The sound of the alarm clock was buzzing in Rene's ears, but his eyes were already wide open, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling.A faint crease formed on his forehead, and his breathing was slow, steady, and measured.Quietly, he slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, careful not to wake her. As he looked at himself in the mirror, his mind replayed the conversation from the previous night. The frustration and disappointment he felt were still fresh, like a wound that hadn't begun to heal.By the time he returned to the bedroom, Maria was stirring. She blinked a few times, then stretched, her eyes landing on Rene as he moved about the room, gathering his clothes for the day. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes."Good Morning," she said softly, her voice still husky with sleep."Morning," Rene replied, his tone flat. He didn't meet her gaze as he continued to get dressed.Maria's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you okay?""I'm fine," he said curtly, slipping on his shirt.She sigh
Maria drove through the bustling city streets, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel in rhythm with the music playing softly from the radio. Pulling up to the ReF Inc. building, she took a deep breath before stepping out of her car. She adjusted her blazer and walked with determined steps toward the entrance. The sleek, modern architecture of the building was impressive, and the glass doors reflected her confident stride as she approached.Inside, the lobby was a hive of activity, with people bustling about and phones ringing. Maria headed straight for the front desk, where a young receptionist greeted her with a polite smile."Good morning! How can I help you?" the receptionist asked."Good morning," Maria replied warmly. "I have an appointment with Mr. Gunnar."The receptionist's fingers flew over the keyboard as she checked the schedule. "May I have your name, please?""Maria Rossi."After a moment, the receptionist looked up with a nod. "Yes, Ms. Rossi. You're schedul
Watching her eyes, Rene could sense the tension, the uncertainty in her tone. "I will try," he replied quietly. "Can you wait until I get back?"Darting her eyes away from him, she hesitated but eventually gave a slight nod, and Rene turned and strode away, leaving the office.A moment later, he walked into Gunnar's office, casually flopping down onto the couch. He leaned back, eyes closed, and let out a heavy sigh. Hearing that, Gunnar, who had been working at his desk, looked up from his paperwork and stared for a long while hesitantly. Then finally, setting down his pen, he approached the couch and took a seat at the opposite end. "Boss, can I ask you something?" Gunnar's tone was cautious, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice.The was a brief pause, and then Rene opened one eye, giving Gunnar a lazy glance. "Sure, Gunnar. What's on your mind?"Gunnar shifted in his seat, trying to gauge the best way to phrase his question. "Would you let Antonio take Maria's position
The sound of Rene storming into the office and the door slamming against the wall with a reverberating bang had Gunnar, who had been deeply engrossed in paperwork jolted upright in his chair, eyes wide with surprise.“Call Carlo’s office,” Rene commanded, his voice brimming with urgency and leaving no room for argument.Gunnar blinked, momentarily taken aback by the fierce determination etched on Rene's face. “I thought we were going to wait?” he stammered, confusion and concern mingling in his voice.Rene shook his head vehemently, his eyes blazing with an intense fire. “I changed my mind. Make the call and tell Mr. Rossi that you are willing to go over to the Rossi Enterprise and hear Antonio's proposal tomorrow.”Gunnar hesitated, the weight of the sudden shift in plans pressing down on him. “Are you sure about this? I mean, you were pretty clear about giving Maria time to-”“Just make the call, Gunnar,” Rene interrupted sharply. The rage in his eyes left no doubt—this was not a mo
As soon as Maria stepped through the grand entrance of the mansion, Princess, who was pacing in the hallway, spotted her and practically flew over. Without a word of greeting, she grabbed Maria’s arm and tugged her down the corridor.“Hey, what’s going on?” Maria asked, her voice laced with confusion as she stumbled to keep up.“Just trust me,” Princess said, her voice urgent. She didn’t look back, but Maria could see the intensity in her cousin’s eyes.Maria tried to pry her arm free, but Princess was relentless. “Seriously, Princess, where are we going? What are you doing?”“Just trust me!” Princess repeated, her tone brooking no argument. “You’ll understand in a minute.”They turned a corner and headed straight for her grandfather’s office. The tension between them spiked, and Maria’s nerves were getting the better of her. She felt a hint of frustration as they approached the heavy oak door.Without knocking, Princess swung it open and pulled Maria inside. The room was filled with
As the sound of the bathroom door opening echoed in his ear, Rene jumped slightly, looking back to see Maria standing in the doorway in her nightgown.Her eyes looked puffed, and Rene rested his toothbrush on the sink as he turned to face her properly, brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?” He asked softly. She shook her head and then walked up to him, resting her forehead on his bare chest gently, shutting her eyes.Although he was confused since he slept deeply last night, Rene slowly stroked her hair, mumbling, "You want to talk about it?""You were right," Maria whispered, her voice hoarse. "About what?" Rene mumbled as she squeezed him tightly."Everything... I am only a tool for them to use... They don't see my worth past that.""Oh baby,"Silently, Rene listened to the muffled sobs from Maria. Her body trembled against his, and she cried quietly. "They never seem to want to sell Princess or Bianca off," she repeated, her voice breaking. "But me? I'm always the one they dangle in f
Resting back in his seat, Rene could feel the tension in the room as all eyes remained fixed on him. He took a sip of his orange juice, savoring the silence for a moment before responding with a casual tone."Well, Mr. Rossi," Rene began, leaning back in his chair, "as Mr. Gunnar's secretary, I suppose I could give you a few pointers on how to make a good impression."Mr. Rossi's eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained his composed expression. "Please, go ahead."Rene took another leisurely sip of his juice before continuing. "First and foremost, it's important to be on time. Mr. Gunnar appreciates punctuality. Oh, and make sure you don't interrupt him when he's speaking. He hates that."Carlo Rossi's jaw tightened, but he managed to nod. "Anything else?""Yes," Rene said, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Always address him as 'Mr. Gunnar.' He likes to be reminded of his last name for some reason. And don't forget to bring a good pen. He hates it when people as
At exactly ten o'clock, the polished black SUVs pulled up to the grand entrance of Rossi Enterprise. The morning sun glinted off the building's glass façade as Rene, flanked by a group of serious-looking men in black suits, got out and strode towards the entrance. Gunnar, looking equally composed but slightly more nervous, followed beside him.The revolving doors swung open, and they were greeted by the Rossi family standing in the lobby. Mr. Rossi stood at the forefront, his stern expression softened into a practiced smile. Next to him were his three sons, Josh, Antonio, and Juan, and behind them, the younger generation, Luca, Jason, Princess, Maria, José, Luis, Alejandro, and Bianca... they were all impeccably dressed."Mr. Gunnar, welcome to Rossi Enterprise," Mr. Rossi greeted, extending a hand with a warm but slightly strained smile. "It’s a pleasure to have you here."Stopping before him, Gunnar shook Mr. Rossi's hand firmly, giving a polite nod. "Thank you, Mr. Rossi. It's goo