AFTER Adam finished his tasks at Whitlock Corporation, he headed straight to ALV Financial. A pile of documents awaited him, needing his signature.He rubbed his temples and let out a soft curse. He had been too focused on his father's company and, because of Ruby, he ended up overwhelmed with work in his own company.Adam worked hard to establish ALV Financial. He invested his sweat and toil into it. After college, he spent two years working in his father's company. After that, Adam received the inheritance set aside by his grandfather for him. He used this as capital to build ALV Financial. Their family was well-known in the business world, so he had no trouble looking for investors.He did everything to ensure the growth of his company. The man was frustrated with himself for neglecting his company because of Ruby.Adam had barely settled into his swivel chair when his secretary entered."Sir Adam, it's good to see you here," Maureen said.She was one of his trusted employees. S
A moment of silence prevailed between Ruby and Danrick. Meanwhile, he distanced himself from her. "Anyway, babe, get dressed. We needed to head back to the house. Auntie texted that we should all have dinner together. Tomorrow, we can go back here to explore the surroundings."She finished the last sip of her coffee and then glanced at Danrick. "Okay, I'll just change my clothes. I'm sure Auntie Carmela has cooked a lot again."Ruby hurried back to the room and changed. She chose to wear thick blue jeans and a pink long-sleeve shirt. Then, she put on white mittens.Upon returning to the living room after changing, she found Danrick waiting for her. When he heard her footsteps, he turned around. Upon seeing her, he smiled. "Why do you look so beautiful even in simple clothes?"She rolled her eyes. "Why are you such a sweet joker?"He chuckled softly. "I'm not trying to sweet-talk you." He took her by the elbow and guided her out of the house.After more than thirty minutes, they re
ADAM remains rooted to his spot, what happened recently remains replaying on his mind."Ruby is here... with that asshole?” He thought he could finally breathe easy now that Danrick had resigned and wouldn't be competing for Ruby's attention. Little did he know that it only added to his annoyance.His face crumpled when he saw Danrick wrap his arm around Ruby's waist. It was a move typical of men who wanted to mark their territory with their girlfriends."Are they a couple?" he couldn't help but ask himself. If they were, why did Ruby allow that intimacy? Assuming they were together, he found irony in the situation, considering that he was the one who took Ruby’s virginity.He took a deep breath, and as he estimated that Ruby and Danrick had returned to the dining area, he also walked back into Miller's house."Mr. Whitlock, join us for dinner," Mr. Jacob Miller said with a warm smile on his face."Yeah, Mr. Whitlock, you should dine with us," his wife added in agreement.
AFTER dinner, they gathered in the living room to talk and catch up on things. Adam decided to stay at a nearby hotel instead of driving back to his condo, as he wanted to tease Danrick and Ruby by staying in the area. Uncle Jacob offered Adam to stay at their house, but he politely declined, not wanting to disturb the Miller couple."It was nice meeting and talking to you, Adam," Uncle Jacob said with a smile."It was nice talking to you too, Mr. Miller. I have to go now. Maybe we should talk again tomorrow," Adam said as he hurriedly left.Ruby frowned as she watched her boss walk away. "Are you upset that Sir Adam didn't bid you goodbye?" Danrick's voice came from beside her."Of course not! I'm just annoyed by what he said earlier.""Oh, really? Which one? That you have no job to return to or that he found a replacement for you so quickly?" Danrick teased her.“Both.”“But why?”"Tss, let's not talk about that jerk! It's past ten o'clock, so we need to sleep now," Ruby said
THE two remained in each other’s arms when Danrick's phone suddenly rang. He took it out of his pocket, signaling for her to wait. After a brief moment, he faced her with a worried look."Who was that on the phone?" she asked."It's the former finance director of my uncle's company. He wants to meet and discuss some things before passing on his responsibilities to me," Danrick replied."I thought you were going to be the CEO right away," she joked."Nope," he chuckled. "Uncle said it's part of my training. Once I handle and overcome this, I'll be the next CEO."She nodded. "When are you meeting the former finance director?""Right now. He's waiting for me at a restaurant," Danrick answered."Okay," she said, shrugging. "Why do you look worried though?""I'm thinking about you, how I'll take you home if the restaurant is in the opposite direction and-"."Babe, don't worry about me, okay? I'm old enough. I can take care of myself. I'll just take a taxi," she reassured him.“Are yo
IT’S already nighttime when Ruby arrived at Danrick's house. She noticed that Danrick seemed anxious and lost in thought. To capture his attention, she cleared her throat, prompting him to swiftly face her and gave her a forced smile. "Oh, you just got home, babe?"Ruby nodded, "I have just arrived. I couldn't ride a taxi immediately, so I decided to wander around the nearby mall before heading home." She lied but it seemed like Danrick believed her.She approached Danrick and sat beside him. "Are you okay, babe? Is there something bothering you?" she asked with full of concern in her voice. "Tell me. Hmm, let me guess… it’s about your conversation with-"Danrick did not let her finish talking. "It has nothing to do with the finance director I talked to earlier.""So? What is it then? Do you have other problems?"Danrick gave her another and forced a smile, causing Ruby to worry. He had never acted this way before.Then Danrick averted his gaze, he said, "Um, Babe, Auntie Carme
"WHY were you surprised? Don't you want it?"She shook her head. "I want the job, sir."Mr. Cordova smiled and handed her a piece of paper. As she read what was written on it, she saw that it was her appointment as the secretary of the president of ALV FINANCIAL. When she looked at the validity period of the appointment, her eyes widened in disbelief. The appointment was valid for up to ten years.She looked at Mr. Cordova in astonishment. "Sir? Ten years?"The man nodded. "Yes! Sign it, and you can start today, but there are some things you need to know before signing it."Ruby furrowed her brow. "What's that, sir?"He handed her a white folder. "Just read what's inside that folder, Miss Smith, so you can be enlightened."Instead of reading it, she set the folder aside. In those moments, she was overwhelmed with joy, and whatever was inside that folder did not matter to her anymore. All she could think about was that she had a job again. She quickly signed her appointment.The job wa
UPON arriving at the parking lot, Ruby's tears immediately flowed. She was annoyed with herself because no matter how hard she tried to control it, she couldn't. She couldn't fight her feelings for Adam. "I'm so stupid! I responded to his kiss again and I'm once again captivated by his smiles!" she said to herself before finally sitting in the driver's seat.She buried her face in the steering wheel while continuing to cry. Her mind was in chaos right now. She never imagined that Adam had planned everything. Imagine being a secretary again to that asshole. She thought she had escaped from that man, but here she was, following him again.Several minutes passed before her sobbing stopped. When her chest felt a bit lighter, she then drove the company car.She only drove for almost half an hour before she arrived in her new apartment. She was about to get out of the car when she suddenly remembered her belongings.All your belongings were in my house!"Shit!" she cursed softly. This can't