Lillian’s POV
Why, oh why was luck so against me? How did he end up becoming my new boss?
Ahh... Would he even consider firing me?
Surely no respectable boss would want to be labeled a womanizer on his very first day in the office. No, being fired was simply not an option. I'd poured too much effort into securing this job. It couldn't slip away now.
Taking a few deep breaths, I attempted to calm my racing thoughts. I was praying like crazy that he wouldn't even notice me, but I'm sweating like I just ran a marathon. Every second felt like an eternity, and the minutes were pure torture.
Throughout the event, I tried my best to evade him, moving stealthily like a thief, desperate to avoid catching his attention. As the banquet drew to a close, I made a mad dash for the exit, hiding behind my long hair.
"Lily, there you are. I've been searching for you," Brandon's voice called out from behind me, causing me to freeze in my tracks.
Crap! Not now! I did not want my boss spotting me!
I couldn't bear the thought of him noticing me.
"Do you need something? I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I was thinking of leaving early," I hastily fabricated an excuse.
"Yeah, I can see that. You're sweating profusely. Go home, rest up. But hey, I've got some good news for you," Brandon said, smirking like he knew something exciting.
"Really? Tell me," I blurted out, eager to hear some good news for once. Considering the string of bad luck in my life, I was genuinely surprised.
Especially since my troubles began the moment I locked eyes with Ryan Sinclair that night.
"Guess what? Your hard work paid off. You've been promoted. The details are already on your desk," Brandon said with a light chuckle.
"Huh? Promotion... for me? Out of the blue?" I stammered, completely caught off guard.
"Yeah, it's probably because of your event management skills today. Our new boss personally requested your promotion as his special assistant. Congrats, girl," Brandon said, giving me a light pat on the back before wandering off to chat with someone else.
I felt like my head was about to explode. My mind went blank. Promotion, special assistant, new boss... that meant he definitely noticed me!
In a flash, I raced to the elevator and mashed the button like there was no tomorrow. When I got to my floor, I practically stumbled over myself in my rush to reach my desk. There it was, a blue file sitting on my desk along with a promotion letter and an innocent-looking red envelope. With shaking hands, I tore open the envelope and found a familiar note written on a piece of paper.
It was unmistakably my own handwriting…
"Hope this 300 bucks are more than enough for your service. Though you're good-looking, you should learn how to satisfy a woman first to get better payment."
My heart sank. My one-night stand partner had recognized me, and this note was just a taste of the storm brewing with my new boss.
The next morning,
Lillian woke up with a pounding headache, realizing she was almost late for the office. Rushing in, Emilia hurried over to her.
"Is it true? Special assistant, huh?" Emilia asked excitedly.
"Yeah, it's true. Still trying to wrap my head around it," Lillian mumbled, sighing.
"You go, girl! New desk, new office, and always around your smoking hot boss... every girl's dream," Emilia teased, winking.
"Em, seriously, I'm not feeling it. I mean, sure, I wanted to step up my game at work, but this promotion isn't exactly what I had in mind," Lillian explained, frustration clear in her voice.
It was pretty obvious that nobody would expect a newbie like her to be the one seducing the handsome boss and ending up in a steamy night on his bed, thinking he was a prostitute.
"Ah, special assistant to that hunk... I bet he's a real stud in the bedroom. Perfect body, everyone's drooling over him," Emilia swooned, lost in her fantasy.
But while Emilia was lost in her dreamland, Lillian's mind was racing, caught up in a whole different kind of mess.
Why did she leave that note? What was she thinking? If she had just kept quiet, none of this would've happened.
And seriously, how could she be so dense as to mistake a guy like him for a male prostitute?
"Lily... Lily, are you even listening to me?" Emilia snapped her fingers in front of her eyes.
"Um, yeah... I'm here," Lillian mumbled, trying to snap out of her daze. Emilia rolled her eyes at her spaced-out expression.
Just as she was about to respond, her desk phone rang. It was her manager's voice on the other end.
"Lillian, Mr. Sinclair wants you in his office now!"
"Alright..." And Lillian knew she was in deep trouble.
After a couple of minutes, Lillian nervously knocked on the door of his office.
"Come in," Ryan's deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
It was Lillian's first time stepping into the CEO's office at Luxor Corporation. The room was impeccably decorated, giving off a serious vibe with the occasional rustle of papers.
