Chapter 12

The first week at Luc’s Enterprises passed far more smoothly than Sarah had expected.

By Friday morning, she found herself settling into a routine that no longer felt foreign. The nervousness that had plagued her on her first day had gradually faded, replaced by a growing sense of confidence and familiarity. Her colleagues were welcoming, the environment was friendly, and most importantly, nobody seemed interested in making her life miserable.

It was a refreshing change for her.

The environment was vastly different from Hart Holdings. The atmosphere was lighter, conversations flowed more freely, and people actually smiled at one another without looking as though they were preparing for battle. Every day that passed convinced Sarah that accepting this opportunity had been the right decision.

As she made her way toward the staff cafeteria during lunch break, her phone vibrated inside her handbag. The smile that immediately spread across her face told her exactly who was calling even before she looked at the screen. Emily’s bright face appeared the moment she answered the video call, and Sarah felt something warm settle inside her chest.

“Mummy!”

Sarah laughed.

“Hello, princess.”

The next fifteen minutes disappeared in a blur of excited storytelling. Emily spoke animatedly about school, her friends, a class project she was working on, and a drawing competition she had suddenly become determined to win. Sarah listened patiently, occasionally laughing or asking questions, completely absorbed in her daughter’s enthusiasm. By the time the call ended, she found herself staring at the blank screen with a smile she couldn’t quite suppress.

Moments like that reminded her why she kept pushing forward despite everything life had thrown at her. Every rejection, every disappointment, every sacrifice she had made over the years suddenly felt worthwhile whenever she heard her daughter’s voice.

Several floors above, her supervisor’s office overlooked the busy streets below. Sarah had been surprised when his secretary informed her that he wanted to see her, and she spent the short walk there wondering if she had somehow made a mistake during her first week. The concern proved unnecessary. Instead, she found herself listening in disbelief as he explained that the company had recently secured a major collaborative project involving several corporate organizations and that he wanted her attached to one of the project teams.

The news caught her completely off guard.

She had barely spent a week in the company.

Yet somehow, her efforts had already been noticed.

The realization filled her with a quiet sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t a promotion, nor was it anything particularly glamorous, but it felt like progress. For someone who had spent months struggling to find stability, progress was more than enough.

She left the office feeling more at peace with herself.

Across town, however, Calvin Hart was having considerably less success enjoying his day.

The stack of resumes sitting on his desk had become a personal source of irritation. For nearly two weeks, Hart Holdings had been searching for a replacement personal assistant, and every candidate seemed to disappoint him in a new and creative way. Some lacked experience. Others lacked confidence. One candidate had somehow managed to schedule two meetings for the same time slot on her assessment exercise and still seemed confused when the mistake was pointed out.

By the time Mrs. Lawson entered his office that afternoon, Calvin was already nursing the beginnings of a headache.

She studied the pile of rejected applications before looking at him knowingly.

“You do realize no one is going to meet every requirement on that list?”

Calvin barely glanced up from the document he was reviewing.

“I disagree.”

A sigh escaped her.

“Of course you do.”

He ignored the comment, but the older woman wasn’t finished.

“The problem isn’t the candidates.”

His pen paused briefly.

“Oh?”

“The problem is that you’re comparing everyone to someone else.”

Calvin finally looked up.

For a brief moment neither of them spoke.

Then Mrs. Lawson smiled.

“Exactly.”

The realization irritated him far more than it should have.

Because she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Over the past week he had found himself noticing the absence of things he had previously taken for granted. Meetings weren’t arranged quite as efficiently. His schedule required more supervision. Documents occasionally arrived later than expected. None of it was disastrous, yet all of it was noticeable.

Sarah’s desk remained empty outside his office.

Calvin’s gaze lingered there for a moment before he immediately returned to his work.

The less he thought about Sarah Williams, the better.

Unfortunately, life rarely cared about what people preferred.

At almost the exact same time that Sarah was leaving her supervisor’s office with news about her new assignment, Calvin was seated inside a boardroom reviewing details of the very same project. Representatives from several major companies would be collaborating over the coming months, and Hart Holdings had been selected as one of the key participants.

The proposal itself seemed straightforward enough.

Calvin approved it without much thought.

Sarah arrived home later than usual that evening, feeling every bit as exhausted as she looked. Her day has been a whirlwind of introductions, paperwork, meetings, and learning the ropes at Luc’s Enterprises. Although she genuinely enjoyed her new job, she couldn’t deny that adjusting to a new environment was mentally draining.

