," Vivian chuckled. "Turns out, I found someone I familiar with from where I came from ... It is such a coincidence, right?"
Vivian genuinely sought to verify if the fictional world paralleled reality, knowing many elements were based on real-life counterparts.
"What do you mean 'here' and 'there'? What are you talking about?"
"I told you I'm from another world, but you didn't believe me." With Ethan, she held nothing back, adhering to her belief in complete trust.
"Stop with this supernatural nonsense! What are you planning to do with these people? And how did you get this information?" Ethan refused to believe such sensitive intel was easily accessible online.
"I hacked into S Country's intelligence network," Vivian stated matter-of-factly, leaving Ethan dumbfounded.
Could someone just casually infiltrate a national intelligence network? Who exactly was Vivian?
"Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"
"Don't worry, I'm well-versed in S Country's systems. Their counter-detection can't trace us here."
That wasn't the point; hacking was clearly illegal!
"What do you want with these people then?" Ethan, unable to reason conventionally with her, switched tactics.
"Well, nothing specific for now. Just gathering intel, might come in handy someday." Vivian grinned mysteriously.
Ethan stared at Vivian, astounded by her casual tone discussing the manipulation of dangerous individuals. How many secrets and capabilities did she possess, hidden from everyone until now?
"Don't engage in activities detrimental to the Sharpe Group," Ethan warned sternly.
"Of course not. You want to protect the Sharpe Group, and I have things I want to protect too. Our interests align—I won't harm you or anything you care about."
