C247 We Have A Problem

Sarah stood quietly in her room, staring at her phone for a few moments. Ben's teasing question downstairs refused to leave her mind. She had brushed it off with a smile, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized he had a point. She and Chris had been legally married for some time now. Although they had agreed to keep their marriage a secret until the right moment, they were still husband and wife.

She had never once visited the Chambers family as their daughter-in-law, nor had she truly thought about what their future would look like after everyone finally learned the truth. A small smile appeared on her face. "Maybe I should ask Chris..." Without wasting another second, she unlocked her phone and dialed his number. The call rang once... Twice... Then Chris answered. "Hello, Wife." Sarah folded her arms and deliberately pouted. "Were you not planning on answering my call? Why did it ring so many times?"

Chris blinked in confusion before looking down at the phone in his hand. "It only rang twice," he answered honestly. "My phone was in my pocket. I had to take it out before answering." Sarah struggled to suppress a laugh. "So you made your wife wait?" Chris immediately realized she was looking for trouble. "Oh... so that's what this is." "What do you mean?" "You called just to bully me." Sarah burst into laughter. "Who told you that?" Chris sighed dramatically. "I know my wife too well."

The playful atmosphere made Sarah forget all the tension from downstairs. After laughing for a while, her expression slowly became serious. "Chris..." "Hmm?" "We might have a problem." Chris immediately sat upright in his bed. "What happened?" Then he suddenly remembered something. "...Actually," he interrupted himself, "I think I have a problem too." Sarah frowned. "If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't have called me, would you?"

Chris smiled warmly. "I would've." "When?" "Before you went to sleep." Sarah narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like an excuse." "It isn't." She remained silent for a few seconds before giving up. "Fine... tell me your problem first." Chris scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Amanda knows you're my wife." Silence. Then... Sarah burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Hahaha..." Chris rubbed his forehead helplessly. "I knew you'd laugh." "How did she find out?" "I honestly don't know." "You don't know?" "I might have accidentally said something..."

He paused before continuing. "...or maybe she noticed how I behave whenever you're around." Sarah laughed even harder. "Were you dreaming about me in broad daylight?" Chris grinned. "Maybe." He rolled in his bed before adding shamelessly, "Who wouldn't dream about such a beautiful wife?" Sarah's cheeks instantly turned pink. "You..." She covered her face with one hand. "Even when we're talking about serious things, you still have time to flirt."

Chris chuckled softly. "I have to." "Why?" "Because making my wife blush is one of my hobbies." Sarah rolled her eyes despite smiling from ear to ear. "You really are impossible." "I learned from the best." "And who is that?" "You." Sarah laughed again. "I regret calling you." "No, you don't." "...Maybe a little." The two of them laughed together, the warmth in their voices making the distance between them feel insignificant.

After the laughter faded, Sarah leaned against the edge of her dressing table. "Did Amanda say anything after finding out?" Chris nodded. "She connected everything." "What everything?" "The day you helped me pack my office after my promotion..." Sarah immediately remembered. "...the lunch incident..." "...the way I became nervous whenever someone knocked on my office door..." Sarah covered her face again. "Oh no..." Chris continued. "She even said no ordinary director would help an employee move offices."

Sarah sighed dramatically. "I underestimated her observation skills." "So did I." "Is she talkative?" Chris shook his head. "Not at all." "In fact, she congratulated me." Sarah smiled in relief. "That's good." "I trust Amanda." "So do I." Chris spoke confidently. "She promised she wouldn't tell anyone." Sarah nodded slowly. "I believe her." There was another brief silence. Then Sarah spoke again. "Chris..." "Yes?" "I've been thinking about something." "What is it?"

She hesitated for several moments before asking, "When we finally announce our marriage to everyone..." Chris smiled immediately. "...would I have to leave my family and stay with your parents?" For a moment, Chris was caught off guard. Then he laughed. "Isn't that obvious?" Sarah blinked. "It is?" "You're my wife." He smiled gently. "So naturally you'll stay with me." Sarah lowered her head thoughtfully. "So that's how it works..."

Chris continued, "Of course, we also have another option." Sarah looked up. "What option?" "We could buy our own house." Her eyes widened. "So... there's a third option." Chris nodded. "There are always choices." Sarah smiled to herself. "So I don't necessarily have to leave everyone forever..." The thought eased a worry she hadn't even realized she was carrying. Chris noticed her silence. "Wife?" "Hmm?" "What were you thinking?" Sarah quickly smiled. "Nothing." "I don't believe you."

She laughed. "I really wasn't thinking about anything." "Liar." "I'll tell you someday." Chris sighed dramatically. "So mysterious." "You'll survive." "I hope so." Sarah glanced toward the bedroom door. "I really have to go now." "So soon?" "They're waiting for me downstairs." "I don't want my family wondering whether I drowned in the shower." Chris laughed loudly. "Please don't scare me like that."

Sarah smiled warmly. "I'll call you tomorrow." "I'll be waiting." "And Chris..." "Yes?" "...thank you." His voice softened. "For what?" "For always making me smile." Chris smiled to himself. "That's my job." Sarah's heart warmed. "Goodnight in advance." "Goodnight, Wife." She slowly ended the call. For several seconds she simply stared at the dark phone screen before placing it on the bedside table.

A gentle smile remained on her face. No matter how exhausting the day had been... No matter how chaotic things had become downstairs... A few minutes talking to Chris always seemed to wash away every bit of stress. Taking a deep breath, Sarah grabbed a towel from the wardrobe. "Time for a shower," she whispered to herself. Outside her room, the voices from downstairs could still be heard faintly.

She knew Nicolas Heaps had not given up trying to save the partnership. But for now... That was no longer her concern. She quietly walked into the bathroom, closed the door behind her, and turned on the shower, allowing the warm water to wash away the day's exhaustion while the tense discussion downstairs continued without her.