The aroma of garlic and spices greeted her the moment she stepped into the apartment.

Immediately, her shoulders relaxed.

“Thank goodness,” she sighed, dropping her handbag onto a chair before making her way into the kitchen. “Please tell me that’s dinner.”

Ann looked up from the pot she was stirring and laughed.

“Good evening to you too.”

Sarah leaned dramatically against the counter.

“Sorry. Good evening. Now answer the question.”

“Yes, it’s dinner.”

“You’re my favorite person.”

“I know.”

Sarah smiled as she watched her friend move around the kitchen. There was something comforting about moments like this. After spending an entire day dealing with work and responsibilities, coming home to a familiar company made everything feel a little easier.

“So,” Ann said, glancing over her shoulder. “How was work today?”

Sarah groaned.

“Busy.”

“That’s all?”

“Very busy.”

Ann laughed.

“I’ll take that as a good sign.”

“It is.”

Sarah reached for a piece of carrot from the chopping board.

Before she could pop it into her mouth, Ann smacked her hand away.

“Ouch.”

“Wait for dinner.”

Sarah rolled her eyes but obeyed.

A short while later, they carried their food to the dining table and settled down to eat.

The conversation flowed easily, moving from office gossip to annoying coworkers and everything in between. Sarah found herself laughing more than she had expected, and for a moment, life felt wonderfully normal.

Then Ann’s phone buzzed.

Sarah wasn’t paying attention at first.

Until she noticed the smile.

A very suspicious smile.

The kind that appeared before someone tried—and failed—to act innocent.

Slowly, Sarah lowered her fork.

“Ann.”

“What?”

“Who was that?”

“No one.”

Sarah stared at her.

Ann avoided eye contact.

Immediately, Sarah gasped.

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“It was Elvis.”

Ann nearly choked on her drink.

Sarah pointed accusingly.

“I knew it!”

A blush crept onto Ann’s face.

“Will you keep your voice down?”

Sarah sat up straighter.

“Annabel Luc”

“That’s not even my surname.”

“You know what I mean.”

A laugh escaped Ann despite her embarrassment.

“Fine.”

Sarah folded her arms.

“Fine?”

“Yes.”

“Fine what?”

Ann sighed dramatically.

“It was Elvis.”

Sarah dropped her fork onto the table.

“I knew it!”

The excitement in her voice made Ann laugh.

“You’re impossible.”

“No. You’re impossible. You’ve been sneaking around smiling at your phone for days.”

“I have not.”

“You absolutely have.”

Ann shook her head.

“You’re exaggerating.”

Sarah narrowed her eyes.

“I’m really not.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Ann’s lips.

Unfortunately, that only made Sarah more suspicious.

“What did he say?”

Ann hesitated.

Then finally admitted, “He asked me out.”

Sarah blinked.

Then she squealed so loudly that Ann immediately regretted telling her.

“Jesus Christ, Sarah.”

“What do you mean he asked you out?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like.”

Sarah stared at her in disbelief.

“So you two are a thing now?”

“No.”

The answer came quickly.

Too quickly.

Ann laughed at Sarah’s expression.

“We’re not.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Sarah looked unconvinced.

Ann sighed.

“We’ve just been talking.”

“For how long?”

“A little while.”

Sarah placed a hand over her chest dramatically.

“The betrayal.”

“Oh please.”

“My own best friend keeping secrets from me.”

“We’re not dating.”

“Yet.”

Ann pointed her fork at her.

“Sarah.”

Sarah grinned.

“What?”

The look Ann gave her only made her laugh harder.

Eventually, Ann shook her head and returned to her food.

“You are exhausting.”

“That’s why you love me.”

A reluctant smile appeared on Ann’s face.

Unfortunately for her, Sarah noticed immediately.

“Oh wow.”

“What now?”

“That smile.”

Ann groaned.

“Stop.”

“You like him.”

“No.”

“You do.”

“I don’t.”

“You literally do.”

Ann covered her face.

Sarah burst into laughter.

“Well,” she said after a moment, still grinning, “I just hope nobody is planning to replace me as maid of honor when you get married.”

Ann looked up so quickly she nearly knocked over her glass.

“Married?”

Sarah shrugged innocently.

“What? I’m thinking ahead.”

Ann threw a napkin at her.

The apartment filled with laughter once again, and for the first time that day, work, responsibilities, and every other worry seemed far away.