A familiar masculine scent wafted into her nose as she entered. Ryan was seated behind his desk, his rimless glasses hiding his perfectly golden eyes and giving him a cold, authoritative look. Suddenly, memories of his smile flashed through Lillian's mind, the way he had caught her when she stumbled. She snapped back to reality with a jolt as the sound of papers flipping echoed in the room.
Damn! What was she even thinking? Her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Lillian stood there silently as Ryan continued to go through documents without sparing her a glance.
Sighing, Lillian gathered her courage. "You asked for me, Mr. Sinclair."
This time, he lifted his head and met Lillian's gaze with his intense stare.
Maybe he was just really mad, or maybe he had a strict rule about keeping personal stuff out of the office. Either way, Lillian decided to play dumb about that night and the note she couldn't remember writing.
He glared at Lillian from head to toe, his eyes piercing and intense. Then he leaned back in his swivel chair and said in that low, commanding voice of his, "I never thought my office staff could be so cowardly and irresponsible."
It felt like a slap in the face. How could he say that just because she didn't want to confront the stranger she had sex with?
This time, Lillian couldn't hold back. "I'm sorry, I don't get what you mean. As far as I know, this is our first time meeting in a professional setting, Mr. Sinclair. I always keep my personal life separate from work."
Lillian could practically feel his anger boiling over. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, bracing herself for whatever was coming next. Then she heard something hit the table in front of her.
It was the 300 bucks she had left for him at that hotel. Damn!
"Ms. Sterling, as you like to keep your personal and professional lives separate, let me clarify one thing. I don't have a side job entertaining virgin girls, and I'm pretty sure those bills are yours. Take them back and leave," Ryan stated bluntly, sending a shiver down Lillian's spine. It looked like her boss was gearing up to give her a hard time.
Lillian clenched her hand and forced a smile, reminding herself to keep her temper cool if she wanted to save this job.
"Mr. Sinclair, there's been a little misunderstanding..." Lillian began, but Ryan cut her off by tossing another 200 bucks onto the table.
"Consider that your consolation prize. You didn't quite meet my standards, but since it was your first time, I'll let it slide. Let's not make a bigger deal out of a one-night stand. You can go now," Ryan said, his words leaving Lillian dumbfounded.
She couldn't believe he was insulting her like that! He was the one who had seduced her and taken her virginity.
Without a second thought, Lillian left the money on the desk and retorted, "Then allow me to compensate you for wasting your time and covering the hotel bill. You can keep your 'reward' as compensation." With that, she nodded curtly and left the room, catching a glimpse of Ryan seething in anger behind her.
As she closed the door, she heard him mutter under his breath, "Damn it! How dare you!"
Lillian’s POVClosing the door behind me, I caught Ryan cursing me under his breath. I hurriedly left the place, quickly packing my stuff from my desk to move to my new office.Of course, it was in the VIP section where all the CEO’s assistants sat.Saying goodbye to my old department was bittersweet, especially seeing Emilia almost in tears. We'd definitely miss our office gossip sessions.As I stepped onto the new floor, Ryan's personal assistant Caleb Lane approached me."Ms. Sterling, my boss instructed me to help you settle into your new position. Feel free to ask anything," he said, guiding me to my office.Stepping into the room, my mind went blank. It was a well-decorated, spacious room with a glass window partition that faced Ryan's office. I could see my new boss clearly through the glass."Um... do I really have to keep the curtains open on this window, Mr. Lane?" I mumbled, stealing a quick glance at Ryan through the glass."My boss likes to keep an eye on his assistants, a
"Asshole!"“You..you slapped me? How dare you?” Max became furious, clutching his red cheek.“A cheater like you deserves it,” Lillian blurted out.“Mind your language, bitch. You can’t say bad things about my boyfriend,” Tessa, Max’s girlfriend, pushed me hard, almost making me stumble.Lisa quickly grabbed me to support my balance. "Hey, calm down, Tessa. Let's not make things worse."Tessa sneered, "Stay out of this, Lisa. This is between Lily and me."Lillian, still seething with anger, shot back, "You can defend him all you want, but the truth won't change. Max is scum, and you're just as bad for being with him."Max's face turned even redder with rage. "That's it, I've had enough of your mouth!"Before anyone could react, Max lunged forward, his hand raised as if to strike back.Lisa’s boyfriend intervened, grabbing Max's hand from behind to prevent him from attacking Lillian. Angrily, Lisa stepped forward, saying, “What a coward, trying to raise your hand against a woman. You'r
