Chapter 7

How does it feel being the center of attraction at a place where you were trying to minimize the eyes on you?

Emily looked down at the broken glass in horror, fearing that she'd be scolded, but instead, Alex motioned for a maid to clean it up and held Emily back from touching the glass pieces.

"You don't need to do anything. It was a mistake." Alex rubbed her head, which made Emily look down at her lap.

She liked this type of man... gentle.

"What are you thinking about?" Alex’s voice was low, only for her ears, but Max, who was already invested in their conversation even though he pretended not to be, heard clearly.

"Nothing." Emily raised her little head to smile at Alex, who noticed the tears in her eyes that refused to drop. He raised his thumb to wipe it away.

Looking at his secretary so close now, he couldn't help but marvel at her beauty. Previously, he would have compared her to Sophia, but now he didn’t.

Emily, seeming to realize what was happening, pulled away to continue with her food after apologizing to the whole table.

The dinner was over, and they weren't in the mansion anymore but instead parked outside Emily's house.

"Thank you for today, Emily."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I had my fun too."

Alex knew she only said that to cover up the embarrassment from earlier.

Seeing her bend her head to look at her fingers, he couldn't help but want to pat her head, but his hand, which moved to do so, stopped halfway.

He didn't dare.

It was only a deal. Why would he want to pat her head?

"I'll take my leave now." Emily got out of the car quickly, not noticing the man's hand, which was still in the air, wanting to pat her head.

Alex's eyes darkened as his phone rang, showing a familiar number that wasn’t saved.

"Has it been searched?" he said to the person on the other side.

The person on the other side, instead of replying immediately, chuckled lightly.

"That's not so nice now, is it? A little greeting would have been better."

Alex relaxed in his car seat as his eyes moved around to look at the silent road where his little secretary lived.

"You seem too free these days."

"Why? Want to send me to Africa again?"

The sentence was harsh to the ear, and Alex, who was about to get angry, simply gritted his teeth.

"Just answer the damn question."

"Well, just so you know, it has been searched, yes. But what you requested still hasn't been found."

"How is that possible?" Alex slammed his steering wheel hard in anger.

"Want to ask the government?"

This forced Alex to calm down as he pressed his fist against his lips.

"That's enough for tonight," Alex spoke one more time before cutting the call. He could feel the memories laughing at him like a failure.

His eyes, as red as blood, looked over at the window, which was knocked on. He could see her outside, already in different clothing, which made him realize he had been seated in the car longer than he expected.

Instead of rolling down the window to interact with his little secretary, he just started the car and drove off. But the little droplet of water that slid down her neck from her packed hair didn’t go unnoticed by him.

Alex sped down the road, leaving Emily in front of her house.

Driving home, he got out of his car and walked into the mansion while a driver got in to park the car where it was supposed to be.

Alex’s head wasn’t set anymore. He rushed into his bathroom, pulling off his clothes hurriedly before entering the shower.

That’s when it got better, and the screams died down. His hands hit the glass wall as he looked down at the water getting washed away.

The image of the water sliding down her neck suddenly appeared in his mind. He took a step back quickly, and the image vanished just as quickly as it came.

Alex blinked once, then twice, walking out to dry himself up before preparing to go to his study to continue working.

And just like that, the cycle would continue. He’d wake up and get ready for work, but this time, it was different. He decided to pick up his little secretary. Watching the sunrise as he parked in front of her house, he waited for her to come out. The people in the neighborhood stared at the car as they passed. It was the first time a car like this was becoming common on that street, which made them start to get curious.

Emily got out, still trying to fix her bow when her eyes stopped on the white car in front of her house, and she froze. Rushing to get in, she signaled for him to drive off without even greeting first, which made Alex a little surprised but still, he did as she wished.

She directed him on where to pass instead of the normal route, and in a few minutes, he was close to the company.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she breathed out while using her loose bow to fan herself.

"That was so close. It's not safe for you to keep coming to pick me up. You have some eyes on you already."

The car entered the garage.

"What eyes?" Alex was now more confused than before.

"I stay in a scary place. You need to avoid coming a lot, or else I’d be noticed in the neighborhood where I have been invisible for years. Or at least, I think so."

"Oh, I’m sorry if I caused you any issues. Are you having a problem knotting your bow?" he looked down to notice she had been struggling with the little piece of cloth.

"My hands are shaking so bad. You shouldn’t be attacked."

"You think I can't defend myself?" He pulled her bow to help her with it while Emily replied to his question.

"I know you can, but they are so big and intimidating. I'm sure you'd be scared just as I am."

The bow was done, and just as he helped her with her collar, his hand grazed her neck. The image of the water sliding down her neck came to mind once again as she let out a gasp, and his eyes moved to her pretty lips.