What she's been up to

**~A MONTH LATER~**

"Glad to have you back," Joey said, grinning as he offered a seat to Ray in his office.

"I was only gone for a month, not like I've been gone for years," Ray replied, settling into the chair while keeping a suspicious eye on Joey, who was pretending to be engrossed in his paperwork.

"But to me, you've been gone for quite a while. A married man shouldn’t be doing that," Joey teased, glancing up with a mischievous smile.

"I might be married, but that doesn’t stop me from going on business trips. My wife hasn’t complained about that." Ray shrugged, pretending to be focused on the file in front of him, though he was secretly trying to gauge if Joey was leading up to something.

"Talking about your wife, do you know what she’s been up to for a month now?" Joey asked, his tone suddenly more serious. Ray froze, his eyes narrowing at his friend.

"What has she been doing?" he asked, his mind racing through all the possible mischief Samira could have gotten into. It had been a month since their morning talk after the wedding, and he hadn't heard a peep from her since.

"She…" Joey began, but was interrupted when his secretary, Miss Parker, walked into the room.

"The new workers in the company are here, sir," Miss Parker announced.

"Let them in," Joey said, waving her off. As she left, Ray’s curiosity peaked.

"Are you hiring? It's not the season yet for you to hire," Ray asked, leaning forward, trying to read Joey’s expression.

"You know I've been looking for a certain scent in perfume. I’m hiring a new crew for that."

Ray smirked, shaking his head. "That’s another way of saying Gulf Mall is going to be the talk of the town. And don’t think we’re done with our conversation. We need to finish our discussion."

"Of course, you stay," Joey said with a sly smile, "I also want you to see the newly hired staff."

As the door opened, the new recruits filed in—four men and a woman. Ray’s jaw almost hit the floor when he recognized the woman. Samira.

Joey couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Ray’s stunned expression. Ray blinked a few times, his mind failing to comprehend what he was seeing. Was this a prank? Was he still jet-lagged from his trip?

Meanwhile, Samira, standing there with her usual poise, met his gaze with a cool, unreadable expression. Her beauty was as striking as ever—her caramel skin glowing under the office lights, her dark, wavy hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders. She wore a professional yet flattering dress that hugged her curves, exuding confidence. But what caught Ray’s attention the most was the distinct lack of a wedding ring on her finger.

Miss Parker, oblivious to the tension in the room, introduced the four men before getting to Samira. "And this is Samira Wiley, a newly hired perfumist," she announced, her tone upbeat.

Ray’s mouth went dry. *Wiley?* She had used her maiden name? He shot a glare at her, which Samira met with an infuriatingly polite smile aimed at Joey.

"Honored to meet you all. I hope you will work hard like everyone else and help the company grow," Joey said, trying to maintain a serious demeanor but failing miserably as his eyes twinkled with amusement.

Ray sat on the sofa stiffly, watching his friend shaking the hands of the new recruits with a strained smile. When he got to Samira, his mind screamed at him to remain calm. He extended his hand, and she met it with a firm shake, still smiling as if nothing was amiss. But that ringless finger? It felt like a slap in the face.

Ray’s mind raced. *There better be a good reason for you doing this,* he thought, his eyes burning into hers as the group left the office.

"You knew about this, didn’t you?" Ray asked Joey, his voice low and accusatory.

"I did," Joey admitted, leaning back in his chair, clearly enjoying the drama. "I conducted the interview myself. Imagine my surprise when I saw your wife walk in, using her real name—Samira Wiley, without adding ‘Ray.’"

Ray gritted his teeth. Joey and his parents knew her as Samira Ray, wife to Chris Ray, the most powerful man in the city. They didn’t know she was a fake.

"She must have decided to come up with that name so I wouldn’t catch wind of it," Ray muttered.

"Probably," Joey said, shrugging. "But she had no reason to lie. It might have been a month since you got married, but no one knows about it except for those of us who attended the wedding."

"Maybe she had her reasons," Ray lied again, knowing full well why she chose to use her maiden name.

"You seem relaxed about this," Joey observed, crossing his legs, watching Ray with a curious expression.

"Should I be worried about my wife working in my friend’s company?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course you should. Your wife, as you’ve put it, is working in the office with other men," Joey jabbed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Should I be worried about that too?" Ray asked as he walked over to the huge window, staring out at the city skyline, trying to appear indifferent.

"Yes, you should," Joey insisted, leaning forward. "The office, as you put it, is packed with four men working as her colleagues. And let me tell you, these men aren’t just any men. They’re all sexy and alluring. The female workers all flock to the production area just to get a glimpse of them. And your wife is the only female working among them. You should be worried."

Ray felt his heart skip a beat, and without thinking, he dropped his half-empty glass on the table, his eyes snapping to Joey’s face. "Are they all male?"

Joey nodded solemnly. "All four and sexy at that. Your wife could certainly be tempted by one of them if she keeps working at the production department."

"Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep that in mind," Ray said, his voice tight as he tried to hide his annoyance. He instantly knew he had been rubbed the wrong way.

"Does that mean you’re telling me to mind my own business?" Joey asked, his tone turning lower

"I’m just telling you that I’ll take it from here," Ray replied, already feeling the weight of the situation pressing on his chest.

"Fine then, but don’t take away my most dedicated newly hired employee," Joey said with a hint of sarcasm as he watched his friend leave.

As soon as Ray was out of the office, Joey picked up his phone and called his secretary. "Tell Samira to come to my office," he ordered, pacing around, his mind racing with thoughts of the unfolding drama.

Ray, meanwhile, found himself in the elevator, heading down, lost in thought. He was fuming—he’d just been gone for a month, and this was the surprise he returned to? The elevator doors opened, and there she was—Samira, about to walk in. Ray’s mind blanked for a moment as their eyes met.

Once again, he noticed her ringless finger, and the sight ignited a spark of anger within him.

"Just what kind of game are you playing?" he barked, his voice echoing in the small space. Samira met his glare with a calm, almost amused expression, her lips curling into a small, knowing smile that only infuriated him further.