Evelyn stared at the design sketches laid out before her.

A deep frown creased her forehead.

"I've been stuck," she admitted, her voice heavy with frustration. "Something about these designs feels incomplete. I just can't pinpoint what it is."

Alexander reached across the desk, gathering the papers.

"May I?" he asked.

She looked at him, surprised. "You understand design?"

A slight, knowing smile touched his lips. "Not professionally. But I can offer an outsider's opinion."

His gaze dropped to the sketches, sharpening with intense concentration.

After a moment, he picked up a pencil.

He circled a few subtle elements with quick, sure strokes.

"Try modifying these areas," he suggested, tapping the paper with the pencil tip.

Evelyn had expected little, but as she leaned in to look, her eyes widened in shock.

She turned to him, utterly stunned. "You're absolutely right!"

She immediately grabbed an eraser, swiftly correcting the sections he had indicated.

Her own pencil flew across the paper, refining and perfecting the design with each change.

A few minutes later, she leaned back to examine the result.

A brilliant, relieved smile broke across her face.

"This is infinitely better! Alexander, thank you! I never would have seen that myself."

Then, she narrowed her eyes playfully, studying him. "Are you certain you're just a layman?"

A true amateur wouldn't have spotted those nuances so effortlessly. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, but Alexander merely smiled, a warm, unreadable light in his gaze.

"According to your logic," he mused, "I suppose I've evolved from completely ignorant to somewhat perceptive."

He paused, his tone turning more sincere. "I barely contributed. Your designs were already outstanding. I merely highlighted a few minor points. If you insist on crediting me, say I simply added the finishing touch."

She let out a soft laugh. "Wouldn't that make me sound terribly arrogant?"

As she spoke, her mind drifted back to the earlier events of the evening.

Cassandra, Alexander's childhood friend, seemed to know everything about him—his preferences, his routines, the things that mattered to him.

In stark contrast, she was his wife, yet she realized with a jolt how little she truly knew.

The thought settled heavily in her chest, dimming the light in her eyes.

Alexander, perceptive as ever, noticed the sudden shift in her mood.

His brow furrowed with concern. "Evelyn? What is it? You seem troubled."

After a brief hesitation, he ventured, "Is it because Cassandra will be staying with us?"

"No," Evelyn answered quickly. Her gaze met his, softening. She couldn't hold back the words. "I just... realized how little I know about you. I don't know your favorite foods, that you're allergic to chili, or that you collect antique watches. I feel like I've been a failure as a wife."

His expression softened as he took in her guilty look. Unexpectedly, he smiled.

He reached out, gently smoothing the worry from her brow with his fingers. "This is what's bothering you?"

Seeing his amused smile, Evelyn felt a flush of embarrassment. She tried to pull her hand away, her voice tinged with mild irritation. "Alexander, I'm being serious."

But he didn't release her. Instead, he took her hand in both of his, holding it firmly yet gently.

His eyes were warm and steady as they held hers. "Evelyn, it's alright. We began as strangers, two lives brought together by chance. We didn't know each other before, but now we have a lifetime to learn. Anything you want to know, I will tell you. Anything you want to see, I will show you."

His smile was reassuring, his voice firm. "There's no reason to feel guilty. We are in this together. We will spend our lives discovering each other, side by side."