The moment Aldrich’s icy demeanor thawed during that phone call, Black nearly choked on his cigar.

Since when does the human glacier smile like spring thaw?

Hailey's indignant voice crackled through the speaker: "You bought out the entire mall?!"

Aldrich’s thumb brushed the phone’s edge—an unconscious caress. "Wear them, and it’s not wasteful."

Allen mouthed holy shit at Ou. This wasn’t just affection—it was domesticity.

The scarlet Ferrari screamed through downtown, its passenger sulking.

"Not hungry," Hailey lied, stomach betraying her with a growl loud enough to echo off the private dining room’s crystal chandeliers.

Aldrich’s gaze dropped to her clenched abdomen. "Em. Clearly."

A flick of his wrist summoned the ma?tre d’. "Prioritize this table." The platinum card he slid across the en might as well have been Excalibur.

Ten minutes later, their Alaskan king crab arrived while neighboring tables—populated by CEOs who’d booked months in advance—still waited.

Hailey demolished the crab legs with unbridled joy, sauce glistening on her lips. Across the table, Aldrich’s chopsticks remained untouched.

His hunger was elsewhere.

Every flick of her tongue over buttery crab meat tightened his restraint. That mouth—god, that mouth—had been even sweeter than he remembered.

"Do I... eat weirdly?" She dabbed self-consciously at her chin.

Aldrich leaned forward, voice velvet-dark. "You eat like you’re starring in a Miche ad."

And I want to lick the screen.

Post-meal, Hailey Aldrich the leftovers. "Can we doggy-bag this?"

Aldrich’s jaw twitched. His wife. Eating scraps.

The temperature dropped ten degrees.

"Never mind!" She backpedaled. "I’ll just—restroom!"

As she fled, Aldrich snapped his fingers at a waiter. "Pack everything."

If my queen wants reheated lobster, she gets reheated goddamn lobster.