Chapter 3

Nick's POV

I was still focused on my laptop when I heard the doorbell ring.

"Steak, beetroot, horseradish & warm lentil salad with Cabernet Sauvignon wine for Mr. Nicholas Ford, requested by Miss Jessica Laviste."

My stomach growled the moment I saw the food. I had forgotten to order.

I went straight to eat after the waiter left. I couldn't help but smile. Despite my temporary secretary's nonstop chatter and occasional mistakes, she was thoughtful.

I almost choked on my food when I suddenly remembered how she looked earlier when her hand accidentally hit me. She jumped as if she had stepped on a sea urchin. And her sleepwear,. loose t-shirts and loose pajama pants.

I must admit, she is beautiful. Beyond beautiful. And she has a sexy body. Wait, what? Am I praising her? No, no, no. Those qualities are perfect for a seductive secretary, and I must not fall victim. Never!

I forced myself to push away any good thoughts I had about Jessica. I needed to stay focused. This project is crucial for the future of AMT Constructions.

After eating, I organized my things and prepared for bed.

I woke up early. When I stepped out of my room, I saw that breakfast was already prepared, and Jessica was fully dressed. I studied her appearance. She looked very professional. She was wearing stilettos, a blouse tucked into high-waisted trousers. Very beautiful.

I quickly erased that thought from my mind about her being beautiful and approached the table seriously.

"Good morning, Sir!" she greeted.

"Is everything ready? Have you prepared all the materials I asked you to?"

"Yes, Sir. Everything is set."

"I don’t entertain mistakes at work. To me, mistakes mean incompetence. Am I clear?"

"Copy, Sir!" she replied with a salute.

I raised an eyebrow and finished my breakfast.

We went down together to head to the conference room located on the second floor of the hotel. When we arrived, most of the guests were already there. Business tycoons, investors, engineers, and designers.

"Stay close to me as much as possible," I whispered to Jessica.

"How close, Sir?" she asked playfully.

I glared at her.

"I’m serious!" I emphasized.

"I’m serious too, Sir. How close exactly? Because we might interpret ‘stay close’ differently," she replied.

I took a deep breath to keep myself from snapping at her.

"As long as I can see you and call you right away," I explained.

"Copy, Sir!" she responded.

I greeted several people before the event started. Some were business acquaintances, competitors, and new faces who could become future partners.

"Mr. Ford, it’s nice seeing you again. I didn’t expect you to bring your beautiful girlfriend with you today," Mr. Rolando greeted cheerfully. He was one of our clients in the real estate business.

"Mr. Rolando! It’s a pleasure to see you here! How are you? I’m so happy to see you again."

"May I have the pleasure of meeting your girlfriend?"

I smiled and introduced Jessica.

"Mr. Rolando, meet Jessica, my secretary."

Jessica shook hands with Mr. Rolando with a professional demeanor.

"Oh! I thought she was your girlfriend. I must have misheard that you only hire male secretaries," he commented.

"By the way, dear, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked Jessica.

She shook her head professionally, smiling.

"I love your smile. I can set you up with my son if you’re interested. My son doesn’t seem to have any plans to get married. I know for sure he’d like you. We have the same taste in women," Mr. Rolando said, half-joking but serious.

Jessica just gave a shy laugh.

I don’t know why, but his words annoyed me. I tried not to show it and changed the topic. Fortunately, he spotted someone he knew and turned his attention elsewhere.

I shot Jessica a sharp glare. Instead of being intimidated, she just glared back at me, as if asking, What? I ignored it.

I talked to several more people, and the business conference went well. It ended earlier than expected. As we were leaving the conference room, we ran into Andrea Laviste.

"Hello, babe," she greeted me, casually brushing her hand against my arm.

"You’re here!" I said.

"Of course, you’re here," she replied flirtatiously.

I just chuckled at her joke.

"Let’s have dinner together. You’ve been rejecting me lately. For old times’ sake. The conference ended early anyway," she invited.

"Your dad might think you’re leaking your company’s secrets to me. Remember, we’re business rivals. You have a huge responsibility in your company," I teased.

"You’re such a killjoy, Nick. My dad knows we’re friends. We were classmates and fuu...ture partners," she said, winking at me.

I looked around for Jessica, who had gone to the restroom. I wanted to leave Andrea’s presence as soon as possible.

Well, Andrea is a gorgeous and intelligent woman, but there was something about her that turned me off back when we were studying abroad. We were classmates in business school—or rather, we flirted a bit at that time. But when I got turned off, I distanced myself from her. Unfortunately, it seemed like she really fell for me and still hoped I’d give her attention.

"You’re here. Let’s go," I said as soon as I saw Jessica.

She seemed surprised to see Andrea, and I noticed Andrea’s eyes narrow at her. I raised an eyebrow. Hmm.

"Andrea, it was nice seeing you here. I’ll be going ahead," I said, signaling Jessica to follow me.

Andrea stared at Jessica with hostility and didn’t respond. Jessica, on the other hand, looked down as if afraid and quickly followed me.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied shortly.

"I didn’t know you were familiar with this business circle. Be careful with her," I warned.

She looked at me questioningly, but I ignored it and quickly stepped into the elevator.