"Greek God, huh?" Ryan smirked as he carried Lilian in his arms, striding confidently toward the exit."Yeah, I'm really glad you came for me," Lilian giggled like a spoiled kid, resting her head on his muscular chest. Just as they were about to leave, someone suddenly blocked their way. It was Max, Lilian's ex-boyfriend."Hey, who are you? Where are you taking Lily?" Max shouted, letting go of Tessa's hand and rushing forward. Tessa's face twisted with jealousy, seeing Lilian in the arms of this insanely handsome guy. "How does she end up with someone this hot and probably rich?" Tessa thought to herself.Ryan turned to face Max, unfazed by his outburst, and stared him down with a look that could kill. Intimidated, Max instinctively took a few steps back, feeling like he was Ryan's servant. But he managed to gather his courage and charged again. "You can't just take any drunk girl from the party. It's not some kind of hookup event."Tessa couldn't resist pinching Lilian this time as
Lilian was all slurred and drunk. "Nooo, not the car... I don't wanna go home yet..." She mumbled, trying to wriggle out of Ryan's grip. Ryan held her tight, not giving in to her restless squirming."Come on, don't be stubborn. You're drunk, and you're going home now.""No... no way..." Lilian shook her head and kicked her legs, trying to wriggle free from his arms. Ryan almost choked on his laughter at her tipsy, childlike behavior. "Why? What's so bad about going home?" he asked, still carrying her as they got closer to his car. "I'll feel alone if I go home now!" Lilian sighed, her voice full of sadness.Stunned, Ryan stopped in his tracks. The pain in her voice cut through him, leaving his heart aching with a deep, unexpected agony.Glancing at her innocent face, Ryan saw Lilian puffing her swollen lips and sighing softly, her cheeks flushed a rosy red.A few loose strands of hair brushed against her tired face, making her look utterly adorable. Ryan's heart almost skipped a b
The next day in the morning,The room was still dark, the morning sunlight blocked by heavy curtains, and a soft scent of fresh lilac lingered in the air.Lilian groggily woke up, her head feeling heavy. A throbbing pain pulsed inside her skull as she blinked open her tired eyes, still foggy from last night's heavy drinking and sleep. The room was so warm and cozy that she almost snuggled back under the white comforter and drifted off again.Just as she was about to fall asleep, a sarcastic voice came from the corner, "Finally, you're awake!"The voice startled Lilian, jolting her awake. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out who it was and squinted into the dim light. After blinking a few times to clear her vision, she saw a man in a full suit sitting on a fancy two-seater sofa in the corner."Drinking like a pig and snoring like a truck all night! Seriously, that was pretty gross for a woman!" Ryan's voice dripped with sarcasm."What? No way!" Lilian suddenly realized who had been ta
Lilian’s stomach grumbled again, reminding her she hadn’t eaten. Without hesitation, she grabbed a sandwich and a glass of milk from the tray, quickly getting out of bed.As she chewed on the sandwich, her eyes caught sight of a shopping bag placed on the tray. Attached to it was a note in familiar handwriting."For Ms. Drunken Pig."“Typical,” Lilian muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. She quickly unpacked the bag and found a sky-blue shirt, a formal office skirt, and a pair of matching shoes.As much as she hated to admit it, her boss had impeccable taste. The outfit was perfect.. classy yet simple, just how she liked it.Not wanting to linger any longer in Ryan’s house, Lilian hurried to freshen up and get dressed. The sooner she could leave, the better. As she quietly opened the door and began sneaking down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible, a voice from behind made her freeze in her tracks.“Ms. Sterling, how can I help you?”Lilian turned around, he
Lilian gasped, too shocked to even fight against Ryan’s grip. His lips were dangerously close to hers, and she could feel his warm breath brushing against her skin.Trembling, she shut her eyes, her heart pounding with more than just fear... the closeness stirred something deep inside her. The lustful thought of his lips claiming hers sent a shiver down her spine.“Stop… please,” she whispered, though it came out sounding more like she wanted him to keep going. Her resolve was crumbling, and she hated herself for it.“Why are you closing your eyes?” Ryan’s whisper instantly snapped her out of her trance.Startled, Lilian’s eyes flew open, meeting his intense gaze. She silently cursed herself for letting her thoughts wander to such dangerous territory.Mumbling under her breath, she tried to push him away, regaining her senses. “Let me go… This is inappropriate.”“Inappropriate?” Ryan feigned innocence, his tone laced with mockery. “What am I doing wrong?”“This is your office. You’re
