《The CEOs Possession》


 One

    In the spaced parlor of a three-bedroom apartment, adorned withfort requirements of a t-screen TV, air conditioning, a modest-sized refrigerator,fortable couches, and a ss table in front. With pictures of a light-skinned brte hanging on the walls.


    On the ss table sitting in front of one of the two lemon couches, a bunch of local newspapersy scattered across the table, a few others on the floor, ande across the other couch. Two brtes sat across the table, ransacking the papers.


    Gazing at a particr heading on the paper with apt uncertainty evident in sea-green eyes, Veil let out a long sigh she didn¡¯t think she had been holding. Her expression was one of innocent frustration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can cope with the job of a bartender.¡±


    Flipping the pages of a paper with the picture of a male model as its cover picture, the other brte gave a nce at the paper in Veil¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re not working in a bar, we¡¯d find something better.¡±


    Veil bit on the walls of her lips, silently holding back the urge to cry as she stared fixated on nothing in particr.


    ¡°When?¡± Her emotions almost gave her away with that one question. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing this all day, yet¡­ nothing.¡± She sniffed back the tears that at the moment threatened to run over her.


    June shot closed the paper on sensing Veil¡¯s tears in her sentence.


    ¡°Why not just let me help?¡± June queried¡± I can get you a job with just a phone call since you don¡¯t want my help with your dad¡­¡±


    Yeah! Her dad. He was the only reason Veil was urgently needing a job. Diagnosed with Chronic heart disease, he¡¯s been in the hospital for months. The doctors said only a heart surgery can save his dying heart. A surgery worth millions of dors. How¡¯d she ever be able to get such a whooping amount? Hence her search for a job in the most bizarre way. Why bizarre? Because of her kind of qualifications, she should be waiting for approval from one of the leadingpanies in the country. She hadn¡¯t been in a hurry to get feedback from them. Well, that was before her mother, Mrs. Smith gotid off from her job. Mrs. Vera Smith had been a lecturer at the state¡¯s University and a source of ie for Mr. Smith¡¯s treatment. With the job of a lecturer, Mrs. Smith had been financially safe and unbothered but, until the ailment of her husband¡­


    ¡°No June. You¡¯ve done too much already. You sorted out our three months bill when dad was almost sent out of the hospital, at the expense of your career. You have your own life to live, I won¡¯t let my family¡¯s troubles be a burden to you. All I ask of you right now is that you don¡¯t get tired of searching through these too many local papers with me.¡±


    June sighed. She already knew beforehand that this would be her answer. It was only sad that in such a situation, her best friend could still choose working hard for her needs, over epting help.


    ¡°Fine!¡± June could only agree. ¡°We¡¯d continue searching, hopefully, we¡¯d find something worth your efforts.¡±


    At the mention of the word ¡®effort¡¯, Veilughed ironically. If it had been before, a job worth her efforts will be the only thing on her mind, but not now.


    ¡°I wish that¡¯s the case right now, something worth my effort.¡±


    June exhaled calmly. She could only wish she had the right kinds of words to eliminate the sad energy around her friend.


    Afterward, the duo carried on their search quietly. Along the line Veil dozed off to sleep. June stared at Veil with pity. This friend of hers was just too stubborn and yet so innocent. If only she would just ept her help. Sighs. She left the parlor, for her room and returned with a nket. She proceeded to cover it over Veil and then went on with browsing the newspaper.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Veil woke up in an empty apartment. The stack of newspapers had been arranged into two bunches. Yawning tiredly, she reached for her phone on the table while still lying down. She had initially wanted to see what the time was, but she instead turned her data on, unknowingly.


    Seeing that it was a few minutes past the hour of eight (8), she concluded that June had already left to have fun, as she¡¯d usually do on Fridays. She lifted herself to see if probably June had found something, but, seeing the way the papers were arranged neatly in a stack, she could tell that there wasn¡¯t any hope. Sighing hopelessly, she just let her body slump back on the couch.


    ¡®If only life could be a little fairer for her family.¡¯ She thought. She was at the brick of tearing up when her notification tone interrupted. She nonchntly picked it up, but what she saw in the next second spiraled her from her position. Sitting properly this time, she brought the phone so close to her eyes for rity¡¯s sake. It was an email from the HR department of ¡®Kingston groups, thergest and most influentialpany in all of Mexico. Apany that majors in versatility. They were inviting her for an interview the next day.


    ¡°Tomorrow!¡± She screamed out of excitement.


    Overwhelmed With excitement, and not having an idea of what to do next, Veil picked up the apartment¡¯s keys, and her wallet from the table and dashed out of the house. The only person she had in mind at the moment was June.


    Yes!¡­


    ¡­. She needed to share this superb news with her best friend. She was certain that June would be so pleased to hear the news. With so much exhration, she gged down an iing taxi.


    ¡°Llevame a Hyde.¡± She told the driver who simply nodded and zoomed off. Seated with an enthusiastic heart, Veil tried to reach June severally, but all efforts proved abortive. She could only hope against hope that she wasn¡¯t in thepany of a man and alcohol. She knew how out of control June could get when tipsy.


    ¡°We are here ma¡¯am!¡± The driver told as he brought the car to a halt. Veil nced in his direction with surprise. Did she just hear him speak English?


    ¡°Usted has inglis?¡± Veil inquired.


    The young driver turned to look at her with a yful expression.


    ¡°Of course ma¡¯am. I speak in English.¡±


    Veil, embarrassed, could only facepalm herself. She had thought the young man to be one of the many locals who only understood Spanish. Meeting his gaze, she muttered an apology to him. And ¡­ why did he look too handsome for a taxi driver? With such rich facial features, he looked more like a model.


    He gave a lightugh at her innocent expression. And when Veil gave him his pay, he smiled and rejected it.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re myst for the evening, I won¡¯t charge you.¡±


    Veil stared nkly at him. Why was he offering her a free ride??


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡­¡± Veil inquired.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± The handsome driver answered with that same smile.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, I¡¯ll get going then.¡± With that, Veil alighted from the car. Stepping out, she wondered why the car felt so luxurious. Why did she only feel that now? Watching the car zoom off into the distance, she suddenly realized why. She had boarded a Bentley. Was that why the handsome driver refused to collect money from her? She faced palmed herself. If only she had looked properly, she¡¯d have seen the customized te number on the back.


    On Mexico¡¯s highway, in a Bentley Mulsanne, the driver¡¯s apple phone rang.


    The driver answered the phone with a grin.


    ¡°Hello, mother! I¡¯m in Mexico for a few more days, something important just came up.¡±

 Two

    Veil trailed behind a group of young girls in mini-exposing dresses as they made their way through the entrance hallway. Under the blue lights, she could see a few couples making out, and hear groans and moans and soft music ying. The more they walked down the hallway, the louder the music got. Reaching the end of the hallway, she entered a ce where the music was at its loudest. The room was more like a hall and was crowded. She stumbled upon a few insatiable love-making lovebirds, some drunks, coughed once and then twice at the choking smell of cigarettes. In less than five minutes, she was already regretting the decision she made in a state of excitement. Why didn¡¯t she just sit back and wait?


    First time in a club and she was already hating the idea of it.


    How was she supposed to find June in such rowdyism, and that too, with such lights?


    As she moved around searching for June, a group of drunk dudes in thepany of three drunkdies quaked her


    ¡°Hey!¡± One of the guys screamed.


    ¡°Move! Out of the way, nerd!¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Veil heard themugh and then one of the girls spoke next.


    ¡°Who dresses that way to a club?¡±


    Veil essed herself, she was still wearing the same cloth since morning. A pair of baggy jeans and a hoodie. She couldn¡¯t help but agree with the girl¡¯s question. Indeed, who wears such clothes to a nightclub? But she isn¡¯t here to party, she only came for her friend. As she turned to leave the scene, someone grabbed her ass, and with a deep husky voice, whispered into her ear¡­


    ¡°Hello! Magmosel!¡±


    Outraged eyes popped out of their sockets as Veil turned around to see who the imbecile that had dared to assault her was.


    The man was handsome and looked like yet another male model, he was wearing a rich business suit thatplimented his features so well and had a sexy smirk on, but, Veil didn¡¯t care about all that. A sensible man never assaults a woman. With so much anger, she gave him a p across the face. The man¡¯s face turned to one of displeasure in that instant. He was going to grab her by the wrist, drag her to his suit, and then punish her in a way that¡¯d leave her traumatized for the rest of her life, but then, someone tapped him from behind.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, you¡¯re here.¡± A man¡¯s voice stated. ¡°Please follow me.¡±


    The other man didn¡¯t have a choice but to follow him. Besides, this is the important business that had brought him to this ce. He nodded and followed behind as the elderly man led him to a quieter room. On his way, he took a nce behind and realized that the woman was no longer there.


    Under the red light, the two men talked. While the older man kept on quoting figures and numbers, Mr. Model¡¯s mind had traveled to another world entirely.


    Someone dared to hit him. A woman at that¡­


    When was thest time he had fun? He was going to have fun with this one.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, are you with me? Mr. Rodriguez?¡±¡­ The older man tried asserting in noticing the younger man¡¯s distraction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this some other time, shall we? I have more important business to take care of.¡± Rising to his feet, the model concluded.


    The older man was displeased to hear this, but, could he question a person who had the power to render him unemployed for life? So instead, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Do you want me to get you a woman for the night?¡±


    ¡°No, I already have eyes on someone.¡± With that, he walked out in search of the woman from earlier, but, didn¡¯t find her.


    Veil reached the apartment and surprisingly found it open.


    ¡°Where did you go to?¡± June¡¯s question weed her. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I went to the club to see if I could find you. How are you back this early and¡­ undressed¡­?¡± Veil queried. She was concerned. June never returns from the club until morning. Did something happen?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the club. Why did you go there to look for me? I only went to the store to get us something to eat. How in heaven¡¯s name was I going to leave you in such a condition?¡± June stared at Veil.


    ¡°Oh! I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Nahh! This wouldn¡¯t fit.¡± Veil grumbled over a piece of blue dress. June picked out another, but she rejected it outrightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too exposing for work, don¡¯t you think?¡± She grimaced.


    June picked out yet another, a red one.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d draw way too much attention.¡± Veil frowned. June picked another dress that had a V opening at the back, down to the waist, and a slit on its sides. Looking at the dress, Veil stared dumbstruck at June.


    ¡°Really?¡± Veil queried.


    ¡°What? The dress is sexy.¡± June argued


    ¡°It¡¯s a job interview I¡¯m going for, not a club.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Now, imagine a body like yours in a cloth like this. I¡¯m sure the interviewer wouldn¡¯t have any choice but to¡­.¡± June was saying, but Veil¡¯s disappointed re at her interrupted her.


    ¡°You are not one of those who think that a woman has nothing else to offer asides from her body, are you? Do you not believe in my abilities, my potential, my Resume?¡± Veil queried.


    June sighed, dropped the dress on the bed, and then walked over to Veil.


    ¡°I believe in you, Veil. I believe in your potential, your CV, and your capabilities. But, with all of those, you need a good dress as well. One that makes an impression. So that when you walk into that building, you¡¯ll remain confident until you step out. RM groups isn¡¯t just any ce. If you don¡¯t dress well enough on your first day, you¡¯d end up losing all of your confidence even before your interview.¡± June told. ¡°Now, having said all this, I think I know the best ce to shop for a dress with both ss and decency. Bills on me.¡± She winked, and then pulled Veil out of the room.


    They boarded June¡¯s BMW and June drove to a surprise destination.


    June pulled over at a fancy dress Shop. She stepped out at the same time as Veil and they walked in together.


    The Dress shop was filled with fancy dresses of assorted kinds. Dresses for formal wear and dresses for clubs, but in the vast shop, only a few shoppers were inside.


    ¡°This is an expensive dress shop, why are we here?¡± Veil thought.


    ¡°The bill is on me, so you can shop without having to worry about prices. Just pick the things you like. This is the only way I can assist since you don¡¯t want my help with dad.¡±


    Veil got emotional and pounced on June in a hug. June smiled and then hugged her back.


    Snap back tost night when Veil had shared the good news with her friend. June had been so excited, almost more excited than Veil herself. She had popped a bottle of Spiritus Vodka and had almost turned the apartment into a nightclub. Speaking of which, Veil had gone to bed with the thought of the man at the club dangling at the back of her mind. Why was she suddenly craving to be touched? And that too by him.


    Oh no! She wasn¡¯t having such dirty thoughts right now¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Veil picked up thest of the items she had selected and they proceeded to make payments at the cashier¡¯s after which they made their way out of the boutique.

 Three

    At 7:30 AM, Veil was up and preparing for a 9:00 clock interview. She had her shower, made breakfast, ate, and used the rest of the free minutes taking in deep breaths. Once it was 8:20 AM, she dressed up. In a white polyester V-neck long-sleeved shirt, a knee-length ck skirt that entuated her perfectly defined curves, and a pair of heels, she looked almost ready to rock. What was she missing¡­


    ¡­. Yap! Her hair. She brushed the waist-length hair and packed it to the back. She¡¯s never been a fan of make-up, so she didn¡¯t apply any, besides, her skin was pure and smooth. She picked up one of the bags they had gotten the day before, a Channel. Hurrying to June¡¯s room, she knocked on the sleeping girl¡¯s room and made her aware of her departure, before leaving. In a hurry, she almost gged down a Bentley, but thank heavens she was quick enough to withdraw her hand¡­


    ¡­ But. Why did the car feel familiar?¡­.


    In the passenger seat of the ck Bentley that had just passed Veil, a prince charming was seated with his head resting on the soft leather headrest, his eyes were shut closed, and long darkshes blinked on their own. On his perfect face, there was not a single expression. Not a frown, or a smile. Just calm and peaceful. He breathed calmly in and out, as he took a few minutes rests.


    The front seats were upied by an advanced male driver and a brown-haired one a bit younger than the grey-haired driver.


    ¡°Mrs. Harriet De Acosta would like you to join her for lunch, master Orleans.¡± The brown-haired man informed. He waited for a couple of seconds for an answer, but none came from the man behind.


    ¡°Master Orleans. Do I tell her that you¡¯d be joining her?¡± The brown-haired man asked again, and this time, he got a deep sigh for a reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Mother¡¯ PA Garth. You don¡¯t need to address her with so much formality when speaking to me. I¡¯m her son, and she¡¯s my mother¡± The young man behind me said in a soft tone. ¡°And yes, I¡¯d join her for lunch¡± He asserted. ¡°Now, can I go back to rest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master Orleans.¡± PA Garth answered respectfully, earning a sigh from the young man.


    Veil finally found a taxi. She gave the driver her address and then got in. All through the fast-paced ride, all she did was take in deep breaths and mutter words of encouragement to herself.


    ¡°We are here Ms.¡± The driver announced as the car stopped. She paid the elderly man and just as she was about to alight, the elder man said¡­


    ¡°You can do it, dear.¡±


    She red nkly at the man and then her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment in the next minute. So she hadn¡¯t been muttering silently to herself all along? But, she appreciated his being kind enough to say those words to her. She needed to hear them, especially from an elderly person. If only she was with her parents¡­


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled at the man and then alighted opposite the gigantic building of the renowned RM group.


    At the sight of the magnificence which she had only heard of, and seen only in pictures, all she could mutter was a mouth-dropping ¡®Wow¡¯.


    With deep breaths and continuous muttering to herself, Veil walked into the building. Entering the first floor of the forty-something-story skyscraper, she swallowed hard. More than a hundred people walked around and many others walked in and out of elevators and through stairs.


    Being one that has always known how to uphold her confidence, it was almost difficult for Veil this time. Although she was already falling in love with the work environment and the serious-mindedness of the staff. She¡¯d rate them a hundred, seeing the way they carried out their duties smoothly without the aid of a supervisor. Little wonders RM Group is at number 1 in the global market ratings. Also, she silently muttered a ¡®thanks from her heart to June. If she had gone ahead to insist not to be shopped for, she was certain she¡¯d have certainly felt embarrassed if she had worn anything less.


    Apart from being awe Stricken, Veil stood there wondering where to go from that point. The building was way too vast to try guessing her way at the moment. She was sure that if she should get lost in a ce this vast, finding her wouldn¡¯t be so easy.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am! Do you need help with something?¡± A young male approached her from behind.


    Veil turned around almost immediately, nearly bumping into the young man.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She grimaced apologetically. But the young man only smiled sweetly at her, in other words, letting her know he took no offense.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been standing here for a while now, do you need help with finding your way around?¡± He inquired.


    Veil looked up at the young man, taking note of his facial features. He had dark short hair and looked average. He wasn¡¯t especially handsome, nor bad looking, just average.


    Veil offered a small smile first before answering¡­


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ Yes! I have an interview today.¡± She told.


    ¡°Oh! this way please!¡± He offered, leading the way to a lift just on the left.


    Veil nodded and followed his lead. While behind, Veil took the opportunity to ess the young man.


    He was wearing a pair of finely tailored suits and a pair of nice leather shoes. Plus, he walked finely. If appearance spoke the truth, then she¡¯d say he was a gentleman.


    Veil was led through several lifts and when she thought they¡¯d be using another, the young man took a right turn on what Veil guessed was the fourth floor. They walked down a busy hallway and stopped in front of a door. The young man stepped aside and helped Veil with the door.


    ¡°You should go inside now, you¡¯re almost runningte.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the help.¡± Veil offered a smile.


    ¡°Good luck with your interview.¡± The young man replied in like manner and then walked away. Veil dragged into her lungs, deep breaths as she tried to calm her racing heart. Finally, she found a little relief, counted to three, and then pushed the door open, only to find arge number of people waiting.


    ¡®Wow! Just Wow!¡¯ Here she thought she was being led to her interview direct. At least, she could gather some more courage while she waited. That is if they ended up not asking the rest of them to leave without giving them a shot at the interview after deciding on a winner. She wouldn¡¯t me the interviewers, because the number of people was just crazy. Her chances of getting this job were slim because she was certain there were more qualified people in the room than herself.


    Outside the waiting room¡­


    A certain dark-haired, average-looking gentleman was on the phone with someone


    ¡°Sir! She¡¯s here!¡± He informed the person at the other end.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good! Make sure she gets the job.¡± A ruthlessly handsome voice ordered.

 Four

    ¡°Ms. Veil Smith. You¡¯re up next!¡± The speaker announced.


    ¡°Huh!!¡± Veil asked. Was it her or someone bearing the same name as her? Why was it her turn now? She had only been sitting there for five minutes. Some too many other people came before her, so, why was she next?


    As she stood up and confidently approached the door, she knew that others had the same thoughts running in their minds. Probably she was amongst the top firsts on their list.


    But! why was her name called, instead of her number?


    She noticed a lot of people staring at her with disdain and it made her feel strange in a way. She forced a smile in other to clear the air around her before walking in.


    As soon as she was out of sight, a few women turned to each other.


    ¡°She¡¯s thest person to walk into this room, yet she gets called before us all, and that too, by name?¡± One blonde asked.


    ¡°I think she must be acquainted with the CEO. Hmm! Lucky her.¡± Another, a short-haired brte murmured with a fixed gaze on the door Veil had just walked through.


    ¡°Hell no! A man of such caliber wouldn¡¯t go for such.¡± Another woman said with hate.


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s beautiful and poised¡­¡± The short-haired brte argued.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, yet so simple. Men of caliber don¡¯t settle for such. They go for elegance and ss. Sophistication. Women like Sophia De¡¯ Alonzo.¡±


    ¡°You mean the president¡¯s daughter?¡± The first blonde asked.


    ¡°Yes! Rumour has it that they are in a rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Keep it down, there are cameras everywhere.¡± The blonde whispered.


    During the interview process, Veil sat opposite twodies, both blondes and a gent. While one of thedies was older, the other looked to be in her early thirties. The older blonde was going through Veil¡¯s resume and gave a smile at intervals. After about five minutes, she dropped the file on the desk and met Veil¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Your resume says a lot, you¡¯re exceptionally good. The qualities you¡¯ve been rmended for are exactly what we need, but not in the marketing department.¡±


    Veil gave a hint of confusion at thedy¡¯s statement.


    Understanding her confusion, the older blonde smiled.


    ¡°The CEO needs a personal secretary and your resume says you¡¯re perfect for the job.


    Veil could barely understand what was going on. She had applied for the office of a marketer, not¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re to answer to the CEO alone, pay is Five hundred dors, half the money paid upfront and the other half paid at the end of the month. If you¡¯re interested please sign this contract.¡± pushes a document to a bewildered Veil.


    Veil was hesitant. The offer felt too good to be true.


    ¡°Can I think about it?¡±


    ¡°The moment you step out of that door, someone else is dly embracing the job¡± Seeing the perplexed look on Veil¡¯s face, thedy smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a dream. You earned it. Your resume is great.¡± She watched Veil smile and it moved hers as well.


    ¡°In front of you is a document stating that you are an employee of RM Groups. Now, will you please sign over here, Ms. Veil?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± In the heat of the moment, Veil took out her pen, she quickly read through the first five lines of the file, and seeing thedy was correct, she put her signature.


    Veil flung the door to the apartment open.


    ¡°I got the job,¡± Veil screamed with excitement.


    ted, June danced with excitement and then rippling with curiosity, she hurried to Veil.


    ¡°Tell me how it went¡± June pulled her by the wrist to the couch. ¡°In detail.¡± She added.


    Veil gave a lightugh and then imed the seat.


    ¡°So¡­ I got an even more exciting offer.¡±


    Veil saw June frown in her perplexity and sheughed again.


    ¡°They thought my resume was great, so, they asked if I could work directly for the CEO,¡± Veil exined.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking¡­ right?¡± This was way too unbelievable. Even Veil had given the same reaction to the news when she was told.


    Veil chuckled lightly at June¡¯s reaction. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Oh! My God!¡± June eximed. ¡°We need to drink to this.¡±¡­.


    The rest of the day was spent in good spirits. At night before going to bed, Veil called her mom and gave her the good news. She asked of her dad and the reply she got from her mom wasn¡¯t so pleasing. She dropped the call dispirited. But when she thought of her new job, she could only force a smile.


    Veil woke up as early as 6:00 AM. It was going to be her first day at work and she was so excited to be at work. She dressed up in a pair of suit pants, a tee shirt, and a fitting Jacket. She joined June for an ample amount of breakfast and then hurried out afterward. She gged down a taxi once she was outside. Staring at the busy road through the windowsill, she was all smiles. And the weather seemed topliment her mood. Bright and beautiful!


    ¡°We are here ma¡¯am!¡± Veil stepped out of the car with a bright smile and then paid the driver.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    With a confidence that was hard to not notice, she walked into the building, attracting the kind of attention that she didn¡¯t need. This was the real her, confident and bold. As she walked in, she saw the gentleman from yesterday. She smiled as she noticed him approaching her.


    ¡°Good morning missus Veil.¡± He returned her smile.


    ¡°Good morning Mr¡­¡¯


    ¡°Simon! The name is Simon.¡± The gentleman offered.


    ¡°Congrattions on your new job.¡± He added.


    ¡°Thank You.¡± Veil appreciated.


    ¡°Let me show you to your new office.¡±


    Veil nodded and then followed behind him. Their departure was followed by side talks.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s the CEO¡¯s new assistant.¡± A young honey-blonde Lady muttered to the young man next to her desk.


    ¡°Really? But the CEO has never had an assistant¡­.¡± The man replied.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s got really good qualifications.¡± Another girl added.


    ¡°Hurry keep quiet. The CEO is here.¡± Someone announced, and the whole first floor went into a frenzy.


    The entrance door flung open and in walked a group of men in ck suits, but amongst them, one man in a blue shirt stood out. With dark short hair, the face of a model, and the body of an athlete, he caught the attention of many. On his entrance, the entire hall went into silence. Only the sound of keyboards could be heard. The other men in the group were his bodyguards. He was escorted into his private elevator by two guards, while the rest used a different elevator.


    The elevator dinged open on the sixteenth floor, and he stepped out along with the guards. The elevator in the opposite direction also opened at the same time, and the other bodyguards stepped out as well, joining the rest as they matched behind the young man.

 Five

    Veil followed Simon as he took her to a spacious office on the fourteenth floor. The office was decorated with a white lc flowery wallpaper, and designed to fit three or more persons, but, it had just one desk, one arm swivel chair, and a window that looked outside the city. From there, one could see a lot of things. Like, the famous Chinese restaurant.


    ¡°This will be your office. I¡¯ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, you can ring me on the telephone at the desk.¡± Mr. Simon said and turned to leave, but, Veil called out to him just immediately.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything I should know about the CEO? Like, his schedule, favorite drink, coffee or tea, etc¡­¡± She inquired, earning a smile from Simon.


    ¡°His schedule will be sent to your work email. His favorite color is ck, and¡­ strong ck milkless and sugarless coffee is his preference. You¡¯ll get to find out other things as time goes by. Have a nice settling.¡± With that, he turned around and was gone.


    The moment Simon left Veil, he reported to the CEO¡¯S office.


    ¡°Sir! the Ms is in the building.¡±


    Ander who stood, looking out into the city¡¯s outskirts from his window gave a pleased smile on receiving this information.


    ¡°Send her here.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°The boss wants you in his office. Take his coffee along with you.¡± Simon informed her via phone. ¡°His office is the only one on the Sixteenth floor,¡± Simon added.


    Veil brewed a cup of coffee and then took it along as she entered the elevator on her floor. In no time, it dinged open and she stepped out. As she walked down the hallway to the office, she could feel a pang of nervousness which she tried her best to silence, by muttering words of encouragement to herself.


    Nearing the Italian door, she could see a few men in ck suits, patrolling the hallway and guarding the door.


    On approaching the door, she gave a light knock, and a gentle e in¡¯ followed. She pushed the door and tried her best to not get overwhelmed by this nervousness looming around her heart. She strolled in her usual confidence to the man standing by the window.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, your coffee.¡±


    ¡®So this is what she sounds like?¡¯ Ander thought, a tiny smirk ying on the corners of his lips. Slowly he turned around, with a smile so annoying.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Fierce!¡±


    Seeing this person right in front of her, Veil¡¯s hands gave way, and the cup fell off her hands and broke into numerous pieces. The hot coffee spilled on her in the process.


    Ander stared at the woman in front of him, and his smile immediately disappeared.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°How clumsy. Day one and you¡¯re already breaking things, spilling hot coffee on yourself. What then would you do when you clock one week, roast yourself up?¡± He sighed and turned away from her. ¡°The first aid is over there. Get me a fresh cup of coffee when you¡¯re done. And, don¡¯t burn yourself.


    Veil still in her perplexed state strolled in the direction he had pointed her. She picked up the small first aid kit and then clumped away.


    Ander put a call across Simon the moment he heard the door shut close.


    ¡°Get someone to clean my office.¡±


    Veil sat across her desk, sighing at intervals as she applied some ointment on the affected areas. Now that she was out of his sight and was a little bitposed, she wondered if that person was her boss.


    Such an unspeakable person. A man that had no respect for a woman, how did she end up as one of his employees? What if he ends up assaulting her?


    With that, she resolved to quit, at once. She shut the first aid box, made him a fresh cup of unworthy coffee, and matched to his office. She was going to teach him a tiny tiny lesson before quitting.


    ¡°Your coffee, Mr. Rodriguez.¡± With a trace of irritation, she gave his coffee.


    Ander looked up from hisptop. Leaning on the backrest of the swivel, he neglected the cup of coffee in front of him and took the chance to assess Veil from head to foot, until his eyes stopped on her waist.


    ¡°With all due respect Mr. Rodriguez, I¡¯d like to quit. I¡¯d tender my resignation letter to the right quarters.¡± Veil spoke. She waited for Ander¡¯s reply, but when it didn¡¯te, she squared her shoulder at him, turned around, and headed for the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wear pants to work tomorrow.¡± Ander who had been staring at her butt all along finally spoke up when she was just about to pull the door.


    Taken aback by his reply, Veil turned around, but he had already resumed with hisptop.


    Veil took the elevator to her office. She felt sad that she was going to forfeit a job she liked just because of a man who disrespected her once. But he hadn¡¯t been under the influence of alcohol that night, and even today, he didn¡¯t seem to be sorry for his action. He¡¯s just an arrogant, disrespectful, ma¡­.¡¯ she was about to conclude, but her phone rang.


    The caller ID read ¡®Mom¡¯. She dragged deep breaths into her lungs, before answering the phone.


    ¡°Hello, mom..¡±


    ¡°Veil dear! How are you doing?¡± The voice on the other end sounded shaky. As if the person had been crying.


    ¡°Mom! Are you okay?¡± The veil was beginning to panic.


    ¡°It¡¯s about your dad dear. His condition is getting worse by the day. The doctor says he¡¯d be needing the surgery sooner than expected. Else, we might lose him¡± Mrs. Smith sobbed silently. She tried to hold back her tears, but couldn¡¯t. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do baby. We can¡¯t lose your dad, I don¡¯t want us to¡­¡±


    The news, her sudden outburst, and her situation, everything just weighed down on Veil. She needed this job, she had to keep it at all costs, at least for the sake of her family. She can¡¯t lose her father all because of a minor incident. She could just forgive Mr. Rodriguez, pretend the ident never happened, and move on with work. That¡¯s if he doesn¡¯t end up firing her for what she had done.


