Chapter 1

I was called to the office unexpectedly on New Year’s Day.

Once I was done with work, I noticed a post on social media from my EA, Poppy Lovin.

The update had a huge number of likes.

The comment section was blowing up too.

In her replies to those comments, Poppy strongly hinted that I was the one trying to abuse my power and sleep with her.

I frowned.

That was the confusing bit. I was the one who hired Poppy to be my executive assistant.

I had run the necessary background checks on hiring. She was a recent college graduate from a working-class family, paid right at the standard entry-level rate.

The reason I recommended her for employment was her modest, small-town roots. Coming from humble beginnings, I assumed she’d be grounded and trustworthy.

During her first couple of months on the job, Poppy had done remarkably well.

She put her head down, worked hard, and wasn’t afraid to ask questions to learn.

It all seemed completely above board.

Then came the day she confessed her feelings out of the blue and threw herself into my arms.

According to her, she saw me romantically.

Without hesitation, I turned her down.

We had a twenty-year age gap.

To put it bluntly, I could practically be her dad.

From that point on, I made a conscious effort to keep my distance and instructed HR to headhunt a replacement.

However, up until now, there hadn’t been any decent candidates.

That was right around the time Poppy completely checked out at work.

On top of that, she often charged her rent and personal shopping on my supplementary credit card.

At first, the expenses were just the daily essentials and dining out.

I just pretended not to notice.

It was pretty tough for a young small-town girl to make it out on her own anyway.

Plus, on an intern’s salary, making ends meet in a big city was a real grind.

Even when I caught wind of some nasty rumor about me going around the office, I wanted to pull Poppy aside for a talk.

It was time to clear the air once and for all.

To my dismay, Poppy said, “Mr. Milton, you run a multi-billion-dollar company. Why are you sweating over some pocket change?

“A real man doesn’t penny-pinch over small stuff.”

Poppy’s entire aesthetic completely changed.

Stilettos, black stockings, a form-fitting mini skirt, paired with bold, sultry lipstick.

Caked in heavy eyeshadow, she acted like she couldn’t care less.

Her attitude put me off. “What you do with your own money is your business, but I have zero obligation to bankroll your vanity.”