The Silent Breakfast

Shan adjusted his navy tie and checked his phone for the third time. Six messages from the office already, and it wasn't even seven in the morning. He walked down the marble stairs of his Margona penthouse, his polished shoes clicking against each step.

The kitchen smelled different today. Not the usual coffee and toast his housekeeper prepared. Something warmer, richer filled the air. He paused at the doorway.

A young woman stood at the stove, her dark hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. She wore jeans and a cream sweater, nothing fancy. Steam rose from a pan as she flipped what looked like pancakes.

"Good morning," she said without turning around. Her voice was quiet but steady.

Shan's jaw tightened. Gina. His wife of exactly three days. The woman his grandfather had forced him to marry with threats about the family business.

"You don't need to cook," he said curtly. "Mrs. Chen handles breakfast."

Gina finally turned, revealing warm brown eyes and a small smile. "I know. But I wanted to."

Unexpected Visitors

She placed a steaming plate in front of him. Golden pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey. The smell made his stomach growl despite himself.

"I'm not hungry," Shan lied, checking his phone again.

Gina poured orange juice into a glass. "You missed dinner last night. And the night before."

The doorbell rang three times in quick succession. Shan frowned. Nobody visited this early.

Mrs. Chen hurried to answer it. A woman's voice echoed from the foyer, sharp and demanding. "Where is my granddaughter?"

Shan's fork clattered against his plate. Gina's face went pale.

"That's my grandmother," she whispered.

Heavy footsteps approached the kitchen. A small woman with silver hair and fierce eyes marched in, wearing a bright red coat. Behind her followed a younger woman with short black hair and smart glasses.

"Gina! What are you doing in this cold house?" the grandmother demanded in accented English. She glared at Shan. "And you! Businessman! Why does my granddaughter look so thin?"

The woman with glasses stepped forward. "I'm Dr. Lin, Gina's cousin. We came to check on her."