Lilian’s POV,I gripped the doorknob with everything I had, my fingers shaking and my breath coming out in ragged gasps. The cold metal under my fingers gave me a tiny bit of strength to stay upright.Ryan’s voice sliced through the air behind me, sharp and threatening, like his words alone could pin me down.“If you ever end up in my bed again, I’ll make sure you’re bound to obey me for the rest of your life. So stay alert, Ms. Sterling.”His threat sent a shiver down my spine. My heart was pounding as I rushed out of his office, my steps shaky and all over the place. I stumbled into my room and slammed the door shut, my hand still trembling. For a moment, I felt a little relief from his piercing gaze.Even with the door shut, I could still feel his anger hanging in the air. Through the glass partition between our office room, I could almost feel his eyes burning through the frosted glass.I stumbled over to my desk, my legs feeling heavy. When I sank into my chair, I tried not to lo
In the Elysian Eve charity ball,Lilian could barely keep her frustration in check as she mentally rolled her eyes at the whole situation. "Great, stuck with you tonight!" She thought, irritation bubbling up.The charity ball was supposed to be this glamorous event, but instead, it was driving her nuts. Ryan was neck-deep in business talk, leaving her to play the part of the dutiful secretary… memorizing names, taking notes, and pointing people out before they even got close. What should’ve been a fancy evening felt more like an exhausting game of cat and mouse.As the night wore on, Lilian started to feel tired, and the drinks she’d had with the guests were giving her a slight buzz. Her stomach was getting a bit queasy, and she really needed a break.“Can I take a break? I need to go to the restroom,” she finally asked, the words coming out more like a plea. She felt trapped by the endless business talk.Ryan nodded, not really paying much attention, and Lilian sighed in relief, prac
“Do I need to send you an invitation to get in the car?”The cold edge in Ryan’s voice made Lilian flinch. His words cut through her hesitation, leaving her no choice but to step forward, though her legs felt like they were made of lead. She slid into the car beside him, the door shutting with a soft click that seemed to echo in the silence.As the car pulled away, Lilian tried to steady her breathing, her heart still pounding from the tense moment. She sneaked a glance at Ryan, her eyes flicking over to see if he was watching her. But his face was as calm and unreadable as ever, his attention seemingly focused on the magazine in his hands.Lilian clenched her hands in her lap, fighting to control the swirl of emotions inside her. She cursed her luck, frustration bubbling up.“Why does this always happen to me?” She thought, feeling bitter. “Every time I try to get away from him, I just end up even more caught in his plan.”Lilian forced herself to keep her eyes on the road ahead, not
Lilian’s POV,I gripped the doorknob with everything I had, my fingers shaking and my breath coming out in ragged gasps. The cold metal under my fingers gave me a tiny bit of strength to stay upright.Ryan’s voice sliced through the air behind me, sharp and threatening, like his words alone could pin me down.“If you ever end up in my bed again, I’ll make sure you’re bound to obey me for the rest of your life. So stay alert, Ms. Sterling.”His threat sent a shiver down my spine. My heart was pounding as I rushed out of his office, my steps shaky and all over the place. I stumbled into my room and slammed the door shut, my hand still trembling. For a moment, I felt a little relief from his piercing gaze.Even with the door shut, I could still feel his anger hanging in the air. Through the glass partition between our office room, I could almost feel his eyes burning through the frosted glass.I stumbled over to my desk, my legs feeling heavy. When I sank into my chair, I tried not to lo
Lilian gasped, too shocked to even fight against Ryan’s grip. His lips were dangerously close to hers, and she could feel his warm breath brushing against her skin.Trembling, she shut her eyes, her heart pounding with more than just fear... the closeness stirred something deep inside her. The lustful thought of his lips claiming hers sent a shiver down her spine.“Stop… please,” she whispered, though it came out sounding more like she wanted him to keep going. Her resolve was crumbling, and she hated herself for it.“Why are you closing your eyes?” Ryan’s whisper instantly snapped her out of her trance.Startled, Lilian’s eyes flew open, meeting his intense gaze. She silently cursed herself for letting her thoughts wander to such dangerous territory.Mumbling under her breath, she tried to push him away, regaining her senses. “Let me go… This is inappropriate.”“Inappropriate?” Ryan feigned innocence, his tone laced with mockery. “What am I doing wrong?”“This is your office. You’re
