There were many similarities between Eden and Zara. Like her, the head of HR wasn't the prettiest candle in the room, and she also had a questionable dress sense. But superficial qualities aside, they still had plenty in common. Zara was a young mom and a single parent, too. They'd chatted a few times in the elevators and corridors about their babies—both nineteen months old—and had even attempted a play date or two, but their conflicting schedules had put a brake on those plans. They weren't the best of friends. But other than Clara, Zara was probably the only other woman Eden is close to at work. Today though, Zara, sitting across from her in a sixteen-seater boardroom on the 35th floor, wasn't meeting with her as a friend and fellow member of the young Moms' Club. She had a tough message to deliver. After the usual standard check-in and confirming her mental wellbeing's well above average and her sanity meter was in the green range, Zara got to the heart of their chit chat. "

"Come on! Don't tell me you've let that stupid rumour upset you." Liam said, returning her phone. "It's office gossip. It means nothing." "It means nothing when you're the boss. No one dares say anything bad about you!" Eden pointed out, hot, angry tears brimming in her eyes, fogging up her vision. "I'm not good at this job, and I try my best every day. But now, this stupid rumour has set me back ten years. My credibility has been shattered, my reputation ruined. I'm no longer Matthew's junior assistant. I'm just the new girl who got the job because she's sleeping with the big boss!" "Don't talk like that!" Liam growled. "You know it's not true!" "Isn't it, though?" Eden asked. "We both know why you hired me, and after last night can we honestly say it's not true? It was only a matter of time before we do. I suppose we have these rumours to thank. Now we can both come back to our senses." "Eden—" Liam tried to say, but she held up her hands. "

The sun was still high up in the sky when Eden left the office and walked to her car in the staff parking lot. She unlocked her doors but couldn't bring herself to jump in behind the wheel because she was still racking her brain for an excuse, a reason, a plausible lie for the mark on her cheek. Brenda would fret as soon as she saw it, and Eden was not ready for the coddling, however, well-intentioned. She didn't want all the inevitable questions and a few minutes in the sun was what she needed, she decided, as she turned up her face to the sky and soaked in the warm rays. It was a perfect Indian summer afternoon, and for a minute, everything was as it should be as she released the long breath she had been holding in the whole day, leaving her lungs empty. She felt as light as a feather while she imagined herself drifting away, like a balloon floating in the sky. But then her phone rang, shattering her moment of bliss. Sienna wanted to

Liam rolled up his sleeves and threw off his tie as he scanned the bar. He sighed loudly, disappointed to see he's still out of bourbon and whiskey; Gibby and Clara hadn't had a chance to stock up. But—he decided—any alcohol would do at this point after the hellish day he'd had. So he pulled out two six-packs of beers and took them back to the couch. Glaring at the wrinkled blazer beside him, he opened one of the cans and thought back to a conversation he once had with Gibby when he was still trying to get Eden to sign with the company. Back then, he'd laughed off her comment, but he understood now what she meant about his assistant being very much like a wife. If his intense fight with Eden was a prelude to marital bliss, he wanted no part of it. It wasn't for the faint of heart for sure, and as Laura had said, he doesn't have a heart. Maybe a life of loneliness and alcoholism was the only thing on the cards for him, and as he brought the ice-cold liquid to

They were supposed to meet at the Portuguese restaurant on 8th Street, the same place where Eden had dinner with Liam a few nights ago. But a last-minute appointment with a new client forced Isaac to move their lunch in-house at Hayes & Jones' cafeteria. "Are you sure you're okay with it? I wanted to take you to a decent place," Isaac asked on his end for the millionth time, and Eden assured him for the millionth time she didn't mind at all. There was no need to splurge over a handyman interview. Besides, the restaurant would always remind her of Liam now. She didn't tell Isaac this, of course. They hung up with Eden promising to see him at 11:00 AM. She normally took her lunch break at midday, but today she had to avail herself for Liam's session with Linda. Turning to the window, Eden sighed and spent a long time people-watching Isaac's colleagues on the rooftop. Since her confrontation with Lucy—it was hard to believe it was jus