Chapter 2

"Oh." She froze for half a second before fixing her expression. "Sorry. I'm Mr. Jensen's executive secretary, Lisa. I'll show you around and walk you through your duties."

Lisa paused before adding, "As Mr. Jensen's private assistant, you'll handle his day-to-day needs during work hours. He's very particular about details. He hates being interrupted, and he especially hates... unnecessary social interaction."

"Unnecessary social interaction?" I caught that part instantly.

Lisa just gave me a knowing look. "The previous assistants were all fired because of... that."

"Ohhh." I nodded and flashed her an OK sign.

At three that afternoon, I had to accompany Jace to a community library donation event.

My first chance.

By the time our car pulled up to the community center, the place was already packed.

The second Jace stepped out, people swarmed him.

"Mr. Jensen! Thank you so much for supporting our community!"

"Mr. Jensen, over here! Can we take a picture?"

"Mr. Jensen, I'm a creator online. Can I get a quick comment?"

I felt Jace stiffen beside me instantly.

Wait. Bayford's golden boy—the guy running Jensen Corp's Bayford branch—was bad with people?

Jackpot.

I immediately stepped in front of him.

"Everyone, Mr. Jensen's on a tight schedule. Let's get through the donation ceremony first, okay? Photos and interviews can wait until afterward if he has time."

While talking, I shot Mr. Lybert from the community board a quick look.

He caught on immediately and started leading the way.

I slipped to Jace's side, one arm around his waist while using the other to block the crowd as I guided him forward.

"Boss, walk faster. Let's get this over with."

My excuse sounded reasonable enough, so Jace only stiffened for a second before letting it go.

The ceremony itself was short. Jace barely talked the entire time. He mostly just stood there for pictures.

Afterward, Mr. Lybert still tried to walk him through the new library.

Jace said nothing. He just glanced at me casually.

I got the message immediately and hooked myself around his arm.

"Mr. Lybert, Mr. Jensen still has meetings after this, but we really appreciate it. Maybe next time."

Then I leaned close to Jace's ear and whispered, "Boss, the car's waiting outside."

I made sure my breath brushed lightly against his ear.

Just like before, I kept an arm around his waist while guiding him toward the exit, and I could feel how stiff he was the whole time.

At one point, he got so flustered he almost forgot how his legs worked.

Wow. This guy was ridiculously innocent.

Messing with him was actually kind of fun.

I escorted Jace all the way into the car before finally relaxing once the door shut.

Damn. That tiny event was more tiring than a full-on livestream battle.

I'd barely settled into my seat when Jace let out a cold laugh.

"You did that on purpose."

I turned and caught the faint red on his ears.

Playing dumb, I blinked at him. "Boss, what exactly did I do?"

"You—" Jace glared at me, practically grinding his teeth together. He looked completely flustered. "Did you... did you just blow in my ear?"

"No?" I lifted my hands innocently. "I'm a human being. Humans breathe."

Jace instantly went silent. The tips of his ears turned even redder, embarrassment melting straight into irritation.

"The second we get back, we're signing a contract. Ground rules." He shot me a warning look. "Cross the line again and you're fired on the spot. And forget about getting paid."