Zara shot back, "What exactly do you want me to explain, Mr. Webb?""Why did you fire her?"Zara laid it out straight. "She was responsible for the contract with Warner, and she put the decimal point in the wrong spot. Luckily, our client didn't make a big deal out of it. "According to the company's regulations, a new employee who makes a serious mistake that hurts the company's interest can be dismissed—and we keep the right to hold them accountable."Beatrice went white as a sheet from fear and nervousness. "I... I was too careless. I'm so sorry..."Yosef gave her a look that was meant to be soothing, then turned to Zara. "The document."Zara set the document down.Yosef flipped to the last page, took a quick look, and chucked it back on the desk. "You didn't come to work on this date. If you hadn't been absent from work for no reason, Beatrice, the rookie, wouldn't have had to work on this contract."Zara was incredulous. "Are you saying this is on me, Mr. Webb?""You're t
Zara headed back to her rented place to pack up her stuff."Zara, you're back? I was about to start searching for you in every hospital tomorrow if you still hadn't shown up today.""Yeah, I'm fine now."Cecil Jones was Zara's roommate and university dorm buddy. The two had been living together for the past six or seven years. They had always had a good relationship with each other.Throughout Zara's hospital stay, Cecil was the only one who showed real worry for her. However, Zara kept the truth from her, claiming she was just sick and refusing any visits.Slipping into her house slippers, Cecil walked up to Zara's room and found her crouched on the floor while folding clothes."Off on another business trip? You just got sick not long ago, and you're already jetting off? Can your body handle it? Why is Yosef such a jerk? Why does he always have to push you so hard?"Cecil was well aware of Zara's rocky relationship with Yosef and had never been a big fan of him.Zara was not s
Zara’s colleagues were sincerely looking out for her. "Zara, have you made the calculations? Your contract will expire in a month. If you don't come back to the headquarters, Mr. Webb might not renew your contract."It'll be automatically terminated when the time comes, and that's it for you. Even if you want to call it quits, you should wrap things up at the headquarters. It'll make your resume shine."Zara had not been thinking about that, but she figured that she should go back and see things for herself.The day Yosef was due to visit the branch, she put on a full face of makeup and slipped into a crisp white dress. She waited right at the company's front door.Ten minutes ticked by, and then three sleek cars rolled up. They came to a smooth stop at the foot of the steps.The moment the car door swung open, Yosef stepped out. Zara's smile was just about to bloom when she caught sight of someone else stepping out from the other side of the car.Beatrice.Seeing was indeed bel
The door to the conference room was locked for almost an hour. When it was over, Zara meticulously wiped down the table with several alcohol wipes.After she finished cleaning up, she turned around, only to see that Yosef had returned to his usual well-dressed and aloof appearance. Only if one looked closely could one spot the small wrinkle on his shirt. It was a silent testament to how he had failed to hold himself back just now. Zara picked up his tie and walked over to help him with it.Yosef was accustomed to this and raised his chin slightly, revealing his Adam's apple. As Zara's fingers deftly tied his tie, she murmured, "I want to go back to the headquarters."Yosef's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the woman's modest demeanor. He said in an even tone, "I told you there was no need to head back to the headquarters until we wrapped up the project. "Now that the project is done, you're free to return if you want. No one's holding you back."After Yosef wrapped up the
Zara's interest fizzled out in an instant.No matter what Yosef did or how many times he tried, she just could not feel a thing.—Raised right, old-school, not big on ‘doing that kinda stuff' before marriage.What was that supposed to mean? Was he planning to put a ring on Beatrice's finger?...Zara returned to Azure Cloud's headquarters for work. She was still Yosef's secretary, but she had been silently bumped down from chief secretary to just general secretary.Her old desk was now Beatrice's, and Zara was relegated to the desk Beatrice used to sit at as an assistant.It was next to the door and in a corner—as inconspicuous as it could be. As no one had sat here for a long time, the table was full of clutter. Zara's return caught everyone off guard, and the admin team had not gotten around to clearing up the desk.The whole thing was pretty awkward, but Zara kept her cool. She did not bother the admin team and took care of things herself. As soon as Beatrice arrived at th
Zara let out a heavy sigh and crossed the street to the pharmacy to get the ointment.As she was paying, her phone rang. It was Yosef's mom on the line."Zara, how's everything going? Why haven't you come to visit me lately?"With a warm smile, Zara responded, "I'm doing well. I was a little busy with work previously, but I've finished things up. I'll swing by this weekend to catch up with you and Chairman Webb.""Why wait for the weekend? You're free now, so come over for dinner tonight. Yosef will be there too. I'll whip up some of your favorite dishes.""Okay, let me talk to Mr. Webb first."Mrs. Webb's voice took on a teasing tone. "You and this 'Mr. Webb' business. It's so formal. You've been together for ages, and we were just talking about your wedding a few months back."Zara was shocked, and she nearly tripped on the pharmacy steps.Their wedding?Her eyelashes flickered. She was not at all prepared for Mrs. Webb to drop that bombshell.Mrs. Webb was not even Yosef's real mom—
When it was almost time to get off work, Zara popped into the president's office and dropped off some paperwork. She said, "Mrs. Webb called me at noon, inviting us to dinner tonight. Mr. Webb, it's been six months since your last visit home."Yosef frowned, clearly annoyed. "Are you in touch with my family a lot?""Not really," Zara replied. "It's Mrs. Webb who always calls me."Yosef checked his watch and tossed the car keys her way. "You're driving. The driver will take Beatrice home."Trailing behind him, Zara wanted to ask him something. She opened her mouth, but the words just would not come out.She was scared of receiving an answer she could already foresee....At the dining table of the Webbs' residence, Mrs. Webb kept serving food to Zara. "Why have you gotten so thin? And your complexion doesn't seem to be the best either. Are you sick?" Yosef had always been the stoic and silent type, and it was even more so around his family. Apart from greeting Chairman Webb whe
Zara parked the car and walked over. "Mr. Webb."The streetlights cast a dim glow on the path, barely revealing the man's stern profile. He did not turn to look at Zara, and the cigarette between his fingers was flickering. With a silent sigh, Zara scanned the area and spotted a 24-hour convenience store. She bought a sandwich that could be eaten directly."You barely touched your dinner. Eat this to tide you over so that you won't get a stomachache."Yosef gave her an annoyed look but accepted the sandwich.In a hushed tone, Zara said, "You know, clashing with Chairman Webb isn't wise. He has high blood pressure and was even admitted to the hospital last year..."Yosef's response was a cold sneer. He tossed the sandwich he was holding aside, grabbed Zara, swung open the car door, and had her pinned to the back seat.He moved so deftly that she could feel her head spinning. Before she could come back to her senses, she found her legs forced apart.Her mind reeled in protest, a