Chapter 7

It was time for dinner, but Emily couldn’t even glance in Richard’s direction without turning bright red. 

She could still vividly recall how he had nearly seduced her earlier. 

That devil in a black suit, matching pants, leather shoes, and slicked-back hair was already captivating enough—exhilarating, even. But seeing him with just a towel covering his lower body? That was beyond tempting. 

Whatever he had been planning, however, was abruptly cut short when Nate called. 

Emily had to take a deep breath and compose herself before answering. 

Her brother was just checking in on her, asking how she was doing and what she thought of the Philippines so far. He mentioned wanting to visit the country himself since they both had the same purpose for traveling—to help others. Kindness, it seemed, ran deep in their blood. 

But when Nate brought up Richard, his tone shifted. He warned her, over and over, not to let him take advantage of her. His words caught Emily so off guard that she fell silent, barely able to respond. In the end, she could only agree absentmindedly. 

And now, here she was, sitting at the dinner table, doing everything in her power to avoid looking at Richard. 

It didn’t take long for Alias to notice. 

“Lover’s quarrel?” he teased. 

Richard, unfazed, shot back, “Mind your own business.” 

Alias only laughed, taking a spoonful of 'Caldereta', the well-known Filipino dish in front of him. Then, lowering his voice, he turned to Emily. 

“Did he harass you? Want me to beat him up?” 

Emily quickly shook her head, her focus shifting to the food before her. It was her first time trying 'Caldereta', so she took a careful bite. The moment the flavors burst in her mouth, her eyes lit up in delight. She had a penchant for fiery flavors, and the dish was just spicy enough to satisfy her craving. 

“This is amazing,” she murmured, taking another bite. 

Alias smirked knowingly. He had ordered the food, and he had deliberately asked for extra spice. 

Richard, seeing how much they were enjoying the dish, finally took a bite himself. 

It only took a few seconds before he cursed under his breath and reached for a glass of water. 

Alias, expecting that reaction, burst out laughing. His amusement only grew when Richard shot him a glare. 

Emily raised a brow at him. “You don’t like spicy food, do you? Want me to order you something else?” 

Richard’s expression softened slightly at her offer. 

Alias scoffed. “You’re spoiling him too much.” 

Emily simply smiled. “I’m his secretary, after all.” 

Both Alias and Richard hid amused smirks. She had said it with such pride, as if it were an honorable title. 

Dinner went on without a hitch. Alias eventually left to go bar-hopping, while Emily and Richard returned to their suite. 

Emily lay stretched out on the sofa, her eyes occasionally flickering to Richard, who was seated in front of her, typing away on his laptop. 

He looked hot when he worked. 

She had always found intelligent and hard-working individuals attractive. It was a huge turn-on for her, and seeing him so focused was making it difficult to ignore. 

But her thoughts soon drifted elsewhere. 

She suddenly remembered the incident on the plane. 

“Sir Richard,” she called out, making sure to sound as professional as possible to keep her composure. 

Hearing her formal tone, Richard stopped typing and looked at her. 

“The flight attendant earlier…” she began, watching as his mood visibly darkened. 

“What about her?” 

Emily hesitated for a moment before continuing. “What’s your plan with her?” 

Richard’s gaze bore into hers. Under normal circumstances, he would have snapped at anyone for prying into his affairs. A sharp “None of your business” or a cold “Fuck off” would have been his default response. 

But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say that to Emily. 

“She’s a goner,” he stated bluntly. “She can find another airline, for all I care.” 

Then, in a quieter voice, he added, “As if anyone else would even hire her.” 

Emily bit her lip. She realized he really didn’t have any regard or consideration for the people around him. 

Her fingers curled slightly, and she took a deep breath before asking, “If I made the same mistake, would you do that to me as well?” 

Richard held her gaze. Her blue eyes didn’t waver, and her tone remained steady, despite the underlying challenge in her words. 

“What if I did?” 

A slow, sly smile curled on Emily’s lips—the same confident smile she always wore in the office. But this time, something about it felt sharper. 

“No need to fire me then,” she said smoothly. “I’d resign.” 

Richard’s brows furrowed slightly. 

“And as for the contract…” she continued. 

He had a feeling he knew where this was going, but her next words still managed to catch him off guard. 

“I’ll decline.” 

It was a simple answer, yet it carried weight. 

And then, almost teasingly, she added in a whisper, “As if you can find someone better than me.” 

For the first time in a long while, Richard found himself at a loss for words. Emily wanted to laugh because, if she were being honest, he looked like he was thinking deeply—'too' deeply. 

After a long pause, he suddenly sat upright. 

“Let’s negotiate,” he said, as if proposing a business deal. 

Well… it kind of was. 

“I won’t touch that flight attendant,” he conceded. “But—sign the contract.” 

Emily had already anticipated this, so she didn’t hesitate. 

“No,” she said firmly. 

“I won’t resign in exchange of you–not touching the job of that poor woman, who made a small mistake that she didn't even purposely did."

Her confidence was unshaken, and Richard noticed it. 

She was a damn good secretary. No—'great'. She wasn’t even in the same league as the others he’d hired before.

He exhaled sharply. “So what, are you planning to use this against me every time I’m about to fire someone?” 

Emily let out a light laugh. 

“Can’t I?” 

Richard shooked his head, he narrowed his eyes at her, leaning back in his chair. "You do realize that kind of condition can only be used once, right?"

Emily tilted her head slightly, amused. "Oh? Is that a rule now?"

"It is," he said firmly. "You won't be able to pull that trick again."

She smiled, resting her chin on her palm. "Then I’ll just have to find another way, won’t I?"

Richard let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. She really was something else. He wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed.

Silence settled between them for a moment, save for the soft clicking of his laptop keys. Emily, still watching him, stretched out on the couch, getting more comfortable.

"You look tired," she noted.

"I am," he admitted, rubbing his temple. "But there's work to be done."

Emily could only nod. It had been a long day, and the devil in front of her had made her work nonstop for the entire week. She could only pout inwardly, despite feeling a hint of sympathy for the very person who had made her suffer.