Chapter 4: In Lion's Den

Lillian’s POV

Closing 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, always active and attentive. It's your job to be on top of Mr. Sinclair's needs full-time. I hope you'll adapt quickly to your new responsibilities," Caleb replied before leaving me with a mountain of paperwork at my new desk.

As Caleb left me drowning in papers, I started rearranging my desk as fast as possible to get to my work.

“Ugh! Seriously?" I cursed under my breath as I flipped through the files, which were basically a never-ending dossier on Ryan Sinclair—his likes, dislikes, updated schedule, and a list of other related business people and their details. It felt like I was reading my boss's autobiography.

As I organized my things to start my new job, I could feel a pair of intense eyes on me. When I dared to look up, I locked eyes with Ryan's deep, piercing gaze. It was like he was staring right into my soul through those rimless glasses.

“Shit!” I quickly looked back down at my files, not wanting to invite any more eye contact.

So, I was going to have to endure those burning eyes for the rest of my days as his special assistant.

Great, just great. This sudden promotion felt more like a life sentence than a reward.

"Ahh, my poor soul. Looks like I've jumped straight into the lion's den," I muttered to myself, letting out a heavy sigh.

As I was knee-deep in my new job, my phone suddenly rang. It was Lisa, my college friend. "Hey Lily, you didn’t forget about my birthday party tonight, did you?" Lisa's voice chirped through the line.

"Yeah, yeah, I just got promoted and I'm swamped with work. I don't think I can make it tonight," I replied, tossing out an excuse.

Truth be told, I wasn't too keen on facing my cheating ex-boyfriend at the party. We had mutual friends, and I figured everyone already knew about our breakup. I definitely didn't need any drama with Max's side chick.

"Oh, come on, Lily! It'll be a blast. You promised me you'd come," Lisa persisted.

Lisa was like a sister to me, and she was planning to introduce me to her new boyfriend tonight. I couldn't just bail on her like that.

"Please, Lily, pretty please," Lisa pleaded, sounding like a kid throwing a tantrum. With a chuckle, I finally relented, "Okay, okay, I'll come. Just stop with the drama."

"You're the best, Lily! See you tonight!" Lisa chuckled happily before hanging up.

I sighed heavily, already dreading the thought of facing those cheaters tonight.

Later at night,

As the taxi pulled up outside Lisa’s place, Lillian stepped out and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had opted for a knee-length navy blue dress, classy yet not too revealing, with delicate lace detailing along the neckline and sleeves that complemented her slender frame and porcelain skin. The dress moved gracefully with her every step, adding to her natural beauty.

Her hair was all done up in these loose waves, flowing down her shoulders like some kind of natural goddess. She didn’t want to appear sad or heartbroken in front of everyone because of a cheater like Max.

As she entered the house, Lisa immediately spotted her and rushed over, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Lily, you look absolutely stunning! Come meet my guy.”

Lisa dragged her in, and bam!

They bumped into someone totally unwanted.

It was one of Max’s buddies, who had always eyed Lillian with a sleazy gaze in the past.

"Ah, look who decided to grace us with her presence, Saint Merry," Alex the bully sneered.

"Hey, Alex, watch your language and lay off Lily," Lisa snapped, her anger flaring.

"Geez, so touchy. Heard Max ditched you for some hottie. Don't worry, Lily, I can keep you company," Alex said, trying to grab Lillian's hand forcefully.

"Back off, Alex, or you'll regret it," Lillian warned sharply, taking a few steps back.

"Get out of here, Alex. I don't want any party crashers ruining the vibe tonight," Lisa hissed.

As tensions rose at the party, other guests began to take notice. Lisa's boyfriend rushed over and pulled her into his arms. "Hey, babe, everything cool? What's going on?" Just as Lisa was about to respond, a familiar voice interrupted from behind Alex and his crew.

 "Hey, Lisa, it's been a while. You're looking good," Max's voice cut through the chatter.

"Ah, crap!" Lillian cursed under her breath. She tried to slip away from the crowd to avoid any drama, but Max caught her eye.

"And here's Lily, avoiding me like the plague. Why not say hi?" Max teased, his lips twisting into a smirk.

This time, Lillian reluctantly glanced over at him. Max had his arms wrapped around some half-naked woman, who was clinging to him like a vine.

"Oh, Lily, nice to finally meet you. I'm Tessa," the woman chuckled, her tone dripping with mockery.

Seeing them shamelessly flaunting their new relationship and mocking her in public almost brought tears to Lillian's eyes.

"How could I fall for a loser like Max?" Lillian seethed in her mind, her hands clenched in rage.

"Yeah, sure. But I think we've already met before, though you were both in a rather... compromising situation, so I couldn't introduce myself properly back then. Glad to see you're both fully dressed now," Lillian managed to spit out the words through gritted teeth.

Soon, whispers began to circulate around them.

"So that's the situation. Max cheated on our Lily for that slut," a female voice whispered.

"Poor Lily, she was such a loyal girl. She deserves better," another voice chimed in a bit louder.

"Maybe Lily wasn't good enough in bed, who knows! Look at his new girlfriend, man. Such a curvy body with big boobs. He hit the jackpot," a male voice teased.

Unable to tolerate the humiliation, Max decided to deliver the final blow.

"Yeah, that must've been awkward for you. After all, a newbie virgin like you, who is afraid of having sex, won't understand what a real couple does in their private time. Hopefully, you'll find your virgin saint soon, Lily," Max sneered, spatting out the venomous words.

In that moment, Lillian couldn't take it anymore. She lifted her hand and gave Max's face a solid slap.

Slap!

"Asshole!" she cursed as her hand landed a tight slap on his cheek.