08

Nathalie could still vividly remember that day. The sounds of breaking things in their house. The beggings of her mother, asking those men to stop. Her brother crying behind her. Nathalie could still remember, and to this day, she's still cursing her father for doing that to them.

Her mother left them to her grandparents the next day, and she had only heard the news of her passing the next year because of an accident. Nathalie could not even mourn for her poor mother as she was busy attending to her brother, who was hospitalized that week.

Nathalie tried looking for her father to ask him for help since she could not do anything as a mere minor. Her grandparents were too old to work. They are in the hide because loan sharks might show up anytime, and Nathalie doesn't want the burden that her parents left them to be passed on to her poor grandparents.

They were good to the siblings. Though they could not provide them luxury like what the other grandparents in that town are doing to their grandchildren, they had given them warmth, which was enough for Nathalie and Nathan.

Nathalie had always been thankful to them for accepting her and her brother though they do not share an ounce of blood. Her mother was adopted by the couple and left them when she married Nathalie's father. Nathalie could not understand how her mother could walk back to them when she had nothing to rely on anymore and when she shamelessly left them for a man who was not even a good man.

Nathalie's father was a businessman. Or it would be more accurate to think that he inherited the family business, which gave him an air in the head. He was not exceptionally bright, but he knew how money worked as his parents engraved it into him growing up. But Nathalie's father was blinded by the desire he felt in a casino he once visited.

Neglecting the fact that they needed the money for Nathan and for the business to continue to flow, he went to the casino day and night. Failing and winning. He is playing with his luck. Tells his family that he almost got it, that he is almost there and all they need to do is wait until he gets their riches multiplied.

But he was a foolish man. When he used up all of his money in the bank, he sold the company after bankruptcy. Instead of using it to start anew or at least provide for his sick son, he went to the casino again and gambled his life.

When his assets turned to liabilities, he gripped a rope he should never have. Nathalie's father started borrowing from friends... then to loan sharks. He was a foolish man who did not think that he would lose all of it.

That was the thing that Nathalie remembered her father for... a foolish man.

Nathalie woke up with a heavy body. It was an unusual feeling for her. She checked her temperature, and it was the worst thing that could happen to a woman living alone.

She's sick. Got a high fever at that.

"Shit. I need to go to work," she muttered as she tried getting up, but she fell flat to her bed, staring at the ceiling now. "Get up, Nathalie," she whispered to herself.

It was a miracle that she managed to dress up and get to her car. Nathalie drove to the nearest pharmacy and bought some meds before she went to the office. Johannes wasn't there yet. It's still early, after all.

Nathalie usually goes to the office by six in the morning so she could prepare everything that Johannes might need for the day. And that was what she was supposed to do, but it was hard to even lift a finger to her.

"Crap," she cursed under her breath as she took medicine and went to the couch to take a nap. "I'd sleep for a while," she told herself. Johannes won't come until eight in the morning after all. She still got plenty of time to prepare for her boss.

Nathalie took off her heels and lay on the couch. She found herself sleeping soundly just right after she closed her eyes.

***

Johannes stared at her sleeping figure. It was the first time she caught Nathalie slacking off this early in the morning. Johannes glanced at his watch, and it was already past eight. He faked a cough, expecting her to get up after knowing his presence, but she did not move an inch.

She's still sleeping. Johannes smirked. "You're driving me crazy, Nathalie Taylor," he whispered as he walked inside his office, taking huge strides to her side. Johannes smiled when he noticed her forehead was slightly crooked, as if she was dreaming something.

"She's sleeping well, huh?" he knelt in front of her, leveling to Nathalie's face. He simply observed her face changing expressions every now and then. Her sleep must be deep for her not to budge even with Johannes inches away from her.

When he felt satisfied, he reached for her arm and shook her gently, "Nathalie-" he stopped. He touched her again, checking something. Johannes reached for her forehead, and damn. You could cook an egg on it!

His brows furrowed as he finally noticed her shivering a little. Probably because of the cold. The heater in the office was off as it was summer, and the scorching heat of America would kill you if you were not alert.

Johannes turned off the air-condition and went back to Nathalie. He tapped her gently.

"Nathalie," he called, but she was still sleeping. 'Shit, she's burning,' he panicked as he walked back and forth in his office. He did not know what he needed to do. It was the first time this had ever happened.

And he's... worried?

Johannes took his phone and called his aide, Clinton. [Yes, boss?] he yawned.

"Office. Now," Johannes ended the call and sat on the sofa beside Nathalie. He simply stared at her until a knock came on the door. Johannes went there like lightning and opened it for Clinton. His secretary furrowed his brows as he was surprised by his boss's disheveled look.

"What's wrong, boss?" he asked. Johannes did not reply and simply looked elsewhere. Clinton followed it and saw a woman lying on the couch. He was not surprised at first, but when he recognized who it was, he was stunned.

Nathalie Taylor is sleeping on the boss's couch! This is the first time it ever happened, and Clinton was caught off guard.

"Don't tell me you-"

"Enough with you dirty mind, idiot," Johannes slandered as he took his coat again.

"What do you want me to do here? I'm sure you did not call me to stare at your secretary," he argued back. Johannes rolled his eyes. He glanced at his watch and gave Clinton his coat.

"Go to the meeting for me. It starts in ten minutes,"

"What? Why me?"

"Then do you want to stay here and take care of Nathalie?" he asked, annoyed. Clinton stared at his boss. This was also the first time he saw his boss this way. Johannes had never cared for anyone before. What is he even talking about? Taking care of who? Of Nathalie Taylor? Of a mere secretary?

"Boss-"

"Go now, or I'll fire you," he threatened as he folded his sleeves up to his elbow.

'Is he really serious when he said he'd take care of the woman? Clinton could not ask him as he was already wearing the coat and checking the details for the meeting.

There's something going on with Johannes right now, and Clinton wants to see it. He wants to know what will unfold with this cold billionaire.