CHAPTER 5-The Lunch Invitation.

Cassandra jolted awake when the loud blare of her alarm clock suddenly echoed throughout the room. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed a hand against her chest, startled by the abrupt noise. For several seconds, she remained lying in bed, calming herself before slowly opening her eyes.

When she glanced at the clock beside her bed, it was only seven o’clock in the morning.

She sighed.

Another day of work.

Stretching her arms and legs, she tried to shake off the drowsiness and exhaustion lingering from the previous day. Then she released a deep yawn.

“Good morning, self,” she murmured softly while staring at the ceiling.

Although she still felt a trace of laziness, she forced herself to get up. One eye remained half-closed as she made her way to the kitchen. She prepared a cup of hot coffee and inhaled its rich aroma. Somehow, it always gave her the energy and motivation she needed to start the day.

Afterward, she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a shower.

This had become her routine from Monday to Friday—a never-ending cycle of waking up, preparing for work, and working. At times, it was exhausting, but she had no choice except to keep moving forward.

Nearly an hour later, the taxi she was riding in came to a stop in front of a towering, magnificent building. Its glass exterior sparkled brilliantly under the morning sunlight.

As soon as she stepped out of the taxi, she walked straight into the building.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” the security guard greeted politely while checking her bag at the entrance.

Cassandra smiled.

“Good morning.”

With light steps, she headed toward the elevator. Despite everything, she carried the positive energy she always tried to maintain at the start of each day.

Their office was located on the seventh floor, so she had to take the elevator.

When she entered, she saw several employees she often rode with every day. Their faces had become familiar to one another, so simple smiles served as their greetings.

While waiting for the elevator to reach their respective floors, she overheard a conversation between two female employees standing behind her.

“Hey, did you hear? Apparently, we have a new boss,” one of them said excitedly.

“Really? I heard that too. The company owner is supposed to introduce them tomorrow,” her companion replied.

Cassandra’s brows furrowed slightly.

As the personal secretary of one of the company owner’s children, she found it strange that she had heard nothing about it.

“I hope the new boss is nice,” the first woman added.

“Yeah. Our current boss can be pretty scary sometimes.”

Cassandra smiled to herself.

If only they knew how kind Eladia could be when she was in a good mood.

A few moments later, the elevator doors opened on the seventh floor.

She quietly stepped out and made her way to her desk. As always, everything was neat and organized. She set down her bag and prepared to start working.

However, before she could even sit down properly, her cellphone rang.

The moment she saw the caller’s name, she straightened in her seat.

Boss.

“Good morning, Boss,” she greeted politely as she answered the call.

“Good morning. Cassy, I’ll be there in a minute. I need a cup of coffee with a little sugar.”

She immediately glanced at her watch.

It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet.

Her brows knitted together.

Eladia usually arrived much later, so Cassandra was surprised by her unusually early arrival.

“Cassy?”

She snapped back to attention.

“Y-Yes, Boss!” she replied hurriedly.

“Okay, bye.”

The call ended immediately.

Cassandra shook her head.

Her boss was still the same-direct, straightforward, and never one to waste time.

She quickly headed to the coffee maker and prepared a fresh cup. She knew Eladia liked her coffee hot and steaming upon arrival. It might seem like a small thing to others, but to Cassandra, it was part of her responsibilities, and she took them seriously.

Only a few minutes later, Eladia arrived.

Cassandra’s eyes immediately shifted toward her.

Even as a woman, she could not help but admire Eladia’s beauty. Tall, fair-skinned, elegant, and possessing a natural authority that commanded attention wherever she went.

“Good morning, Boss!” Cassandra greeted cheerfully as she placed the cup of coffee on Eladia’s desk.

“Good morning,” Eladia replied curtly.

Cassandra smiled faintly.

She was already used to her boss’s cold personality.

“Boss, just call me if you need anything.”

Eladia looked at her.

“Yes, please. You need to come in early tomorrow.”

Her gaze shifted briefly to her watch.

“Be here by eight in the morning.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“By the way, Cassy, prepare the documents containing our reports from the last three months. I’ll need them tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Yes, Boss.”

“Good.”

Cassandra was surprised when Eladia gave her a slight smile.

It was rare for her boss to smile, so every time she saw it, it felt as though something special had happened.

Afterward, Cassandra returned to her desk and immediately immersed herself in work.

One by one, she opened the files and documents that needed organizing. She reviewed reports, financial records, and various details that had to be submitted the next day.

Without realizing it, time slipped away.

She was completely absorbed in her work.

Focused entirely on making sure nothing went wrong.

“Cassy!”

She flinched when she heard her name being called.

Quickly stopping what she was doing, she stood up at once.

“Yes, Boss!”

Eladia was already standing in front of her.

The woman glanced at the watch on her wrist before looking back at Cassandra.

There was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“It’s already late for lunch.”

Cassandra blinked.

Only then did she notice the faint ache in her stomach.

She hadn’t eaten yet.

And for a reason she couldn’t quite explain, a small warmth spread through her chest when she realized that her boss had noticed.

She lowered her head and tightly clasped her hands in front of her.