    Never act on first instinct. Now she was going to apologize to Mr. Rodriguez. Although she hated the idea of it, did she have a choice? Her father¡¯s life depends on this job. She¡¯d have to let go of her pride. Just this once.


    Veil took the elevator once again and as she walked the hallway to Mr. Rodriguez¡¯s door, she pondered on the right words that might help keep her jobbed.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, I¡­¡± She started once she was in his office. But, his deep voice cut her off.


    ¡°Prepare for my meeting with HKs executives in less than thirty minutes.¡± Ander passed his instruction with stern authority.


    Surprised, Veil¡¯s mouth dropped open. Was he still keeping her? If yes, she should follow his orders quickly else, he might end up changing his mind.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Rodriguez,¡± Veil replied and then turned to leave¡­


    ¡­. but, Ander¡¯s voice came again, halting Veil in her tracks.


    ¡°And¡­ never add sugar to my coffee next time, if you don¡¯t want to end up dead.¡±

 Six

    Veil sat in the front of the Rolls Royce with the driver as they headed for the meeting with HKs executives. From what she had gathered online so far since the ride started, HK is an Advertising agency. She had an idea of what this meeting was about, all thanks to Simon who had given her a briefing. RM Groups was venturing into the Chinese market, so they were meeting with HK at a Spanish restaurant in town, to discuss a perfect Ad for the project.


    Veil gave a nce outside the window. The weather was still bright and promising. It was that kind of weather that could put a smile on one¡¯s face, and it did put one on her face until her mind had to wonder about the call she had received earlier. She moved her attention from the outside view. She needed to distract herself from sad thoughts. It was her first day at work. A clear mind was required for productivity and efficiency. With that, she tried to get herself to focus on something else, and somehow her eyes traveled to the rearview mirror and stayed there.


    Ander was sitting alone in the back, with long legs crossed against each other, and hisptop resting on hisp. His expression was serious as he red at the screen. An expression that could send shivers down one¡¯s spine. Veil could only imagine what it is he was staring at. While she studied him from the view, Anders¡¯s authoritative grey eyes met hers through the view, and she looked away at once.


    The car pulled over at ¡®El Puntal del Norte¡¯ a famous Spanish restaurant in the city. The driver, an average brown-haired man rushed out and helped Anders with the door. Veil helped herself and then followed behind Anders, trying to catch up with his long legs.


    As they approached the reception, Veil showed their reservation. Seeing Anders, a waitress who couldn¡¯t control herself, offered to show them to their table, hoping the man would notice her. But a man like Anders was far too busy to notice less important things. Watching the waitress walk like one whose butt had gone through a lot, all in the name of cat walking, Veil couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.


    The duo was led to a table for five at the VIP section where three young men, two who looked Chinese and one who looked American, sat. Seeing Anders approaching, they all stood up and weed him respectfully.


    Veil sat next to Anders before the men took their seats. Both parties exchanged pleasantries and then the meetingmenced in Chinese. Veil was perplexed, but with the little knowledge she had of thenguage, she was able to jot down a few things.


    An hourter and they were done. They rose to their feet and shook hands with each party saying their ¡®thanks¡¯ in Chinese. As they made their way out, Veil caught a few other waitresses staring at Anders with lust-filled eyes. A pair of subtle hazel eyes rolled on their own. It seems this is one of the many things she¡¯d be needing to get used to while working with him.


    As they stepped out of the restaurant, the driver who had been standing by the car all the while, hurried to get the door for the duo.


    The rest of the day was spent from meeting to meeting. Veil barely got a chance to eat at lunchtime and when she finally did get the chance, she couldn¡¯t. Being her first day, she didn¡¯t know her way around, so she decided to skip. But Simon came on board to her office with a tray of snacks a few hours past lunch time He ced it gently on her desk with a smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you at lunch, so I reasoned you might be here, overworking.¡±


    Veil returned his smile. ¡°I was just trying to catch up. It¡¯s my first day, you know? Plus, I barely know my way around.¡± She took a bite of the hamburger.


    ¡°It¡¯s your first day doesn¡¯t mean you should overwork yourself. Also, if you need anything, let me know.¡± Simon replied and then headed out.


    A few minutes before the close of work, Veil made her way to the cash department and collected her half payment for the month. When she was done, she took the exit and made her way out of the building. Outside RM¡¯s building, she gged down a taxi. This was going to be the best part of her day, going home.


    On the third floor of the skyline, a certain someone watched with apt attention the brte, until she was no longer in sight.


    Veil got home beaming with smiles of excitement. It still felt unreal, the job and the fact that she had gotten a pay on the first day. The whole of her was rippling with way extreme joy that she found so hard to contend with and couldn¡¯t wait to share with June. As she entered the parlor, a little note on the table caught her attention. Craning her neck to see what it was, she dropped her bag on the couch and then picked up the piece of paper from the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m off. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t stress out with this new job of yours. Tell me all the good stuff when I get back. Love love.¡± The note read.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Veil let out a deep sigh. How had she forgotten about the travel June had dreaded for months?


    On this day three months ago, June had received a call from her hard-as-stone father, demanding her immediate return to their family home in California. But June being June had refused outrightly. ording to her, California didn¡¯t feel like home. Guess she finally decided to listen to her old as hill grandfather.


    Veil could only hope for her safety, knowing June and her old man did not quite see eye to eye.


    She dropped her bag on the couch and then went into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. When she was done, she had a cold bath, then she proceeded in sorting out what to wear on the morrow. When she was done, she retired to bed. Early to bed, early to rise, but¡­ She didn¡¯t fall asleep until after reminiscing the events of the day. She that shock when she had seen who her boss was.


    Now, thinking about it, she had burnt herself today. She climbed down from the bed and strolled towards the wardrobe, opened it, and then brought out a first aid kit. She sat back on the bed and dressed the burn before finally going to sleep.


    As early as 7:00 AM, Veil was on her way to the office. Following Mr. Rodriguez¡¯s schedule, he was to be at the office as early as the rise of the day. She hailed a cab and spent her drive going through his schedule and pondering on how best to do her job. The car stopped almost immediately after she stepped in, at least it felt so to her. And when she looked out of the window, the building of RM Groups stood magnificent in the opposite direction. Her eyes bobbed up with surprise. How was she here so soon?


    She alighted the car and then paid the driver. She looked carefully in the two directions for iing vehicles and outgoing ones before crossing to the otherne with a bright smile on, and a confident mind.


    As she walked through the entrance doors, it kind of surprised her to see that even at this hour, the office was filled. What is the resumption time in this ce?


    She said ¡®Hello to a few close people, giving a brighter smile when she saw Simon alighting the stairs.


    ¡°Good morning, Simon.¡± She bowed slightly out of respect.


    ¡°Good morning Ms. Veil. You look to be in a better spirit today¡± Simon noted.


    ¡°Yes! Is Mr. Rodriguez here yet?¡± She inquired and Simon responded to her question with a nod. ¡°Alright, thanks, I¡¯ll go now.¡± With that, she walked passed him and headed towards the elevator.


    The moment the elevator dinged open, she stepped into her office, dropped her handbag, and went to the coffee machine. When she was done, she took the cup of strong ck milkless and sugarless coffee along with her iPad, to his office. She knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently for a response which she got in no time at all. Wounding the door open, she strolled in.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Rodriguez, your coffee.¡± She informed with a bright smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the way you like it, strong, and tasteless.¡± She added, stressing thest word.


    ¡°You¡¯rete!¡± He replied instead, turning around to face her.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veil asked. ¡°It¡¯s just 6:00 AM.¡±


    ¡°As my PA, you¡¯re expected to be at the office before my arrival. I got here at exactly 5:00 AM, you were supposed to be at your desk before the time of my arrival, but instead, you¡¯re an hourte.¡±


    Veil stared at Ander with eyes filled with surprise. Was he expecting her to be at the office as early as 5:00 AM?


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, I¡­¡± She tried to speak but got cut off.


    ¡°The next time you are thiste, you¡¯ll be deducted. Get out!¡± He ordered.

 Seven

    Veil sauntered back to her office in a dampened mood. She could tell that this wouldn¡¯t be thest time he¡¯d talk to her in such a way. While she tried to sort her mood, her office telephone rang. She answered the call almost immediately.


    ¡°Hello, RM Groups on the¡­¡± Before she could conclude her sentence, Ander¡¯s cold voice interrupted her.


    ¡°My office in five minutes.¡± Saying that he hung up.


    Veil could only smile, as she tried her hardest to smile. She started for his office in hurried strides, and in exactly five minutes she was there.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, you called.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Make corrections to these documents. I want them on my desk before 2:00 PM Ander replied nonchntly.


    Veiled stared with disbelief at the stack of neatly arranged files heaped on the side of his desk, wondering if he was serious or just taunting her.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t still here, are you?¡± He queried, snapping Veil out of her daze.


    ¡°Uhh! No, I¡¯ll just go now.¡± She carried the stack of files and headed out of his office.


    Dumping the load on her desk, Veil sank herself to work. She had just a few hours to edit, type and then print a bunch of papers. As if she had a choice.


    Throughout the entire morning and during Lunchtime, Veil was pinned to her seat, working her head out. Even when she was starving, she couldn¡¯t leave her seat.


    At exactly 1:45 PM, Veil was done. She carried the neat pile of the documents which she had made corrections to and reprinted, to Ander¡¯s Office.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez! the files are ready.¡± She said, suppressing a yawn.


    ¡°Dispose of them!¡± Came Ander¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veil asked.


    ¡°Those are already concluded documents from thest ten years ago. They are no longer useful.¡± Ander replied in his usual nonchnce.


    Veil stared at the man in front of her, wondering if he had s heart at all. She couldn¡¯t believe he had made her seat for over eight hours, working on a file that no longer had a use. The back of her eyes twitched, threatening tears, but, she blinked back the urge to cry.


    She carried the files back to her office and disposed of them.


    At the close of work, Veil cleared her desk, picked up her bag, and prepared to leave, but Simon stopped her.


    ¡°You can only leave after Mr. Rodriguez.¡±


    At this moment, Veil felt like crying. She had barely had a thing to eat all day and here she was having to wait for someone who was deliberately punishing her.


    ¡°Okay!¡± She replied curtly and then took the elevator back to her office.


    At 8:30 PM, she was almost giving up in her office when Ander gave the order that she could leave.


    The next day, Veil didn¡¯t fail to have an ample breakfast before leaving for the office as early as 5:00 AM.


    Just as she alighted from the taxi, Ander¡¯s car pulled over.


    Seeing his car, she exhaled her relief. She had been worried that he had already reached the office. She hurried towards his car, making her presence known.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Rodriguez.¡± She forced a smile at him. Ander turned in her direction and seeing her, a glint of surprise shed across his eyes, but then he looked away from her, ignoring her greetings.


    As they entered the building together, with numerous men in suits trailing in front and behind Ander, Veil who was walking beside him struggled to catch up with his long strides.


    ¡°My schedule for¡­¡± Ander started, but before he could conclude, Veil was already listing.


    ¡°For the morning, you¡¯d be meeting with VM cooperation at eight o¡¯clock, and immediately after that, you¡¯d be meeting with the executives at nine thirty AM, shortly after that, a meeting with Jk directors follows¡­¡±


    ¡°For VM cooperation, you¡¯d be discussing the new project and for JK directors, you¡¯d be signing the closure for the recentlypleted agricultural project in Africa,¡± Simon exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for the day, I believe,¡± Ander asked.


    ¡°No, Mr. Rodriguez. There¡¯s lunch with Ms. Jenna George.¡±


    ¡°Cancel it.¡± He replied without hesitation.


    Veil couldn¡¯t help but wonder who this person was to receive such treatment.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She answered.


    As they arrived in the hallway of the eighteenth floor, the men in suits formationed from the beginning of the hallway to the door of Ander¡¯s office.


    Simon opened the door for Ander, then he followed behind whereas Veil rushed out to make Ander a cup of coffee. By the time she returned shortly after, Simon was about to leave.


    She put down the cup of coffee on the desk in front of him and then excused herself. As she turned to leave, Simon said something to her and she smiled. Ander stared at Veil until the double doors of his office closed.


    Noon


    Ander had just concluded hisst meeting for the day. He strode out of the board room after infusing panic on everyone there. Veil and Simon followed behind him. While one was agitated, the other was serious as they walked toward Anders¡¯ office.


    ¡°Sir, would you want me to do anything for you?¡± Veil asked a serious-looking Ander.


    ¡°No!¡± Ander answered curtly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together Ms. Hart, I heard you¡¯re Spanish. I know the best Spanish restaurant in the¡­¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t avable for that, Simon.¡± Anders¡¯ tone was stern, jolting Simon. ¡°As long as I¡¯m staying back at the office, my assistant has to stay back as well.¡±


    Veil was both stunned and angry, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to vent. While Simon was confused, but he simply nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around.¡± Simon smiled at Veil before walking away.


    At the close of work, Simon offered Veil a ride as she stood awaiting her ride.


    ¡°No, thank you, Simon. I already booked a ride.¡± She rejected politely.


    ¡°Alright then, goodbye Ms. Hart,¡± Simon said and then drove off.


    On the third floor of the building behind her, a certain someone wasn¡¯t pleased seeing Simon and Veil talking.

 Eight

    The door to the office of JK¡¯s president opened after a rasp, and PA Garth walked into the spacious office.


    ¡°Master Orleans, we found the woman you¡¯re looking for, she works for Anders Rodriguez.¡±


    Orleans twirled his seat towards his PA with brows dragged together in a frown.


    ¡°Find out at what time she closes from work.¡± His tone was calm but deep. PA Garth reflexly wondered what business he had with the woman.


    Anders nced into Veil¡¯s office as he strode towards his¡¯ with his bodyguards trailing behind him. She was going through something on herputer and Simon was standing next to her, pointing out something. Seeing them so close, Anders¡¯ eyes narrowed in anger at Simon. Veil raised her gaze just in time to meet Anders¡¯ wicked one. She jerked up from her seat at once.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez!¡± She called. Simon looked up and saw Ander ring at him with ruthless emotionless eyes and a chill ran down his spine. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind Anders¡¯ gaze so he nervously bowed in greetings. But Anders ignored him and walked away.


    Confused and at the same time anxious about the situation, Veil hurried out of her office and followed behind Ander.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Rodriguez, would you¡­ like¡­ Uhm¡­ anything.¡± She bit on the walls of her lower lip as she asked nervously. ¡°Shall I get you a cup of coffee?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s my schedule for the morning?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­ I left my iPad, I¡¯ll go get it ande.¡± As she turned around and walked away in a hurry, grey lustful, but angry eyes lingered on her.


    In less than two minutes, she returned with her iPad.


    ¡°You¡¯re to visit the construction site at eight thirty AM which is¡­ now,¡± Veil said looking up at him.


    ¡°Alright then, do you know how to drive?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Veil asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re my secretary, driving me is a part of your job description.¡± He said and then started walking away, but then he stopped when he couldn¡¯t hear Veil following behind him.


    ¡°My secretary should ensure we aren¡¯tte.¡± Hismanding tone pulled Veil from her stunned state.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Uh! Sorry, Mr. Rodriguez.¡±


    She quickly grabbed hisptop from his desk and hurried after him.


    On arriving outside the building, the chauffeur opened the door for Anders.


    ¡°You can take the day off, Ms. Hart will drive me today.¡±


    The chauffeur was stunned for a moment, but then he nodded and bowed. It was surprising to get a day off. It was the first of it, but thanks to thedy, he could spend a day with his wife and their new kid.


    As Veil imed the driver¡¯s seat, she mentally prepared herself for the task at hand. Yes, she could drive and also had a license, but she had never driven this ss of car before.


    Nervous hands crawled up the steering wheel and she swallowed hard.


    ¡°Is the car too sophisticated for you, Ms. Hart?¡± Anders¡¯ domineering voice sieved through her, causing her to adjust nervously in her seat.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Veil stammered slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden such before¡­¡± She bowed her head in shame as she replied honestly.


    Anders stared at her for a moment, with eyes that gave no information away. Then he nodded.


    ¡°Just ignite the engine and take a deep breath, then you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    Veil took notice of the unusual calm in his voice, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. She simply did as he said, inhaled a nice mass of air, and ignited the engine. The way the car came alive when she did, overwhelmed her, and she found herself smiling. But Anders cut through her excitement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me runte.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­,¡± she blushed, embarrassed at her disy of¡­ foolishness?

 Nine

    On arriving at the construction site, Veil alighted the driver¡¯s seat and casually opened the door for Anders. She felt less embarrassed now, the ride had helped her calm down.


    As they stepped out, a few construction workers in charge were on standby to wee them, or Anders.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez!¡± One of the men, who looked more advanced in age approached Anders, offering both his hands to him.


    ¡°Mr. Feliz!¡± Anders shook them with one of his while the other rested in his trouser pocket.


    Veil looked at the man dressed in an engineer¡¯s wear to see if there was any trace of embarrassment on his face, but there wasn¡¯t. He instead looked humble, as if to say it was a privilege to shake hands with Anders.


    Well of course it was. Was she forgetting who the man in question was? The infamous Anderson Rodriguez, CEO of Kingston Groups. One of the biggest and wealthiest techpanies in the country. Who was she kidding? The man ought even to bow based on the name and ssification of power. Veil thought. She eyed Anders and didn¡¯t fail to notice how elegant he looked in the ck designer slim-fit suit he was wearing.


    Unknowingly, her eyes linger on him for far too long and when she finally realizes herself, he had a questioning brow raised at her.


    She jerked back in shock and then swallowed hard, her cheeks turning red instantly with embarrassment. Luckily for her, the other men were no longer with them.


    With two long strides, Anders was covering the distance between them and they were standing close enough that Veil could feel his warm breath fanning her face. She swallowed hard. There was a knowledge of how much she needed to pull away, but she couldn¡¯t get her legs to move, they were pinned to the root of the ground. His lips were just an inch away from hers and she involuntarily found herself staring at them. She found her thoughts wandering to dangerous paths. She bit the corner of her lower lip, stopping herself from thinking any more nonsense.


    ¡°If you want to check me out, do that when we¡¯re alone.¡± He whispered in her face and she was suddenly aware of the seductiveness in his tone. It made her feel drowsy and weak in the knees. She bit her lower lip again, sniffling in a moan.


    Ander¡¯s body stilled. He fought back the heat building inside of him as he nced between her pink lips and her hazel eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again!¡± He murmured and then gulped hard.


    ¡°Come.¡± He called out as he pulled away from her and started further into the construction site where the men from earlier stood, awaiting him.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, this way please!¡± The advanced man from earlier ushered Anders further in, discussing the progress of the building while Veil followed behind wordlessly, trying to get over that little thing from earlier.


    After what seemed like an eternity, it was time to leave. The men whom Veil had gotten to know were the directors and engineers of the project, led them safely out to where their car was parked.


    ¡°Thank you Mr. Rodriguez for stopping by.¡± The engineer smiled appreciatively, we needed youing over especially at this point of the project.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you for the wonderful job you and your team are doing. I couldn¡¯t have contracted a better agency for this job.¡± Anders said.


    ¡°We are d the project is going just how you like it.¡± The engineer smiled.


    The men talked a little longer, before finally shaking hands. Anders turned to Veil, and she looked down. As they headed back to the car, she could feel his dangerous eyes lingering on her and it made her uneasy.


    She opened the car door for him and shut it close when he was inside, before iming the driver¡¯s seat, but just as she climbed on, she was suddenly fully aware of him and that awareness made the car feel stuffy. As she drove, she could tell he still had his eyes on her, and once in a while, when she nced over at the rare view, she confirmed it. She swallowed hard, silently hoping they arrive at the office quickly and she gets out of this awkward situation.


    But just when they were almost close to Kingston Groups,¡­This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Take a turn to the left,¡± Anders instructed. Veil was a bit hesitant, but then she had no say, she simply did as she was told.


    She drove down a serene road and just when she was closing up at a small Spanish restaurant, Anders asked her to stop the car.


    Veil hurried out and opened the door for him and he pulled out of the vehicle carefully. Finally being out of the confinement of the small car, Veil could finally breathe and slowly, she found herself regaining what was lost- herposure.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡±

 Ten

    But just when they were almost close to Kingston Groups¡­


    ¡°Take a turn to the left,¡± Anders instructed. Veil was a bit hesitant, but then she had no say, she simply did as she was told.


    She drove down a serene road and just when she was closing up at a small Spanish restaurant, Anders asked her to stop the car.


    Veil hurried out and opened the door for him and he pulled out of the vehicle carefully. Finally being out of the confinement of the small car, Veil could finally breathe and slowly, she found herself regaining what was lost- herposure.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have breakfast before leaving home. I need you to read me the rest of my schedule over a te of meals.¡±


    Veil noticed the emphasis on the first three words of the second sentence and a picture shed in her mind. She mentally berated herself for thinking the way she just did.


    ¡°Sure!¡± She offered him a smile, hoping against hope that it didn¡¯t look as forced as it was. Then they walked inside.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡± A voice called out excitedly as soon as they walked in.


    And when Veil turned around to see who the person was, she saw an advanced woman approaching. She looked at Anders to see his reaction, but his face was as stoic as she was beginning to get used to.


    ¡°Mrs. Grant.¡± He just said curtly, then went ahead to ce his order. ¡°I¡¯ll have the usual.¡±


    ¡°Hello!¡± Veil smiled at the woman when she locked eyes briefly with her.


    The olddy smiled back at her, gently putting down a menu in front of her. ¡°What would you have dear?¡± She asked. It was the first time Anders was bringing anyone here, so she was extra sweet towards Veil. Anders had never been serious with any women, so for all she knew, this was the start of something.


    ¡°Uh! Nothing, thank You. I had breakfast before leaving home.¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine eating in front of Anders, so she lied, despite how hungry she was feeling. She¡¯d just have to use the cafeteria, or order something by the time they must have returned to the office, and eat in thefort of her own space.


    ¡°She¡¯ll have what I¡¯m having,¡± Anders said, browsing through his phone indifferently.


    Veil looked up at him, she wanted to retort, but, Anders didn¡¯t give her a chance to. ¡°That would be all, Mrs. Grant.¡±


    The olddy bowed and left to get his order.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s my schedule for the rest of the day?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡± Veil said, scampering through her bag for her iPad. When she fetched it, she unlocked it. ¡°There¡¯s a meeting over dinner with the chairman of Reese Enterprise. At 2:30 PM you¡¯d be meeting with all heads of department over theunching of the new product. Your conference call with the board of directorses at 3:30 PM. You¡¯d close off the day with¡­


    While Veil read his schedule, Anders found himself reclining on his seat, his whole attention fixated on Veil¡¯s lips. He could feel every one of his nerves reacting involuntarily to her. Even when Mrs. Grant returned with their order, he still had his eyes locked on her.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Grant,¡± Veil said, smiling at the olddy. When she looked up from the te of eye catchy food in front of her, she met Anders¡¯ serious gaze. Taken aback, she felt her heart skip, then start to beat rapidly. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was staring at her in such a manner. She was long done reading his schedule, so why was he still staring?


    ¡°That-that¡¯s all.¡± She said with a slightly shaky voice as if to remind him that he still had his attention on her. And it seemed to work, because he looked away from her, casually picking up his fork from the te in front of him. He rolled in some food and gradually lifted the fork to his lips. His eyes, slightly flirtatious, locked unto Veil¡¯s and without averting his gaze, he kissed the spoon so slow that Veil¡¯s lips parted on their own. And only then did he look away. He had seeded in putting her in the condition he wanted.


    ¡°You could stare less and eat more, there¡¯s a lot of things to be done in the office.¡± His deep voice resonated in Veil¡¯s ears, jolting her back to reality.


    ¡°Oh dear, what was that?¡± Veil swallowed hard, mentally berating herself for that small foolishness earlier. How could she look at her boss in such a way? How could she let something as simple as a man¡¯s eating draw her attention so much? This was so embarrassing.


    But, she had to admit it, there was something in the way he had kissed that spoon, and that too with his eyes fixed on her like it was an action done deliberately to do just that to her.

 Eleven

    As soon as they returned to the office, Anders handed Veil a trailer load of files to type and edit.


    ¡°Make them avable before the meeting with HT ventures.¡±


    Veil¡¯s eyes grew wide as she nced between the four stacks of neatly piled files. How can anyone do such work in less than three hours? She grimaced as she thought about it. Deep down, she knew he was deliberately doing all this as revenge, else, she couldn¡¯t tell any other reason why he made her suffer every day at the office.


    She picked up the documents, turned on her heels, and left for her office.


    While she was at it, she almost didn¡¯t realize it was noon. Until Simon knocked on her door and peeked in.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hi Simon, sorry, I can¡¯t. I have to finish up these files and submit them before Mr. Rodriguez¡¯s One o¡¯clock meeting. Luckily, I¡¯ll be done in a few minutes.¡± She yawned, stretched, and then smiled at him.


    ¡°You look hungry,¡± Simon noted and Veil nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°I am hungry. But, this is what I signed up for when I decided to apply for this job, so it¡¯s fine. You should go eat, don¡¯t let me be the reason you skip lunch.¡± She smiled at him.


    Simon nodded, ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Veil smiled and watched him leave. As soon as the door closed behind him, she sighed, slouched, and yawned again. She was supper hungry. She hadn¡¯t been able to eat a sustainable amount of food earlier, not with Anders being there all the while. Plus, who takes steak and a few lettuce leaves for a meal? ¡°What a petty eater.¡± She mumured.


    ¡°Hurry up Veil, it¡¯s almost twelve-thirty.¡± Encouraging herself, she sat up and started punching on her keyboard. When she was done, she saved the file and then printed them out.


    She stretched tiredly and smiled with relief. ¡°All done.¡± At least she could catch a few bites of food before twelve-thirty. She excitedly made for the door, and her table phone suddenly rang. She hurried back to her desk, and as she picked it up, Anders¡¯ authoritative voice came.


    ¡°Be here in three minutes.¡± He said and hung up.


    Instantly, Veil packed up the edited files and hurried out of her office. When she got to Anders¡¯ door, she knocked and without waiting for his answer, she walked in.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, here are the files you asked me to edit.¡±


    As she put the files down on Anders¡¯ desk, he stared between her and the files. How had she finished those in the space of three hours?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t just print these, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Rodriguez. I typed, edited, and printed. Just as you asked me to. Although it was a lot of hard work which I believe was the reason behind it in the first ce.¡± Veil said, murmuring the rest of the words to herself.


    ¡°Prepare for my one o¡¯clock meeting. We leave in five.¡±


    Veil¡¯s eyes narrowed at him in anger, but she couldn¡¯t do anything other than stamp her feet angrily when she was out of his office.


    Veil¡¯s stomach rumbled as she drove to HT Ventures. A forty-two-story building situated in the heart of Los Angeles.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We are here, Mr. Rodriguez.¡± She informed him as she pulled into a space at the side of the road. She hurried out of the driver¡¯s seat and opened the door for him. As they entered the building¡¯s first floor, some men in suits stood by the door, awaiting him.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡± A ginger-haired man in a gray suit approached him. ¡°Wee to HT Ventures, it¡¯s an honor to have you here.¡±


    The man offered his hand, and Anders shook it briefly.


    ¡°This way, please¡­¡± The ginger-haired man said, ushering Anders towards an elevator.


    They walked into the elevator, and one of the men pressed a button indicating the fortieth floor.


    From the side of Anders¡¯s eyes, he saw one of the men, an advanced blonde, checking Veil out from behind, his countenance suddenly turned unfriendly.


    The elevator opened up on the fortieth floor and the men led Anders inside a conference room. He imed the seat at the head of the long oval table, and the rest of the men sat around. Whereas the blonde man from earlier followed Veil to a seat she was upying at the far end of the table. Anders¡¯ eyes followed the blonde man raptly and when Ander saw him sitting next to Veil, his eyes narrowed in anger.


    The other executivesmenced the meeting ignorant of Anders¡¯ zing fury


    As the meeting went on, Veil could feel Anders¡¯ intense gaze in her way and when she nced at him, she confirmed it. She didn¡¯t know why he had his grey eyes narrowed furiously in her direction, but it sure was ufortable.


    Veil shifted her gaze from Anders and forced herself to concentrate on writing the minutes of the meeting. But, as if Anders¡¯ Ireful gray eyes constricted at her wasn¡¯t enough, the foolish blonde executive next to her was getting seemingly too close to her. Searching for excuses to touch her.


    He ced a hand on her naked knee and was attempting to trail Veil¡¯sp against her will. Veil tried to take care of the situation without getting the attention of the others in the room and distracting the meeting. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend the men, especially Anders¡¯. She couldn¡¯t risk distracting the meeting. But could such go unnoticed by Anders whose rapt attentiony fixed on her?


    ¡°You¡¯re fired!¡±


    The suddenness of his voice, the sharpness of his tone, and the dangerous aura reeking around him sent everyone into perplexity. Veil included.


    Anders pointed in the direction of the blonde executive sitting next to Veil.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that disgusting face the next time I¡¯m here.¡± His tone was ruthless, his gaze at the executive was dark and he looked altogether dangerous.


