07

"Ms. Taylor, this is what you requested," Ruth, an employee, gave her a pile of folders. She took them from her and went inside the office.

She did not expect a woman to be there because Johannes had stopped bringing one for over a week. The woman smiled at Nathalie, "You're Johannes's secretary?"

Nathalie smiled back. She put the folders on the table and greeted her. "Yes, I'm Nathalie Taylor. You are?" she handed her right and raised her brows. The woman reached for it and did a handshake. "Samantha Wheeler,"

Nathalie then remembered seeing her from somewhere, "Oh, you were the one who visited the boss last time. What brought you here, Ms. Wheeler?" She asked though she was sure it would be because the man would have her entertain him for the rest of the day.

Samantha stared at her, reading her expressions, and it seemed like she had improved in doing so. Samantha smirked, "You think I'm one of his women, don't you?" Nathalie was surprised. She slightly froze and pulled her hand back.

Getting shy now, was she wrong? It won't make sense for a woman to roam Johannes's office freely. Nathalie redeemed herself and chuckled, "It would be presumptuous of me to think that lowly of you, Ms. Wheeler,"

Samantha smirked. She liked how Nathalie viewed those women who fling with Johannes lowly. She had been cringing over it since the man started acting that way after what had happened five years ago.

"I like you,"

"Pardon?" Nathalie asked, confused as to where the liking thing came from. She smiled shyly at Samantha, but the woman only smirked widely as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Johannes, I should have your secretary be mine," Nathalie turned around and saw the man with his neat suit. His hair was brushed up, and his eyes were cold as he stared at them.

"In your fucking dreams, Sam,"

"You know I'm still older than you. Show some respect to your cousin!" Samantha argued. Nathalie looked back and forth at the two people arguing in front of her. She stared at their features and finally realized their resemblance.

She would have been totally embarrassed had she humiliated the woman who's also part of the Alejandro Empire! Nathalie pushed away the thought and greeted Johannes.

"Good morning, boss," Johannes stared at her and nodded.

"Agenda?" Nathalie was stunned that he stopped greeting her back. A month had passed, and they started acting rather casually with each other, but he was drawing a line between them again. Well, she was not too surprised. After all, she never understood how her boss's head worked.

She took the tablet from her desk and scanned through it. She then relayed her boss's schedule for the rest of the day as they walked to the conference room. Johannes had ignored his cousin entirely, and Samantha did not mind it too much either.

After the meeting, he walked out, and Nathalie followed him. They went to the next agenda, skipping luncheon because it would be an hour away from the building. Nathalie was adept with this setup for five years. It was just recently that Johannes had given her time to eat.

They went on and on for the rest of the day until sunset. Johannes finally turned to Nathalie and observed her. Oddly, the woman looked like nothing was bothering her. She seemed relatively relaxed, not someone who had not eaten the whole day.

Johannes was trying to test Nathalie whether she would ask him to eat, but she had yet to speak a word if it was not for business.

"That is all for today, boss," Nathalie checked the final list and turned off the tablet. She noticed how Johannes stared at her.

"Is there something wrong, boss?" She asked, but the man simply looked away.

He took his card from his wallet and handed it to her. Nathalie simply stared at it, unsure as to why he was giving it to her.

"Eat something and go home. You are dismissed for the day," he simply said and took her hand, putting the card in it.

"Boss,"

"What?" Johannes slightly knitted his brows, ready to scold her had she asked him to take his card back because she had her own money. But he was surprised.

"Will this be lessened from my salary?" he was amused when Nathalie asked about her pay. She had never mentioned something like this before.

"No,"

"Great! Have a safe trip on your way home, boss!" she joyfully said and went on her way. Johannes stared at her vanishing back, wondering whether it was the same woman whom he had been avoiding the whole week.

It's not like he was affected by her. It's just that he does not like how he reacts whenever Nathalie is around.

"I'm getting crazy," he mumbled as he got in his car.

Nathalie went to the mall and had a light meal before going to the department store. She was scanning through the male department, "Are you looking for a gift, Ma'am? For your boyfriend, perhaps?" the saleslady smiled playfully.

Nathalie chuckled, "No. I am looking for a set for my brother," she continued scanning through the clothes. It was the first time in a while that she had the time to buy things for her brother. And a lucky day it is, she would be using the company money for free.

There's no way that Johannes would even notice a few dollar difference from her usual meal. After all, she only had McD*nald's so she would have the remaining balance for shopping.

Nathalie went to the hospital afterward. She went straight to her brother's room but what welcomed her still is his sleeping figure. He's still unconscious. It had been over a month since the last attack but he had not woken up ever since.

She faintly smiled as she rubbed her hand against his cheek. "You're getting thinner, Nathan," her voice cracked as tears fell from her eyes. If only she was the one who's sick and not her brother, would things get better? Nathalie always wondered. She always blames herself for what happened to Nathan though it was fate that gave him that illness.

She stayed there for a little while before heading home. Nathalie quickly washed up before going to her working station. She still got a lot to finish. After what happened a month ago, she realized that her current salary would not suffice an emergency treatment had it been needed.

Nathalie looked for hustle jobs from here and there and grabbed every opportunity she had. There's nothing she won't do for her brother. Nothing that will stop her from trying to save him.

Nathalie was fortunate enough to be born with a healthy body. She had always felt guilty whenever she played with other kids when they were young while her brother simply watched from the side.

He was born weak. His heart failed him from time to time, and he needed to have an operation that significantly impacted their way of living. They had a business, but it went bankrupt after his father got addicted to gambling.

Their lives went downside the moment her father left home while a bunch of loan sharks roamed their home...