Golden Moonlight Hill

"This is the third revised kitchen and kitchen set design. So after this, no more revisions are allowed unless the client renews the contract and adds a revision f*e," Noreen said, pointing at the image on the screen.

Thiery said nothing, simply studying the design on the screen carefully.

He admired Noreen's ability to create beautiful, artistic, and detailed designs, and to accommodate the client's wishes so well.

Another skill Noreen possessed that other designers didn't: she was also able to bring her designs to life, perfectly accurate, down to the smallest detail, without missing a single detail.

"Excellent," Thiery said after a moment. "Just send it to them and ask for their immediate approval so we can get started."

"Yes, sir, I'll contact them this afternoon," Noreen said with relief.

She had heard of Thiery's reputation for being difficult to please when it came to his work and his meticulous attention to detail, often leading to stress for his careless staff.

That's why everyone with a special position, called a Beta, plays a crucial role as a bridge between the staff and Thiery.

The staff relies on and respects the Betas, because only they can approach Thiery and negotiate, persuade, offer suggestions and criticism, and seek his approval, even though it's not easy.

"Where are you going?" Thiery asked, watching Noreen tidy up her desk.

"Go back to my desk and work?" Noreen replied.

"Come with me to lunch," Thiery said, standing and buttoning his jacket. "I'm in the mood for pasta."

Noreen's brow furrowed. "But I have to send and respond to some emails and—"

"Just use this in the car," Thiery interrupted, pushing a new iPad into Noreen's lap. "Let's go!"

Noreen couldn't argue any further and followed Thiery to the private elevator.

"No driver?" Noreen asked, looking around as Thiery made his way from the elevator to the parking lot.

"No," Thiery said. "It's a date, so just the two of us is enough."

"A date?" Noreen asked with a raised eyebrow. "In the midst of a pile of work and client demands?"

"Why? My company isn't going to go bankrupt just because I take my expert staff on a two- or three-hour late-afternoon lunch date in the midst of a pile of work," Thiery replied calmly.

Noreen sighed softly. Okay, that was true, what Thiery said, but it still felt odd.

"But what would the other staff say if they found out the boss took his expert staff on a date? That would be weird and inappropriate," Noreen muttered.

"What's weird and inappropriate?" Thiery said. "We've even had great sex. Lunch dates are just teenagers falling in love!"

"Gosh!" Noreen snapped, irritably, unconsciously slapping Thiery's thigh lightly. "Can't you just forget about it and not bring it up again?"

Thiery reached out and took Noreen's clenched hands in her lap, bringing them to his thighs and holding them there tightly.

"Of course not!" Thiery said. "You made me impotent after that, and I looked everywhere for you like a lost chick!"

Noreen bit the inside of her cheek, torn between believing and disbelieving Thiery's words, but he looked genuinely upset.

"I didn't ask you to look for me. You don't even know my name," Noreen said quietly. "And about that impoten thing, that sounds ridiculous."

"No problem if you didn't believe me. I was looking for you because I was worried about you!" Thiery said. "We didn't use protection, and we didn't just do it once!"

"Oh my God, boss, there's no need to emphasize it like that," Noreen snapped, annoyed and embarrassed. "What could happen?"

"Pregnant!" Thiery said firmly. "What if you were pregnant?"

Noreen froze. The blood seemed to drain from her body, but her heart beat three times faster, until she choked on her own saliva and coughed violently.

Thiery released his grip on Noreen's hand and moved it to her back, stroking and patting it gently.

"Hey, Noreen, sorry, sorry, I was joking," Thiery muttered. "There's no way you're pregnant, right? Even without protection, there's no knot between us, so there's no way you're pregnant."

Noreen wasn't listening to Thiery, busy slapping her chest to stop coughing, annoyed at being in this ridiculous situation.

After a while, her coughing stopped, and she leaned against the door, panting.

"There's a bottle of water in the back seat," Thiery said. "Can you get it? You need to drink."

Noreen didn't answer, just did as Thiery said and drank the water she found in the back seat.

"Sorry, Noreen, I didn't mean to shock you," Thiery said after she finished her drink. "But the part I was worried about was true. I'm not the kind of guy who likes one-night stands with random women, but with you—"

"Boss, can we please not talk about that anymore? I feel inappropriate," Noreen cut Thiery off firmly. "It's strange that every meeting we have as boss and staff is filled with talk about things like that."

Thierry shrugged and nodded.

A thick silence hung in the car after that. Noreen opened her iPad and got to work, sending and responding to client emails, ignoring Thiery's driving. She also didn't ask which restaurant he was taking her to.

"Alpha, you're making her mad," said Dash, who had suddenly appeared in the silence.

"Hmm, I guess so. But I'm just really curious about her," Thiery replied. "Did what happened that time really leave no impression on her?"

"Come on, don't be stubborn and keep pushing her. She already said that it was a turning point for her, so I think that's enough of a start. Regarding her feelings then and now, you shouldn't push her too hard to tell you. That's not your cup of tea," Dash said firmly.

"You're talking too much, Dash," Thiery said. "That's unusual."

Dash snorted and disappeared again.

"Sir?"

Thierry turned and saw Noreen staring at him with a puzzled look.

"Yes?"

"You're spacing out," Noreen said. "We're already heading to the city limits, did you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Thiery said. "I was just talking to... myself."

"Uh, okay," Noreen muttered. She looked out the car window. "Golden Moonlight Hill? Boss, don't tell me you're taking me to your hometown?"

Thierry laughed at Noreen's use of the term. "Well, you can say it like that. But this hilly area is my home territory."

"This entire hillside area?" Noreen asked, confused. "Shouldn't this be state territory?"

"My ancestors occupied this area before the country was formed," Thiery said. "It's been privately owned by the Bradley family since the first Bradley lived, and the rights have been passed down to me, while this is the last pure Bradley, until I have descendants."

Noreen looked out the car window at the magnificent view. Vast, green hills dotted with trees large and small, the scent of fresh grass and dew, and rows of large houses spaced apart.

"Those houses," Noreen pointed. "Are they your relatives?"

"Yes," Thiery replied. "I'd like to explain, but it would be too complicated for you to understand, but essentially, most of the Bradley descendants live in those houses."

"Your family is very... large," Noreen said. "These hills are very large, aren't they?"

"These hills cover more than a quarter of Ontario," Thiery said.  "And my family isn't just here, if you call it big."

Noreen shuddered slightly. She didn't know the extent of the Bradley family's wealth and power, but considering their nearly global reach, the word "big" certainly wouldn't suffice.

"Sir, don't tell me you're taking me to lunch at your house?" Noreen asked after a moment.

"Well, that's obvious," Thiery said with a smirk. "You think I brought you here just to brag? Besides, I left some work files at home that I need to pick up for a client meeting tonight."

"Why don't you ask one of the Betas to get them?" Noreen asked, surprised. "Since Mr. Sander gone?"

"Only Sander can enter my private room at home," Thiery said. "The other Betas, even though they're my trusted confidants, still have certain boundaries that must not be crossed. After all, they all have different duties and responsibilities."

"Mr. Sander is sort of the leader of the Betas, isn't he?" Noreen said.

Thiery nodded and steered the car toward what looked like a vast, sprawling fortress at the top of the hill.

Noreen gasped as the sturdy iron gates swung open, revealing what lay beyond.

"Boss," Noreen said without blinking.

"Yes?" Thiery replied, shifting gears.

"Are you really a fan of fantasy stories?"