The three of us sitting together in the reception space of Ace’s office just felt like the strangest thing ever. I was shocked to see Jeremy joining us when I expected to meet only Ace. Now that I thought about it, Ace was the one who invited me to see him. I glanced over at him while wondering if Ace had invited Jeremy here as well or could it be that this was all just a wild coincidence and Jeremy just happened to turn up here? Regardless of how the three of us ended up there together, I didn’t doubt what Jeremy had to say. I clasped my hand together on my lap to stop them from shaking from nervousness while feeling thankful that at least I managed to give Ace a heads up that Jeremy seemed to know about us. Despite knowing that, I didn’t know how Ace managed to appear so calm and in control. If anything, it seemed like Jeremy, and I were the only people feeling nervous and on edge in the room. “It is getting a little late. Shall we just start talking?” Ace suggested with a smile.

“What do you mean? Did he agree not to tell anyone?” I asked as I tried to keep myself from panicking. “Don’t worry, Rina. He won’t tell anyone,” Ace replied with certainty. “How can you be so sure?” I asked as I started frowning from worry. Ace pursed his lips together as a thoughtful look overcame his handsome facial features as he thought about how he should answer my question. I waited impatiently for his answer as I kept on staring at his face. “Well, it was just a feeling but if I have to put it into words then, I guess I can’t imagine him doing anything to hurt the girl that he likes,” Ace finally replied before showing me a charming smile. “Is that why you thought that it would be ok to tell him about us?” I asked.“I guess that was partly the reason. Also, I thought that things might become a little easier for you at work if we just admit to it. As I said before, sooner or later, he’s going to have to find out,” Ace explained calmly.“I see. I hope things really work out

“This is a great idea. I just hope that what I’m making is going to be edible…” I replied with my only concern.“It will be. Don’t worry, even if it tastes horrible, I’ll eat it and tell you that it tastes great,” Ace replied jokingly.“You seriously think that it’s going to end up tasting bad, don’t you?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s up to you to prove me wrong,” Ace replied with a laugh. I let out a sigh as I shook my head in disbelief. The truth was that I wasn’t confident in my cooking skills; however, the dishes were simple enough and we were given ample instructions along the way. I had to admit that it felt fun and kind of relaxing at the same time. This sudden change in pace turned out to be exactly what I needed to get away from all the stress. “This looks like it’s coming along very well,” Jacky commented before showing us a proud smile. “Thanks to your advice,” I replied. “We’ve set up the table for you two on the second floor. Sorry that you have to wal

**The Day of the Announcement**The day that the upper management and the representatives of the two companies would announce the merger finally arrived. Although I had promised Ace to help out with the preparations, the event was of a grander scale than an amateur like me could handle. Instead, professional event organizers were brought in to ensure that everything proceeded smoothly. The announcement was undoubtedly a big deal and that also made it a large-scale event.On top of the expected large crowd of reporters, the prominent shareholders and board of directors of both companies will also be there at the event. Trying to keep the news of the mergers under wraps also meant that Ace could not involve that many employees in the preparation of the event. Thinking of it from that perspective, I could understand why such an experienced team was brought in to handle the entire thing.“Are you sure that you don’t want to be there?” Ace asked me the night before the announcement.It was

I chewed on my lower lip as I wondered how Ace was feeling as he calmly delivered his speech. He sounded so professional and in control that it wouldn’t be challenging to trust him to handle everything. After a moment of pause where Ace seemed to be looking in the direction of where the shareholders were seated, he continued with his speech where he addressed the other parties to ease them of their concerns. “Last but not least, I would like to address our employees, everyone working for both companies. Undoubtedly, this is going to be a big change for everyone. However, we strongly believe that this will be a change for the better. From this, we will all emerge stronger and in a more competitive position with a brighter and more secure future,” Ace announced. Although I was watching his speech on screen and he wasn’t there right in front of me, he still felt so close, and I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I knew very well that Ace was very concerned about the wellbeing of hi