“Sorry, Boss. I lost track of time. I didn’t think to ask you either,” she said softly.

Truthfully, it wasn’t her boss’s habit to order food and eat inside the office. It had never even crossed her mind to ask. But now that she noticed the concern in her boss’s expression, she felt a little embarrassed.

“Don’t worry. I don’t usually eat here in the office,” her boss replied. “I’m just concerned because you haven’t eaten yet.”

“Boss, I’m still full.”

The words came out almost through her nose. She instantly regretted saying them when a faint growl echoed from her stomach. It felt as though her own body had betrayed her.

One of Eladia’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“I don’t believe you. Come with me and let’s have lunch with my brother,” Eladia said.

“N-No, Boss,” Cassandra replied.

She shook her head quickly. She didn’t know why, but a sudden wave of nervousness washed over her.

“I don’t allow any rejection coming from you. Come on, follow me,” Eladia said firmly.

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked out of the office.

Cassandra let out a quiet sigh.

This was one of the things she disliked about her boss. Once Eladia wanted something, it was nearly impossible to refuse her. And as a simple employee who depended on this job, she had no choice but to obey.

She quietly climbed into the car.

It wasn’t the first time she had ridden with her boss. Eladia often took her along to various places. Sometimes their destinations weren’t even work-related, yet Eladia always made sure she was paid for her time.

“This is your chance to meet the new president of the company,” Eladia said.

Cassandra blinked.

She nodded, but it felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured down her back.

She couldn’t explain the sudden panic gripping her.

She wasn’t ready to face the company president alone. She already turned into a nervous wreck whenever her boss spoke to her. How much worse would it be to stand before the man who held the entire company in his hands?

Her palms suddenly turned cold.

“We’re here,” Eladia announced.

Cassandra swallowed hard.

She took a deep breath before stepping out of the car.

She tried to calm herself as she followed her boss, but the closer they got to the restaurant, the faster her heart pounded.

“Faster, Cassy! He’s been waiting for a while already. And you know how much he hates being kept waiting,” Eladia called out.

Cassandra’s eyes widened.

It felt as though an alarm had gone off inside her head.

No.

She couldn’t do it.

Not yet.

In an instant, a desperate plan formed in her mind.

“Ouch!”

She nearly cried out as she suddenly crouched down and clutched her stomach.

“What’s wrong, Cassy?” her boss asked in alarm, rushing toward her.

“B-Boss...” she groaned. “M-My stomach hurts.”

Eladia’s expression changed immediately.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Cassandra shook her head.

“No need, Boss. I’ll just take a taxi.”

She forced herself to look as though she was in pain while holding her stomach.

“Are you sure?” Eladia asked.

Cassandra nodded.

“It would be too troublesome if you missed the person waiting for you.”

For several seconds, Eladia studied her with hesitation.

“Okay. Just call me once you get the results, all right?” she said.

Guilt stabbed Cassandra's chest when she saw the genuine concern on her boss’s face.

“Y-Yes, Boss.”

Eladia waited until she had safely gotten into a taxi before finally leaving.

As soon as the taxi door closed, Cassandra leaned back against the seat.

She shut her eyes.

The tension she had been holding in slowly drained away.

But it was replaced by a heavy sense of guilt.

She had lied.

And the only reason was fear… Fear of meeting the new president alone.

She would rather meet him alongside the other employees, where she could blend into the crowd and go unnoticed. So despite the guilt eating away at her, she chose to run away.

***

ABARAHAM welcomed his sister, Eladia Chen, when he saw her entering the restaurant they had chosen for lunch.

He had invited her because he needed advice regarding the position their father was insisting he accept.

“Have you been waiting long?” Eladia asked as she took her seat.

“Thirty minutes,” he replied. “But I’m already used to waiting for you, Sis.”

Eladia grinned.

“My personal secretary suddenly came down with a stomachache, so I ended up running late.”

“Maybe she got a stomachache because she wanted to go on a date with her boyfriend,” Abraham joked with a laugh.

His sister shrugged.

“Maybe.”

Then she glanced at the dishes spread across the table.

“The food looks delicious. Let’s eat while we talk.”

“Even better.”

They began eating.

After a while, Eladia looked at him seriously.

“Abraham, what do you want to know about our company?”

He paused in the middle of a bite.

There were many things he wanted to ask.

And just as many things he wanted to refuse.

But he knew there was no escaping it anymore.

Their father had already made his decision.

“Everything I need to learn.”

Eladia nodded.

“Sure. I’ll be your trainer for one month. After that, you’ll be on your own.”

Abraham secretly sighed.

One month.

Just one more month before he would be thrown into a world he had spent years avoiding.

He quietly continued eating while Eladia tirelessly explained everything he needed to know about the company.

Time passed without him noticing.

Nearly two hours slipped by as they talked.

And the more he learned, the heavier the responsibility waiting for him seemed to become.

He still wanted to back out.

He wanted to tell his father that he wasn’t ready.

But he no longer had the right to refuse.

His father had already done so much to help him search for the woman he had spent months trying and failing to forget.

And that was a debt he could never ignore.