    As he rose from his seat, the confused executives, got up as well and so did Veil. She too could barely tell the reason for his sudden disy of ruthlessness. Had he seen all that? He strode out of the conference room with Veil hurrying behind him. The executives bowed slightly until he was out of their sight.


    Anxiously, Veil drove in silence to the office. Her heart was pounding nervously in her chest as she tried her hardest to keep her hands straight on the wheel. With her stomach thundering with hunger, and her heart racing nervously, she didn¡¯t know which to control.


    She thought to turn on some cool music, but Anders stopped her before she could execute her thoughts. Veil swallowed hard and took her shaky hand back.

 Twelve

    Immediately they got to his office, Anders walked in and Veil immediately followed. And as soon as she shut the office door, Anders¡¯ voice red out in the room.


    ¡°What was that? Are you so low that you could let someone, just anyone touch you, can¡¯t you do better?¡± Anders was visibly furious and emitted an aura so fearsome.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting the meeting Mr. Rodriguez, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Veil apologized and even though Anders knew what she was saying was the truth, because he had watched everything, he couldn¡¯t get himself to not be angry. Probably because he was furious and at the same time jealous that someone had dared to touch a woman he wanted, and that too, an old ssless hag. He was surely going to put him in his ce. But until then, he needed to try controlling his anger.


    ¡°Get out!¡± He said, cutting through Veil¡¯s plea. Veil thought she didn¡¯t hear properly so she asked.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°I said get out!¡± Anders raised his voice. ¡°Go try being useful, ¡¯cause you¡¯re not right now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Veil apologized, turned around, and made for the door. Once the door went shut, Anders¡¯s countenance turned solemn. He hadn¡¯t failed to notice that distinct expression of pain that had suddenly appeared in her eyes when he had asked her to get out. He immediately regretted being harsh on her, she didn¡¯t deserve that.


    Veil shut the door to her office and copsed on her desk. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that it was okay and there was no need to take the things that Anders said to her to heart, she still couldn¡¯t stop the pain from enveloping her and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks. She had never been strong at heart which was one of the many reasons she had wanted to take her time with finding a job with the right boss, but here she was with a difficult CEO, yet she couldn¡¯t resign because of her father¡¯s life depended on her keeping this job. Plus, she couldn¡¯t even just walk away if she wanted. Anderson had made his workers y a dirty game on her. She would only resign on his terms and if he willed it. She bowed her head and let her tears fall freely on their own.


    Life wasn¡¯t being fair to her right now. She cried some more and then began typing some documents and wiping her eyes. She couldn¡¯t wait for the close of work so she could retire home already. At least, that was the only time and ce that gave her a little peace andfort.


    At 3:00 PM, Anders was ready for his meeting scheduled for 3:30 PM with the directors of a start-uppany. Veil was lost in her state that she had forgotten what the time was and other things. Anders pushed her office door open gently and stood there staring. She barely even noticed his presence for she was lost, he noticed.


    He watched her and wondered if her being in that state had to do with him alone or if there was something else bothering her.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± He cleared his throat, instantly jolting Veil back to reality.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez.¡± Veil sprang up from her seat the moment she noticed him at her door, and as if him standing there was a reminder, she reached for her phone and once she saw that it was past 3:00 PM already, she panicked, but before she could tender her apology, Anders interrupted her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    Veil was both confused and panicky. ¡°No, Mr Rodriguez. I have toe with you, someone needs to take down the minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important, there¡¯s some other work you could do. Prepare JK¡¯s contract file and leave it on my desk before I return, that¡¯s more important.¡± Anders concluded and started for the door. But, he soon stopped just when he held the door¡¯s knob. ¡°Also, you can go home once you¡¯re done, I won¡¯t be returning to the office.¡± He said and then walked off.


    Veil red in surprise at his disappearing figure. Did she just get a chance at leaving early for home? This was the best news she had gotten today. She quickly searched for JK¡¯S file and began working on it and in less than two hours, she was done and ready to sign out of the office for the day.


    After dropping the file at Anders¡¯s office, she cleared her desk and took the elevator to the ground floor.


    ¡°Ms. Hart.¡± She heard a familiar voice call and turned around to meet Simon¡¯s smile. She returned his smile and stood at the spot and waited for Simon to approach her.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready to sign out for the day.¡± He said eyeing her thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, I am. His Majesty was kind enough to give me the privilege of leaving early today.¡± Veil replied and Simonughed heartily.


    ¡°Lucky you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m so lucky to be Anderson Rodriguez¡¯s secretary, that¡¯s a privilege I don¡¯t deserves.¡±


    ¡°Sarcasm, I get it.¡± Simon chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    ¡°Right then, bye, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Veil said and continued out. But as she stepped out of the building, she heard someone call her name.


    ¡°Veil Hart?¡±


    Veil frowned. Did Simon follow her outside, and were they now doing full names because they were outside the office, and what was that sudden euphonious baritone?¡± She thought to herself, but as she turned around to look at Simon, a charming face smiled brightly at her.


    Veil brows furrowed as she tried to recall where she had seen that face before. Hadn¡¯t she met him on the same night she met Anderson Rodriguez? Yes, she remembered now, he was the driver whose car she had ridden on her way to the club where she had gone in search of June. Now that she recalled him, she felt both embarrassed and grateful over again, but more of thetter.


    She smiled at him, ¡°Hello!¡±

 Thirteen

    ¡°Hello!¡± Veil said smiling brightly at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor and as well a relief to know that you remember me.¡±


    Veil chuckled and Orleans couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched her.


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Having a beautifuldy remember you isn¡¯t something you get every day I guess, plus, you just saved me the stress of having to exin who I am, where we had met, and all that.¡±


    Veil smiled.¡± Although it was at night, it would be difficult to not recall the face of the person that had been of help to me. And, speaking of that night, I didn¡¯t get to say a proper thank you to you and I also think I owe you an apology for gging down your car. I was too in a hurry to notice I had stopped a Bentley Mulsanne.¡± Veil said, mouthing an embarrassed smile.


    Orleans let out a light charmingugh. If he was, to be honest, that night when someone had gged down his car, he had been surprised and wondered if the person probably didn¡¯t see clearly, then he had looked out from the window and had seen the most beautiful woman he had since he arrived the country. She had a bright smile on her face and seemed a little distracted. ¡°Apology epted. Besides, it was a privilege to have had a damsel ride with me, even though it was for the briefest moment.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t tter me.¡± Veil chuckled and then nced around as if searching for something, or someone. ¡°So, what are you doing in this area?¡±


    ¡°Uhm! I¡¯m searching for a job, so I¡¯m checking thepanies in the neighborhood to see if they¡¯re hiring. He exined and then ncing at her bag, he said. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready to leave for home, let me drop you off.¡±


    ¡°Oh! no, my ride is on its way already, thank you.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Orleans groaned clutching onto his chest. ¡°That hurts.¡± He feigned a frown. ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good luck with your job Hunting, I hope you don¡¯t find an arrogant boss.¡±


    Orleansughed gently and said.¡±I hope so too. I¡¯ll get going, I hope to see you again sometime.¡±


    Veil smiled at him. ¡°Bye!¡±


    Orleans returned her smile, turned, and started for his car. As he reached for his door, he nced briefly at Veil and waved her bye. She waved back with a bright smile. Then Orleans boarded the car, ignited the engines, and zoomed off. Veil¡¯s taxi arrived a few minutester.


    In the back seat of a ck Rolls Royce parked a few meters adjacent thepany¡¯s building, Anders¡¯s blood boiled as he watched Veil standing there, smiling like she had never to him, and waving at the man she had earlier been standing with. Why did she have to stoop so low as to speak and smile at just anyone that walked up to her? He wanted to say, then he saw the man¡¯s car, an ordinary person won¡¯t ride that.


    Veil returned home and the moment she made it up to her apartment safely, she copsed on the medium-sized bed in her bedroom. ¡°You tried today, Veil.¡± She whispered words of praise to herself. She had controlled herself well enough from ring at Anders and she had also tried her best with handling the situation with the executive. ¡°You¡¯re doing great!¡± She murmured to herself, her eyes were already heavy from not catching enough sleep in two days, it had taken her her entire resolve to not fall asleep in the car while the evening¡¯s wind fanned her face as the driver drove. She had done a lot of work these past few days, plus, waking up so early and returning home sote, her entire body felt weak and tired. If she was to continue this way for a few more weeks, she feared she might break down sooner orter.


    She also felt hungry and needed to have a bath, but, she was too tired to do any of those. She¡¯d have to take a brief rest first, then she woke up, she¡¯d do other things.


    Veil yawned and stretched awake with a bright smile. How long had she slept that she felt this energized and revived? She helped herself from the bed, and her stomach growled in rm. So she had gone to bed without lunch or dinner? Little wonders she had such a scary dream. Any other female would find having Anders in their dreams erotical and beautiful, but she didn¡¯t. Not when she considered him a living nightmare.


    She went into the kitchen and helped herself with making dinner. This felt so great, waking up and knowing that you have some more hours to yourself, the best feeling in the world. How many more hours did she even have left? She nced at the kitchen clock, and her eyes widened in shock!


    ¡°Back to thepany,¡± Anders told his driver when he realized he had left an important file. He should have called and asked Veil to bring it to him, but, he chose otherwise. She must have already left for home. He had seen the excitement in her eyes when he had asked her to take the rest of the day off.


    Just as the car pulled into Kingston Street, Anders lifted his eyes from hisptop, his gaze shifting to a particr someone who was currently standing with a man.


    He should be in his early thirties, and from his outfit, should not even be considered a threat. Anders thought looking at the man. But, the sudden rush of possessiveness that took abrupt control of him came as a shock.


    His brows narrowed at the man, then his brow deepened in a frown. In a pair of simple jeans and a tee shirt. Such a person would never win over him, he was confident about that, well until the strange man climbed into the jaguar parked adjacent to hispany¡¯s building.


    The piece of partly burnt-up toast that she had in her mouth immediately fell off to the ground when she saw that she only had five minutes left to get to work. As she was still wrapped up in a hard denial she robbed her eyes seriously with the back of her hand and then looked at the clock again but mercilessly it told her that she was evente now.


    As if knowing she was about to runte for work wasn¡¯t enough, her phone started to ring in her bag. Fetching it, Anders¡¯ name boldly appeared on the screen and she couldn¡¯t help herself from panicking.


    ¡°Oh, Veil,¡± she muttered to herself. You don¡¯t have to be like this.¡± Dragging in slow breaths of calmness, she answered the call.


    ¡°Hel¡­¡± She was saying, but he didn¡¯t let her finish.


    ¡°Prepare JK¡¯S File and leave it on my desk.¡±


    With that one call, Veil felt her heart leap out of her chest. How in heaven¡¯s name had she slept so long to wake up a few minutes before her resumption time? This wasn¡¯t good, she didn¡¯t want Anders scolding her again like she was some ten-year-old, she couldn¡¯t afford that. She was way past the level of having to go back and forth with her employee.


    With the speed of lightening, she dashed into her room, freshened and dressed up before hurrying out with a silent prayer that Anders doesn¡¯t arrive at the office before her and that traffic was going to kindly give favor to her.


    When her taxi arrived at thepany, she was more than relieved to see Anders¡¯ car pulling in just then as well. Dragging in a deep breath, she hurried ahead of him, took the elevator to her office and sent the file he had requested to his desk, and was just hurrying out of his office. She needed to be in her office, and that too seated to wee Anders who was approaching from the other direction in his usual long purposeful strides, and they crashed into each other the moment Veil pulled the door open.

 Fourteen

    Seeing Anders, Veil could feel her heart starting to race. She had been trying to avoid this exact scenario, and now she felt like a thief caught in the act.


    ¡°Good morning, s-sir¡­¡± she stuttered in her attempt at clearing the air. It felt awkward knowing that their first encounter for the morning was not supposed to be here, but at her desk where she should have weed him. But more awkward was having him so close, she could smell his cologne. It was intoxicating, causing her mind to wander in directions it should never.


    ¡°I apologize, I was a little tardy today but I promise that it won¡¯t repeat¡­itself¡­¡±


    Her voice steadily began to fade away as she noticed that even though he was not saying anything he was staring at her as if they were in some staring contest, or as though if he were to blink for a moment she would disappear or turn into dust.


    She was almost tempted to give her fingers in his face to check if he was still there with her, but she resisted the urge to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at my office,¡± she said and tried to escape from his domineering presence, but Anders beat her to it. Before she could discern what was happening, he pushed the door closed, and Veil found herself stepping back into the office again.


    ¡°Is there something you need me for? I¡¯ve already dropped off the documents that¡­ you asked¡­ for¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re here for that reason?¡± He said to her as he settled into his desk.


    ¡°I want you to tell me in detail the reason you werete today. Don¡¯t leave anything out¡­ tell me what exactly you were doing that upied your time so much that you forgot the importance of punctuality¡­¡±


    He was tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk as he spoke. This obviously surprised Veil. While she had expected him to not be thrilled over her tardiness, she wasn¡¯t expecting him to be this livid.


    He looked like a man that had juste out of a nasty argument with his lover and nothing was resolved in that said argument. But, it was very unlikely that he would be having rtionship problems. He was the kind of man that women would flock around but would never settle on one.


    Hence, it was very unlikely that such was the case. How could he split his mind like this over a simple issue? She wasn¡¯t evente, plus, she had already given him an apology and a promise that she would be better in the future so why was he dragging the matter for too long?


    But because he was so demanding of an answer, she eventually gave it so as to satisfy him. However, by the time she was done with her story, he looked even worse than he had been before. More like every blood in his body had washed up to his face. Plus, he was insisting that she was lying to him.


    The truth was that Anders couldn¡¯t get the image of her talking to that man in such a light-hearted manner. She never spoke to him like that, not as if their positions in the office could ever allow it, but, the way she spoke with him, all carefree and casually. She had even smiled at him. Who knows, maybe the next time they meet, they might be kissing and sharing a bed.


    Fuck!


    The thought of it both irritated and infuriated him.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    The fact that she never for once mentioned the man in her story disgusted him. He had clearly seen the both of them together.


    He crossed his fingers on his desk and looked at the stared down at the documents he had earlier requested for. He needed to give his signature where they were needed.


    This conversation could go on, especially since she didn¡¯t want to tell the truth.


    ¡°Get out!¡± he said, coldly.


    As she walked out, it took every fiber of self-control inside of her to not get overwhelmed by the tears welling up at the back of her eyes, they threatened to pour. When she opened the door, she sniffed in a few times, in an attempt to hold back her tears. Then, she forced a smile to her face as she walked through the corridor filled with Anders¡¯ bodyguards. By the time she reached her office, she dragged in deep breaths.


    ¡°You can do this Veil, yes you can. You¡¯re smart, intelligent, and hardworking. Anderson Rodriguez isn¡¯t going to make you feel any less of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh Mom, ¡± she missed her parents. She¡¯d have to go see them today.


    She ran her fingers through her hair and then let out a deep exhausted sigh. Were all CEOs like him? He thinks everyone is an obsessive perfectionist like him. He expects that no one is ever supposed to make mistakes, especially for her, of course, she was his assistant.


    The weight on her back was bing heavier and heavier every day, and the temptation to write a resignation letter was bing even more ptable, but she had to remind herself that she was mostly stuck in the situation which was why she couldn¡¯t even think about resigning, even if the opportunity presented itself. Her father¡¯s life depended on her now.


    She started to put her office in order starting with her desk which had a mountain of folders on it. Soon, he was going to call her to choke some awkward work down her throat, he had developed this new insufferable habit of constantly calling her for sudden work when lunchtime was close, meaning that if she wanted to eat it would have to be in between whatever work she had at hand at the time and most of the time, she preferred to avoid it because of the material she was working on.


    And, just as predicted, a couple of hours before lunch, he immediately called her and dropped yet another elephant-sized job for her which from the look of his schedule he wouldn¡¯t be needing urgently. But, he said that he might decide to shift up the meeting where that document was needed so she needed to work on it at once.


    Before she dropped the inte, she asked him if he would be needing anything. She resisted the urge to ask him if he also wanted her sanity as well, because, he was gradually taking it away from her.

 Temptation

    Veil watched with a painstaking heart through her window as everyone else signed off from work at closing hour, while she was made to stay behind. With a heavy sigh, she settled into her chair. Guess this was one of the rewards thates with working directly from the boss, and earning higher than everyone else.


    If she was at least she was getting some extra pay for stayingte into the night, then it wouldn¡¯t have been so bad. But, he was simply just punishing her because he had the power to and had no consideration.


    She ran her eyes across her desk, there was basically nothing to do, she was work free which meant she could go home now, yet, for some reason, her oh-so-high and mighty boss wasn¡¯t ready to sign out. Was all of this because of the thing at the club? She sighed for the umpteenth time and was about to recline her head to rest on her desk, but, her door was thrown open in the next minute, frightening her.


    Anders matched in looking as handsome and elegant as he had when she had first glimpsed him in the morning. His face was stress-free, and his suit was in perfect condition. Yet, here she was looking like she had had to roam the streets of the country. Well, how would he, when he had a staff of over one hundred people doing his work, and she was one of them?


    ¡°Why are you not busy?¡± He asked as if the sight of her resting made him sick.


    Hearing that familiar deep tenor, Veil jerked up from her seat. ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡± She said nervously. Fuck! why did his aura always have to be this intense and overpoweringly domineering?


    ¡°I want to believe you can still speak.¡± He said when Veil just stood there, saying nothing.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh, yes, I-I,¡± Veil found herself stuttering. She momentarily berated herself for letting him have all these effects on him. Veil, this isn¡¯t you. She thought to herself. She took a few seconds breaths, steadying herself, before facing Anders again. ¡°I finished with all the necessary paperwork during the day, so there¡¯s nothing left for me to do.¡± She said, stealing a chance to catch her breath.


    Anders stared at her, his gaze lingering longer than should. He watched as her chest heaved up and down in a perfect rhythm and he imagined them doing that without that shirt on. Just her bare body on his bed, heaving like that, after he must have taken her on a marathon. That ungodly thought had his dick getting hard, and his pants suddenly felt so tight, he had to adjust them to breathe properly.


    ¡°I see that you are that free, good.¡± He said, and Veil didn¡¯t fail to notice his eyes turning a shade darker as he stared at her¡­ breasts? Then gradually, his eyes crept up to her face and he held her gaze. ¡°That means I can give you as much work as needed to keep you working overtime.¡± He said clearly stating his motive. ¡°Come with me¡­¡±


    With that, he started for the door, but, he soon stopped when he couldn¡¯t hear Veil following behind him. Turning around, he saw her just standing there.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with your legs? You can rest today if you want¡­¡±


    Veil¡¯s hopes were suddenly skyrocketing, but he immediately smashed them to the ground.


    ¡°¡­ but I hope you understand that you will still have to work overtime to rece today so you might as well get it started and finish as soon as possible. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather finish up tonight,¡± she said, forcing a smile to his face.


    Even though she was suffering on her own, she had no idea how much he was battling with himself right now. He felt as though he was the one trapped in his office because he did have some things to look over, yet he decided to sacrifice his rest just so she didn¡¯t get to spend time with another man. But now, it looked like he was also sacrificing his sanity by keeping her here until this hour. Nights came with their own drives, plus, they were alone in the entire office, well, except for the security guards lurking outside the building.


    She was a temptation he was trying to fight every day. If she had just been any other woman, he would have found his way into her pants a long time ago, after all, that was all he was interested in, right? But, she was a member of his staff. Office romance with his secretary wasn¡¯t something he could just kick start, plus, he was certain she wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who gets easily thrilled by looks and affluence. That, she had proved at the club that night.


    Thinking back to that night, he snorted. She had actually hit him in the face because he had touched her. Well, he wouldn¡¯t say he had been a gentleman there. Probably, if he had been any less of a pervert, they¡¯d probably have gone far by now. But, he wasn¡¯t the gentlemanly kind of guy, he never had been.


    Now that he was in the thought of it, he recalled how that ass had felt, so soft and fuckable and he found himself groaning inwardly. He wanted to have her, and it didn¡¯t help that they were alone here and she was wearing a rather skimpy dress today. The whole thing was giving him more than a few inappropriate ideas that he had to shove off and fold in the corner of his mind, but despite how deeply he buried them, they just had a way of resurfacing, every time.


    Anders suddenly felt himself sweating profusely. The evening was windy, and the office usually has a modest temperature as there were air conditioners at almost every corner.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I am sweating in such weather¡­¡± he muttered to himself, looking around for his kerchief. He battled through his suit and pants pocket, but he couldn¡¯t find it there. He looked around for it, but still there was none. He was about to groan in frustration when suddenly he felt something press against his forehead.


    He froze solid like an ice statue on realizing what was happening. Veil was pressing a handkerchief to his forehead.


    He was able to confirm it when he looked down at her and saw her staring at him with worry evident in her sea green eyes.


    ¡°Sea green eyes!¡± He thoughts to himself as he took a closer look at them. They were beautiful. How had he not noticed them until now? Certainly because he had been too busy studying her body alone all day for his night activities.


    ¡°Are you attracted to me?¡± Anders¡¯ brows dragged up inquisitively, jolting Veil to reality. With cheeks as red as an overly ripped tomato, and face burning like they had been heat against hot coal, she jerked away from him, allowing the handkerchief to fall into his own fingers that for a moment, had been frozen in ce, but now, worked fine.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I-I am sorry, I-I should have just given it to you, I don¡¯t know what came over¡­.¡±


    ¡°I asked you a question, Ms. Hart.¡± Anders said, cutting through Veil¡¯s apology. ¡°Do you find me attractive?¡± He expression was stoic, not giving anything away. One could barely tell his state of mind from his face.


    ¡°Huh!¡± Veil asked, perplexed by the sudden question. What was he talking about? ¡°Uh¡­ No sir,¡± she noticed Anders brows crease into a frown the moment she said that. She smiled to herself. ¡°You¡¯re very handsome, I mean, the world knows that, but, I do not at all find you especially attractive.¡±


    Anders scoffed in disbelief as he listened to those words that stabbed on his ego. How could she not find him especially attractive? He is handsome, has the perfect body, plus wealthy too. Lies, he knew everything she¡¯s said was just a lie. Did she think he hadn¡¯t caught her staring at him on many different asions?


    He looked into her eyes again. Many years in business has thought him quite a lot of things, one of which is reading people through their eyes. A lying eye would waver when confronted, but, a truthful one wouldn¡¯t, and hers didn¡¯t. They stared back at him, not faltering for once. Meaning, she really didn¡¯t find him attractive. Anders scoffed again, this was hard to believe. His chest was burning with anger, he had to adjust his tie to breathe fine.


    If she didn¡¯t find him attractive, then who did she? His mind briefly wandered to the man she had been all smiley with the other day, and his expression darkened.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±

 Mine

    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­¡±Veil said breathlessly and she ced the stack of documents on Anders¡¯ table, his eyes bounced off of hisptop and over to her.


    ¡°You are really done?¡± He asked doubtfully. How was she always so quick?


    ¡°Yes, Mr Rodriguez. I made a few corrections and printed them in the order you asked. Is there anything else you¡¯d like me to do for you?¡±


    ¡®of course, i want you sprawling on my desk as I take you from every angle.¡¯ he wanted to say.


    ¡°That¡¯d be all.¡± Anders said, shutting hisputer screen. He rose to his feet, picked his jacket and started for the door. ¡°I¡¯d drop you home.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t bother taking the stress, Mr Rodriguez, I already booked a ride.¡± She said and walked out of the office without giving him a chance to disagree.


    As she stepped out of thepany¡¯s building, she let out a long sigh. Her mother had called earlier when she was busy with concluding work on her the files Anders had assigned her, but, she hadn¡¯t been able to pick up. It was past eleven already, she must have gone to bed by now. She¡¯d return the call by morning.


    Anders had given her so much work today, she still had a feeling he was doing all this just to punish her for hitting him that night. As memories of that night came flushing into her mind, she suddenly felt tinge of desire creeping in between her thighs.


    ¡°Are you attracted to me?¡± His voice echoed in her head.


    ¡°Hell no, you¡¯re not.¡± She said, shaking the thoughts of her mind. ¡°Come on Veil, you can¡¯t be attracted to such person.¡± She murmured to herself. Yes, he was handsome and had the perfect body, but she there was no way she could be attracted to him. He wascking in many other important qualities which disqualified him from her list of ideal man.


    In her thoughts she was suddenly blinded by a sh of light. She docked her eyes and took three steps backwards as a car pulled over in front of her. She wondered if her ride was here already. It had been no longer than a minute when she booked one. When the headlights went dim, she ran her eyes over the car and thought it looked familiar. The front door ss of the driver¡¯s seat wound open and a familiar face popped his head out of the window.


    ¡°Hi Veil, we meet again.¡±


    Veil narrowed her eyes in the young man¡¯s direction and a smile broke out from her face when she recognized the face. ¡°Orleans, is it?¡±


    ¡°Wow! She remembers my name,¡± he said yfully and Veil giggled.


    ¡°What are you doing out at this time of night?¡± Veil queried.


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing out thiste, you¡¯re ady, it isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, i know right? I was stuck at the office. I had to finish up with some important work since it¡¯s a weekend and i wouldn¡¯t want to carry in with it the next week.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re heading home now, I guess?¡±


    Veil nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm, I am.¡±


    ¡°Shall I give you a ride then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, i already booked a ¡­¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Orleans said, faking teary eyes. Veil chuckled at the sight if him and then nodded.


    ¡°Fine, if you insist.¡± She said and started for the front passenger door. Orleans jumped down at once and hurried after her.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He said, pulling the door open for her and held it until she climbed in. Veil smiled, a little embarrassed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± she said as he stood holding onto the door until she wasfortable in her seat.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said and chuckled lightly.


    Orleans turned around and climbed into the front seat. Then he ignited the engine and as it noiselessly came alive, Veil couldn¡¯t help but imagine how she had thought this car to be a taxi. She felt embarrassed over again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to take the stress of dropping me off the other day even when your car isn¡¯t a taxi.¡± Veil apologized, her face flushing red with embarrassment. Orleans gave a smallugh seeing her embarrassed face.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but, if you¡¯re still embarrassed, then you can do me a favor, that way, we¡¯d be even.¡±


    ¡°What Favor?¡±


    ¡°Go out with me, lunch or dinner.¡±


    It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed.¡± But, if you still feel that way, then go out with me, for lunch or dinner. That way, you¡¯ll be repaying me for my little ride, and you wouldn¡¯t have to feel embarrassed anymore. What do you say?¡± Orleans asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Veil muttered, eying Orleans suspiciously. ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re asking me to go on a date with you?¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oops!¡± Orleans whispered, ¡°You caught me.¡±


    Veil giggled lightly, a light feminineugh that evoked something in Orleans. ¡°I¡¯m not really a night person, so let¡¯s do lunch.


    Veil thought briefly about Orleans¡¯ suggestion. He was a sweet person, plus she had a favor to repay, so she agreed. At least, unlike Anderson Rodriguez who gave her the need to worry and always put her on the edge just as he had done tonight, Orleans was quite friendly.


    Wait! What¡¯s with the suddenparison between the two different men, and why was she even thinking about Anderson Rodriguez right now?


    ¡°So, tomorrow at noon, is it?¡±


    Veil turned to a smiling Orleans when she heard him speak. ¡°Yes, tomorrow noon.


    The following morning, Veil was quick to wake up. She hurried with preparations for work and left as soon as it was five PM. She needed to get all her work done in time today, so she could go visit her parents at the hospital. She hasn¡¯t gotten the chance to do that and more ever since she started working.


    On arrival, she saw Anders stepping down from his car.


    ¡°Morning Mr. Rodriguez.¡± She greeted as she walked up to Anders.


    Anders turned around on hearing her familiar voice. What was this, think of her and she appears.


    Seeing her, the sizzling images of her from his dream a few hours ago came bombarding his mind. That one image of her sprawled on his office desk, her long-tanned legs spread wide apart while he slid in and out of her clean-shaven pussy.


    He ran carefully assessing eyes over her, his gaze resting on her voluptuous breasts. For the fact that she was wearing a shirt with the first button undone was evidence enough that she was quite naive about the way she made his body burn with the need without even trying.


    He immediately looked away from her. When he made her his assistant, he had thought that would be an avenue to getting what he wanted easily, but now that she was his employee, flirting with her was quite difficult. He never flirted with his employees.


    ¡°You¡¯re early¡± he murmured, ¡°as should be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always early Mr. Rodriguez, you just never admit it.¡± She replied, collecting his briefcase from Anders. ¡°Your meeting with Erlin Groups is fixed for eight Pm this morning, do you want me to make any adjustments?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend Ms Hart?¡±


    Anders suddenly asked. Veil turned to him nkly. She was surprised as to what prompted the question.


    ¡°Sorry Mr Rodriguez, but why do you ask about that?¡±


    She queried because he seemed to be asking about that too frequently these days. Was he hoping to finish off what he started at the club that day?


    At the thought of that, Veil felt her stomach churn with a strange desire.


