After the meal, Quentin and Amanda offered to drive Diego and Celia home, but both tactfully refused. As newlyweds, the two were radiating so much "newlywed energy" that the others couldn't stand to witness any more PDA.
Waving goodbye, Celia followed Diego to his car. She watched Amanda and Quentin walk hand-in-hand in the opposite direction and sighed. "When will I finally find my own destiny?"
Diego tossed his coat into the backseat. Hearing her wistful tone, he couldn't help but laugh. "It's better if you don't find him; why would you want to cause trouble for some poor guy?"
Celia's romantic bubble was instantly burst. She huffed and shot back sarcastically, "At least I can cause trouble for someone. That's better than you—you're pushing thirty and don't even have a girlfriend."
Diego chuckled softly as he started the engine. "That's because I'm a rare, high-quality catch. Besides, don't you already have a boyfriend?"
Celia shrugged. "Come on, big brother, we have a nine-year age gap—that's practically a generation. Who told you I don't have a boyfriend?"
Twitching at the "old man" jab, Diego replied calmly, "Your mother."
Celia immediately fell silent. Having successfully defeated her in their battle of wits, Diego leaned back and leisurely enjoyed the scenery outside.
When Amanda arrived home, her first priority was a shower; her second was finding her husband. She went to the study and knocked twice before hearing Quentin's deep voice: "Mandy? Come in."
Amanda smiled and walked in, but she made a point to stop three steps away from his desk. Ever since she had been caught peeping at his documents in her past life, she was extremely conscious of respecting his privacy and boundaries.
Quentin looked up from his computer and saw her standing at a distance. He smiled and beckoned her closer. "Come here."
Amanda hesitated but obeyed. As she reached him, Quentin reached out and pulled her onto his lap. He breathed in the faint, clean fragrance of her skin. "Why are you being so cautious?"
He saw right through her. He could tell she was intentionally being evasive the moment she entered the room.
Amanda blinked, not daring to meet his eyes. "You... you have many confidential documents here. It's better if I don't see them."
In her previous life, if she hadn't been blinded by hatred and traded his secrets to Javier, all of Quentin's hard work would never have been at risk. She didn't want to repeat those mistakes.
Quentin chuckled and turned his chair so they were both facing the monitor. Whispering in her ear, his voice dropped to a low, husky vibration. "You are my wife and the Lady of the Harris Group. What's the harm in showing you a few documents?"
Awkwardly trapped in his embrace, Amanda faltered. "You...!"
Before she could protest, he nibbled on her earlobe, sending a shiver through her body that left her speechless.
"Let's start anew," he whispered. "We are husband and wife—one soul. We have nothing to hide from each other."
Feeling the shift in the atmosphere, Amanda sat stiffly on his lap and whispered back, "I understand." She knew that if she kept refusing, he would find a much more "distracting" way to convince her.
Quentin smiled with satisfaction, though he was finding it increasingly difficult to suppress the desire burning within him. Having her soft, fragrant body so close was a test of his willpower.
Amanda's cheeks were flushed. To distract herself, she let her eyes wander across the screen. She spotted a file name on the computer and paused. "Quentin, what's this?"
Quentin followed her gaze, a faint smile touching his lips. "Do you think the name 'Ashley Elizabeth' is beautiful?"
Amanda nodded. It was a lovely name, but it was clearly a girl's name. She turned and glared at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me that's the name of an ex-girlfriend!"
Quentin's expression shifted from surprise to weary amusement. "I've never had a girlfriend, Mandy. Where would I find an 'ex'?"
Satisfied, Amanda smiled and snuggled closer. "Then whose name is it?"
Resting his hand on her waist, he moved the mouse. "Our daughter's name."
Amanda froze for a few seconds. Quentin thought she was just shy, but then she asked calmly, "What if we have a boy?"
Quentin laughed out loud, tightening his grip on her. "There's no mistake. We will definitely have a girl first."
Amanda pouted, realized he had already been thinking about their future children, but didn't argue. She looked back at the screen and noticed a land-development plan. She recognized the area—in her previous life, that land had remained empty. She had assumed it was worthless.
Now, she realized it wasn't worthless; it was just that the owner hadn't been ready to move. "Quentin, why do you want to build in this area all of a sudden?"
Quentin was in an excellent mood and saw no reason to hide the truth. "It's not sudden. I've wanted to develop this for a long time... as a gift for you."
Despite her lingering doubts about the project's history, his answer made her heart flutter. It was sweet—deeper than she had ever imagined. Amanda smiled and took his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. She lifted his hand and pressed a gentle, respectful kiss to the back of it.
"Mandy..."
The gesture of pure respect and affection made Quentin's skin tingle with excitement. Amanda smiled softly, but as she looked at the plan again, a flicker of worry crossed her eyes.
"Quentin, I need to tell you something. Be careful of Javier."
She knew that since Javier had lost the last round, he would be nursing a grudge. This project was massive—the perfect opportunity for someone like Javier to strike.
Quentin saw the genuine worry in her eyes. Even though he found the thought of Javier beneath him, he was touched that she was so focused on his safety.
"I will be careful," he promised, pulling her closer. "I promise."