Sleep eluded Alex until the early hours of the morning. For someone who typically slept like the dead, this new insomnia felt like life's particularly pointed joke. He finally drifted off around 4 AM, only to be roused by a sweet, melodious voice that left him wondering if he was still dreaming.
"Alex, time to wake up! You need to get to work!"
"Alex, I've prepared breakfast. Come on, get up!" The voice grew closer, followed by a sudden chill as his blanket was pulled away.
"Ah!"
"What? What's wrong?" A piercing shriek confirmed this wasn't a dream. Alex bolted upright, wondering if there was a fire. Instead, he found Emma standing there, face flaming red, hands supposedly covering her eyes though her fingers were suspiciously spread.
"What's wrong?" he asked groggily.
"You're... you're sleeping naked!" she managed to stammer, one finger pointing accusingly.
"Hm?" Alex glanced down. Indeed, he was au naturel, and his morning... enthusiasm... was particularly evident. He vaguely recalled taking a cold shower after last night's series of shocks before collapsing into bed.
*God, what cruel fate,* he thought morosely. *Instead of finding a perfect wife, I've ended up supporting a helpless heiress. Just my luck.*
"Seen enough? If so, please leave so I can get dressed," Alex said dryly.
"I... I've seen plenty! I mean, I'm sorry!" Emma stuttered, turning to flee—and promptly crashed into his dresser.
"I'm so sorry!" She bowed repeatedly to the furniture before finally making her escape.
*Did she just apologize to my dresser?* Alex shook his head as he dressed. Catching his reflection while brushing his teeth, he noted his impressive panda eyes. *What a night.*
*Who knows what fresh disasters await?*
He stretched, checked the time—8:10 AM. The earliest he'd woken up for work in nearly a year. Suddenly, an enticing aroma caught his attention, making his empty stomach growl.
He remembered Emma mentioning breakfast when she'd come to wake him. *Impossible,* he thought, recalling yesterday's culinary catastrophes. The delicious smell completely contradicted his experience of her cooking abilities.
Curiosity drew him to the dining room, where he found Emma arranging takeout containers on the table. She'd assembled quite a spread: traditional breakfast foods including steamed buns, soy milk, pickled vegetables, and crispy crullers. For Alex, who typically skipped breakfast entirely, it was quite the feast.
"Come eat!" Emma smiled brightly, her cheeks still adorably pink. Despite himself, Alex had to admit her smile was as warm as April sunshine, even if it was already summer.
"You bought all this?" Alex sat down, thinking perhaps things weren't quite as dire as he'd imagined.
"Mm-hmm! I got up at 7:30 to go shopping. I wasn't sure what you liked, but I heard locals love traditional breakfasts. The morning market was so lively!" She handed him chopsticks with another dazzling smile.
"Mm." Alex nodded, reaching for the soy milk. Its slightly sour tang and subtle sweetness was supposed to aid digestion and combat summer heat—if prepared correctly. Many newcomers found the taste challenging at first, comparing it unfavorably to various unpleasant things. But once acquired, the taste became addictive. Like many acquired tastes, the journey from revulsion to craving was part of its charm.
Coming from wealth hadn't stopped Alex from developing a taste for it in his youth. After years without it, he felt a surprising nostalgia.
"Hmm... something tastes off," Alex frowned after his first sip.
"Oh, I found it too bitter and sour, so I added some milk..."
"Pfft!" Alex sprayed his mouthful across the table.
"Was that wrong?" Emma blinked at him innocently.
"Miss Carter—"
"Don't be so formal! We're housemates now. Call me Emma, or Snow. 'Miss Carter' sounds so distant!" she interrupted cheerfully.
"Your 'surprises' are becoming a bit much," Alex said, wiping his mouth with a napkin while pressing his other hand to his forehead.
"Really? Hehe, you'll make me blush!" Emma tilted her head with an angelic smile, the picture of adorable innocence.
"That wasn't a compliment!" Alex couldn't help but protest. Who would have thought she could ruin even something as simple as soy milk? *I should have known better.*
"Hm?" Emma's large eyes continued to blink at him, either genuinely or deliberately missing his point while maintaining her air of innocent charm.
Alex dropped his head in defeat. Total, absolute defeat. Never in his years of romantic conquests had he been so thoroughly outmaneuvered by a woman. It was a possibility he'd never even considered, yet here he was. *Is this karma for my playboy past?*
Looking at Emma happily sipping her adulterated soy milk, Alex finally accepted his fate.
*Karma indeed.*
"Hurry and eat! You don't want to be late. I can't have my employer going to work on an empty stomach!" Emma smiled, offering him a steamed bun.
"Employer?"
"Of course! I'm your housekeeper now, which makes you my employer!" Her logic was impeccable, if selective.
*Employer? More like your indentured servant!* Alex sighed internally. He was about to bite into the bun when survival instincts kicked in. He paused, examining it carefully. At least this one hadn't been tampered with.
"I got these from that famous shop around the corner. Triple-delight filling—they're supposed to be excellent!" Emma waved her half-eaten bun enthusiastically.
*Thank god.* Alex relaxed and took a proper bite. At least he could take out his frustrations on breakfast.
The soy milk was a lost cause, so he stuck to plain water. After they finished, four buns remained from the original fifteen she'd bought. The woman was certainly generous with portions. Though given her record of consuming five burgers plus two to go last night, today's six-bun breakfast actually showed remarkable restraint.
He wondered if Emma Winter was up yet. A quick call confirmed she was getting dressed. They agreed to meet downstairs in five minutes.
As Alex prepared to leave for work, Emma caught his sleeve.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Could you... could you possibly advance me a year's salary?" Her big eyes blinked appealingly.
"A year's salary? Twelve thousand? What do you need that much money for?" Alex gaped at her. While the amount was negligible to him, the principle was outrageous. She'd already broken countless things, was living rent-free, eating his food—and now wanted a year's advance before doing a single day's work?
"I know it's unreasonable, but I only have this one outfit. I've been wearing it for days, and my... my underwear..." she explained with adorable embarrassment.
Alex looked her over, noting she was indeed still wearing the same fitted black ensemble from their first meeting. She had a point about needing new clothes. But the heiress was proving quite expensive—hundreds left on the table yesterday morning, last night's dinner, and now this. True to her privileged background.
He checked his wallet, finding less than two thousand in cash. He pulled out ten hundred-dollar bills and handed them to her.
"As you can see, I don't have that much on me. Can you manage for a few days? I could take you shopping this weekend?" he offered.
"Really? Perfect! I'm not familiar with Manhattan yet—we can make a day of it!" Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
*Make a day of it? Who has time for that?*
Alex turned silently and headed downstairs.
"Goodbye! Come home early!" she called after him cheerfully.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, wondering what fresh chaos awaited his return.