    ¡°Well, for starters,¡± he said, stopping in his tracks. He turned on his heels so that he was staring at her while making sure he stood in very close proximity.


    ¡°If you have a boyfriend, I intend to take you away from him, but if you don¡¯t, then I n to make you mine.¡±

 Playboy

    It was almost lunchtime when Veil went to the restaurant she had visited with Anders the other day to get him food.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am!¡± Veil rang the bell at the entrance. Thedy from the other day came hurrying out. Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she saw Veil.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you!¡± The olddy smiled at her. She opened the door and waved her hand, gesturing for Veil toe in.


    ¡°The handsome man sent you?¡± She asked.


    Handsome man? Anders sent her. 190cm tall, with defined well-built curves often visible through his shirt, and those smokey brown eyes that could bring anyone to their knees if they stared too long. She¡¯d rather say he was hot and sexy.


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Veil nodded.


    The olddy ushered her to a seat, before walking over behind the counter. The restaurant was spacious and tidy, but there were barely any customers inside, just like the other day when she hade with Anders. It seemed the shop barely had anyone walking through the doors. How then does she manage to run the store? The rent in these areas was head bitingly on the high side.


    ¡°He¡¯s a fine man, you know?¡± Veil twirled in the direction of the counter when she heard the woman speaking. Was she talking to her? ¡°In and out. He puts on a stoic front, but he¡¯s a nice person on the inside.¡±


    Okay¡­ where were they going with this?


    ¡°He¡¯ll make a good partner, so just give him a chance.¡±


    Veil¡¯s lips parted in surprise. Who said she and Anders were interested in each other?


    ¡®And if you don¡¯t, then I want to make you mine!¡¯ she felt her cheeks heat up when she recalled the words from this morning. But she immediately shook it off. A man like Anders wasn¡¯t the kind she wanted to get entangled with.


    ¡°He¡¯s never brought any woman here before, you¡¯re the first.¡±


    Veil stared at the silhouette of the woman. Why did she sound like she knew Anderson Rodriguez on a personal level? Her phone beeped in her purse and she took it out.


    ¡®returning next week.¡¯ June. Her eyes lit up instantly. This would by far be the best news she¡¯s received in weeks. She texted her back before putting the phone back in her purse. When she looked up, the woman was already nearing her table with a takeout bag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your boyfriend¡¯s cold attitude get to you.¡± The olddy concluded as she handed the bag to Veil.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Veil smiled awkwardly at the woman. She paid the bill, then turned and left.


    **********************


    KINGSTON GROUPS


    The exclusive elevator to the CEO¡¯s office opened and a woman walked out. Donning a designer dress, she sashayed down the corridor and into the CEO¡¯s office.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Anders¡¯ asked hearing the door open and close. But there was no answer in response and there was no apanying sound either. He looked up, his brows creasing as he saw that the person standing by the door wasn¡¯t Veil, but Vera Parker. His countenance changed like a bolt of lightning, the air around him instantly turning ominous.


    The woman strolled in, taking the easy and graceful gait of a model. Her face beamed with a coy smile as if the cold air around Anders didn¡¯t bother her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She said, her tone feathery as she stared at Anders whose eyes were emotionless as he stared at her. She was wearing a bright red dress that showed all her cleaves and a long sexy neck. The dress could go below the knee, but it barely covered herp. It was obvious what her intentions foring here were. His gaze turned cold and his voice hoarse as he said.


    ¡°Get out!¡± She was one of thest people he wanted to see. He expected her to leave, but instead, she cleared out his workstation and climbed on the desk, spreading her legs with ease. A clean shaved pu***y came into view.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been taking my calls in weeks, is it because of her, your new secretary? I heard you interfered with the interview process just for her sake. You must really like her.¡±


    Anders¡¯ eyes turned bloodshot. He hated having to repeat himself, and this woman was tasting his unusual patience. ¡°Get up and get out.¡± He hissed coldly.


    Fear gripped the woman at the killer¡¯s look in Anders¡¯ eyes. She knew Anderson too well, he hated to repeat himself and she was tasting her patience. She knew all too well what the fate of people who tasted his patience in the past was. She attempted to get up and run for her life, but then her sharp ears caught the distinct sound of heels clicking with the floor outside. She grabbed his tie and pulled his face toward her clean shave.


    Anders was stunned. Before he could react, the door opened and Veil¡¯s figure entered, with the takeout bag in hand.


    Shocked by the sight in front of her, she could barely move for a moment. Audible moans filled the room and the girl on the desk kept rocking her hips rhythmically. When Veil finally realized herself, she jumped back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding, you can carry on with what you were doing.¡± She said and hurriedly shut the door. She escaped to her office, her cheeks burning scarlet.


    ¡°How shameless!¡± She thought, shutting her office door. The CEO of a vast conglomerate Kingston Group! If he wanted a sexual break from work, why not carry it out somewhere else? Why did he have to make her see such an image of him? She was never going to see him in the same way she used to.


    Veil leaned her back against the door as her mind reyed the image of the girl rocking her hips and moaning in pure ecstasy. A sigh escaped her lips. At least his tongue had some more use.


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t, then I n to make you mine!¡±


    ¡®Make you mine indeed.¡¯ she snorted. Such yboy.

 Event

    ¡°Get out!¡± Anders yelled. Standing in the opposite direction to the woman who was still sitting on his desk. He knew she hade to his office for a reason, but he didn¡¯t think it was this.


    ¡°She¡¯s really the reason, isn¡¯t she?¡± Vera¡¯s tone broke toward the end. ¡°What is it she has that I don¡¯t?¡±


    That question not only was it the most disgusting thing he¡¯s ever heard.


    ¡°Do you want to leave quietly, or do you want to be thrown out?¡± He was quickly losing his patience. He had stopped his trope of bodyguards from apanying him to work, but for the sake of people like Vera, he was ready to reinstall them.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Panic shed across her eyes. She knew Anders¡¯ threats were never mere threats. If he said he¡¯d throw her out, then he most certainly will. That¡¯d ruin her ns.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave, Mr Rodriguez, but don¡¯t expect this to be thest of me. Whatever you n to have with her won¡¯tst, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± She shed him a mischievous smile, then with head held high, she turned around and strolled out. His current interest¡¯s office was just inches away, she slowed down when she neared it. The office was made of transparent ss walls, one could see the inside from the outside. Veil was working on herputer when she felt like she was being watched. She lifted her eyes and the vicious re from Vera Parker almost gave her a heart attack.


    She watched the woman withdraw her gaze with onest mischievous nce her way before sauntering out of sight, her heels ttering the entire hallway as she did.


    ************


    An rm went off in Anders¡¯ office. He grabbed his phone from his desk, and the words, ¡®FUNDRAISER EVENT¡¯ shed on his screen. It was today, he had almost forgotten the event he had promised someone that he¡¯d attend.


    He swiped across the screen and dialed a number. The phone was answered at the second beep and a man¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    ¡°Hello, Mr Rodriguez¡­¡±


    ¡°Prepare an exquisite dress. Size: 12, height: 5ft 3 inches, weight: 170 pounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr Rodriguez.¡± The person from the other end replied. Anders hung up and continued working.


    A knock came on his door and he answered with a curt e in.¡¯ The cluttering of heels as the door opened made him look up. He watched Veil walk in and put down a file on his desk, the same desk where Vera Parker had been sprawled earlier. Her face showed no emotions, anger, disgust, nothing. Wasn¡¯t she jealous? Did she really have a boyfriend? His expression darkened at that thought. Or, was she only pretending not to care? Thinking of the man he had seen her with the other night, he felt disgusted and annoyed.


    ¡°Do¡­¡± A knock on the door interrupted him.


    ¡°Come in!¡± His tone, cold and murderous rang out, sending a chill down Veil¡¯s body. The door opened and a man walked in.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡± He said, putting down a paper bag on his desk. ¡°I got the item.¡±


    Anders nodded at him, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    The man bowed, turned, and left.


    His past annoyance forgotten, Anders pushed the paper bag toward Veil. ¡°We have an event tonight, wear this.¡±


    Veil picked the bag up, and her brows formed a frown. She had her own clothes, he didn¡¯t need to buy her one.


    ¡°You can sign out now, and go home early to prepare. Don¡¯t embarrass me, someone wille pick you up at six.¡±


    Veil stole a peek at her wristwatch. It was still 3:00 PM. She nodded, turned, and walked away. She cleared her desk once she got to her office, picked up her bag, and stepped out. She hit someone on her way to the elevator, and almost fell butt t to the ground, but unfamiliar hands, caught her by the waist, just in time¡­


    ¡°Are you okay, Ms Hart?¡± Simon¡¯s voice wasced with concern as he steadied her. Veil nodded and took a step back. Simon unwound his arms around her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you for the catch, I was in a hurry and didn¡¯t see you approaching.¡±


    Simon gave a hand gesture of waving off her apology. Then his eyes fell on her bag. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes.¡± Veil smiled. ¡°My lucky day, isn¡¯t it? I have to attend an event with Mr Rodriguez, so I have to prepare early.¡± ncing at her watch, she realized it was passed 3:00 already. She had less than three hours to get home, catch a few winks of sleep, and then prepare for the event she had no idea of. ¡°Speaking of that, I have to go right now, thanks for not letting me break a bone.¡± She grinned before hurrying out.


    Simon waved at her, but she had already disappeared into the elevator. He stood there for a minute. He had been on his way to ask her out to lunch, but she was already booked.


    Veil took a cab to her apartment. As soon as the door opened, she breathed in the fresh scent of home. It was stress relieving. She kicked out of her shoes and started undressing from the entrance. She entered the kitchen first and fixed something to eat before taking a bath and falling asleep naked on her bed.


    Back at KINGSTON GROUPS, Orleans entered the building straight to the receptionist¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Hello Ms.¡± He shed the woman his charming bright smile. ¡°Where¡¯s Veil Hart¡¯s office?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s upstairs on the 16th floor, but she¡¯s not on seat.¡±


    ¡®She just clocked out a few minutes ago¡­¡¯ the receptionist¡¯s words reyed in his mind as he drove back to his office. He stole a nce at the paper bag he had prepared which had a dress he had specifically tailored for her. He had nned to ask her out to the dinner event tonight. But it seemed he was toote, just as always. He grabbed the bag and tossed it to the back seat. Then he stepped on the gas speeding to his office.

 Auction

    Veil freshened up and slipped into the dress Anderson gave her. The floor-length ink-ck gown was an embodiment of elegance and allure. It seemed to be crafted from luxurious flowing fabric that draped gracefully. The silhouette was sleek, entuating her curves tastefully. Not so tight, and not so free. It was the right size. How did he know her exact size?


    She assessed her reflection in the mirror and her jaw almost dropped. The dress was way too exposing than she¡¯d have liked. Its plunging neckline left cleaves that she preferred to cover up in the open, and the thigh-to-foot length slit, exposed her tanned legs each time she walked. Why did it feel like this event was mostly to see her naked?


    She slipped into the pair of shoes and gave herself onest look, then went downstairs to wait for the driver¡¯s arrival. She was surprised to find the car already standing by, waiting for her. The chauffeur hopped down and opened the back seat for her. Her eyes went wide as saucers the moment she climbed on. In the backseat was Anderson Rodriguez sitting in his usual poise and looking as though he had just walked straight out of the front cover of a Fashion magazine hot and spicy in a navy blue suit. She had never seen him in that color before, but it suited his olive skin perfectly. Why was he here though? Did he not say he¡¯d send his driver? Well, it was obviously his driver who came, just that he had toe along.


    ¡°Evening Mr Rodriguez. Thank you for the lift.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything else, looking outside her window at the city¡¯s bustling nightlife. Dressed in such sensual clothing that had almost her full breasts on disy, and sitting in a closed-up space with a man who had threatened her sexuality a few times, she suddenly felt self-conscious. Clothes like these were something she¡¯d only wear to a dinner date with a lover, not a formal event with her boss. She tugged at the thin neckline trying to cover up her exposed cleaves which hadn¡¯t mattered too much until now. Then she tried covering the part with the slit which had one spotlessp in disy. Why didn¡¯t she think of pairing this outfit with a jacket?


    ¡°You look beautiful Ms Hart.¡± The breathy way he said her name in the end made her breath hitch. Didn¡¯t he know better than to avoid an ufortable woman?


    She turned in his direction and shed him a professional smile. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Mr Rodriguez that I look this ravishing tonight.¡±


    The innuendo her words carried was clear, it made Anders chuckle. Yes, the dress had been bought with a specific order description from him and it was everything he had imagined- sexy and revealing.


    They arrived at the hotel, a seven-star ginormous building where only men of his caliber would go. The chauffeur opened the door for them and Anders got down first. Veil was about to follow behind when she saw him offer his hand. The spark was electric as their hands came in contact as he guided her forward with an action that said, ¡®Ladies first.¡¯


    She took the lead, walking ahead of him leaving her back which was left visible through the deep V-line at the back of the dress. She should have insisted on letting her hair fall freely instead of packing it in a bun when she had gone to the salon earlier because her entire back was left for the world to take a peek at.


    shes of camera lights from the paparazzi bombarded them as they passed the red carpet. Anders knowingly avoided it, having his face all over the News, was one of his too many disliked.


    They found a seat in the front row as the party began. Soon, it was time for the auction.


    The grand hall echoed with a hum of anticipation as the auctioneer stepped onto the stage, the spotlight following his every move. Rows of elegantly dressed bidders sat in hushed excitement, their eyes fixed on the items disyed under the gleaming lights.


    The first item, a vintage pocket watch with intricate engravings, took center stage. The auctioneer¡¯s voice sliced through the silence, setting the tone for the evening. Bidding paddles shot up, and the rapid-fire banter of the auctioneer reached a crescendo as the numbers climbed.


    Amid the bidding frenzy, a mysterious woman in a crimson gown caught everyone¡¯s attention. Her eyes gleamed with determination as she raised her paddle with a subtle grace. The room fell silent for a moment, captivated by the enigma in red.


    Next up was an ancient map rumored to lead to a long-lost treasure. The auctioneer¡¯s dramatic description fueled the imaginations of the bidders. The stakes rose steadily, and the atmosphere grew more intense with each bid.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    A suave gentleman in a tailored suit engaged in a spirited bidding war with a young adventurer, both eager to embark on a quest fueled by the promise of hidden riches. The room watched, captivated by the unfolding drama, as the bids escted into a duel of wits and wallets.


    As the night progressed, the items on disy ranged from fine art to rare artifacts, each sparking a new wave of excitement. Murmurs of admiration and envy rippled through the crowd, creating a symphony of anticipation.


    The grand hall hummed with anticipation as the spotlight shifted to the center stage, revealing a delicate, shimmering ne adorned with rare gemstones. The auctioneer¡¯s voice took on a melodious quality as he described the piece-a ne with a rich history, rumored to be enchanted.


    Bidders leaned forward, captivated by the allure of the jewel, its stones emitting a soft, ethereal glow under the lights. The atmosphere shifted, and a subtle mystique settled over the room as the bidding began.


    A distinguished gentleman, draped in a tailored suit, initiated the proceedings with an assertive bid.


    ¡°1 million!¡±


    The air became charged withpetitive energy as others eagerly joined in the race to possess the extraordinary ne.


    ¡°2 million!¡±


    ¡°2. 5 million!¡±


    ¡°Ten million!¡± A man¡¯s feathery voice called from the crowd and everyone broke out in hushed tones.


    ¡°Ten million going once, going twice, going thri¡­¡±


    ¡°Twenty million.¡±

 Possessive

    All eyes turned in the direction where the voice hade.


    ¡°Sold for 20 million.¡±


    Veil stole a nce at Anders behind her. How rich was this boss of hers really? she couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Soon after the auction, the party took a different swing. Anders¡¯ phone rang right before the dance began. He walked out to take it.


    Veil looked around rubbing her arms nervously. She wasn¡¯t used to events like these. Where was Anders?


    ¡°Hello, Veil!¡±


    She turned when she heard a slightly familiar voice call her name. And there, in front of her, on a ck tux that stretched to contain his broad chest and muscr arms, was Orleans, looking like a Spanish male model. Her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she smiled at him.


    Orleans stole a furtive look around as if searching for something¡­ Or someone.


    ¡°You¡¯re here alone?¡±


    Veil shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here with my boss. What brings you here though?¡±


    ¡°Same as you. Here with the boss.¡± His facials flexed, revealing a beautiful smile. ¡°And¡­ where¡¯s this boss of yours though?¡±


    Veil nced around again looking everywhere for Anders. ¡°He stepped out to take a call. You know, CEOs tend to always be busy with work.¡±


    ¡°Not every CEO.¡± Orleans countered. ¡°Some won¡¯t leave a pretty woman sitting all by herself in a hall full of strange faces.¡±


    Veil rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You have quite a ttery mouth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ttery, I¡¯m just being truthful.¡± He deadpanned. ¡°Will you dance with me, please?¡±


    Veil looked around furtively, Anderson was still not in sight. Seeing her look around stealthily, Orleans guessed she was going to refuse him, so he used the one card he knew might work on her.


    ¡°You know you still owe me that little favor?¡± He reminded, and watched the small smile that crept up her face. Just as expected, that seemed to work.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s dance.¡± She rose to her feet and Orleans took her hand, guiding her to the stage.


    ¡°May I? He asked subtly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± At Veil¡¯s reply, he snaked one arm around her waist and entwined their fingers with the free one. Veil put her free hand on his shoulder and for a minute, Orleans forgot to breathe at their proximity. The way he guided her effortlessly through the dance floor had Veil wondering how frequently he attends events like these.


    ¡°You dance like a pro.¡± Sheplimented. He twirled her around and caught her back in his embrace with a swift move.


    He grinned. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m trying to impress you.¡±


    Veil chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve sure got great lines.¡±


    ¡°And you look beautiful tonight.¡±


    Veil stared at him, the seriousness in his eyes and the heat from his hand on the small of her waist reminded her of the near-death experience with Anders that morning and it made her shudder thinking what it¡¯d feel like to dance with him in this proximity. Her cheeks flushed and she looked away in embarrassment.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Orleans¡¯s heart leaped as he watched that expression on her face. She just blushed for him. Probably he could win her heart.


    ¡°So, when did you start working at Kingston Groups?¡±


    ¡°A few months ago. I love my job, but my hard-headed boss makes it difficult to go bye,¡± she said and sighed.


    ¡°What if you get an offer with a higher pay than Kingston Group¡¯s offer? Plus, peace of mind¡­¡±


    Veil¡¯s face fell. ¡°That¡¯s a tempting offer, but, I¡¯m bound by a contract. Can¡¯t leave just like that.¡±


    Across his shoulder, Veil glimpsed Anders. He was on the phone, but his sharp gaze was fixed on her with a look of displease.


    A thrill ran through her at his visible reaction, and she was suddenly emboldened. She found herself leaning closer to Orleans, speaking low so only he could hear.


    ¡°What sort ofpany does such¡­¡±


    Propelled by strange emotions, Veil cut in. ¡°You look handsome tonight, did I tell you that?¡±


    Her warm breath tickled Orleans¡¯ nape. He froze.


    At the far end of the hall, Anders¡¯ features grew darker. He hung up directly on the business call and marched toward his assistant. She seemed to be having a wonderful night in the arms of a man.


    ¡°Ms. Hart!¡± His voice went off behind her like an rm. Veil turned around and met his angry eyes. A chill ran through her spine. ¡°Remember you promised to save me a danceter.¡±


    Veil stared nkly at him,¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, yes¡­ I did.¡± Then to Orleans, ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Orleans.¡±


    Anders snapped to the man Veil had been dancing with. His lips pursed in anger. One hand grabbed her possessively to his side.


    ¡°I really hate it when people try touching what¡¯s mine.¡± His cold voice took a possessive tone. His gaze was locked on Veil, but his words were directed at Orleans. Veil was taken aback. What did he mean by the enemy?


    Before she could ask, Anders dragged her further into the dance floor. He turned to face her, his cold smile making her heart lip in her throat. He slipped an arm around her thin waist and pulled her hard into his rock-hard chest. Her skin practically burned where his hand touched her. ¡°You wanted to dance, right? So let¡¯s dance.¡±


    Veil¡¯s stomach knotted. She had thought that was just an excuse to get her away from Orleans. She didn¡¯t think he really wanted to dance.


    He helped her hand onto his shoulder and dragged her into his embrace. One strong arm gripped her waist, guiding her expertly on the dance floor. And she felt it, the ruthlessness in his grip on her waist, the anger in his steps, and the possessiveness in his hold, as though he was mad over something and was transferring his aggressions on her. It all sent heat waves coursing through her body.


    And when he caught her after a brief twirl, Veil¡¯s breath caught in her throat, and she forgot how to breathe.


    By the time the dance finally came to a stop, she was out of breath and flushed scarlet. She pulled away from Anders¡¯ embrace and excused herself, as if wanting to making a run for some fresh air. But Anders beat her to it when he caught her by the wrist and dragged her along with him out of the hall, through a long corridor, a backdoor that led into darkness, until they were standing in the roof top, high above the city.


    Back in the hall, Orleans watched the drama and suspecting Veil was in danger, he followed behind them immediately.

 Jealousy

    The city bustled all around them, yet all Veil could think about was the man holding onto her hand so strongly that she couldn¡¯t decipher the emotions behind his dark eyes. She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, at least none that she could remember.


    And what was that bold deration about touching what was his?


    Anders let go of her hands the minute they reached the rooftop, and he sighed exasperatedly.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Running his hand through his hair, he stopped pacing and stood in front of her, towering above Veil.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you were doing?¡±


    Veil¡¯s heart thrashed against her chest as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening. It was just a dance, right? And she could dance with anyone she chose. It was a party, for God¡¯s sake? So, why did it feel like she hadmitted a great offense?


    ¡°He asked me to dance, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°And you what?¡± He cut in, his face red with anger. ¡°You allowed him to snake a hand around your waist like he owns you? Are you that cheap?¡±


    The minute Anders saw him approach Veil back at the party, his mind couldn¡¯t help but remember how Veil had easily smiled at him outside the office building.


    Thinking about it only made him angrier. He feared how far they had gotten in their rtionship, and it made him want to break something.


    Anders wasn¡¯t used to acting this way. From the very beginning, he got everything he wanted with a snap of his fingers. Yet, he was fussing about his secretary like some loser. It irked him as well.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡± Veil started, but she had no idea what to say. Her pulse thumped so loud that she feared her boss would hear it.


    Confusion clouded her eyes, along with something else she couldn¡¯t even decipher for herself. She felt heat run through her body as if the temperature of the room had gone up a notch.


    But they were on a rooftop. It had to be something else.


    ¡°You are my secretary, and as long as we are out on an official gathering, you belong to me. Are we clear?¡±


    Veil would have pointed out that it was a party, and she was at liberty to do whatever she chose, but she remembered her father in the hospital and how she needed this job to be able to afford his operation.


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Veil whispered, then swallowed.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Anders asked again, with a look in his eyes. He needed to know who that man was and why she could easily throw her head back in fits ofughter with him but never with Anders.


    Veil opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, the wind picked up, teasing the few curls at the top of her head that had escaped the bun. The subtle movement caught Anders¡¯s attention, and slowly, he lifted his eyes to her hair.


    They stayed that way for a while, the silence wrapping itself around them like a thick cloak that could not be easily removed. Her heartbeat sounded too loud, and her throat suddenly dry. Veil flicked her tongue across her lips for moisture and, at that moment, realized that it was probably a wrong choice.


    Anders dropped his eyes to her lips, and they parted slightly on their own ord. Veil tried to drag in breaths to quench the fire that had started in her, but no part of her body was responding. She stood there, frozen beyond time and space.


    Right there, it was only the both of them in a world of millions of people.


    And Veil hated it.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± Andersmanded in a brute tone, yet there was an underlining want in his voice that had Veil under arrest. She froze as Anders took a step closer, getting rid of every notion of privacy. It was the first time he had ever stood that close to her, and Veil was sure she would hyperventte soon.


    Anders¡¯ hand went behind her, grazing her naked back slowly as he reached for her hair, tugging off the band that held her hair in ce. Her silky brte hair tumbled down her back in waves, and Veil let out a low gasp. She tried to excuse it in her head.


    It was probably the cold.


    ¡°This is an extension of office hours, so your skin shouldn¡¯t be exposed for the world to see. It is sick and unprofessional.¡±


    Sudden anger coursed through Veil as Anders took a step away from her. She had had no control over the purchase of the dress, and if she had been allowed to wear something from her closet, she wouldn¡¯t have her back exposed. Veil wanted to hate him right then, but not with him standing so close to her.


    ¡°I think that dress is lovely,¡± Orleans muttered,ing out of the shadows. His eyes darkened as he eyed their closeness, yet neither of them made any move to repair it. For one, Veil was in too much shock to get her limbs working. ¡°It brings out the color of your eyes.¡±


    Anders turned slowly to face Orleans, his palms folding into fists. ¡°I believe your input wasn¡¯t asked for.¡±


    ¡°Is this the mean boss you told me about?¡± Orleans asked Veil with humor underneath his tone.


    ¡°What are¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Veil suddenly whispered, interrupting Anders. ¡°Can I go home now, Sir?¡±


    Anders looked from Orleans to Veil, and his insides twisted into a knot. In his head, the both of them were going to go home together, and Orleans¡¯ hands would touch the very skin he had dreamed about grazing since he met her at the club. His hands would cover the very nipples Anders had made hard under his gaze in his mind.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered without batting an eyelid. ¡°I¡¯m still here, so that means you cannot leave before me. We¡¯ll go back into that party, and you are going to have a good time. Because it is part of your job description.¡±


    As Veil went back into the room, she felt Anders¡¯ eyes all over her, unmoving. And she had a feeling that the night had only just begun.

 His Home

    Veil¡¯s enjoyment of the party was marred by Anders¡¯ silent presence, his unspokenmand keeping her in her seat. The arrival of a distinguished older man, his false gray hair a stark contrast to his vibrant personality, only added to the tension. This was Mr. Charles, the person Anders had promised would be in attendance tonight.


    They started talking about a new business idea with the aim of expanding the products put out of auction, and from habit, Veil whipped out her ipad and started taking notes.


    ¡°How about touring museums and other homes that houses art for now? Some of these things are due to be put out to the public for ownership, and we wouldn¡¯t know until we approach them.¡± Anders suggested, waving one of the servers over. He asked for a refill of his ss, as well as Veil¡¯s, still not talking to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea,¡± Charles opined, nodding enthusiastically. It was obvious that he held Anders in high esteem, and would do anything to prove that he was worth having a long-term business partnership with Kingston group.


    ¡°I can reach out to my contacts in other parts of the world. They¡¯d be eager to participate, especially since it¡¯s for a good cause,¡± Anders proposed, his tone hinting at a deeper motive. Veil couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to his continued business rtions with them than met the eye.


    After a few more exchanges of words, Veil yawned from exhaustion, unable to stop herself. Mumbling a half-assed apology, she reached for the ss on the table at the same time Anders stretched out his hand. Veil withdrew her hands at once, electricity jolting through her.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to take our leave,¡± he muttered, getting off his chair. Veil followed suit, more clumsily than her boss. Her chair made a scraping sound on the ground, but Anders paid her no attention. Instead, he shook Charles¡¯s hands and headed towards the door, with Veil walking behind him.


    Her legs hurt from all the standing with heels, and she really wished she could sit, but Anders wasn¡¯t done with the thousands of people he had to see. The auction was mostly attended by business tycoons and most of them had something to say to Anders.


    By the time he was done, Veil already felt so exhausted, and she was scared she would fall to the ground.


    ¡°Anders probably wouldn¡¯t mind that,¡± she told herself, sighing. She shouldn¡¯t be surprised at how mean he was, yet it managed to hurt her every single time.


    At the other end of the parking lot, Orleans watched Veil with concern in his eyes. She looked very tired, and he could see that she was hopping from one foot to the other, obviously needing to get off those heels.


    Anders¡¯ driver brought his car out, and he got into the back seat while Veil entered through the other side. Telling the driver to head to Veil¡¯s house, he sat back and withdrew his phone, scrolling through it yet really seeing nothing. He was still visibly upset about the whole Orleans episode.


    Anders wanted to wipe that smile off her face  the one she had directed at Orleans. He wanted to be the only one to see her that way. And she hadn¡¯t even answered his damn question. Was that her boyfriend? Was he the one she spent her nights with? Did that mean that he was probably headed to her house as well?


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Anders ordered suddenly. ¡°Let¡¯s go home instead.¡±


    Veil¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she looked from Anders to the driver, as he made a sharp U-turn and headed in the opposite direction. ¡°Will he drive me home after?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Veil said, unconsciously reaching for her aching ankles with her hair swaying at her back. ¡°I can just get a cab back home.¡±


    ¡°You are not going to do that either,¡± he casually muttered, sitting further into the chair. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°I have some documents at home I need you to work on through the night. It has to be ready tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez,¡± Veil started, trying not to sound rude. ¡°I need to sleep if I am to get to work by 5 am tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    The curtness of his answer stunned Veil into silence, and she sighed in frustration. She could do nothing but obey her boss, and have the documents ready for him before morning, even though from his schedule, she knew he had no such document to tender. But she couldn¡¯t tell him that. He was already pissed as it was.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The driver made a turn suddenly, and Veil looked out the window. Before her was a set of huge gates, with beautiful lights on them, reading Kingston Castle. Her mouth dropped open in amazement as the gates opened to reveal thergest expanse ofnd she had ever been to in her entire life.


