The cab driver got it right.Yosef's ride pulled up to the hotel's entrance.The East Coast was smack in the middle of downtown. Yosef had no good reason to opt for a hotel room over his own place—unless the young secretary had other plans while he was out cold.Zara paid the driver, stepped out of the cab, and stood not far away. She watched as the young secretary propped Yosef up and guided him into the hotel.She was not sure if the secretary was trying to take advantage of Yosef or if she was up to something else. Either way, Zara was not about to stop tailing them.Blending in like any other guest, she shadowed them right up to their room door.Yosef was drunk to begin with, and after the car ride, he was a complete mess. He stumbled over his own feet and practically draped himself over the young secretary.He stood tall at over six feet, and he had a muscular physique. The secretary was struggling just to keep him upright, let alone close the door properly. She just nudged

Zara approached his bed. "Mr. Webb, if you want me to stay and keep an eye on the drip, I'll be here."Yosef typed out a message on his phone and flashed the screen at her: [Feeling guilty now?]Whether it was guilt or fear of payback, it was just one night. She owed him one anyway, for that night she had passed out from cramps and he had kept vigil by her hospital bed.Zara dragged a chair over and took a seat. "It's getting late, Mr. Webb. Try to get some rest."Yosef's throat was killing him, and swallowing was torture. Needless to say, he would not be able to sleep tonight.He typed another message: [You were in contact with someone from Chavez Capital tonight?]She was spotted at the restaurant? Zara's heart did a little flip-flop.Yosef settled back against his pillow.The ward was dead quiet, the wee hours of the morning casting a hush over everything. They had been in too much of a rush when they came to sort out a private room, so Yosef was admitted into a general ward

What Yosef meant was...Zara's hands were firm on the wheel as she stole a glance in the rearview mirror. "Is that young secretary really working for Mr. Chapman?"Yosef had a rough night, and it showed. His eyes were half-closed, making him look both aloof and icy."Spy games aren't exactly high-class, but they played the beauty card pretty well."They played it right into his hands. Whoever it was knew about the friction between Yosef and his dad over Beatrice. They sent the young secretary as the perfect distraction.She had that Beatrice vibe, and Yosef was clearly smitten, even willing to bend a little for her.He was completely smitten. Since the boss had made his call, she would follow through."I'll handle it," she said, keeping it professional.Yosef gave her a brief look, then shut his eyes. He was done with the conversation.When they arrived for the meeting, another secretary was already there with the team, and among them was the young secretary.The young secr

A moment later, Zara stepped out of the CEO's office. The door clicked shut behind her.The other secretaries caught the weird look on her face and could not resist asking, "Zara, what's up? Did Mr. Webb give you an earful?""No, that's not it.""Then what's with the face?"Zara mumbled to herself, "I'm just wondering, with graduation season over, where am I supposed to find a college graduate..."It was not just any college graduate Yosef was after. He wanted someone with that fresh-out-of-college innocence and a touch of cluelessness. He wanted someone who would grow reliant on him.The main thing was that she had to be down for a little more than just office work, which was not something a job vacancy notice was going to fix.Zara was stumped by the tricky task in front of her. She chewed on her pencil at her desk for what felt like ages before deciding she could benefit from a change of scenery. With that, she headed to Starville University for some inspiration.As luck wou

Stanley, with his fair skin and good looks, was smiling with his eyes all crinkled up. The sight of him like this reminded her of those perfect student role models from back in the day, the ones who would patiently help out with any question a fellow student had.Stanley was probably that guy in school, which explained why he was a professor now."Is my status funny to you, Professor Schmidt?" Why else would he be laughing like that?It was pretty standard—'Re.' It was the English prefix meaning 'again' or 'anew'. She picked it after her breakup with Yosef, as a symbol of starting over.Stanley, with a fist gently pressed to his lips, coughed lightly and shook his head. "Nope, it's just... I remember you saying you didn't have your phone on you and couldn't add anyone."Zara sighed. "I was just trying to let the kid down easy."Stanley teased her. "You say 'kid', but you're barely older than him.""A three-year difference is like a whole generation," Zara quipped without missing