Lilian’s stomach grumbled again, reminding her she hadn’t eaten. Without hesitation, she grabbed a sandwich and a glass of milk from the tray, quickly getting out of bed.As she chewed on the sandwich, her eyes caught sight of a shopping bag placed on the tray. Attached to it was a note in familiar handwriting."For Ms. Drunken Pig."“Typical,” Lilian muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. She quickly unpacked the bag and found a sky-blue shirt, a formal office skirt, and a pair of matching shoes.As much as she hated to admit it, her boss had impeccable taste. The outfit was perfect.. classy yet simple, just how she liked it.Not wanting to linger any longer in Ryan’s house, Lilian hurried to freshen up and get dressed. The sooner she could leave, the better. As she quietly opened the door and began sneaking down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible, a voice from behind made her freeze in her tracks.“Ms. Sterling, how can I help you?”Lilian turned around, he
The next day in the morning,The room was still dark, the morning sunlight blocked by heavy curtains, and a soft scent of fresh lilac lingered in the air.Lilian groggily woke up, her head feeling heavy. A throbbing pain pulsed inside her skull as she blinked open her tired eyes, still foggy from last night's heavy drinking and sleep. The room was so warm and cozy that she almost snuggled back under the white comforter and drifted off again.Just as she was about to fall asleep, a sarcastic voice came from the corner, "Finally, you're awake!"The voice startled Lilian, jolting her awake. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out who it was and squinted into the dim light. After blinking a few times to clear her vision, she saw a man in a full suit sitting on a fancy two-seater sofa in the corner."Drinking like a pig and snoring like a truck all night! Seriously, that was pretty gross for a woman!" Ryan's voice dripped with sarcasm."What? No way!" Lilian suddenly realized who had been ta
Lilian was all slurred and drunk. "Nooo, not the car... I don't wanna go home yet..." She mumbled, trying to wriggle out of Ryan's grip. Ryan held her tight, not giving in to her restless squirming."Come on, don't be stubborn. You're drunk, and you're going home now.""No... no way..." Lilian shook her head and kicked her legs, trying to wriggle free from his arms. Ryan almost choked on his laughter at her tipsy, childlike behavior. "Why? What's so bad about going home?" he asked, still carrying her as they got closer to his car. "I'll feel alone if I go home now!" Lilian sighed, her voice full of sadness.Stunned, Ryan stopped in his tracks. The pain in her voice cut through him, leaving his heart aching with a deep, unexpected agony.Glancing at her innocent face, Ryan saw Lilian puffing her swollen lips and sighing softly, her cheeks flushed a rosy red.A few loose strands of hair brushed against her tired face, making her look utterly adorable. Ryan's heart almost skipped a b
"Greek God, huh?" Ryan smirked as he carried Lilian in his arms, striding confidently toward the exit."Yeah, I'm really glad you came for me," Lilian giggled like a spoiled kid, resting her head on his muscular chest. Just as they were about to leave, someone suddenly blocked their way. It was Max, Lilian's ex-boyfriend."Hey, who are you? Where are you taking Lily?" Max shouted, letting go of Tessa's hand and rushing forward. Tessa's face twisted with jealousy, seeing Lilian in the arms of this insanely handsome guy. "How does she end up with someone this hot and probably rich?" Tessa thought to herself.Ryan turned to face Max, unfazed by his outburst, and stared him down with a look that could kill. Intimidated, Max instinctively took a few steps back, feeling like he was Ryan's servant. But he managed to gather his courage and charged again. "You can't just take any drunk girl from the party. It's not some kind of hookup event."Tessa couldn't resist pinching Lilian this time as
"Asshole!"“You..you slapped me? How dare you?” Max became furious, clutching his red cheek.“A cheater like you deserves it,” Lillian blurted out.“Mind your language, bitch. You can’t say bad things about my boyfriend,” Tessa, Max’s girlfriend, pushed me hard, almost making me stumble.Lisa quickly grabbed me to support my balance. "Hey, calm down, Tessa. Let's not make things worse."Tessa sneered, "Stay out of this, Lisa. This is between Lily and me."Lillian, still seething with anger, shot back, "You can defend him all you want, but the truth won't change. Max is scum, and you're just as bad for being with him."Max's face turned even redder with rage. "That's it, I've had enough of your mouth!"Before anyone could react, Max lunged forward, his hand raised as if to strike back.Lisa’s boyfriend intervened, grabbing Max's hand from behind to prevent him from attacking Lillian. Angrily, Lisa stepped forward, saying, “What a coward, trying to raise your hand against a woman. You'r