LUCAS’ POV

I didn't expect such rude behavior from my secretary and to my guest! The audacity!! I thought to myself.

"What's going on here?" I asked in a cold tone, addressing my secretary. He looked up and stammered, clearly caught off guard.

"I...I was just joking with her, boss," he said weakly, as if that could excuse his behavior.

I could feel my blood boiling at his words. "Joking? Is that what you call it?" I said, my temper rising. "You spoke to my guest in such an unprofessional manner, and you think that's a joke? You should be ashamed of yourself."

My secretary was taken aback by my outburst, but I wasn't finished yet.

"I didn't hire you to harass my guests," I continued, my tone still cold. "I hired you to work for me in running this company, and if you can't do that without being disrespectful, then I suggest you find employment elsewhere."

As I confronted my secretary on his unprofessional behavior towards Samantha, I couldn't believe my ears when she spoke up in her defense, "He said I was a bedpost to one of your escapades," she said, her voice shaking with anger.

"And he also asked me if I was sleeping with you, if he could sleep with me too." My blood boiled at the mere thought of such allegations and I could feel the anger rising within me, I barely know this woman.. gosh!!

As Samantha ranted about the unethical approach of the goddamn man I employed as my secretary, I couldn't help but take in her facial features. She was beautiful, even more so when she spoke with such conviction. Her eyes sparkled with a fire that was undeniable, and her lips were set in a determined line, she was as beautiful as she's intelligent.

I quickly had to push those thoughts aside and focus on the matter at hand. The allegations that Samantha made were serious, and the fact that my secretary was unapologetic about his behavior only made me more angry. I turned to him with a stern expression, trying to keep my voice steady.

"How dare you?" I said, "How could you speak to a lady like that, let alone my guest? Your behavior is unacceptable and I won't tolerate it!" The secretary looked at me with an expression of disbelief and shrugged his shoulders, clearly unapologetic.

"I was just teasing her," he said dismissively for the second time, as if his behavior was nothing more than a harmless joke. But I wasn't buying it. "That's no excuse," I said firmly. "You crossed a line and you need to take responsibility for your actions."

But the secretary wasn't backing down. "I don't see what the big deal is," he said with a sneer. "It's not like she's your wife or anything." That was it. That was the last straw, he was going to pay for this dearly but after he had apologized to her.

I stared at the unrepentant face of my secretary, I felt a boiling anger rise up within me. How could he speak to Samantha in such an unprofessional and disrespectful manner? My irritation was only further exacerbated by the fact that he denied it all and refused to apologize.

"I won't have this kind of behavior in my office," I said firmly, looking straight at him. "You need to apologize to Samantha for your rude and unprofessional behavior. Right now."

The secretary looked at me for a moment, then muttered something under his breath before finally turning to Samantha. "I'm sorry," he said stiffly.

"That's not good enough," I said, my voice hardening. "You need to apologize properly, and mean it."

The secretary let out a sigh, clearly annoyed at being put in his place. "I'm sorry for what I said, Samantha," he said begrudgingly.

Samantha simply nodded, her face still showing the hurt and anger she felt. I could see her biting her lip, trying to hold back her emotions, and for some reason I can't explain, it fueled my desire to protect her from anyone who would ever try to hurt her again.

"Listen to me carefully," I said, my tone sharp and laced with a tinge of anger. "You've been with me long enough to know that I don't tolerate this kind of behavior. Not only did you embarrass Samantha, but you also disrespected me as your employer. Your unprofessionalism has consequences, and you're going to face them."

Just then, I knew what I had to do. I had to let him go. I could not have someone like him representing my company. With one last cold stare, I uttered the words that sealed his fate.

"You're fired."

The secretary's expression changed from unapologetic to shocked, then angry. I stared at him with visible disgust. Just then,Samantha's voice broke through the silence. "Lucas, please calm down. I'm sure we can find a way to handle this without resorting to firing him," she pleaded.

I turned to her, my face hard and my tone unyielding. "Samantha, you don't understand. This isn't just about what he said to you. He insulted me too. He disrespected this entire office and everything it stands for. I can't have someone like that working for me."

Samantha looked at me, her expression torn between understanding and disbelief. "I get that, Lucas. But maybe he didn't mean it the way it sounded. Maybe he was just having a bad day or something."

I shook my head. "No, Samantha. You don't say things like that unless you mean them. And even if he was having a bad day, it's no excuse for what he did. He crossed a line, and he needs to face the consequences."

Samantha's eyes filled with sympathy as she tried to intervene for the secretary. "Please, Lucas."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. "I understand that, Samantha. But I have a responsibility to this company and to the people who work for me. I can't let his behavior go unpunished. I'm sorry."

"Leave the office immediately, I don't want to see you anywhere close to this establishment… ever again," I said trying to keep my tone cool… damn! The last time I boiled with so much anger was when I confronted the men Andres sent to assassinate me.

As soon as the secretary turned to leave, a voice came from the door. "Hold on a minute, Lucas. I don't think you should be firing him." It was Andres, my younger brother and constant rival. I bristled at the sound of his voice. Andres had always been trying to undermine me, and I suspected this was another attempt to score points against me.