4

Sleeping has been difficult since that night. Lucille couldn't forget what had happened, but instead of being afraid because of the incident with the stalker, she couldn't help but think about the handsome stranger she kissed.

"I couldn't even ask for his name," she mumbles as she prepares to leave for work. She couldn't afford to be late and make a bad first impression on her first day. She values having a good work ethic and always strives to do her best when performing her duties.

She let out a long sigh.

After leaving her room, she silently hoped that no one was awake at this hour. She got up earlier than usual to avoid any drama. But fate wasn't always on her side, because the moment she stepped out of her room, her gaze was drawn to her aunt's movements in the kitchen.

The devil has risen.

A soft grunt escapes her lips as she tries to keep her movements light in the hopes that she won't be noticed. Her aunt, on the other hand, still did.

And the way her aunt's eyes rolled and a scoff came out of her lips didn't escape Lucille’s senses.

"Are you finally going to work? That's great. At the very least, be productive and earn money so you can cover your living expenses. You have been mooching off this family for too long,"

She was about to tell her aunt, "As if you didn't get all of my inheritance," but she stopped herself. Speaking up serves no purpose. It will only land her in hot water.

Because her aunt had already seen her, she decided it wouldn't hurt to get at least one piece of bread. That's exactly what she did.

"Don't eat a lot of bread because your cousin hasn't eaten yet. Work hard and then go out and get your own food!"

Lucille was used to ignoring her aunt's comments. Though it stings at times, living every day and having to hear her harsh words as if they were her meal is still exhausting.

She left the house after grabbing a sandwich and making her way to work.

"This is your workspace. I'll email you everything you need to work on and study. If you have any questions, please ask Janice, who will gladly assist you. Welcome to the Veldiar Group of Companies! Make sure you stop by HR to get your ID and badge,"

"Thank you, sir," Lucille said, eager to begin her new job. This office was more pleasant than her previous one.

"You look stunning!" Janice complimented her, and she could tell she meant it. "If you have any questions, please ask. Don't worry too much. They will not put you under any pressure in adjusting to your work. We have a pleasant working environment here, and our boss is very nice!"

Lucille noticed Janice's dreamy expression after mentioning their boss. Janice appears to be her age, but she didn't bother asking her because it would be impolite.

"But, I prefer his secretary. Sir Henry may not be as attractive as Sir Valentino, but I'd take him over our CEO any day!"

A woman a few feet away laughed at what Janice had said. "Janice, please don't include our new employee to further your fantasy. You don't even know if she was dating anyone,"

Janice grumbled. "Are you in a relationship?"

Janice smiles as Lucille shakes her head almost immediately. "Then that's fantastic! In our spare time, we can gossip about our boss and his secretary!"

Lucille can't stop laughing at how bubbly the woman sounded. She was cheerful, and Lucille thought she was easy to work with.

"I swear I'll make Sir Henry mine!"

"You've been saying that since your second week here. It's been two years, and you can't even approach him to say hello."

"It was because he's too beautiful for my heart to bear!"

Lucille was relieved that the atmosphere in this office was not at all awkward.

She spent the entire day reading emails and familiarizing herself with all of the workloads that she will have to do regularly.

"How are you handling all of the emails you've been reading?" Janice inquired while they were eating lunch in the cafeteria. Carol, an older employee, was to her right.

"It's all right. I was able to finish half of it, but it keeps coming,"

Carol laughed. "That's normal because your email is already at the distribution center. However, you'll get used to it."

Lucille was about to say something when a tall man entered the cafeteria. Janice squealed when she saw him. And not only Janice because Lucille noticed that almost half of the women inside the cafeteria were checking him out.

"Oh, my goodness! Sir Henry has arrived! I wonder if Sir Valentino will be eating at the cafeteria today," Janice says as they all watch Sir Henry wait in line. Everyone bowed to him. Lucille would admit that the man was attractive, but he was not her type.

"Where else would he eat if not here?"

Janice looked at Lucille when she asked.

"Sir Valentino rarely shows himself to anyone, including his employees. There are pictures of him floating around, but they don't do him justice. I saw him in the elevator once, but his presence was so intimidating that I couldn't move!"

Janice's story was so animated that Lucille couldn't help but smile. And after hearing her words though, she can't help but wonder about her boss.

"He's too evasive then. Isn't that strange? Does he not enjoy interacting with his employees?"

Lucille knew next to nothing about Veldiar's owner. It was because she was never interested in anything. However, after hearing how elusive the boss is, she couldn’t help but wonder.

"I heard his family was like that even before, so it's not surprising," Carol says.

Her brow furrowed after hearing what she had heard, so she couldn't help but ask. “Why? Do they consider themselves royalty or something?"

Janice stared at her as if she had two heads. "From where are you? Do you know anything about the Veldiars?"

Lucille gave an awkward smile. "I wasn't into business politics or anything. I'm not sure I've ever seen Sir Valentino's face before," she admitted, and Janice's eyes widened.

"Girl, you're missing out on a lot in your life! Sir Valentino's face looks like it was sculpted by a god! I mean, I'm not sure how to explain it, but the first time I saw him, I thought my world had stopped!"

Lucille recalls the face of the man she had kissed that night. She doubted that anyone in this city could be more attractive than him, so she didn't bother to contradict Janice's words. Besides, the definition of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She knows that not they will not share the same tastes and preferences in this regard.

"More than half of the women in our company, if not the entire city, wanted to be noticed by him! Their family owns nearly half of Falkor City!"

“Really?” Lucille inquired. She had heard that the Veldiars were the wealthiest in Falkor, but hearing it in this context piqued her interest. "But why doesn't he go out more?"

"They said it was because their family had a history of kidnapping attempts in the past, so they have become conscious about it," Carol responded. “Only Sir Henry has direct contact with Sir Valentino in the company. Of course, we see him because he doesn't hide on purpose, but there was something about his presence that made us feel like we shouldn't intrude on his privacy,"

After hearing those words, she cocked her head. Valentino Veldiar piqued her interest. She can't help but be intrigued by their boss.

She returned to her workstation after their lunch break. She would occasionally follow Carol or Janice to observe and learn from them.

"Are you still working? Today is your first day. On your first day, you should not be working overtime!" Janice just chuckled as she told her.

"I'm just finishing what Mr. Harolds asked me so that I won't have to do it tomorrow. I'll go after I finish this,"

Janice grumbled but still bid her farewell.

She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn't notice the passing of time. She stretched her arms and looked at the time. It's already after seven o'clock in the evening.

"It's not like being at home is any better." She whispers.

She fixed her table and prepared to leave after turning off her work computer. Slowly, she made her way to the elevator.

"Should I go get a drink first before going home?" she pondered. She was certain that everyone at home was still awake, and she didn't want to hear harsh words after a long day.

The moment the elevator opened, she was ready to walk inside but her steps were halted the moment her eyes landed on the person inside the elevator.

Her eyes widened, and her heart began to beat quickly inside her chest.

His stunning face, which appeared to be sculpted to perfection... His blue eyes that seem to be enticing her...

It's him...the beautiful stranger…