Zara's gaze shot up to meet Charmaine's, who wore a fake smile as she said, "Ms. Lowry, could you deal with this? It's urgent."Zara skimmed the document. It was Mr. Chapman's contract. She snapped it shut and said, "You're the one handling this. I was only involved in the final meeting."Charmaine folded her arms defiantly. "But Mr. Webb said you're the chief secretary. You're supposed to oversee all the paperwork.""Then let Mr. Webb tell me himself that this file is my job too. I'll make sure it's done." Zara tossed the file back onto Charmaine's desk and accidentally knocked her own water bottle off the edge.Charmaine's face turned red with anger, "You!"Zara was all about an eye for an eye.Melanie blinked, then stepped up to scoop up Zara's fallen thermos. She set it back on her desk corner. She then nudged Charmaine, getting her to walk out of the room with her."Hey, I'm new here and don't really know my way around. Could you show me where the bathroom is?"She had jus
When strolling past the ice cream parlor, Melanie appeared charming as batted her eyelashes at Yosef for a cone. Charmaine chimed in, claiming a sudden thirst that only ice cream could quench. Yosef gave a nonchalant nod and told them to pick whatever they wanted.He spotted a crunchy cone that he thought Zara might like and grabbed one. However, right as he turned to offer it to her, he caught her sipping water from her trusty thermos.Silence hung in the air.It was not that Zara had anything against ice cream. It was just that after a particularly brutal period, she suspected a miscarriage might have done a number on her. She vowed to treat her body right—no cold stuff, no ice cream. She only drank warm tea to nurse herself back to health.With a blank face, Yosef tossed the cone back into the freezer.Melanie yelped as the drippy cone smeared her fingers. She wiped it off with a napkin, but the sticky residue lingered, making her grimace. "Hey, is there a bathroom around h
The flasher was nabbed by security and turned over to the local police.Melanie was a mess, crying her eyes out and feeling utterly filthy. She was desperate for a change of clothes and a shower. However, she would not let go of Yosef, insisting he stay by her side.The day's plans were abruptly cut short, so they went to a nearby hotel and got a room. They let Melanie freshen up.Yosef tasked someone with the job of picking out clothes for Melanie.Melanie whimpered, "I don't want just anyone to go, I want Ms. Lowry. She knows what I like. I can't trust anyone else's taste, and I refuse to wear ugly clothes!"Yosef glanced at Zara, who got the hint and volunteered. "I'll go buy the clothes."He studied her face for a moment before saying, "There's a boutique right across from the hotel. Go ahead and buy what's needed. The company will reimburse you."Zara nodded and was about to head out when she heard him add, "And if you need to change, feel free to pick something for yoursel
Zara kept her cool. "Being prepared is part of the job as a secretary.""Do you really want something to happen between us?" Yosef challenged."What you do is your business, Mr. Webb," Zara shot back.He held her gaze for a tense moment and then started walking toward her.Zara's gut told her this was not good. She stepped back without even thinking.Just in time, Melanie emerged in fresh clothes and called out, "Yosef, I'm ready."Zara quickly said, "I'll drive Ms. Schmidt home."Melanie waved her off. "No need, Zara. I'm all good now. I can get back to work.""Don't push yourself.""After everything we've been through, you didn't shed a tear, Zara. I can't be a crybaby. I want to be as brave as you!" Melanie declared with fierce determination.Yosef did not glance back as he headed for the door. "Let's head back to the office."When they got back, Zara made a beeline for the secretary's office, but Yosef grabbed her arm. He dragged her into his office, saying, "Come with m
Zara had just reached the pantry door when these words hit her ears.She stopped dead in her tracks.Melanie snapped back, "Quit trying to cause drama! Look, even if there's something between Yosef and Ms. Lowry, I'll just have to win him over fair and square! "And if you're crushing on Yosef too, feel free to try your luck. I'm just as good as anyone else here, and I'm sure Yosef will choose me in the end!"Zara spun on her heel and left.Melanie was a sweetheart, but Charmaine? After her sneaky plan to get someone else to do her dirty work flopped, she tried to mess with Melanie. She had better step back, or she would see a side of Zara that was not so nice....That evening, as Zara was leaving work, she bumped into Stanley in the lobby.She hesitated for a second before approaching him with a smile. "Hey, Professor Schmidt.""Ms. Lowry," Stanley got up from the couch."You here for Ms. Schmidt? I saw her chatting with a coworker on my way down. She'll probably be here an
The following morning, Zara arrived at work like any other day, her thermal mug in hand. She headed to the break room to fill it with hot water. Work had not officially started yet, so she leaned against the counter, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.Zara had been feeling uneasy ever since Yosef brought up her mom. She had spent the last couple of days tracking down an old neighbor's number. She wanted to see if they knew anything about her parents."Hello?" The voice on the other end sounded."It's Zara. Mrs. Kelly, remember me?" said Zara."Zara? How did you get my number?""I saved it a while back," Zara replied quietly."What can I do for you, dear?""Are you still neighbors with my parents? How are they doing?"Mrs. Kelly explained, "Oh, I moved away. I live with my son and his wife now. I don't see your folks much. They were fine last I heard, but I'm not up to date."Zara's heart sank a little. "Oh, okay.""Why don't you call them yourself, Zara? I heard you m
After that, Zara gave up on her parents. She did not try to reach out for three years, until a few months back when she suddenly tried calling. She could not get through, however.She laughed to herself then. When it came to being tough, her parents had won. They said it was over, and it really was.Now, hearing her mom's voice and knowing she was okay, she let it go. It was better for them to just live their own lives.Zara picked up her tea and went back to the secretary's office.As soon as she sat down, Charmaine dropped the file from yesterday on her desk, all proud. "I talked to Mr. Webb. He says you're in charge of this!"Alright then.Zara really did not want to hang around the messy office. She grabbed her papers and purse without a word and headed out.Charmaine glared at her retreating figure with a mean scowl.Once outside, Zara popped into a coffee shop nearby, ordered a coffee, and settled down to look over the documents.About 30 minutes later, she had a pretty
Yosef, who was always pretty stoic, got to the spot where he was meeting Harper. Harper was scarfing down a cookie like he had not eaten in days.Yosef gave him a quick once-over and took a seat.Harper nodded at the papers on the table and mumbled through a mouthful, "Your info's right there. I haven't eaten since yesterday. I'm starving.""Nobody at home to make your meals? Didn't your mom say she'd find you a wife?" Yosef casually remarked as he flipped through a folder.Harper's stomach turned when he thought of that older woman who had barged into his life, claiming to be his fiancée. He chucked the cookie back into the bag and wiped his hands with a tissue, sounding quite annoyed."My mom must be dreaming to think I'd marry her just for her inheritance. It'd be like having another housekeeper... Let's drop the subject."He glanced up. "Why are you suddenly digging into these small companies? They're peanuts compared to your Azure Cloud, aren't they?"He wondered why Yosef