    The drive from the gate to the building itself took about five minutes, and Veil couldn¡¯t contain her surprise. When the car stopped, Anders alighted from it and stalked inside, leaving Veils gaping at the antique walls staring back at her.


    They looked like something right out of the Elizabethan era, with a strong outlook that screamed wealth and power. The driver informed Veil that she had to go inside if she wanted to catch up with Anders, and only then did her feet move, ushering her into his home.


    Anders was waiting for her in therge living room, with his hands across his chest. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get lost around here,¡± he said, then led her across the living room, into arge hallway. They took the stairs by the left that led into anotherrge space, that housed a huge office with rich furnishings.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be working here,¡± he ordered, pointing at aputer on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t want toe here to meet you asleep. Are we clear?¡±


    Mumbling an incoherent agreement, Veil watched Anders walk away from her, taking another stairs around the corner.

 Emergency

    Veil¡¯s eyes met the clock hanging above the wall, realizing that she had only been working for an hour. Her feet still hurt like hell even though she had taken off her shoes and reced them with the pair of slides she found beside the desk.


    They obviously belonged to Anders, with how huge they looked on her feet. Veil wasn¡¯t even sure it was a good idea to have them on, seeing as Anders looked for every way to make her life a living hell.


    Her ankles were swollen and she desperately needed toy on the couch beside the desk.


    ¡°It will be just for a few minutes,¡± she told herself, getting out of the office chair and stretching her small frame on the couch. It was ufortable sleeping in the dress Anders got, but she had no other choice.


    The couch felt really soft underneath her body, and she couldn¡¯t help snuggling into the arms of sleep. Even when Anders walked in an hourter, in his ck pajamas, her soft breaths still serenaded the room.


    Anders stopped by the foot of the stairs, his eyes zeroing on Veil. He couldn¡¯t count the number of times he had imagined her in his home, on that couch. Yet, none of them had her falling asleep after working.


    His¡¯ imagination ran much wilder.


    In there, Veil¡¯s head was nestled between his thighs, with his hard cock in her mouth. The vivid picture of her head bobbing up and down as she took the whole length in made him horny.


    Since the night at the club, he had wanted nothing but to im her as his own. And nothing had changed.


    He walked into the office, ncing at the screen of theputer. She hadn¡¯t even gone halfway into the paper before falling asleep, and it made him wonder if yelling at her was the right thing to do at this minute.


    He felt like it, even though she had no fault in what happened. He just really still hadn¡¯t gotten over how low that man¡¯s hands were on her.


    Leaving theputer, Anders stooped beside Veil, watching her eyes squeeze slightly as his frame blocked the lights. Her hair was all over her face, so Anders reached out slowly, moving the curls away.


    His hand lingered on her face longer than appropriate between a CEO and his employee, and a sudden feeling to keep her there in his house for as long as he could overpowered him.


    ¡°Fuck that bastard!¡± Anders swore exasperatedly. The sound stirred Veil from her sleep, so suddenly that Anders had no time to back away from her before her eyes flew open.


    The first thought that came to Veil¡¯s mind was how intense Anders¡¯ ck eyes looked up close. They were rich and bold, attentive like they could see her darkest secrets. Her throat suddenly felt dry, and she felt the need to take water.


    But for some reason, she stood still, not breaking the spell. Anders¡¯ eyes caressed her face slowly, lingering on her lips.


    Veil wondered if he would kiss her, and asked herself how she would react if he did. It was a huge weight to bear because she was sure as hell that Anders¡¯ would find a way to pin it on her, irrespective of what had happened.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for over two hours,¡± Andersmented, dragging his eyes back to her face. ¡°Do you think you have any more energy left in you to keep working?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Veil¡¯s voice came out as a whisper, and although she didn¡¯t notice, it made every muscle in Anders freeze. She cleared her throat noisily and tried again.


    ¡°Yes sir. I can get back to work. I¡¯m sorry I fell asleep. I was just so¡­¡±


    Anders¡¯ eyes fell on her swollen ankles suddenly, and Veil attempted to cover it with her dress.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me your legs ached,¡± he said calmly, like he was ming himself. ¡°I would have brought you home earlier.¡±


    ¡°Home?¡± Veil thought to herself, ying his tone in her head. Did he mean his mansion or her little apartment?


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that bad,¡± Veil said when she realized he was waiting for a response.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Anders shot back. Getting back on his feet at once, he lifted Veil in his arms and walked out of the office, taking the stairs up to the guest bedroom.


    He gingerly ced her on the bed, and went back down the stairs, returning with ice.


    ¡°This should reduce the swelling,¡± he said, handing it over to Veil. ¡°I also brought your phone.¡±


    Anders threw the phone beside her, and just when she thought he¡¯d leave her be, he towered above her, watching her tend to her swollen ankle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Veil wondered. Trying to y the nice boss, was he? These days, she¡¯s beginning to think he has got the multiple personality disorder. The next morning, she expected him to still yell at her foringte to work, even if he kept her awake all night.


    ¡°Was that your boyfriend?¡± Anders suddenly shot. ¡°The man at the party tonight.¡±


    Veil was too tired to start another round with him so she just shook her head. ¡°No, Mr. Roderiguez. Orleans isn¡¯t my boyfriend.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°We¡¯ll, do you have one?¡±


    ¡°A boyfriend?¡± Veil didn¡¯t think being single was another requirement for being his secretary, but of course, she couldn¡¯t voice that out. ¡°No, sir. I don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡±


    The shrill of her phone disrupted the silence in the room, and Veil jumped in fright. The caller ID read ¡°hospital¡± and her heartbeat elerated really fast.


    Veil was beginning to panic.


    She had feared that on a cold and lonely night, she was going to receive a call like this, announcing that her father didn¡¯t make it.


    Her eyes watered instantly as she stared at the ringing phone, not making one move to pick it up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pick that up?¡± Anders asked, but Veil couldn¡¯t even hear him. His voice sounded so far away like she was trapped in another space and time and couldn¡¯t reach him.


    As tears slowly streaked down her face, Anders only became more worried.

 Jewelry Box

    ¡°Veil,¡± Anders called softly, touching her legs. She seemed to recoil from him, still staring at her ringing phone. This wasn¡¯t how Anders had nned for the night to y out. He didn¡¯t know what to do with a panicking woman and her ringing phone.


    As if on cue, the phone stopped ringing and silence returned to the room. Veil was still panicking but at least, she could now see him. She tried to wipe the tears off her face, but her hands were visibly shaking.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Anders asked slowly, not sure how to go about this conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Veil responded, shaking her head.


    ¡°Do you want to call back?¡±


    Veil wanted to, but she needed Anders out of hearing. She already hated that he had seen her cry, and didn¡¯t want him to see anything uglier.


    ¡°I want to get back to work.¡± Veil got off the bed and returned to the office, plopping on the seat. Once she was sure that Anders hadn¡¯t followed her back down, she called the hospital back, dreading the news.


    ¡°Your father is fine,¡± were the first words the doctor said, immediately putting her mind at rest. ¡°It¡¯s your mother. She fainted while taking care of him. She¡¯s obviously stressed trying not to think about the fact that if the surgery isn¡¯t done, your father has little time left on earth. It¡¯s getting to her.¡±


    Veil sighed and shook the mouse on the table, lighting up the screen. ¡°How¡¯s my mother? Is she doing okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stable now, but you should try your best so there wouldn¡¯t be a reurrence.¡±


    A sudden feeling of guilt overtook Veil as she ended the call. She had been so busy with work since she got the position that she barely had time to check on her parents. Getting the money for the operation was one thing, but she also needed them to know that she was present.


    But that was hardly possible with how much Anders mandated that she was at work before him and shouldn¡¯t close for the day until he did the same. Sundays were her only free days, and that was only if Anders didn¡¯t call her in.


    Veil spent the rest of the night working on the papers Anders asked her to. Her body ached but she made no move to get up until she was done with the task. By the time she lifted her head from the screen, it was already five am.


    It was time to go home to change out of the dress, then return to the office. Veil hoped she would be able to get there before Anders did.


    Grabbing her purse in one hand and her heels in the other, Veil went down the stairs into the living room. As she walked to the door, she heard an all too familiar voice behind her, making her stop in her tracks.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The driver will take you home,¡± Anders said quietly, watching her like she would burst into tears in the next minute. ¡°And you can take the day off. I¡¯ll find someone to fill up your position for today.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°That was an order, Veil. Not a suggestion. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Veil didn¡¯t know relief was the right emotion to feel, or worry. If Anders liked her temporary recement more than he liked her, she wouldn¡¯t have a job to return to tomorrow.


    And she needed the job desperately to ensure her father got the operation he needed.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Anders stretched out his hand, revealing a ck velvet box she had no idea he had been holding.


    ¡°This is for you ¨C for a job well done.¡±


    Veil shook her head. Was this because she had cried a few hours ago? Did he take pity on her?


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this, Sir. It is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hart, I told you that I n on making you mine, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Perhaps it was the way he said it, or how his deep-set voice pulled her to him like in a trance, but Veil found her heart thumping wildly in its cage.


    Swallowing, she looked away from him, unable to withstand the intensity of his gaze. Anders looked at her like a meal he wanted to devour, and it was weird that it made her feel good.


    She should hate this man.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, you might as well not return to work tomorrow. I¡¯m sure you can find a spot at some otherpany.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡±


    ¡°The ball is in your court.¡±


    Veil didn¡¯t think the balls were in her court for a minute. Anders was just a jerk that knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how much she needed this job, and that no one would walk away from such an envious position.


    He was owning her in his way, but Veil didn¡¯t want anyone to own her. She had too much to deal with.


    epting the box, Veil nodded to him politely and walked out the door. She met the driver waiting for her out front and she got into the back seat. It was a quiet ride, as the driver seemed to understand that she wasn¡¯t in a talking mood. Her mind was preupied with her parents, and how much time her father had left.


    The driver brought the car to a halt in front of Veil¡¯s house, and after thanking him, she went up the porch and into the living room.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She muttered to herself, staring at her legs. How did she forget to return Anders¡¯ slides? He would probably make a big deal of it tomorrow at work.


    Plopping onto her couch, Veil stared at the ck box in her hands. She opened it slowly, curiosity eating at her.


    Veil gasped suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise as she stared at the jewelry in the box. It was the same as the one he purchased at the auction.


    The same one that had cost twenty million dors.

 Anger

    The first time Veil woke up, it was with a start. The bright light from the windows was blinding, but that wasn¡¯t what made her jump up in a frenzy. It was the thought that she waste for work, and the fear of what Anders would do to her.


    A ding on her phone caused her to search for it on the nightstand, and she let out a string of Spanish curses when she remembered that Anders had given her the day off. It was 10 am already but she still felt so sleepy so she went to bed a second time.


    When she got up again, the sun was up, and the rays were shining in through her windows. She rolled to the other side of her bed, stretching her muscles until she decided it was time to get her ass up.


    Since it had been a while she had the whole day to herself, her house was in a mess. She spent the first hour cleaning up and taking the trash out. Jane was returning to Mexico in a few days and it was imperative she met the house in a sane condition.


    Exhaustion coursed through Veil¡¯s bones as she threw herself on the couch. Her ankles felt better than they didst night, and she could dare to wear another pair soon enough. She toyed with the idea of returning to bed, but on second thought, she hopped into the shower.


    The water hit her skin with a rush, and Veil gasped from the feeling. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she enjoyed a bath. She felt her muscles loosen from all the stress she had gone through these past weeks, and Veil wished she wouldn¡¯t have to step out.


    Once she was done bathing, she got dressed really quick, opting for a pair of blue jeans, a in white t-shirt, and matching sneakers. Giving herself a quick look in the mirror, she put her hair up in a messy bun and bounded out of her house, hailing a taxi.


    The hospital was quite a distance, and throughout the ride, she was scared of her reaction seeing her fatherying there in pain. He had always been such a strong man that it was so hard for Veil to ept that he couldn¡¯t even walk around on his own.


    The name of the hospital came into view, and Veil got out of the taxi, took a deep breath then bounded through the waiting room and down the hallway. She met her mother in the ward, sitting beside the bed with a faraway look in her eyes.


    Veil pushed the door slowly, and took in the whole scene, tears pooling in her eyes.


    ¡°Mom,¡± she breathed, stepping further into the room. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Veil!¡± Her mother got up and raced into her arms, staying there. Their whimpers got drowned by the beeping of the machines, but they connected where it hurt the most.


    ¡°I¡¯m so scared,¡± her mother confided. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t make it?¡±


    ¡°He will!¡± Veil said because she couldn¡¯t imagine it going any other way. ¡°He has to.¡±


    Veil spent the rest of the day with her family, getting her mother up to speed with how work was going. Of course, she didn¡¯t mention how her boss was hard to please or how he kept giving her different personalities on different days. She also saw the doctor, who assured her that her mother was fine now and just needed to be free from stress.


    Before Veil left for the day, she gave her mother a sum of money for the continuous care of her father, pending the time she would get enough money to pay for the operation. Veil knew she would have to work an entire year, but she was hoping something would happen soon.


    Rather than take a taxi all the way back to her house, Veil walked half the journey home, allowing the silence of the roads to soak through her. The lights twinkled all around her, giving her hope that everything was going to be fine, even though she didn¡¯t know how that was going to pan out.


    When Veil reached her porch, she could see the silhouette of someone huddled in the dark. Her security instincts kicked in at once, and she slowed down her steps. The silhouette stretched out and seemed to have noticed her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Veil swore under her breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine being robbed on my own porch tonight.¡±


    ¡°Veil?¡± The silhouette finally took full shape as he stepped away from the dark porch and approached Veil. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s Orleans. You remember me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Veil breathed a sigh of relief. She was really scared she would have to part with the little money she had left. ¡°How did you¡­what are you¡­.¡±


    ¡°You promised me a dance,¡± Orleans said slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    Veil chuckled, and it felt so damn good to be able to do that after such a hard and gloomy day.


    ¡°I promised you a dance at a partyst night. And I believe I gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­I don¡¯t think that counts. We were interrupted.¡±


    ¡°By my boss who needed me to help out with something.¡±


    ¡°Your boss doesn¡¯t paint a very clear picture, does he?¡± Orleans said suddenly, causing Veil to narrow her eyes in confusion.


    ¡°A clear picture?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Orleans replied, waving his hand in the air as if dispensing hisst statement.


    Only if Veil could forget it that easily too.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me toe in? I went through a really long ride to get here.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Veil gushed, even though she still needed to know how he had found her house. The first time she met him, he had gged his car down the road and not anywhere around here.


    ¡°Where are my manners?¡± She continued. ¡°Come in!¡±


    Unknown to them both, in a Ferrari parked in the dark on the opposite side of the road, was a furious Anders with fists clenching hard on the steering and a dark look on his face.

 Make Her Sell

    Anders could barely concentrate at work. He was worn out from a sleepless night spent worrying about Veil, wondering if she was doing okay. He knew she didn¡¯t want to tell him what was going on in her life, and that made him so frustrated.


    He felt the strong urge to take total control of everything happening in her life, but from the little he knew about Veil, she was a tough nut to crack.


    Julia, his temporary secretary for the day, came in with her iPad.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez, I have with me a copy of your ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you toe in?¡± Anders asked, his voice too calm to convey his actual feelings.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple question, Ms. Julia.¡± His tone was getting harsher.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t, Sir.¡± She answered curtly.


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Julia was confused. The HR head had told her to fill in for Ms. Hart today and she had done everything to be ready for Anders questions, even looking up what he liked to eat. She was here before he came in that morning, and had even brought in his coffee, ck without cream or sugar, just the way he liked it.


    So what could she have done wrong?


    ¡°I want you to think about your actions since you stepped out of your office,¡± Anders instructed, his eyes stern. ¡°What do you think you have done wrong?¡±


    Julia took a minute to think about it but came up with nothing.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Andersmanded, his exhaustion raising a notch. ¡°And don¡¯te in here until you have figured out what you did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Out! Now!¡±


    Julia jumped in fright as Anders yelled at her. She dashed out without the confidence she hade in with, not stopping until she was within the confines of her office.


    Anders put his head in his hands and took in a deep breath. He had been on edge since he got to the office, and a part of him knew it was because Veil wasn¡¯t in today. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she was spending her free day doing.


    He knew she needed to rest, especially since she had spent the whole night working on a document he didn¡¯t even need. Anders felt like a total jerk for pulling that move on her, because if he hadn¡¯t, she would be at the office today and he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the stray thoughts of her being with that man from the party.


    Although Veil had told him that he wasn¡¯t her boyfriend, Anders recognized the look in that man¡¯s eyes. He had seen it too often not to know what it was. And it irked him.


    Picking up the telephone, he ced it against his ears and dialed in a number. The receiver picked up immediately.


    ¡°I want all the information you can get about a certain man named Orleans. I don¡¯t know any other thing about him other than the fact that he looks rich. Start with the conglomerates around. I need answers as soon as possible.¡±


    Anders ended the call immediately, but he didn¡¯t feel any better. Forcing himself to concentrate on work, he went out for a breakfast meeting with the executives of JKpany. They asked about his secretary and he told them to mind their business, much to their surprise.


    Deciding that he couldn¡¯t get through the day if he kept on being on edge that way, Anders checked out for the day, clearing his schedule and heading out. He asked his driver to go home for the day while he drove his car himself.


    His first stop was Veil¡¯s house, but he was disappointed to see it locked. It didn¡¯t help that each time he closed his eyes, all he could imagine was her lips locked with Orleans¡¯ and it made his blood boil.


    ¡°Where the fuck is she?¡± Anders muttered into space, hitting his steering and causing the elderly woman crossing the street to jump in fright.


    With nothing left to do, he paid a visit to his only friend, Lucas. It had been quite a while since Anders had graced his artpany, so Lucas was over the moon to have him.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Anders, mi hermano!¡± Lucas boomed in excitement. ¡°Como estas, cabron?¡±


    ¡°Esta bien,¡± a smile stretched across Anders¡¯ face as Lucas pulled him into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been a minute, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been so busy with Kingston Group that you didn¡¯t have the time to pay me a visit, and I know the great Anderson Rodriguez would rarelye up here without a reason. So tell me, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lucas could read Anders like a book, even if Anders liked to think otherwise.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Anders walked ahead of him into his office, with Lucas following closely behind. They went past a row of paintings on the wall, lining the hallway, before reaching the office.


    ¡°So?¡± Lucas asked as they both sat down.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Lucas¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it work?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Anders muttered. It would never ur to Lucas in the slightest that his friend could be so frustracion because of a woman. For as long as they¡¯d known each other, Anders had been able to get any woman he wanted just by shing a smile.


    But that was the problem. Veil wasn¡¯t that type of woman.


    ¡°Apany I¡¯m trying to own doesn¡¯t want to get purchased. They don¡¯t even understand what I¡¯m doing, and I have a huge feeling that if I don¡¯t do something about it, they¡¯ll get purchased by anotherpany.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Lucas said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Just do what you always do. Keep on pushing until they budge. There¡¯s only an amount of resistance apany can put up, especially if they¡¯re considering selling in the general sense.¡±


    ¡°And what if they aren¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then make them want to sell.¡±


    A light flicked on in Anders¡¯ eyes and he got off his seat at once, walking briskly to the door. Lucas called after him, but Anders could barely hear. He got back into his car and returned to Veil¡¯s house.


    He was going to make her sell.

 Every Bit

    Anders brought his car to a slow halt opposite Veil¡¯s house and reclined his chair to wait. It was getting pretty dark, but she wasn¡¯t home yet, as the lights on her porch were off.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here,¡± Anders muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, counting one to a hundred in his head. His phone rang, but he ignored it. Kingston group contracts could wait for a few hours.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next time he opened his eyes, there was another car parked directly on Veil¡¯s driveway, like it had every right to be there. His eyes ran over the tes, not recognizing it from anywhere.


    It was thetest model of the Bugatti Mistral. Anders could tell because he had one of those parked in his garage. It was worth 9. 3 million dors and only the wealthiest could afford it.


    This piqued Anders¡¯ curiosity.


    Moving his gaze from the car, he checked thewn for the rider. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had gotten out of the car, but the engine had been turned off already. Coming up empty, Anders was about to make the short trip across the road himself when his eyes zeroed in on a figure sitting by the steps leading to the porch.


    Although Anders couldn¡¯t see his face clearly because the street lights didn¡¯t reflect to that point, he had a strong feeling he knew who it was. It was probably the hair, but then again, a lot of people had the same haircut in Mexico.


    The person got off the steps and moved to his car, retrieving something from it. He was closer to the lights now, and Anders¡¯ suspicions were confirmed.


    ¡°What the fuck is he doing here?¡±


    Anders repressed the urge to get out of his car to get an answer to his question. Veil had already told him that Orleans wasn¡¯t her boyfriend, but it was clearly headed that way if he didn¡¯t do anything about it.


    And thest thing he would watch is someone else putting a im to the woman he wanted.


    A lot of thoughts ran through Anders¡¯ head as he sat there like a hawk, watching Orleans. He toyed with the idea of adding a new contract use that his secretary was prohibited from seeing anyone throughout her stay in Kingston group. That was sure to scare her away, wasn¡¯t it?


    And there was that fucker, Simon, in the office, who kept gazing at her longingly. Anders would have sacked him on the spot if he hadn¡¯t remembered all of Simon¡¯s qualifications. But that didn¡¯t mean he had the right to look at something he wanted for himself.


    Anders noted that Orleans made no move to leave as he returned to the porch. His phone rang again, and in annoyance, Anders received the call and said in a harsh tone, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I found Master Orleans,¡± the voice said curtly, cutting to the chase. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a hard find. He is the President of JK corporations.¡±


    A loud silence rang in Anders¡¯ ears as he tried to take in what he had just heard. ¡°The same JK?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. The same one you¡¯re in a partnership with over the pharmaceutical matters.¡±


    Anders looked out his window again, seeing Orleans in a whole different light. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to jeopardize thepany¡¯s rtionship with other corporations. But Anders didn¡¯t think he was interested in letting this be.


    Orleans was a strong contender, even though Anders had no clue what they were contending for in the first ce. Maybe Orleans knew, but as for Anders, Veil¡¯s response to him at the club months ago was the only element needed to pique his interest.


    That, and the fact that she looked so beautiful, that it was almost ethereal.


    Ending the call without saying anything else, Anders made to open the door of his car, but at the exact moment, he saw Veil approaching slowly in the distance. She hadn¡¯t seen his car yet, and he doubted she would.


    Veil looked so distracted and drained that she barely took note of her surroundings. It made Anders wish he could do something about it, but with the wall he had built from the day she started working for him, Veil wouldn¡¯t want to disclose a thing.


    At least, not yet.


    He watched Orleans get off the steps again and approach Veil carefully. Half of him thought they would talk out there, and bid each other a wonderful night. But when Veil walked up to the porch and opened her doors to usher Orleans in, Anders wasn¡¯t sure he could take any of that.


    His knuckles almost turned white from the amount of pressure he kept on them as he watched them disappear behind the door. In a second, the lights on the porch came on, but all Anders could see were shadows behind the curtains. They soon became nonexistent, leaving Anders to himself out in the night.


    Every bone in Anders shook with anger, but rather than confront the situation, he turned on his engine, and stepped on the gas, driving away from Veil¡¯s house. He couldn¡¯t seem to get the image of Veil weing Orleans into her house out of his head, and it only made him madder.


    Red shed in his eyes as he drove on the highway at an impossible speed, but he still wouldn¡¯t slow down. He needed to feel something other than anger, and even if the ride wasn¡¯t totally suppressing his emotions, it was a good distraction.


    When he finally made the decision to go home, it was already 1 AM and he had imagined every possible scenario of what could have been going on in Veil¡¯s house. Fighting the urge to return there, he pulled up on his driveway, tossed the keys to one of his bodyguards, and went straight for a shower.


    As the warm water hit his flesh, he knew he had to make Veil feel every bit of what she had made him feel that night.

 Rumours!

    Veil was runningte, and it had nothing to do with the fact that her rm hadn¡¯t gotten her up in time. Halfway to thepany, she had realized that she had forgotten her iPad on her bed, and had to rush back home to retrieve it.


    The round trip took an extra forty-five minutes, and by the time she finally got to the first floor of the Kingston Group building, she knew she was in deep trouble.


    Veil met Simon in the elevator as she rushed inside, her brain in a frenzy. She barely realized he was there as she turned on her iPad, trying to go over Anders¡¯ itinerary for the day, while at the same time, trying to adjust her hair with her other hand holding her bag.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve had quite the morning,¡± Simon said, leaning off the elevator wall. ¡°Let me help you with that.¡±


    Simon took Veil¡¯s bag, so she could have better ess to her hair. She smiled in appreciation as she put it up in a messy bun with the band she always had on her, after deciding that it was the best she could do.


    ¡°Is Mr. Roderiguez in already?¡± Veil asked, even though she already knew the answer. That man never came into the officete, even though he was the fucking CEO.


    ¡°You know he is,¡± Simon replied, offering a sympathetic smile. ¡°He has a visitor currently, so I doubt he¡¯d notice that you¡¯rete. She¡¯s been here for quite a while.¡±


    Veil ignored the pang in her chest when Simon mentioned that the guest was a woman. Instead, she blew out a sigh of relief, which was incredibly short-lived.


    When the duo got to the sixteenth floor, the elevator dinged and the doors opened up. But when Veil raised her head, she was stunned to see Anders standing at the door, with an incredibly beautiful woman standing by his side.


    She looked like an angel, with a pair of blue eyes that felt like the unending ocean, on an impable oval face. Her blonde hair fell in waves around her shoulder and down her back, making her look so vulnerable. She was in a short ck dress that made her legs look very long, and her feet were covered in a pair of ck Jimmy Choo shoes.


    Veil was too dumbstruck to move a muscle, even when Simon bowed low, his head almost reaching his knees ¡°Good morning Ms. Sophia De Alonzo!¡±


    ¡°Hello!¡± Her dreamy voice floated around the space, striking Veil even further. She berated herself for appearing so clumsy that morning. She probably looked like a sack of potatoes next to this woman.


    Anders angled his head as he looked from Simon to the bag in his hand, and then to Veil. Their getting off the elevator together that morning sure didn¡¯t put his mind at considerable ease after what he had seen the previous night. But Anders chose to ignore it for the next few minutes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done staring, we would love to get on the elevator. We cannot exactly walk through you.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Recovering herself, Veil looked behind her to see that Simon had gotten off already and was waiting for her behind Anders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and get lost!¡± Anders said too calmly, enough to get goosebumps on Veil¡¯s skin. Hugging herself tightly, she scrambled out of the way, watching as Anders and Sophia got on the elevator.


    ¡°Print out a list of my meetings today and leave them on my table,¡± Anders said as he pushed a button inside. ¡°Make sure you¡¯re not in there when I return.¡±


    Veil didn¡¯t have time to respond as the doors slid shut, leaving her staring at the empty space. Simon tapped her shoulders slowly, with concern in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re good this morning?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Veil breathed, shaking her head. Her messy bun threatened to fall all over her, and she raised a hand to make the bun tighter. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­I¡¯m fine. Who was that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her?¡± Simon¡¯s tone wasced with disbelief like Veil hadmitted a felony for not being able to identify the woman.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be asking if I did.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s Sophia De Alonzo, the President¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Veil blinked, feeling like a bucket of cold ice had been poured down her spine. She remembered that name now from her interview. ¡°Is she the one¡­¡±


    ¡°No one knows for sure,¡± Simon cut I¡¯m, answering her unfinished question. ¡°But there have been rumors of them dating. That¡¯s all it has ever been. No one has been able to confirm a thing.¡±


    Nodding, Veil began to walk away slowly, unsure why she was feeling that way. But Simon suddenly called her name, making her halt.


    ¡°Your bag,¡± he said, jogging the short distance to hand it over. Simon smiled at her and touched her chin yfully. ¡°Ignore Mr. Roderiguez, okay? Don¡¯t let his words get to you. You deserve to have a beautiful day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Veil nodded and smiled. Grabbing her bag from him, she went into her office and printed out the schedule of meetings Anders asked for, making a cup of coffee alongside. She took both to his office, ensuring that she was out in a minute and back in her office.


    Veil thought that when Anders got back, she would apany him to his meetings, especially the one he had with JK Corporations since the minutes of thest meeting were with her. But Anders didn¡¯t call on her and Veil started to get worried.


    When it was fifteen minutes to the start of the meeting, Veil heard someone walk past her office, and knowing it was Anders, he grabbed her iPad and purse, joining him in the hallway.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± Anders threw at her, not bothering to slow down his steps.


    ¡°JK corpora¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going without you today,¡± he muttered, still walking.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hart, I believe I am the boss around here.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Then stop talking and return to your offices. I¡¯ll mail you what I need you to work on. Don¡¯te to my office when you¡¯re done. Send them via mail as well.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look at her as he spoke, nor did he turn back when Veil stopped walking. He was too angry to do either.

