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43|Reassigned
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2021-06-19 17:57:09The door was wide open, but Eden knocked anyway. She didn't think she can walk into Liam's office willy nilly, and since she hasn't had a chance to go through the Company Protocol document, she'd rather err on the side of good manners.
"Come in and shut the door," Liam said from behind his desk.
"Yes, Mr Anderson." Eden complied, noting the bareness of his office.
He'd taken minimalism way too far in her opinion. But then again, what does she know about decor? She's just a children's book illustrator now moonlighting as a personal assistant. An inexperienced, ill-equipped and painfully underprepared assistant.
Besides the mid-century black leather couch, her other two bosses currently occupied, the only other visitor's seat in the room was the Hawker egg chair in front of the floor to ceiling bookcase.
Business Insider magazines lined the glass coffee table, and a bold-patterned rug served as the room's centrepiece.
A few impressionist
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Last Updated : 2021-06-19Begin Again 45|Hot Connexions
Eden felt the other assistants' pitiful stares the whole time she followed Matthew down the hall to his part of the floor, and she wanted to cry all over again.They'd all heard Liam's very loud meltdown.She wouldn’t even be surprised if she's already the subject of group chats and chain emails, or the inspiration behind a meme or two floating around.She'd seen such situations play out at Van Holt Industries, when senior executives would go apeshit on junior staff members over the smallest, sometimes ridiculous mishaps and the whole company would rehash the incident for days.Eden knew, though, her blunder was far from a ridiculous mishap.The thought that she almost killed Liam chilled her to the bone every time her mind wandered back to that terrifying moment in his office.Maybe working so closely with him wasn't such a good idea.It's becoming more apparent the longer she stayed that they'd kill each other at some point. M
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After her morning session with Gibby the next day, Eden returned to her office to find more flowers waiting for her on her desk, and a bunch of curious assistants crowded around her broom closet. "Aren't you quite the smash hit? You haven't been here a full day, but look at the bouquets you've amassed!" Matthew's assistant, Lucy, drawled as she picked up the card from the newest bouquet—peach Calla Lilies this time—and read it aloud. "'Looking forward to coffee with you. I.J.'" Eden sensed the other woman doesn't like her much, and she had no idea why considering they've only just met. When Matthew made the introductions yesterday afternoon, Lucy had brushed her off with a condescending nod and an insincere smile. Eden had thought she was being paranoid and had chalked down the cold reception to her being overly-sensitive from her run-ins with Liam earlier. But now, she wasn't so sure if her still-delicate emotional state had anything to do wi
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Isaac was as gorgeous—in real life— as his Hot Connexions profile photo. He had smooth russet skin, deep-set hazel eyes and a strong aquiline nose and square jaw, his hair was cropped short in a fade haircut. But it's the dimples that almost made Eden want to change his application from handyman to boyfriend. As a former college fly-half for Rock Union University, he also had the body and the height of a Rugby player. It helped that he was clean shave as well. Eden liked them clean-shaven. Like Liam. Isaac was the perfect gentleman, too; he held the door and chair for her and was attentive to her every need. The more time Eden spent with him, the more convinced she was that something was wrong with him. But thirty minutes in she still hadn't found any serious flaws other than being a once divorced single parent to a three-year-old baby girl. "So did you handle your divorce?" Eden was curious to know when she learned he's a divo
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They left Linda's office with Liam promising to see her at the same time the following week. Eden wanted no part of this screaming match again. She couldn't sit through another round of accusations and blame. Sure, she broke him more than she could have imagined when she left without a word. But, he wasn't the only one whose life changed after that night. She was still dealing with the emotional fallout of her pregnancy. His rage was a little misplaced in her opinion. She skulked to the furthest corner from Liam in the elevator and pressed her back to the cool metal wall, wishing she could melt into it and disappear. "Relax; I won't bite you!" He quickly put her out of her misery, barely glancing at her, his attention on the phone in his hand. "I didn't think you were," Eden replied, raising her chin stubbornly. "I don't want to come back here again." "You don't have to," Liam murmured, his mouth curved into a small smile. "Now that I'
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Last Updated : 2021-06-19
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[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
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As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
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Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
