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
The following morning, Zara was back at Yosef's side, escorting Mr. Smith from the day before to the Parade Float Manufacturing Factory.Azure Cloud Group specialized in venture capital. They were one of the top investment firms in the country with projects funded all over the globe and domestically. Their influence was massive, and they played a decisive role in society. That was why they often took charge of government-backed initiatives.The Parade Float Manufacturing Factory was an example of that. It was a project that preserved cultural treasures.Zara had shaken off last night's meltdown and was back to her polished self, standing by Yosef's side as the picture-perfect assistant. She chimed in whenever needed and stayed silent and attentive when not.The factory was a cavernous space filled with rows of vibrant, whimsically designed parade floats. The seasoned factory manager was giving them the grand tour, and Mr. Smith could not help but marvel as he listened to the intr
The accident was an unexpected one.Panic spread through the scene like wildfire. Some people were moving debris, while others were rushed to the hospital.Lucky for Zara, the Thanksgiving parade float was just a frame and not too heavy. The X-rays showed no broken bones in her calf. If it had been a fully built float, the weight would have crushed her leg for sure.There was a bigger problem, however. Mr. Smith had been knocked out cold, and they needed to provide an explanation for this matter.While everyone was being sent to the hospital, the factory manager wasted no time getting to the bottom of things. It turned out that one of the ropes holding up the float had slipped loose, causing it to tip and start a disastrous domino effect.The question remained—why did that rope come undone?In the hospital ward, the factory manager tried to keep his composure. "The rope that came loose was No. 4. We don't have surveillance cameras in the factory, so it's hard to say how it happen
As the nurse dabbed at Beatrice's wound with disinfectant, Beatrice winced and let out a tiny yelp. Yosef was at her side in a flash. "Are you okay?""Just a scratch," Beatrice said, looking up at him with those doe eyes. "Mr. Webb, what about your shoulder? Does it hurt a lot? You should get that checked."Yosef had taken a hit from the edge of the float while shielding Beatrice."It's nothing." Yosef brushed it off.He fussed over Beatrice's hand. "Keep it dry, okay? We don't want you to get a bacterial infection. I'll get someone to look after you.""I can take care of myself, Mr. Webb. I'm not a kid, you know."Zara watched them with an icy stare. All her fatigue and disappointment had built up like a tidal wave, and it was ready to crash over her.What a joke.Without a sound, Zara eased her injured leg off the bed and onto the floor, bracing herself to stand. A sharp pain zipped from her foot to her heart.Zara was on the brink of being seriously hurt, and Yosef had not
To everyone's surprise, Zara simply said, "Give me ten minutes."Beatrice was caught off-guard, and Yosef's brows furrowed in annoyance.Ignoring the throbbing in her leg, Zara leaned on the hospital bed and limped over to the factory manager. "I need a word. It'll be just between us," she said."Speak," the manager replied, eager to listen.In a hushed tone, Zara said, "Could you reach out to that blogger who was taking photos back at the factory? He helped to bring the injured to the hospital, so he should still be in the ER."The manager blinked, then whispered back, "Sure thing. I'll go bring him over now."Zara gave a grateful nod. "Thanks."The others could not catch their quiet exchange. Yosef watched Zara with a frosty detachment, while Beatrice looked visibly rattled.Was Zara just bluffing, or did she actually have something up her sleeve?It was not long before the manager returned while clutching a black bag. Everyone looked at it, wondering what it was.The manag