 Confrontation

    Veil stared dumbstruck at Anders¡¯ retreating figure, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She knew she should have just left the damn iPad back at home even if that meant appearing so ipetent. But at least, she would have gotten to the office early enough and in turn, would have avoided Anders¡¯ wrath.


    But then again, she had a strong inkling that it was more than heringte. It wasn¡¯t the first time Anders¡¯ had gotten upset over his reaching the office before her, but it was never this intense.


    Something else was wrong, and she wasn¡¯t sure she was interested in finding out what it was.


    ¡°What is the saying again?¡± she said in her head as she made the short journey back to her office. ¡°Oblivion is sometimes bliss.¡±


    This oblivion couldn¡¯t be blissful in any way, and that would have only been if it had agreed to remain undiscovered.


    ***


    Anders walked in through the ss doors, barely noticing the people who bowed low in greeting as he walked briskly past them. This meeting was supposed to be with the Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical department, but he wanted more.


    And he had all intentions of getting it, one way or another.


    The conference room was located on the second floor of the building, so it took less than a minute to arrive in there. Everyone got on their feet to wee him, and Anders mumbled a greeting as he plopped down on the seat right beside the head of the conference table.


    The Executive Director, Mr. Wang,menced the meeting almost immediately after Anders arrived, starting with a PowerPoint presentation to bring everyone up to speed on the action that had been taken.


    But abruptly, Anders raised a hand, halting the presentation. ¡°Where is the President of JK Corporations?¡±


    Everyone passed a look amongst themselves, obviously surprised at the strange nature of the question. That wasn¡¯t the first meeting they¡¯d had with Kingston Group, yet it was the first time Anders had asked for the President.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez,¡± Mr. Wang started after getting over the initial surprise. ¡°Uhm¡­ Our President doesn¡¯t usually¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I a joke to you all?¡±


    ¡°Can I please ask where all of this ising from?¡± Mr. Wang was so confused that he looked like he has been asked to race around the building twice without an exnation.


    Anders scoffed, then got on his feet, the chair scrapping on the ground noisily. ¡°When you all decide you¡¯re ready to continue this project, inform Orleans De Acosta that I will note all the way here for a meeting if he isn¡¯t going to attend as well.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    Anders stretched himself to his full gait and confidently strolled out of the conference room. The female employees peeped through the covers of theirputers to take a look at the popr dashing CEO who appeared like he had the whole world in one palm.


    When he reached the first floor, his bodyguards fell in step with him, holding the ss doors ajar for him as he walked through. But before he got to the steps leading down to the foyer, the ss doors behind them opened again, and Orleans stepped through it.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez,¡± he called out in a baritone. ¡°I heard you asked for me.¡±


    Anders halted in his tracks, then took a deep breath before turning around. Although he already knew what to expect, he was still taken aback by the person standing in front of him.


    How had he missed it?


    Anders had heard that the son of Harriet De Acosta was back in Mexico and had taken over thepany from his mother, but he had no clue that it was the same person Veil had beenughing so freely with outside his building.


    The mere thought of it brought a sour taste to Anders¡¯ mouth but he masked it perfectly with a smirk.


    ¡°When I heard you were back in town, I didn¡¯t know what to expect, but it sure wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Orleans shed a smile at Anders, unaffected by his words. ¡°Come on. Humor me. What did you expect?¡±


    Anders knew what Orleans wanted, but he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to take the bait. ¡°I don¡¯t know if your mother properly instructed you on how running a conglomerate goes, but you should know that when a major meeting takes ce such as this, the President must be in attendance.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Orleans took a step closer to Anders. ¡°What then is the essence of being the President if I cannot make new rules?¡±


    Shaking his head, Anders closed the remaining distance with two strides, and in a second, he was looking Orleans in the eyes.


    ¡°Like l told Mr. Wang, I will not be returning if you do not deem it proper to attend the meeting. The ball, Mr. De Acosta, is in your court. Or should I say ¡°master¡±? That¡¯s what they call you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Anders wasn¡¯t done yet. He busied his hands with adjusting a crooked part of Orleans¡¯ tie as he continued. ¡°It is also proper to go to an auction with your own date, rather than steal a date in the middle of the party. It is not only unprofessional but puts the job of the other party on the line.¡±


    Releasing the tie, Anders turned to leave, his men falling into step with him again.


    ¡°Send my regards to Veil,¡± Orleans called after Anders with a sheepish grin. ¡°She was such a great hostst night.¡±


    Anders tried to tell himself that whatever happened was none of his business, but in truth, he couldn¡¯t wait to yank off his tie as it suddenly felt like it was choking him. Not responding to Orleans or his request, he rounded off the corner and waited for his driver to get the car around.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Looking back just for a second wasn¡¯t a good idea for Anders, because if he had, there might just be a terrible headline on the papers the next morning.

 Out Of Place

    The ride back to the office was not uneventful for Anders, as for the most part, he reyed the covers he had with Orleans outside JK¡¯s building, counting the number of times he had to suppress the urge to hit him on the nose.


    Orleans was with Veil justst night, and there was no getting that away from his mind. She had opened her door to him as if it wasn¡¯t his first timeing around, and suddenly, Anders needed to break something to feel better.


    He had suppressed this rage so much that it was threatening to spill out of him in a rush.


    The driver looked at him through the overhead mirror, observing how Anders¡¯ forehead was burrowed in concentration like he was trying to remember something or keep himself from remembering something.


    ¡°Is anything the matter, Sir?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nothing is wrong,¡± Anders answered him curtly, ejecting every thought of the conversation continuing. He didn¡¯t want to have to talk about how nothing made sense right, about how all of these were based on a one-time meeting at a club.


    No one would understand, because Anders himself couldn¡¯t.


    When he reached the office, he found the mail he had requested from Veil sitting in his primary folder, and Anders felt no release. Instead, he wanted her to feel how he had felt the previous night watching Orleans walk inside her house, and a merepletion of tasks wasn¡¯t going to do that.


    Anders picked up the telephone and dialed the floor below.


    ¡°Tell my secretary to get me lunch and drop it at your desk. Bring it to me yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    His lunch arrived in thirty minutes, but Anders couldn¡¯t even eat it. Tossing it into a corner, he buried himself in work, going over all the files on his table one by one, even touching those of the startups that had left him proposals that he hadn¡¯t even nned on considering in the first ce.


    A shy knock drew Anders away from the little he had left to do. He stared at the closed door, debating whether he was in any mood to talk to an employee. Deciding against it, he went back to work, assuming that whoever it was would take the cue and leave.


    But when the knock sounded again, Anders sighed and dropped the papers in exasperation.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Anders knew it was her from the moment the door opened and her scent wafted in. He would recognize it anywhere, as obnoxious as it felt. Veil stepped in and closed the door behind her. She took a few more steps that ced her in the center of the room before stopping.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡­uhm¡­.¡± Veil swallowed and took a deep breath. ¡°I wanted to know if I could go home since¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hart,¡± Anders growled, annoyance shing through his eyes. But he wasn¡¯t even upset at Veil. Orleans was the one he wanted to beat into a pulp. ¡°Haven¡¯t we discussed this before?¡±


    ¡°I know you said I can¡¯t go home until you do but ¡­¡±


    ¡°But nothing, Ms. Hart. Go back to your office and stay there until you hear me leave for the day.¡±


    Nodding, Veil turned to return, but halted suddenly, turning around again.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± She asked slowly, careful not to make Anders yell at her again like she had any control over that. ¡°You ensured I didn¡¯te into your office when you were in all through the day and¡­¡±


    ¡°So you figured that out.¡± Anders watched her intently. ¡°Then why the hell are you in here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I just want to know what I did wrong. You didn¡¯t even allow me to go with you to JK Corporations and now I don¡¯t have the minutes and I¡¯m clueless as to the conclusions made. How am I supposed to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hart¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rambling. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve just been stuck in my office with nothing to do, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that I did something wrong. Was it because I came inte?¡±


    ¡°Veil, nothing is wrong. Now, get out.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Why were you so particr about JK Corporations?¡± Anders asked suddenly, watching her reaction closely.


    Veil stared back at him utterly confused. ¡°I am your secretary and a part of my job description is to follow you for your meetings to take minutes. You said that yourself.¡±


    ¡°And I am the CEO. I should be able to make my own rules, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Anders hated that he was borrowing a line from that fucker.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Taking Veil by surprise, Anders got out from behind his table and walked over to her.


    ¡°You want to know what you did? How about we start with how Simon was carrying your bag this morning when I met you both in the elevator? I don¡¯t want to imagine what you were doing with him before it stopped.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veil looked at Anders with a pained expression, but he wasn¡¯t even done yet. ¡°He was just helping me¡­¡±


    ¡°Just like the man from the party, right? What was his name again? Orleans, yeah? He is quite the catch.¡±


    Something suddenly snapped in Veil and right there, she decided that she had had enough.


    ¡°Yeah! Right! Just like the woman I met in here with your head in between her legs. Yet, you don¡¯t see me getting angry about it or acting like I¡¯ve got a stick stuck up in my ass,¡± Veil shot back. Almost immediately, she realized what she had just done and her eyes dropped in remorse.


    ¡°That was out of ce. I¡¯m really so¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Anders said in a low voice, taking another step closer to Veil. He could smell her perfume now, stronger than ever. It was the perfect blend ofvender and cocoa, making Anders stifle a moan. He could feel her breath fan his face, noting with glee that just one more step would bring him¡­


    ¡°I¡¯d understand if¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Veil Hart!¡±


    Anders covered thest step, pressing his lips to hers suddenly, and the whole world suddenly blurred away.

 Luscious Feelings

    A lot of things were happening all at once, maybe too much to pay attention to. Perhaps that was the reason Veil failed to pay attention to the voice of reason, which screamed at her to push Anders away and get the hell out of his office.


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    The moment his lips touched hers, she felt everything disappear. They were no longer in the office at Kingston Group, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t decipher where they were.


    Perhaps Anders and Veil were lost in between time and space, where nothing else mattered other than the hot, smoldering kiss that was going on.


    At first, Veil felt her body tense up at Anders¡¯ intrusion, but that didn¡¯t discourage him. His lips lingered on hers, teasing and pleading with her to open up. The moment she did, Anders¡¯ mouth closed over hers, and she gasped from the feeling of his lips on hers.


    Veil tasted of vani ice cream and a tinge of strawberry, probably from her gloss. Anders drank in the odd yet alluringbination, tugging at her bottom lip until a sweet shudder ran through her body.


    He had dreamed of this moment a million times and now that it was happening, he wanted to have them all at once. She made him go nuts, with how soft her lips felt on his, and her gasps that made him want to take her clothes off slowly- piece by piece.


    Against the voices screaming in her head to stop this madness at once, Veil kissed him back. She could hear the low rumbling at the back of his throat, and it drew her further in, like molt to amp. Veil melted against his hard body as he pulled her flush against his skin and ran his hand through her shiny hair.


    Anders was right all the time that he had imagined what her hair would feel like when he finally got to touch it that way. It was silky, and the silent whispers of strand against strand found its way to Anders¡¯ whole body. Burying his hand into that silky mass, he felt her give in in his arms.


    Veil wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling Anders into a deeper and intense kiss. It was madness, but neither of them wanted to stop. There was no space between them, yet it seemed like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Anders used the hand he buried in Veil¡¯s hair to pull her impossibly closer, and he tugged at the messy bun, allowing her hair to cascade down her back. Veil sighed from the feel of his hands in her hair, and Anders fought the urge to tell her that he loved that sounding out of her.


    Snaking one arm around her waist, Anders toyed with the small exposed skin between her pants and her blouse; his fingers syed on it just enough to get Veil moaning and wanting more. She threw her head back in utter ecstasy as Anders¡¯s lips left her mouth, trailing hot wet kisses on her neck.


    Stopping on the hollow of her throat, Anders nibbled on the skin there, causing a gasp to escape from Veil¡¯s lips. She thrashed underneath his grasp, pushing herself to him, her nipples hard underneath her blouse.


    She felt alive in those seconds, yet so out of breath. Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she thought Anders could hear it.


    Continuing his journey further, Anders lit up a fire on Veil¡¯s skin, halting again on the swell of her breasts just before it deepened and got lost underneath her blouse. He knew it was one of her sensitive spots as her moans bounced through the walls of his office.


    It was a good thing it was soundproof.


    There was a cute little bow at the top of her blouse, and Anders yed with it, his teeth pulling it loose. She felt the breeze in the office caress her open skin, slightly tugging thece of her bra.


    Anders saw it peaking out of her blouse, a ckcy bra that didn¡¯t deserve to remain hidden away from his eyes. He wondered if she was wearing matching panties and instantly, his co** pulsed at the idea of seeing it, hardening in his pants.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Veil muttered, snapping out of it almost as suddenly as it started. She jumped out of Anders¡¯ embrace at once, putting enough space between them. Both their breathing were raged and fast, making it difficult to say anything for a while.


    Veil looked up at Anders, recognizing the look in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t kidding when he dered to make her his in every way possible. The hunger and need she saw in his eyes made her swallow and take another step backward.


    It had gotten farther than she should have allowed.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Veil¡­¡± Anders¡¯ eyes fell on her lips again. Now that he knew how they tasted, he would forever dream about their luscious feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that¡­ kind of woman,¡± she said, struggling to find the right words to say, and ignoring the ache in her nipples. ¡°I told you that day at¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of woman?¡±


    ¡°The one that would open her legs wide for you whenever you want.¡±


    Anders scoffed, then closed his eyes for a second. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what you saw. Vera was¡­she didn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°I respect the decisions you make in your personal life, Sir because as your secretary, I¡¯m meant to stay as far away from it as possible. But I will not be warming your bed.¡±


    ¡°Yet.¡± Although Veil tried to hide it, Anders knew she was affected when she walked in on his face in between Vera¡¯s thighs. He doubted he would ever be able to exin what had really happened.


    ¡°I would be in my office sir,¡± Veil muttered, turning to leave.


    ¡°You can go home,¡± Anders called after her.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°And wear your hair down tomorrow. I don¡¯t like struggling with buns.¡±

 Stranger!

    ¡°You look flustered. Are you fine?¡± Simon asked Veil as she got to the first floor, armed with her purse. The ride from the sixteenth floor to the first floor had been too quiet for her so much so that her mind had decided the best thing to do to while away time was to rey her kiss with the CEO of Kingston Group.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Simon,¡± Veil breathed, trying not to wobble on her feet. She still hadn¡¯t recovered from that intense moment, and she really needed to go home immediately.


    But Simon was still talking and she didn¡¯t want to cut him off.


    ¡°Are you sure? Your face is red. Are you¡­¡±


    Veil knew he was just genuinely concerned, but she just wanted to be out of there.


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired, Simon. It¡¯s been a really long day, with Mr Rodriguez treating me like ¡­.¡± Closing her eyes, Veil took a deep breath and tried again. ¡°I just need to get some rest.¡±


    That seemed to have done the trick as Simon nodded and wished her a splendid evening.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    As Veil got outside the building, a red Lexus sports car parked in front of her, and wound the window down.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d need a ride,¡± Orleans said, smiling up at Veil. ¡°But now that I¡¯m here, I think you need more than that.¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Veil asked, walking to the other side of the car, and getting into the passenger¡¯s seat. Orleans allowed her to get the seat belt in before hitting the gas.


    ¡°You look like you just had some news delivered to you.¡±


    ¡°Welll, if the fact that I have to be at work by 5 am tomorrow counts, then I definitely had some news delivered to me.¡± Sighing, Veil slumped into the leather seat of his car.


    Although Orleans was a really nice person, Veil decided that she didn¡¯t know him enough to tell him about what happened with her boss.


    ¡°And now, you¡¯re cranky,¡± Orleans muttered, turning a corner. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to leave thepany? I¡¯m sure you can find another job somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I need the money,¡± Veil blurted before she could stop herself. ¡°Erm¡­It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me anything.¡± Orleans came to her rescue. ¡°After all, I¡¯m just a stranger who you gged down on a certain beautiful night, mistaking my car for an Uber.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to ever let that go, are you?¡± Veil asked, chuckling.


    ¡°Never!¡± Orleansughed a deep-set sound that made Veilugh again. ¡°It might just be the evidence I need when you startining about your eyesight and I force you to see an optician.¡±


    ¡°It was dark! And you didn¡¯t even bother to correct me.¡±


    ¡°There was a beautifuldy freely offering to keep mepany for a few minutes. Thest thing on my mind was to tell you no.¡±


    ¡°And I made you go out of your way,¡± Veil whined.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mind, just as I don¡¯t mind taking you out for ice cream. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Veil hadn¡¯t even realized that the car had stopped moving and that they were parked in front of an ice cream ce.


    ¡°They sell the best ice cream around,¡± Orleans offered when Veil kept looking out through the window. ¡°And they¡¯ve also been proven to be authentic mood lifters, the best even, after me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Veilughed as they alighted the car and walked inside. While thedies all seemed to check Orleans out, he barely noticed them as he led the way to the booth closest to the window.


    A waiter came to get their orders and returned in a few minutes with them. While Veil asked for a medium cup of chocte mint, Orleans wanted vani and strawberry, joking that he was a local man who preferred it simple.


    Veil was really having a good time, especially since she didn¡¯t want to think about what happened earlier that day. But the thought came back at intervals, like when Orleans¡¯ phone rang and he had to step outside to receive it.


    Since she couldn¡¯t stay out for too long because of work the next morning, Orleans drove her home withoutint.


    ¡°I hope you had fun today?¡± He asked as he pulled outside. ¡°You looked like you had a lot on your te and I really wanted to do something.¡±


    ¡°The ice cream sure helped,¡± Veil answered, smiling. ¡°Thank you, Orleans.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. Have a beautiful night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Veil got out of the car and made the short walk to her porch. She turned to wave Orleans until he drove out of sight before proceeding inside. Veil had already had too much ice cream that day, and although, she knew she needed to eat something more healthy before going to bed, she was too exhausted to make anything.


    She made her way to her bedroom but halted suddenly just before the hallway, all her senses instantly heightened. Although she hadn¡¯t noticed it the instant she walked into the house because of her exhaustion, she could sure tell now.


    There was someone else in the house.


    Veil tried to mentally trace back her steps, noting that she hadn¡¯t used her keys to get in because she had met the door open. It was toote to return outside to check under the footman to see if the spare key was still there. If she did that, she could risk tipping whoever it was that she already found out.


    Slowly, Veil dropped her purse on the small table by her side and removed her shoes as well. She grabbed the baseball bat June¡¯s brother had insisted they kept since they were both two single women living together, then proceeded to the kitchen where she had heard the sounding from.


    Veil lifted the bat as she reached the kitchen door, taking a deep breath before pushing it open. She saw a pair of legs first and screamed at the top of her lungs as she put enough energy in her hands. But suddenly, the person in the kitchen screamed as she saw Veil, her eyes widening.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±

 Thief

    June stared wide-eyed at her best friend, Veil, wielding a bat with so much ferocity in her eyes. She was still in her office clothes and looked like she had only just returned from work. When Veil had told her that her boss was a pain in the ass, June only just realized how serious her best friend must have been.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be back until the weekend!¡± Veil yelled back, dropping the bat at once. ¡°I thought you were a thief?¡±


    ¡°A thief making toast and jam? Really? Come here!¡±


    Veil ran into the arms of her best friend, relishing in the familiar smell of her shampoo and perfume. She didn¡¯t realize how much she had missed June until now when she was standing in the middle of the kitchen. It felt like ages since they¡¯dst seen each other.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight since thest time I saw you,¡± Junemented, holding Veil at arm¡¯s length. ¡°What has Kingston Group been feeding you?¡±


    Veil didn¡¯t even want to think about work right now because then, she would have to think about Anders. And that was a bad idea since she was trying so hard to get the thought of them kissing out of her head.


    So, instead, Veil swiftly and expertly changed the subject.


    ¡°How¡¯s your father?¡± She moved to the kitchen b and started making toast for herself. ¡°Didn¡¯t he try to stop you from returning?¡±


    ¡°You know him too well,¡± June muttered, sighing. ¡°He even threatened to remove me from the will, but I cannot stay with them forever. My father is super unbearable.¡±


    ¡°The man scares me,¡± Veil agreed, grabbing the ham. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he was d to have you with him.¡±


    ¡°At first,¡± June answered, shrugging. ¡°But soon enough, we started our usual bickering, and Mom started reconsidering their decision to have mee by. Dad didn¡¯t allow me to leave until I told him you needed my help with something.¡±


    Veil had always been the ticket out for June since they were kids, and they had stuck by each other through thick and thin.


    ¡°Now, tell me, how has your life been going around here? I feel like we barely had enough time to speak when I traveled. It was so hard getting a hold of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I get to work by 5 am and don¡¯t leave until after 9 pm. I¡¯m always going to one meeting or the other or preparing documents for some presentation. Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡±


    ¡°Oouu!¡± June cut in as we set up the kitchen table to eat. ¡°The sexy CEO that has been rumored to date the President¡¯s daughter. Tell me everything about him.¡±


    Trust June to do her own research on Kingston Group.


    Veil cringed as she remembered how drab she looked beside Sophia De Alonzo. ¡°I met her earlier today.¡±


    ¡°The President¡¯s daughter?¡± June asked disbelievingly.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Maybe the rumors are true,¡± Veil muttered, shrugging. ¡°They look so good together, and she was in his office all morning.¡±


    ¡°You snagged the best job on earth,¡± June said, her eyes lighting up in excitement.


    ¡°I would have said that if Mr. Rodriguez isn¡¯t such a jackass.¡± Veil¡¯s face turned a bright shade of red as his face came into her head, and that moment didn¡¯t pass by June¡¯s hawk eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not saying.¡± June was always the person who hit the nail on the head, never mincing words. ¡°Tell me. What happened with your boss? It¡¯s more than him being cruel.¡±


    ¡°Did I say this has anything to do with him?¡± Veil questioned, busying herself with the suddenly interesting arrangement of the toast on the te.


    ¡°You¡¯re avoiding my gaze. I¡¯m right. Something¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s up, June,¡± Veil said curtly, then sighed. ¡°I¡­¡±


    The doorbell rang suddenly, and Veil almost danced in excitement at the intrusion. She wasn¡¯t ready to confront what happened at her office and needed time to do something else other than remember Anders Rodriguez.


    Veil attended to the person at the door, surprised to find Orleans leaning against the door frame.


    ¡°You left your gloss in the car.¡± Smiling up at her, he handed her the pink tube. ¡°I figured it was important. Your day might be ruined if you don¡¯t find it in your purse tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Veil didn¡¯t know what to say. It was just a lipgloss. He didn¡¯t have to drive all the way to give her that. ¡°I have a lot of tubes since I keep losing them, but thank you. I really appreciate this gesture.¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡± Orleans looked into her eyes as he spoke. ¡°Do you have a visitor around?¡± He looked at the BMW parked on the driveway. June hadn¡¯t gotten around to taking her car into the garage, so why hadn¡¯t she noticed it the first time?


    ¡°No. That¡¯s my roommate and best friend, June. She traveled for a bit and just returned.¡±


    ¡°That means I¡¯m ruining the reunion, right?¡± Orleans said casually, stepping off the porch.


    ¡°No! No!¡± Veilughed, the carefree sound making Orleans heady.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave you be for now. See you soon.¡±


    Veil waited for him to get into his car before returning inside. Sheughed again when she saw June perched by the window, caught in the act with a ss of orange juice.


    ¡°Tell me everything about that handsome man. What¡¯s his name? What does he do? He likes you, you know? The way he stared at you! Jeez! That¡¯s the exact way I stare at choctes, and you know how much I love those.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, June!¡± Veil chuckled and breezed into the kitchen, certain that June was going to follow her. The only thing she loved outside her choctes and her job was a good story.


    ¡°Orleans doesn¡¯t like me,¡± Veil said as she plopped back on the chair. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think he does. He¡¯s just being nice, which almost got me into trouble, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± June slurped on her juice noisily. ¡°This story just took an interesting turn.¡±

 Up Close

    June hadn¡¯t let Veil go to bed without telling her every single thing that had happened since she had been away, including the gift from Anders and the moment on the rooftop at the party. Of course, Veil left out the part where they kissed, as she didn¡¯t think it was important information for June to know.


    At least, not yet.


    The next morning, Veil was surprised to see June up as well when she went to the kitchen to get a ss of water. June was a remote worker who could work from thefort of their house, so it was strange that she was awake that early.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any more stories for you,¡± Veil yawned as she walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cup, and filled it with water.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill of you,¡± June answered, chuckling. ¡°But do you know the best element in a story?¡±


    ¡°The suspense?¡±


    ¡°No! The imagery.¡±


    Veil stared at her best friend like she had just grown horns overnight. ¡°What are you rambling about? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to get back to bed?¡±


    ¡°I have decided that the plot will make better sense in my head if I see Mr. Rodriguez up close. So, that¡¯s what we will be doing today.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I spat the water out of my mouth in surprise, cing the cup carefully on the sink so it didn¡¯t follow suit. ¡°What the hell are you saying? You cannot possibly do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°One, it is my ce of work, and personal guests aren¡¯t allowed. And two, I don¡¯t want to get sacked so early.¡±


    ¡°But he had his fianceee over!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s his fiancee, but that doesn¡¯t even count. He is the CEO and can do whatever he wants.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t think she¡¯s his fiancee? Just yesterday, you said¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯te with me,¡± Veil quickly interrupted, not wanting June to dig any further.


    ¡°Okay. How about I drop you off then?¡±


    ¡°June¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on! Think about it! You wouldn¡¯t have to wait for a taxi, and you know how fast I drive. You¡¯ll be at the office in no time.¡±


    It was too sweet a deal to ignore, so Veil nodded and hurried back into her room to get ready. That day, she opted for something a tad more casual, donning a short ck dress that stopped in the middle of her thighs with a pair of formal heels.


    After finishing her dress, Veil stood in front of the mirror, deliberating what to do with her hair. Almost in a trance, she lifted her hands to touch her lips, feeling Anders¡¯ on hers. She remembered his taste so distinctly that it messed with her head.


    Following the path he had trailed on her body, Veil moved her hand from her lips down her neck, stopping at the base of her throat where his lips had nibbled so sensually. Her breath became ragged, and her face flushed again. Veil couldn¡¯t recognize the person staring back at her from the mirror.


    She looked starved and needy ¨C things she had never noticed in her before. Veil needed to put as much space between her and Anders as possible because there was too much on the line for her. She couldn¡¯t even dare to think about how it felt and how much she wished she could feel that way again.


    ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t about Anders,¡± Veil thought. It had been a long time since she had gone out with someone because of all the drama in her life, so maybe it was her body¡¯s needs getting the better of best of her. Perhaps she should pursue it with Orleans.


    Or some other strange dude.


    One thing was for sure. Veil knew Orleans hadn¡¯t lit up a fire in her as Anders had done.


    Hell! She needed to quit thinking about him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± June asked suddenly, poking her head in from the door. ¡°You¡¯ve been in here too long for someone who has to get to work before her boss.¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Veil yelled, fanning her face with her hand to get her skin back to normal. Recalling that Anders had asked her to keep her hair down that day, Veil intentionally put it up in a sleek ponytail instead, taking her time to keep it pressed down, with a few curled tendrils falling by both sides of her head, and framing her face so tenderly.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Grabbing a tote and filling it with the essential, she joined June by the car. Her best friend must be so eager to meet Anders as she had gotten all dolled up in leather pants and matching  jacket, and had even curled her hair.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the President¡¯s daughter¡¯s part?¡± Veil asked as she got into the passenger¡¯s seat and fastened the seat belt.


    ¡°I also heard that you don¡¯t think that they¡¯re engaged,¡± June answered, putting the car in motion. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to take my chances.¡±


    Swallowing the sour taste in her mouth, Veil said nothing else about Anders as they bound out into the street. Traffic was very minimal at this time of the morning, and with June¡¯s driving skills, they were at the office in no time.


    Just as they were debating if Anders was already in or not, Veil saw his car park in front of the building from the rearview mirror. One of his men rushed to open the back door, and Anders stepped down from the car, looking as dashing as ever. Today, he seemed to have put in a little more effort as Veil noticed the new haircut.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen him up close,¡± Veil said to June as she opened the door. ¡°Now go back home.¡±


    Hurrying to join Anders before he walked in, Veil stopped beside him and greeted him, not daring to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Ms. Hart,¡± he said politely as he kept his hands in his pocket and started walking. ¡°What meetings do I have nned for the day?¡±


    Just as Veil was about to read his schedule from his iPad, June suddenly appeared before them and stretched out a hand.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m June, Veil¡¯s¡­Ms. Hart¡¯s best friend. It¡¯s so splendid to meet you.¡±

 Little Boyfriend

    Veil needed the meeting to end as soon as possible, but Anders made sure of the opposite. Pulling up insane propositions to rattle JK Corporations, Anders ensured that Orleans was shown the ropes of the business through him. Veil understood that Orleans had only just returned to Mexico to take over the Corporation as President, and Anders was letting him know who his boss was.


    ¡°I think I need another meal,¡± Anders yawned as he set aside the papers. ¡°What do you all think? We¡¯ve been here for hours already, and it is already time for lunch.¡±


    Anders was being a douchebag right now, and even though Veil had no clue why, Orleans was fully versed in his intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to suggest we adjourn this meeting to another date. My secretary will be confirming your avability for the day we choose since you did that thest time.¡±


    ¡°That works for me, too,¡± Anders replied, getting on his feet to give Orleans a handshake. Something seemed to pass between them as they stayed that way longer than was necessary, staring at each other in the eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check up on youter,¡± Orleans whispered to Veil on his way out. But she wasn¡¯t interested in anything he had to say. How could he address her that way just because Anders threw a bait at him? She thought he was different.


    Anders waited for everyone to file out before angling his head in Veil¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to eat anything?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Veil shook her head, for once meaning it. She felt this sour taste in her mouth, and nothing would have been appealing to her.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Anders got up, and Veil did the same, clearing the table of the papers Orleans hade with. In Kingston Groups, papers were barely used as everything wasputerized. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t the same with JK Corporations, and Veil was even more pissed that they had left her with the annoying task of converting the information on the paper to a digital format so it could be properly kept.


    Veil walked to the front of the restaurant behind Anders, but he did something surprising as they approached the car. Rather than allow his man to open up the doors for him, he held out a hand to stop him and, instead, opened the door for Veil.


    She halted in her steps and stared up at her boss, stark surprise written all over her features. Veil knew Anders did all sorts of surprising things, but this was in front of everyone.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡±


    ¡°Get in, Ms. Hart. You¡¯ve had quite a bit of shock today.¡±


    Veil, feeling the weight of the day¡¯s events, climbed into the car. She watched as Anders closed the door behind her, his movements precise and controlled. The car¡¯s interior was luxurious, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere that had filled the meeting room.


    ¡°What was the about?¡± Veil whispered the moment he was in. ¡°Your men were looking.¡±


    ¡°They know how to mind their business,¡± he retorted, retrieving his phone from the pocket of his jacket.


    ¡°You knew Orleans and I were friends,¡± Veil muttered, trying to get Anders¡¯ attention. ¡°Was that why you didn¡¯t allow me to go with you thest time? You didn¡¯t want me to find out that way.¡±


    Anders just shrugged and returned to his phone, but Veil was in no way done.


    ¡°So, why then am I here today? Why didn¡¯t you warn me about him before I witnessed that disy?¡±


    ¡°You sure have a lot of questions today, Veil,¡± Anders replied, his toneced with annoyance. ¡°You want answers, yet you have your hair up and wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± Veil felt a surge of anger at his dismissive tone, but she knew it was not the time to argue.


    ¡°How is any of this about my hair?¡± Veil asked exasperatedly, raising her hands in the air.


    ¡°It is about you. Everything about you.¡± Anders¡¯ gaze was intense, making Veil feel exposed. She shifted ufortably, her eyes darting to the windows, desperate to avoid his prating stare.


    ¡°You should have told me Orleans was the President of JK Corporations,''¡± Veil muttered, wanting to have thest say, like always.


    ¡°And you should have told me that he was freely paying you visits on your porch, and you willingly opened your door to him to walk through. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what you both do indoors.¡±


    Veil whipped her head back to face Anders so fast that she felt it in her neck. ¡°How¡­Why¡­Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I only recently found out about Orleans and wanted him to talk to you about it since he knows you work for me. It¡¯s not my fault he didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought that his reason for keeping it away from me was because he didn¡¯t want me to see him as all high and mighty? Perhaps he needs me to just talk to him as a regr human being after being referred to as Master and President all day long.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Veil,¡± Anders said suddenly, looking away from her. ¡°Just stop talking.¡±


    She took a deep breath and clenched her fists, her defiance shining through. ¡°Mr. Rodriguez, I¡¯m just saying that the way I was osted today was in no way nice.¡±


    ¡°me your little boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Orleans is not my boyfriend!¡±


    ¡°He sure has that intention,¡± Anders shot back, ring at Veil. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? He stares at you like he would do to his favorite bottle of brandy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t what you think. He has his reasons.¡±


    ¡°Veil¡­¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t give him the right to talk to me that way, though. But I¡¯m certain it isn¡¯t exactly the way I¡­¡±


    ¡°The more you defend him, the more you make me want to pin you against the leather of my car and continue what I started yesterday. So, unless you want to give my men a show, why don¡¯t you quit talking about Orleans?¡± Anders¡¯ voice was low and threatening, his words dripping with anger.

 Flushed

    A gasp escaped Veil¡¯s lips as her face lit up. A searing heat traveled around her body, and she pressed her thighs together, feeling a sudden moisture in between her legs.


    Anders said nothing else throughout the ride, as he had battles of his own. Since Orleans arrived at the restaurant for the meeting, he had tried to stop himself from throwing a punch at his pretty face, even though he knew the satisfaction the crunch of his bones would give him.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t a scene he wanted Veil to witness.


    But Anders felt rattled to the core by the way Orleans kept looking at Veil from the corner of his eyes like some high schooler who had been love-struck. Anders tried so hard not to confront that situation because he didn¡¯t want to appear the same way Orleans did before him.


    And when he talked about Veil like she was some errand girl who was going out of line, Anders almost lost it. Although he knew that it was just Orleans trying to get back at him, he hated that he had used Veil to achieve that.


    Anders was sure it was thest time that would happen because he wasn¡¯t going to let anyone disrespect his secretary like that.


    That was what Veil was to him. His secretary. Vera was wrong when she said that it was because of Veil that he hadn¡¯t returned her call or warmed her bed since thest time. Anders tried to convince himself that it was nothing more than sparks that he had under control.


    So why was he so painfully aware of her sitting next to him? The smell of her perfume made it all too difficult to pay attention to what he was reading on his phone, and Anders just wanted to bolt out of the car before he made his threate to life.


    When the car stopped in front of the building, Anders jumped out without waiting for his men to open the door. He could feel Veil behind him as she followed him closely, but still with a little space between them.


    As Anders made to push the buttons outside the elevator, the door suddenly sprung open, and Sophia De Alonzo raised her head, seemingly surprised to find them both there.


    ¡°Er¡­Am I interrupting something?¡± She asked, gazing from Veil to Anders. ¡°You both look¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Anders jumped in, much to Veil¡¯s relief because she didn¡¯t trust her mouth to function after thest thing Anders had said to her in the car.


    ¡°We just had a meeting that didn¡¯t go as nned, but we¡¯ll work on it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia seemed content with Anders¡¯ exnation as she nodded and got out of the elevator. ¡°I was hoping to catch you for lunch. My friend opened this amazing ce downtown, and I wanted us to try it together.¡±


    Veil felt Anders¡¯ eyes on her, but it was so subtle and fast that she might as well have imagined it. Nodding, Anders held out a hand for Sophia and turned to Veil.


    ¡°You know what to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Veil was stunned for a minute and unable to use her lips. She stammered for the first few seconds, then stopped, shaking her head as if to get rid of a pest.


    ¡°Are you fine?¡± Sophia questioned, gazing at her like some pet. ¡°You look flushed. Your skin. It is¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Veil said, managing to sh her a smile. ¡°And I know what to do, Mr. Rodriquez. The files will be forwarded to your mail before you return from lunch.¡±


    With that, Veil scrambled away from view before Anders could say one more word. The image of them together would forever be seared into her brain, yet Veil had no idea why she was so affected by it.


    ¡°It is just one kiss,¡± she muttered to herself in the elevator, wishing she hadn¡¯t embarrassed herself that way in front of Sophia. Now, she probably thought she was dumb, or worse, smitten by her fiancee.


    ¡°The kiss obviously meant nothing to Anders,¡± Veil thought as the doors dinged open, ushering her to her office. Deciding she was thinking too much about it, she opted to pour herself into work.


    Perhaps, if she finished this on time, Anders would be so gracious as to allow her to go home early.


    But as Veil settled to work, a knock resounded on her door, and Simon poked his head in.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he smiled, then strolled in, closing the door behind him. In his hand was a takeout, and Veil recognized the name of the restaurant. It was the one they had just had a meeting at with JK Corporations.


    ¡°There was a delivery for you on the first floor,¡± Simon exined as he dropped the package on her table. ¡°Since I was there already, I decided to bring it up myself rather than have youe back downstairs. I ¡­urm.. saw that you only just got back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Veil gushed as she pushed the takeout closer to herself. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to go through the stress.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bother,¡± Simon answered, making himselffortable.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Do you know who it¡¯s from?¡±


    Simon shook his head in the negative. ¡°But I think you¡¯ve got yourself an admirer,¡± he said with a feigned excitement. ¡°That restaurant is one of the most expensive in Mexico, and it is hard to even get a space there for dinner as reservations have to be made beforehand. Whoever got you that probably knows the owner pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Anders,¡± Veil whispered, low enough for Simon not to hear. She pried open the package and found a little note attached to the cover of the te.


    ¡°I want to meet the tes cleared up by the time I return. I like how hardworking you are, but I also want you to eat well to maintain your glow.¡±


    Veil found herself grinning sheepishly as she reread the letter, and Simon cleared his throat noisily, getting her attention.


    ¡°Does it say who it¡¯s from?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Veil answered a little too quickly. ¡°No.¡±

 Luck

    Simon raised an eyebrow at Veil, as she folded the paper and put it back in the package. She blinked at him, and an awkward silence followed. Now, Simon was thinking that he should have left the package downstairs and allowed the delivery agent to go through the whole hassle of getting it upstairs.


    ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± Simon asked. In truth, he wasn¡¯t really concerned about the meeting because he had no clue what it was about. He just really needed to make small talk to break through the awkward silence.


    ¡°It was the absolute worst.¡± Veil sighed, resting her back. ¡°I have all these papers to turn into a digital format and it is already stressing the hell out of me.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to help? It¡¯s not so different from what I do downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Simon wanted to add ¡°anything for you¡±, but he figured that it only sounded really weird and was most likely to creep her out. So he settled for a huge smile that made Veil smile back.


    Simon went to his office to get hisptop and by the time he returned, Veil had already cleared the table, putting the food away. The only items left were the papers and a very serious-looking Veil.


    ¡°Thank you for doing this,¡± she gushed, sharing the papers in two. Simon took one-half of the share as he turned on hisptop.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how we¡¯ve been working together for some time and I barely know a thing about you,¡± he started, his fingers poised on the keys.


    Veil wouldn¡¯t put it that way. They hadn¡¯t exactly been working together since they were both stationed on different floors and attended to distinct matters.


    But Veil couldn¡¯t say that. Instead, she shrugged without looking up from her screen. ¡°I don¡¯t talk that much,¡± she offered.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable, ¡± Simon said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a talkative too, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Veil looked up when she realized Simon had stopped talking in the middle of a sentence.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Simon said hurriedly, going back to the papers.


    ¡°My name is Veil Hart. I graduated top of my ss from Harvard. I really hate pickles and my family is from here. What else do you want to know?¡±


    Simon grinned sheepishly as his eyes met Veil. ¡°Why did you decide to work here?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Veil¡¯s shoulders shook as sheughed. ¡°Kingston Groups is the best in Mexico. It¡¯s all anyone can talk about.¡±


    ¡°But the CEO¡¯s secretary?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t apply for that,¡± Veil confided. ¡°I wanted to work with ounts but Inded here instead. At the interview, they mentioned I was most qualified to work here, and the pay is so much better.¡±


    ¡°So it was the money then,¡± Simon muttered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what it¡¯s always about?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    Veil didn¡¯t know what Simon meant by that, but she didn¡¯t let that bother her. She was just pleased that he had offered to help her with the papers and that they would be done in no time.


    Simon and Veil finished working in record time, and to show her appreciation, Veil decided to walk him back to his office.


    Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t the best decision she should have made, because at the oddest of times, something strange always seemed to happen. As if following a pattern, the huge doors suddenly opened, and Anders walked through them, his men nking him on both sides.


    The employees on the first floor all got on their feet and bowed their heads low as he walked past. But when Anders reached the middle of the floor, his eyes suddenly looked to the left, where Veil was standing with Simon,ughter still in their eyes from the joke Simon had just told.


    Veil knew she was in so much trouble the moment their eyes met, but she had no clue what she had done. Was it the fact that he hadn¡¯t met her in her office, or wasn¡¯t she allowed to take breaks anymore?


    Her legs almost dragged themselves to the centre of the floor to join Anders, but Veil forced herself to remain rooted to the spot.


    Anders¡¯ eyes left hers and slowly went to Simon. A wicked smirk spread on his lips as he shook his head so subtly that Veil would have missed it if she hadn¡¯t been staring so hard.


    Leaving them there, Anders resumed his journey, taking the elevators to the eighteenth floor.


    The moment he was out of the first floor, eyes fell on Veil and she suddenly felt osted. She was the center of attention- one she had no interest in keeping.


    ¡°You are sure in serious trouble, Ms. Hart!¡± The loud-mouthed receptionist said with glee. Everyone in thepany knew how hard she had been trying to get Anders¡¯ attention with her short skirts and impossibly high heels, so she was bitter each time he paid the slightest attention to someone else.


    ¡°He probably was waiting for a mail or something. Imagine what would have gone through his mind seeing you here talking your time away,¡± someone else added.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet my pay for the month that Veil Hart hase to the end of her working here. Who¡¯s going to bet on me?¡± The receptionist looked around with an outstretched hand.


    ¡°Stop it, you all,¡± Simon warned,ing to her rescue. ¡°Ms. Hart isn¡¯t going to be fired or scolded.¡±


    He turned to face her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he just had a terrible lunch and needed to take out his anger at someone. By the time you get to his office, it would have subsided.¡±


    Veil was a hundred percent sure that Simon got it all wrong, but nothing was going to change if she stayed here. So instead, she took a deep breath and walked to the elevator, asking Simon to wish her good luck.


    He mouthed something about her not needing luck since she was luck herself, but Veil was too worried to even listen to him.

 You鈥檒l Anticipate It!

    Veil didn¡¯t know how to feel as she walked back into her office. As her heels echoed on the tiled ground, her heart thumped in perfect synchrony, making her halt abruptly in the middle of the hallway. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of her fears before continuing the journey to her office.


    Although she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong that she could remember, the look Anders had given her wasn¡¯t particrly a friendly one.


    He was obviously pissed about something.


    And that smirk.


    Urgh!


    Veil felt shudders run through her as she dropped into her seat. She caught a package on the floor from the corner of her eyes and muttered ¡°shit!¡± Anders had instructed that she finished the food before he returned to the office and she had totally forgotten about it.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The shrill of the telephone suddenly interrupted the silence in the office, and Veil almost jumped out of her seat in shock. The phone stopped ringing before she could pick it up, but in a second, the ringing tone started again, and she ced the receiver against her ear immediately.


    ¡°It took you a minute to pick my call.¡± Anders wasn¡¯t asking a question, so Veil didn¡¯t know what to say in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it,¡± he said, interrupting her. ¡°I need you in my office right now. Ande along with the empty takeout.¡±


    Veil blew out a breath as Anders ended the call. She didn¡¯t know why he was so upset over a meal she hadn¡¯t even asked him to order in the first ce. Now, she felt so stupid gushing over the note he probably sent to twenty other women in the same time frame.


    ¡°He probably even said the same thing to Sophia at some point,¡± Veil said to herself, grabbing the takeout and walking briskly to his office. She was determined not to flinch even in the slightest if he started with his attitude like he was damn bipr.


    Knocking on the door once, Veil pushed it open without waiting to be ordered in. She stood at the other side of the table, waiting for Anders to say something. But he took his time rounding up an email and hitting the send button before he looked up at her.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± He asked, oddly calm.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t. I had to work.¡±


    ¡°I asked you to eat first,¡± Anders retorted. ¡°How¡¯s that so hard to follow?¡±


    ¡°You would have chewed me out as well if you had returned without meeting that mail in your folder.¡± Veil had a lot to get off her chest.


    Anders sighed and leaned back in his seat. He had been out there with Sophia, running out of his mind, bothered that Veil hadn¡¯t had anything to eat all day and it was all his fault. Yet, she was only so concerned about that damn paper and of course, chatting away with Simon.


    It irked him to the core.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Anders instructed, signaling Veil forward. Seeing as she had no other choice, she took the chair at the other end of his mahogany table, dropping the take out on the table.


    ¡°Now, eat every bit of it. Every. Single. Bit.¡±


    Veil would have said something about his tone, but the smell of the food had her swallowing her words real fast. When Simon had said it was the best restaurant around, he hadn¡¯t been joking.


    Gasping as she took one fork full of thesagna, Veil closed her eyes to revel in the taste, allowing it to get to every corner of her mouth. It felt like ages since shest had something that good to eat, and even though a part of her wanted to take it all at once, Veil had no idea when she would get something like this to eat.


    She couldn¡¯t trust that Anders would do it again, especially since she couldn¡¯t predict his actions.


    When Veil opened her eyes, she leaned back in shock when she met Anders leaning on his palms, watching her intently. His eyes slowly roamed her face, from her stunned eyes, down to her lips, oily from thesagna and slightly parted.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just doing it on purpose,¡± Anders drawled, his voice suddenly sounding deeper and huskier than usual. Veil shivered in response, unable to pry her gaze off his.


    ¡°Doing what?¡± She whispered, utterly spellbound.


    ¡°Thesagna. It can¡¯t be that good to have you looking that way.¡± Anders said each word slowly, every sound made glorified.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± She didn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t look away. Perhaps, it had something to do with his eyes, those sea blue that held her under its grasp.


    ¡°Like you¡¯re having an orgasm,¡± He said without batting an eyelid, catching Veil off guard. She gasped again, wondering why those words felt so good.


    ¡°That is not¡­this is not¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you had one before?¡± Anders asked casually, like he was talking about golf. The only thing that gave it away was his needy voice and his hazy stares.


    ¡°With the look on your face, I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t,¡± he continued. ¡°Trust me when I say it feels greater than thatsagna melting in your mouth.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not discussing my personal life,¡± Veil said weakly.


    ¡°We already kissed. And I don¡¯t recall you pushing me away.¡±


    ¡°That was just a kiss. It didn¡¯t mean anything. You took me by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Anders nodded, then leaned back into his seat. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a kiss for me, Veil. But since you have that view, I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t take you by surprise next time. You¡¯ll see meing, and you¡¯ll anticipate it.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez¡­¡±


    ¡°Anders.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When we are alone, it is Anders to you. Now eat. I¡¯ll get you a bottle of water.¡±


    For a startling minute, Veil thought he was going to get the water himself, but instead, Anders picked up his phone and dialed the Simonson office, a mischievous glint ying in his eyes.


    ¡°Can you get a bottle of water to my office, please? It¡¯s quite urgent. I don¡¯t want her to choke on her food.¡±

 You鈥檙e Anything I Want You To Be

    For every step that Simon took that brought him closer to Anders¡¯ office, Veil wished she had telepathy each time. Perhaps, if she lived in some fantasy world where she could wish things to be, she would have screamed at Simon from her head, telling him to turn around and go back to his office.


    But this was no fantasy, and Simon was mandated to obey every one of Anders¡¯mands. He was still the CEO of Kingston Groups, and as such, even the smallest instruction mattered.


    Veil could only imagine the derision on Simon¡¯s face as he struggled toe to terms with that flimsy errand. Even Veil had never fetched Anders something like that. Sure, she had to get him lunch and his usual ck coffee before the start of the day.


    But that was about it.


    A bottle of water all of a sudden for someone who wasn¡¯t him?


    That was suss.


    The knock Veil had been waiting for sounded at the door, and as her hands stopped midway to her mouth, Anders red at her, urging her to keep eating.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°And kindly close the door behind you.¡±


    Of course, Simon knew that.


    Anders was just being an ass, and he was having a great time doing that to Simon. But the only thing Veil couldn¡¯t fathom was what Simon could have possibly done to deserve that.


    ¡°The water,¡± Anders asked when Simon just stood there in the middle of the room, looking at Veil with raised eyebrows. Of course, anyone would have had that same expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Simon was disoriented, but he quickly got over it as he shook his head clear. ¡°Here it is, Sir.¡± He made to hand the bottle over to Anders, but he shook his head subtly and pointed at Veil instead.


    ¡°It belongs to her. She¡¯s the one eating, not me.¡±


    Simon nodded curtly and ced the water on the table beside Veil¡¯s food. His eyes didn¡¯t go above the fancy little sticker on the takeout¡¯s package, because Simon didn¡¯t think he was ready toe to terms with what was before his eyes.


    Anders was known to never have lunch with anyone in his office. Even when Sophia came around, they had always eaten out. At some point, everyone thought Anders just had a huge problem with everyone else but himself bringing food into his space.


    But there Veil was, seated without a hint of fear, eating a meal from one of the most expensive restaurants.


    ¡°Or was Anders the one who had ordered the food for her?¡± Simon said to himself. It still made no sense to him. Anders had no reason to treat Veil that way.


    But Simon couldn¡¯t forget the look Anders had given him on the ground floor and that cold smirk that had graced his face. It was a message that Simon was finding really hard to understand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for the empty bottle,¡± Anders¡¯ voice broke into Simon¡¯s confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to take a while before she finishes from here.¡±


    Simon¡¯s face contorted into a shade close to pain as he struggled with what to say. His lips parted open and closed a couple of times, each time sending a satisfied smirk to Anders¡¯ lips.


    After three minutes, Simon gave up altogether and stalked out of the office, leaving Veil with Anders once again.


    ¡°Drink up,¡± Anders instructed, nudging in the direction of the unopened water.


    ¡°Do you always do that?¡± Veil blurted suddenly, certain that it was going to get her in trouble, but she still did it anyway.


    ¡°Do what?¡± As each day passed, Anders got excited by Veil¡¯s cute return each time he did something to ruffle her feathers. He found it charming, like a child stomping her foot. It made him want to protect her from the world.


    ¡°Not that I have a reason to do that,¡± Anders quickly added in his mind. It could never go beyond this.


    ¡°Treat all your employees in that manner. Simon didn¡¯t do anything to warrant being treated like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting to know that you both are on a first-name basis, yet you¡¯ve never called me by my name.¡±


    Veil stared at him wide-mouth. ¡°You yelled at me on the first day I started working here. That was the boundary you set in ce yourself. I was in no position to remove it. I wouldn¡¯t even dare.¡±


    ¡°And Simon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been nice to me since I got here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s overstepping his bounds, and I will continue treating him this way until he stops being nice to you,¡± Anders decided with an air of finality, his gaze never faltering.


    ¡°Why?¡± Veil couldn¡¯t understand it. One minute, Anders treated her like she didn¡¯t even exist, and the next, he was making decisions that affected her. She already had everything going fairly well for her. A colleague hating her because the CEO wasn¡¯t a great g to fly.


    ¡°Because,¡± Anders¡¯ voice suddenly went lowered as he stared at Veil, her insides warming up. ¡°I hate the fact that he helps you carry your bag in the elevator or smile at you like he knows you more than anyone else. I hate that you¡¯d rather work with him, rather than eat the food I send you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rodriquez¡­¡±


    ¡°Anders.¡±


    ¡°Anders, Simon was just being nice to me.¡± Veil had no clue why she was exining herself to Anders; it felt like something she had to do. ¡°In the elevator, I was struggling with my hair and the iPad, and it was just the gentlemanly thing to do to offer to help me with something.¡±


    ¡°Next time, call me. I¡¯ll get my men to join you. I don¡¯t want Simon touching orughing with you anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go around dictating what I can do and cannot do, Mr. Rodriguez. I¡¯m your secretary, not your¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re anything I want you to be,¡± Anders said, wearing a sexy grin. ¡°And we¡¯re starting with mine.¡±

 I Want

    Veil stared at Anders like he was a crazy person, and he couldn¡¯t even me her. He was sitting in front of her, proiming that he wanted her to be his. No rational person was going to be fine with that, but for Veil and Anders, it was more than the bounds of rationality.


    And even though Veil was yet to admit it to herself, Anders was certain of it. He could see it in the way her pupils were dted each time she looked up at him like she was drunken in his presence. He could tell from the way she flushed each time he came remotely close to her.


    In all of Anders¡¯ life, he was barely wrong about something. And he knew this wasn¡¯t going to be an exception.


    ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡±


    ¡°Anders. For thest time.¡±


    A muscle worked in Veil¡¯s jaw, and Anders found it remarkably attractive. She was pissed, and it was all due to his stubbornness. But he knew he had to have this woman.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say that when you don¡¯t mean it.¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t?¡± Anders questioned, angling his head. He needed to stop thinking about all the dirty things he could do with her pinned against that chair. She was just so naive and innocent that it would be considered unfair.


    Yet, those things gued his mind like doom day, unceasingly gaining strength each day. He could only suppress them for so long.


    ¡°I don¡¯t say this to spite you because I really love my job here, and I need it¡­¡±


    ¡°Spill it.¡±


    Veil took a deep breath. ¡°You are a yboy, through and through. And you are engaged to the President¡¯s daughter. How do you think that makes you look?¡±


    ¡°Like someone who wants you?¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± Veil sighed exasperatedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain you¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t get it,¡± Anders said, every word punched with emotions. He got up from his seat slowly, walking around to the other side of the table, all the while never taking his eyes off hers. The blue of his eyes enveloped Veil in a naked dance that made it hard to look away.


    ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just not willing to admit it to yourself,¡± he continued, standing behind her. Reaching for her pigtail, Anders pulled the band, holding it tightly in ce, allowing her hair to cascade freely down like the rain. He ced his hands on her back as the hair tumbled all over his fingers.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can feel you shiver underneath my touch,''¡± Anders whispered, tugging at the curls of her hair gently. ¡°You love it when I wound your hair around my fingers this way and tug gently until your head rolls back in surrender.¡±


    Veil wanted to say something. No! She needed to say something. But her head had suddenly gone fuzzy, and the only thing she could utter was a moan, one that slipped through her throat even though she had tried so hard to stop it.


    ¡°See?¡± With Veil¡¯s head rolled back, Anders had easy ess to her pretty neck and the base of her throat. He syed his fingers there, teasing her supple skin, its lusciousness sending warm sparks down his spine.


    ¡°Your body knows what it wants,¡± he continued. ¡°Just as mine does. You just need to stop fighting it.¡±


    Veil wanted to do the opposite. She wanted to push with all her might and bolt out the door.


    Everything about Anders screamed trouble, yet it was a trouble her body wanted. Heat stretched on her skin at every spot his fingers touched, and when he stopped, she almost let out a string of cusses.


    Anders chuckled against her ears, and it sent jolts of electricity around Veil¡¯s body. She felt her nipples harden underneath her dress, begging to be touched.


    But not like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate,¡± Veil chanted to herself like a mantra. Not to mention the fact that he is engaged, a subject which he obviously doesn¡¯t want to talk about.¡±


    Veil suddenly got off the chair, and Anders took a step back. She stared at him with her lips slightly parted and her eyes looking everywhere but at him. She was hot, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.


    The AC was sting at its highest level,  yet Veil didn¡¯t feel it inside her. Her throat felt parched, and the bottle of water on the table suddenly looked like a blessing.


    ¡°You grumbled when I stopped touching you,¡± Anders murmured, covering the distance between them in one stride. ¡°You want me to go on.¡±


    Veil could feel Anders¡¯ breath fanning her face, and she closed her eyes instinctively, feeling her whole self let go.


    ¡°You are so pretty, Veil,¡± she heard him whisper. ¡°Your face¡­it¡¯s engraved in my head. But it only makes me damn curious.¡±


    ¡°Curious about what?¡± Veil whispered back, angling her head to the side as Anders¡¯ breath moved to her neck.


    ¡°Everything else,¡± Anders answered. ¡°I want to know how you taste, how perky your nipples are, how they¡¯lle right back  up when I flip my fingers over them.¡±


    ¡°Oh God!¡± Veil cried. She didn¡¯t think she could bear the heat anymore.


    ¡°I want to trace a path from your neck, between your breasts, your navel, and down to the middle of your thighs. I¡¯m so tempted to rip this lovely dress right here and confirm my theory.¡±


    ¡°What theory?¡± Veil couldn¡¯t believe her voice was still working.


    ¡°That you¡¯re wet for me and that you¡¯re pressing your thighs so hard together because you can¡¯t take it anymore.  I can smell your arousal from up here, and it¡¯s taking everything in me not to do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Anders, please,¡± she gasped, clueless whether she wanted him to stop or go on.


    ¡°What do you want, Veil?¡± Anders nudged. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me.¡±


    ¡°I want¡­¡±


    Abruptly, a knock sounded from the door that caused Veil to jump away from Anders¡¯ touch.

 Absolutely Nothing

    Anders would have asked whoever it was by the door to get the fuck away, so he could continue from where he stopped with Veil. But the trance was broken, and she was scampering far away from him, the hunger he recognized still in her eyes.


    Veil stood mere feet away from Anders, her eyes hazy and her breath untamed. Her previously sleeked-back ponytail was nowhere to be found, and in its ce were her curls sticking all over her back. Her skin was a bright red, and she still pressed her legs together.


    Anders was pleased that even though she was no longer right in front of him, he still had that arresting effect on her.


    Both of them must have forgotten what made them jump apart in the first ce because Veil suddenly froze in panic as the office doors were pushed open and Sophia walked in. She still looked as immacte as Veil had seen her hours ago, and she could only imagine the stark difference between them right now.


    Her stiletto heels made a tapping sound on the ground as she waltzed further into the room. The smell of bubble gum and soft petals immediately arrested everyone in it. Sophia had in one hand something that looked like a food sk.


    Stopping in front of Anders, she threw Veil a look before returning her attention to the CEO. ¡°I was worried about you,¡± she breathed with cautious eyes. ¡°You barely ate while we were out, so I thought you weren¡¯t feeling well.¡±


    Anders¡¯ eyes fell on Veil, and he wished Sophia hadn¡¯t chosen that moment toe in. Although the rumors weren¡¯t exactly correct, as Sophia and he weren¡¯t engaged, they were surely headed in that direction if her parents and his got what they wanted. Anders was only ying along to get them off his back until he found something more permanent to do.


    Sophia De Acosta wasn¡¯t totally a terrible person. Anders just didn¡¯t feel any attraction to her, not even in the slightest.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t ill,¡± Anders replied, trying to catch Veil¡¯s eyes. But Veil gathered herself as quickly as possible and slowly walked over to the door, with her hands on the handle, about to push it open.


    But without turning back, Sophia called at her. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you to leave yet, Veil Hart.¡±


    Anders watched Veil falter in her movements as her hands dropped to her side in surrender. She turned around slowly to face them.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t ill, why didn¡¯t you eat?¡± Sophia continued with Anders. Although she didn¡¯t look angry, Anders knew there was definitely something brewing under her skin.


    ¡°Your friend kept interrupting our meal to ask if it tasted nice, and I hate interruptions while I eat. Secondly, it was a new ce, and new ces unnerve me.¡±


    They were all excuses, and everyone in the room knew that. But they were all true. Anders didn¡¯t like being interrupted when eating, except he initiated it.


    But those weren¡¯t the real reasons he couldn¡¯t eat. He was bothered about Veil and the fact that she hadn¡¯t had anything all day. And there was that look in her eyes when he had taken Sophia¡¯s arm in his outside the elevator. Although Veil had tried not to show it, Anders knew her pretty well enough to know when something affected her.


    ¡°You should have told me that then,¡± Sophia said with an using stare. ¡°I would have stopped my friend from interrupting, and we would probably have gone elsewhere. But you chose toe back to the office, and it got me wondering if there was someone else here getting your attention.¡±


    ¡°Sophia¡­¡±


    ¡°I was fine with all the other women that kept your sheets warm, and do you know why?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°It was because you were never attached to them. I didn¡¯t feel any weird chemistry in the air, but there¡¯s something¡­I know I¡¯m not crazy.¡±


    Anders¡¯ father¡¯s words rang in his ears as he listened to Sophia talk. He warned him never to get Sophia upset enough to get her father to do something to thepany. Although Anders was strong enough to keep thepany afloat without Sophia¡¯s father¡¯s backing, it was sure to still rock them a little.


    And he would rather avoid that. At least until he had a strong reason to fight back.


    ¡°Sophia, what are you¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to have Veil help me,¡± Sophia dered suddenly, turning so fast that her long hair whipped Anders¡¯ face.


    ¡°Me?¡± Veil pointed to herself, disbelieving. ¡°How could I possibly help you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be my eyes and ears around here,¡± she answered sweetly, walking to the door. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you to tell me if anything I wouldn¡¯t like happens, like a single regr visitor, someone he spends so much time with. That type of information. I¡¯ll pop in unannounced to see you. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s fine by you.¡±


    Sophia didn¡¯t wait to get an answer, or else she would have noticed the look on Veil¡¯s face and maybe asked more questions. Instead, she turned around to face Anders.


    ¡°I already brought this here,¡± she said, handing him the food sk. ¡°Eat it. Or not. It¡¯s your choice, really.¡±


    Veil got out of the way as she strutted to the door, but at thest minute, she gave Anders a look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget we have a dinner fixed with the family. It¡¯s a red-themed dinner, so wear a red tie. I¡¯m going for a red dress. I would have shown you, but yeah, you never want toe over to my ce.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Veil,¡± the sweetness returned to her tone as she air-kissed Veil before finally stepping out the door. Veil was torn betweenughing at the irony of the situation or getting scared that she could be on the path of wildfire. She would never hold a candle beside the President¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Veil did the one thing she could think of.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Anders muttered. ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

 Presidential Duties

    Veil was distraught for the rest of the day, as every moment kept popping up in her head. She kept thinking there was something she could possibly do, even though Anders had told her to do nothing.


    But how could he expect her to just stay still and watch everything go by from a corner? If Sophia hadn¡¯t bothered knocking before walking through those doors, Veil would have been in a different type of trouble.


    Or maybe Sophia knew and was only pulling her legs.


    With a start, Veil realized that she had been working on the same page of a contract for the past thirty minutes and had made absolutely no change to it.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going insane,¡± Veil muttered to herself as she leaned against the headrest, closing her eyes. She could feel a migraineing along and didn¡¯t think she could work in that condition.


    Veil could remember the day she got the invitation for an interview at Kingston Group. She had been so happy that she would finally be able to work somewhere as prestigious as KG, and all she wanted to do was to get a lot of money to take care of her father in the hospital.


    But now, she felt tangled in a web, unsure of how to w her way back. There was Anders, her boss, who hadid a im on her despite the millions of otherdies that would die at his feet if he gave them the slightest attention. And there was also Sophia, who Veil was beginning to believe was really engaged to Anders.


    She had mentioned a dinner with their families. It meant marriage was in the talks, didn¡¯t it?


    Anders didn¡¯te out of his office until 10 p. m., and at that time, Veil was exhausted and just wanted toy on her bed, away from everyone else. He pushed her door open and leaned on the frame.


    ¡°Come on. Let me give you a ride.¡±


    Veil was tired and thought it would be nice not to have to wait for a taxi tonight, but she didn¡¯t think it was ideal to be in the same car with Anders at this time of the night. Now that she knew how her body responded to him, she needed to stay away from him.


    ¡°June ising to get me,¡± she lied through her teeth, busying herself with shutting down theputer. ¡°She already called to inform me she was on her way.¡±


    Anders didn¡¯t look like he believed her, but he also knew not to push it. Not tonight. He had put her through enough already. Sophia wasn¡¯t the easiest person to face.


    ¡°Goodnight then,¡± he muttered, returning to his full height. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Bright and early,¡± Veil responded, still not looking into his face. She was scared that if she did, he might see that she still hadn¡¯t recovered from that moment in his office and that a part of her wanted to feel his huge, warm hands all over her body. The mere thought of it made her shiver in delight.


    Anders nodded and closed the door behind him, his footsteps echoing away in the hallway.


    Releasing a breath she had no clue she had been holding, Veil stayed back in the office a few more minutes to ensure Anders was gone before packing up her bag and heading for the ground floor.


    ¡°Even the receptionist is gone,¡± Veil said to herself in exhaustion. This was the ritual every day.


    The doorman bid her a pleasant evening, but Veil didn¡¯t think there was going to be anything pleasant about the night. She dreaded telling June about it, but that girl had the ability to sniff it off her.


    Veil walked down to the streets and put her hands out to g a taxi. A ck car appeared in the distance, causing Veil to heave a sigh of relief. She wouldn¡¯t have to stay out here for as long as she had thought she would.


    But when the car stopped in front of her, Veil wondered how she could have made the same mistake twice now. Orleans rolled down his window and gazed up at Veil.


    ¡°Come in, Veil,¡± he pleaded.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a taxi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste. That makes it hard to find one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this almost every single day, Orleans. A taxi wille around soon.¡±


    ¡°Is this about the meeting earlier today?¡± Orleans questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Veil answered, shrugging. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Anders put me in a fix, and I needed to get out of it,¡± he exined with remorse in his tone. ¡°I know it was low of me to have talked to you in that manner, especially since I knew how stressed you already were by the job. It was really insensitive of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll still get a taxi, Orleans.¡± The anger that Veil had kept at bay all day came rushing at her, and she moved away from his car, further up the street.


    But relentlessly, Orleans trailed after her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Veil.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be home now?¡± she asked, still walking. ¡°I bet you have some super important meeting to attend tomorrow morning. You know, duties of the President of a conglomerate.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to see me that way,¡± Orleans exined, careful not to get her upset all over again. ¡°Everyone around me sees me as Master Orleans, and then there was you, who cluelessly gged my car down because you thought it was a taxi. I didn¡¯t want that to change.¡±


    ¡°You wanted me to keep seeing you as a taxi driver?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Orleans chuckled despite the situation. ¡°I just want you to keep talking to me like the ordinary boring Orleans you¡¯ve always known, not a president or the son of my wealthy mother.¡±


    ¡°Says the person who rides a Porsche.¡± Veil was no longer angry, and she had stopped walking.


    ¡°This Porsche could get you over to a bar tonight for drinks,¡± Orleans suggested with his fingers crossed. ¡°You look like you need it.¡±


    At least, he was right about something.

 Worries

    Veil asked the windows to be rolled down and she reveled in the feeling of the cold air caressing her face. She put her hands outside the car, her fingertips having an alluring tug with the air. Veil was in control more than half the time, but it made her only feel worse.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Withdrawing her hand, she sank into the seat, thinking about how difficult it was to be the driver of her life in real-time. She was in a tug with the cosmos, yet it kept flinging her in every direction. First, it was her father who had fallen ill at a moment when everything wasn¡¯t rosy, then her hunt for a job that almost took a whole year.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mind at, Veil?¡± Orleans¡¯ voice fleeced over to her and she shook her head subtly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of those days,¡± she breathed, sinking further into the seat.


    ¡°Is it your boss again?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Veil answered, shaking her head. Although it was indisputable that Anders was a lot of things, she couldn¡¯t pin this on him. In fact, he had made things a tad better for her by ensuring she got this job as his secretary. The day of the interview was sure one of the best days of her life.


    ¡°Mr. Rodriguez isn¡¯t the issue,¡± she continued, smiling weakly. ¡°I¡¯m just tired and need a break.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the lounge is a great idea,¡± Orleans said, taking a corner. ¡°It¡¯s not as crowded as the ones in town, so we should be able to hear each other over the sound of the music.¡±


    Veil chuckled and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t really frequent these ces, but I¡¯m willing to make today an exception.¡±


    Orleans pulled up in front of the lounge, and a valet came over to get Veil¡¯s door before Orleans could do it. He gave a grim smile at the valet who seemed to have had a terrible duel with e in his teenage years and lost.


    Nodding in appreciation, Orleans walked ahead of Veil, uncertain if she would let him hold her hands. The neon lights above the lounge shed its name at them, and Veil chuckled at the irony of the situation.


    It read ¡°La Vida es Ahora¡± but for Veil, it didn¡¯t feel that way. She resonated more with the feeling that her life was kept at a standstill, with the only exciting thing happening being the drama in her life.


    They walked into the lounge and found an empty booth in a dark corner, sliding into it. Orleans called a waiter over and asked for vodka, but Veil wanted shots. It had to do the trick.


    ¡°Are you certain about that?¡± Orleans asked, concernced in his tone. ¡°Maybe you should go for something lighter. You mentioned you worked on weekends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going in tomorrow,¡± Veil muttered. ¡°I¡¯m certain Kingston Group can do without me for one day.¡±


    Orleans chuckled and shook his head. He kept his hands on the table open, hoping to get around to it tonight without scaring Veil off. She barely seemed to notice his hands as she looked around the lounge, searching the faces around.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about what¡¯s bothering you?¡± Orleans asked when it became clear he wasn¡¯t going to get her attention that way.


    Veil toyed with the idea of telling him she was sexually attracted to her boss, even when she knew it was the worst thing to ever do, and that her father needed to have surgery in a few weeks or else he wouldn¡¯t make it.


    But as Veil opened her mouth, the cosmos seemed to make the decision for her as the waiter chose that exact moment to walk back to their booth with the drinks bnced in one hand.


    Veil smiled up in appreciation, and the waiter¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked at her hair all wavy on her back, then back at her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to use the lime with your shots,¡± he said in a sexy Spanish ent, arranging it carefully before her. ¡°Is it your first time?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Veil chuckled lightly. ¡°But I¡¯m not much of a drinker.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I should get you a bottle of water too. It will be on the house.¡±


    ¡°That would be so nice of the house,¡± Veil blurted without thinking, then burst outughing almost immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It just¡­¡±


    ¡°It was funny actually,¡± the waiter agreed, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he watched Veil. ¡°I¡¯ll get the water ande right back.¡±


    When the waiter left, Orleans withdrew his hands from the table and stered a smile on his face. He would try again some other time when a waiter didn¡¯t piss him off.


    ¡°Was he just flirting with you?¡± Orleans teased, adding cubes of ice into his ss.


    Veil shrugged like a child. ¡°I could barely see it.¡±


    ¡°You liar,¡± he scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to return with his number, along with the bottle of water. Maybe he would even forget the water.¡±


    ¡°An excuse toe back more times than normal,¡± Veil exined,ughter in her eyes. It felt great to take a break from her life.


    As predicted, the waiter returned and Orleans fell quiet. He watched with hawk eyes as the man slipped over a sticky note along with the water and smiled at Veil.


    ¡°Can I get water too?¡± Orleans suddenly mentioned.


    The waiter reluctantly looked at Orleans. It was the first time that night he was looking at the other side of the booth and the surprise that registered in his eyes soothed Orleans.


    ¡°Master Orleans!¡± The waiter said at once, taking a respectable step away from Veil. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±


    ¡°My water.¡±


    Almost bowing low till his head reached the table, the waiter hurried out of their presence to do Orleans¡¯ bidding.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Veil asked,ughing. ¡°I thought he was going to pee in his pants.¡±


    ¡°My mom owns the ce,¡± Orleans threw casually. ¡°He knows I can end his job here. But of course, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    Orleans added thest bit quickly so he wouldn¡¯t look like a monster to Veil. But she wasn¡¯t even thinking about that. Her mind was on Anders, and suddenly, Veil wondered how the family dinner was going for him.

 Lies

    Anders brought his car to a halt in front of Sophia¡¯s house, and for the umpteenth time, he wondered why he had agreed to do this. Spending the night going through the update report on the construction site sure was a better way to spend the night, rather than being cooped up in here with the idea of a marriage hanging over his head.


    One that he surely didn¡¯t want.


    He waste, and intentionally so. Anders had spent over an hour walking through his entire house, looking for an excuse to bail out on the dinner. He knew exactly how tonight was going to go and dreaded it. How was he supposed to act love-struck when all of him needed to check if Veil was okay?


    As Anders stepped out of the car, the doors to the entrance were pulled open and Sophia walked out of them with her head high. She looked great tonight, with a blood-red dress that hung right above her knees, and her hair down in ringlets. She had on a pair of ck heels that looked pretty ufortable, but trust Sophia to strut in them like they were nothing.


    Anders tried to picture Veil doing the same and the image broughtughter to his lips. Stifling it, he opted for a wide smile instead and tried to wipe it off the moment Sophia saw it.


    ¡°Is there something funny about the way I look?¡± She questioned, stopping in front of him.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered politely. ¡°I was just thinking of something else.¡±


    Nodding, Sophia regarded the red tie on his neck. It wasn¡¯t an exact match of the shade of her dress, but at least, the man had put in the effort and that alone was worth apuding.


    Anders went around the car to get the bottle of wine and flowers he had picked up on the way. He handed the flowers to Sophia and her eyes shone as she sniffed them.


    ¡°Thank you, Anders,¡± she said sweetly, linking her arms in his. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re trying to get me to forgive you for what you did earlier today.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what Anders was trying to do. In fact, it was far from it. He really didn¡¯t care about her perception today, but he wanted Sophia to get off Veil¡¯s back. He couldn¡¯t have them having any form of conversation, because while Sophia was a sly cat who was used to being conniving and mean, Veil was the opposite.


    Although she tried to act tough, Anders saw right through her. He knew she was going through a tough time, and the innocence that serenaded her was alluring, pulling him in so fast that he didn¡¯t even want to fight it.


    Anders and Sophia walked into the grand living room hand in hand, where both their parents were already seated. Theirughter boomed in the air, and once again, Anders wished he didn¡¯t have to do this.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Grayson, Anders¡¯ father, said as the duo stepped further into the room. ¡°We thought you¡¯d change your mind.¡±


    Anders gave them a polite smile and wore his charms on. ¡°My apologies, your Excellencies,¡± he said, addressing Sophia¡¯s parents. ¡°My meeting rante and I had to go home first to ensure I got the exact shade of red Sophia wanted, even though it still ended up being a tad brighter than hers.¡±


    Sophia chuckled, tossing her hair over her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m lucky, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You both look great tonight,¡± Anders continued quickly before Sophia could make tonight all about her. ¡°You too, Dad and Mom.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a sweet talker,¡± the President¡¯s wife beamed, then rose off the couch. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get the housekeeper to take care of the flowers for you?¡± She said to Sophia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to the wine,¡± Anders suggested, then turned to the kitchen without waiting for a response. He didn¡¯t likeing around and each time he did, he counted the hours till he left.


    But tonight was worse. His whole body couldn¡¯t stop thinking and wanting Veil, and it only made him so frustrated. Anders doubted he could have any meaningful conversations in that state.


    The kitchen was filled with chefs going through thest stage of dessert, and he waved at them. Someone took the wine from him and politely asked him how thepany was faring. They were the eyes and ears of the household, so it was hard for anything to happen away from their conscience.


    When Anders returned outside, he met them all in the dining room, and he swiftly joined them, pleased that Sophia was already seated so he could skip the ritual of getting her chair out for her, while she teased him with the strands of her hair.


    ¡°I hear Kingston Groups has expanded to Pharmaceuticals,¡± the President beamed as the first course was served. ¡°That is an excellent step.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your Excellency.¡± Anders usually basked in his praises, but he could sure do without this one. ¡°JK Corporations were open to the idea as well, so we decided to partner up. The announcements will be out once we¡¯ve solidified our ns.¡±


    ¡°He works so hard,¡± Sophia drawled as she asked for the bowl of salsa.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We cannot be any more proud of you, son,¡± Grayson said with pride. ¡°You¡¯re making so many waves in Mexico and we love to see it.¡±


    Sophia smiled up at him and nted an immacte peck on his face. But Anders felt absolutely nothing.


    ¡°You look so good together,¡± Anders¡¯ mother mentioned, but with an indecipherable look in her eyes. She had always been able to read her son perfectly and tonight, she knew he didn¡¯t want to be here.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia gushed. ¡°My friend said the same thing today. Daddy, you remember Carmen, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The President nodded and Sophia continued.


    ¡°She had the grand opening of her restaurant today, and Anders and I went to have lunch there. He brought up the idea of showing solidarity to my friend. It was lovely of him.¡± Under the table, Sophia¡¯s hands touched Anders and he swiftly recoiled away from it.


    What was she thinking lying like that?

 A Long Night

    ¡°Are the lights dancing?¡± Veil¡¯s speech sounded slurry, and she thought she was going to topple right off the chair. She couldn¡¯t remember how many shots she had had, and Orleans wasn¡¯t really keeping count either.


    ¡°You¡¯re just drunk, Veil,¡± Orleans chuckled, his shoulders moving along with the sound. He felt the tension of the week leave his bones, and he rxed on one hand, leaning on the table.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± Veil shook her head. ¡°Can¡¯t you see it? The lights are ¡­ they are hopping now? Is it salsa? Maybe ballet.¡±


    ¡°You sound so convincing that if I didn¡¯t know better, I would have believed you immediately,¡± Orleans said. ¡°Should we try something fun?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Veil grinned at him. ¡°Another ¡­ round of shots? I¡¯m sure ¡­ I can down it ¡­ without the lime. Wanna see it?¡±


    ¡°We should take a drive around town,¡± Orleans suggested, his eyes sparkling. ¡°My car is a convertible, so we can feel the wind on our faces. We could add music to it and belt it out loudly into the night. What¡¯s your favorite song?¡±


    Veil thought about it for a minute. ¡°Broken by Isak Danielson. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°We should definitely listen to that tonight.¡± Jumping out of the booth, Orleans pulled Veil with him and rushed out into the night. The waiter who had served them earlier watched with wide eyes and jittery legs, confusion cloaking his mind.


    Although he knew that Orleans usually had a good grip on his liquor, he was obviously a little tipsy, and shouldn¡¯t be driving in that state. Veil, on the other hand, was totally drunk, and wouldn¡¯t even know if she was being driven off a cliff.


    When the waiter spoke to the manager, he toyed with the idea of calling his mother but knew how that would end. Orleans hated being reported to her and might take it out on them if they did.


    Outside, Orleans and Veil were leaning on the boulder, waiting for the valet to bring his car around. Theyughed about the lights in the skies, and how stars and satellites tended to look alike.


    ¡°These are satellites,¡± Veil maintained, her eyes barely open as she squinted into the skies. ¡°Stars don¡¯t appear that way.¡±


    Orleans knew she was right, and he was amazed by her mind. Most of the women he dated in LA only cared about lip fillers, and full make-up, never giving a thought to expanding their knowledge.


    He missed what it felt like to hold a conversation with someone real ¨C someone who really didn¡¯t care what you thought about them.


    The car arrived, and the valet stepped out of the way, allowing Orleans to get in while he went around to get the other door for Veil. She smiled at him in appreciation, and he reached out at once to hold her when she swayed on her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Veil muttered, pushing him slightly away. ¡°I¡¯m not a granny.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am,¡± the valet responded at once, allowing her in. Once settled, they moved into the night, with Orleans hitting a button that caused the roof to open up.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re showing off,¡± Veilughed, throwing her head back in a carefree fashion. ¡°Mr. Roderiguez¡­¡±


    Veil stopped and shook her head. ¡°No. Anders has a convertible too, but now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think I have ever seen him drive with the roof open. He is so proper at times, and at other times, he acts so wild like he is a totally different person. He wants me to call him Anders. Can you believe it?¡±


    Veil belched noisily and the both of them burst into fits ofughter.


    ¡°Why does your mean boss want you to refer to him by his name?¡± Orleans was still conscious of his speech and in control of his motor skills.


    Shrugging, Veil put her legs over the dashboard. ¡°He scowls at me when I call him Mr. Rodriguez. I think it has something to do with Simon.¡±


    ¡°Who is Simon again?¡± Although Orleans asked with a light chuckle, he was groaning inside. He already hated the fact that he had to deal with Anders just to get to Veil. Now, apparently, there was also someone called Simon.


    ¡°Simon is¡­¡± Veil swallowed and closed her eyes. ¡°You said we were going to y ¡®Broken¡¯,¡± she whined suddenly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I hear it?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Orleansughed at her innocence as he searched for the song on his Apple Music, nodding in satisfaction when he found it.


    The alluring voice of Isak filled the car, and in seconds, Veil was singing along, holding her hand to her chest like she was going through a heartbreak.


    ¡°You are broken on the floor, and you¡¯re crying, crying,¡± Veil belted so emotionally that Orleans couldn¡¯t stop staring. ¡°He has done this all before, but you¡¯re lying, lying¡­¡±


    Orleans didn¡¯t know the song, but he hummed the melody along with Veil as he drove at the highest speed.


    ¡°Do you want to know what I think of your boss?¡± Orleans asked suddenly as the song came to an end.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve you,¡± Orleans muttered, sober. ¡°Come work for me. I promise to pay you more, and not stress you one bit.¡±


    Veil bit her lips and suddenly went quiet for a minute. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me a response now,¡± Orleans cut in quickly. ¡°Think about it. I¡¯ll wait for as long as you want.¡±


    Veil oddly felt that Orleans was talking about something else, but she shook her head. ¡°Anders made me his personal secretary for a reason,¡± she exined without restraint. ¡°I admit I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m going to find out. And when I do, I¡¯ll know if it¡¯s worth staying for.¡±


    Even though she was drunk, Veil imagined going to work somewhere else that wasn¡¯t Kingston Group, and it just didn¡¯t feel right. Regardless of everything that had been happening, she didn¡¯t think she could leave.


    Orleans was about to say something, but his mouth closed shut when loud sirens suddenly sted into the air. He knew what was going on before he heard it.


    ¡°Pull over!¡± the voice from the speakersmanded.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Orleans muttered. Tonight was going to be a long one.

 Arrested

    Time seemed to be taking all year to go by because even though it felt like hours already to Anders, they had only started on the second course. He thought he could really use some quiet right now, but it would be impolite to ask to use the restroom, considering the fact that he had done that a few minutes ago.


    Anders felt Sophia¡¯s hands on his thighs again, but he didn¡¯t try to shake her off this time. Not with her father¡¯s eyes fixed on him.


    ¡°You both seem to have gotten closer,¡± hemented, still watching them intently. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time for an announcement?¡±


    Anders almost choked on the food, and he grabbed the ss of juice, taking his time to down half the cup¡¯s content before looking up at the President. ¡°Er¡­I think it¡¯s best we take our time.¡± He didn¡¯t need to look at Sophia to know she thought the exact opposite.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± The president¡¯s wife asserted at once. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like taking one¡¯s time where you both are concerned. You¡¯ve been friends since you were both kids.¡±


    Anders would have added that they grew up in different countries due to their education, but he doubted it would make an impression on any of them.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Sophia said calmly. ¡°Anders doesn¡¯t want to rush things, and honestly, I don¡¯t want that either. He has a major project at thepany right now, and he could do without the distraction of an engagement.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Anders never thought he woulde to say this ever, but he did owe Sophia one. She could have fought for an engagement right now since there was nothing stopping her, but she chose not to.


    Other matters concerning the state of the nation serenaded the rest of the meal, and by the time the table was cleared and little conversation groups were formed, Anders had decided that he had had enough.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make it so obvious,¡± Sophia suddenly said to him. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to be here, but if you don¡¯t want to get my father calling the Priest right now, act like you want to do this every day.¡±


    But it was hard for Anders. He couldn¡¯t stop staring wistfully at the door, wondering when he would get to leave. Several times during the dinner, he had fiddled with the idea of telling his best friend, Lucas, to call with a fake emergency.


    But his mother would see right through him.


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t want to be here?¡± Anders retorted weakly.


    ¡°Your eyes. They¡¯ve been on the door more times than I¡¯ve felt them on me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Anders replied, for whatever it was worth. ¡°I¡¯ve just got a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Like the secret girl you¡¯re spending a lot of time with?¡±


    Anders looked up at once, searching if anyone had heard her. Both their parents were in a deep conversation about the passing of a new bill, and had thankfully, not paid any attention to them.


    ¡°You¡¯re overreacting, Sophia.¡±


    Anders wouldn¡¯t exactly frame it that way. There was no girl he was spending all of his time with. It was more like a woman who gued his nightly dreams with snippets of what he could do to and with her.


    Those dreams sure proved to be better than being here, having dinner.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯ve got going, deal with it before my parents decide to force you into anything. And that better happens fast.¡±


    Anders didn¡¯t know why Sophia even agreed to this in the first ce. He had always thought she wanted a love match like she had always talked about when they were younger. She wanted her fairy tale prince to whisk her away in the arms of love.


    But that all changed since she returned to Mexico, and oddly forged an alliance with Anders, making the whole world think they had something beautiful going on.


    But it was far from that.


    Anders couldn¡¯t even bring himself to ever sumb to the weakness called love. He had once been there before, and it had ended up very ugly. He couldn¡¯t even bear the thought of it anymore.


    ¡°What about Veil?¡± A tiny voice asked in his head, and he squashed it instantly. What Anders felt for Veil was the need topletely be in control over her, to protect and own her. And he was sure it was all purely sexual.


    Perhaps, when he finally brought his nightly dreams into a reality, it would all go away.


    But first, he needed to find a way to get out of this looming marriage before he no longer had an option.


    At least, for now, his mother would support whatever decision he made. But just as Sophia mentioned, he needed to get around to it as soon as possible.


    ¡°Thank you for sticking up for me earlier,¡± Anders mentioned as they all got up, leaving the dining room and returning to the living room. ¡°I was in a fix.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± Sophia said, shrugging. ¡°But then, I realized that I would have more power with you if I made you owe me something. This is a debt I¡¯ll be taking back soon.¡±


    Anders didn¡¯t think it was anything different.


    ¡°A bottle of Whisky?¡± The President offered and asked his housekeeper to get one without waiting for a response. She returned in a minute with six sses and a bottle of whisky.


    Anders knew that nothing would make him suffer another stifling hour here, stuck beside Sophia. He felt for his phone in his pocket, deciding that Lucas was going to have toe to his aid.


    Abruptly, the shrill of his phone enveloped the room, making even Anders jump. Recovering from the initial shock, he retrieved his phone from his pocket, and got up, walking away from the group to receive the call.


    ¡°Anders,¡± an all too familiar voice slurred, making Anders¡¯ insides go warm immediately. It felt like he could finally breathe fresh air, and he found himself smiling.


    ¡°You should be asleep. We have a long day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she muttered, then yawned. ¡°But the cops won¡¯t let me go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the station.¡±


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