บท 2: CHAPTER 2
When the taxi stops in front of a huge building, Adrianna pays the driver and did not ask for her change. She said it is her compensation for frightening him earlier. While driving, the taxi driver mentioned that Adrianna was being chased by kidnappers with the way she told him to drive in a rush voice. Adrianna laughed it off and just made an excuse that she was in a rush to attend an important meeting.
Adrianna looks at the building and lets out a sigh. She ended up going here instead of returning to her place and changing her clothes into a pair of fluffy and soft pajamas. Adrianna clicks her tongue thinking that she is too impulsive when making a decision. She should have just gone to a bar and had some fun tonight.
Not wanting to waste her effort in going here, Adrianna just let out another sigh and get inside the building.
When the employees who are ready to go home see Adrianna walking inside the building, they all quickly change their attitudes and greet her with the utmost respect. The employee politely greets her and Adrianna returns with a polite smile. This scenario is one of the common things that is happening in this place. After telling the receptionist that she has an appointment with their boss, Adrianna used the elevator their boss is using exclusively in the company.
When Adrianna is no longer in their sight, the employees return to their normal selves and let out a sigh. There is a famous saying in this company. If you are a newly hired employee, the first thing you need to learn is not the policies. It is to remember the face of Adrianna Lavine and never forget to be respectful of her.
The employees who are working in the company for years now say that Adrianna Lavine is actually their boss's secret wife. The couples are not just announcing their relationship to everyone because they do not want to gather unnecessary attention. But they are not trying to be subtle with their relationship either since most of them witnessed how their boss cares for his wife a lot of times already. At this point, the employees are not going to be surprised if they discovered this couple has a hidden child too.
Those employees who have wide imaginations are making up some stories saying Ms. Lavine and their boss decided to have a secret marriage because their families are against their relationship. They also added that their boss is the one managing the company to show Ms. Lavine's family that he is the right person for their daughter. These employees should have applied as story writers instead of working in this company.
Ah, whatever. All they know is that the life of rich people is something they can never understand.
Adrianna is not aware of the stories floating about her in this company. She is just waiting inside the elevator until it reaches the top floor where that person's office is located. That man loves to see the whole city from above and become its spectator. You see, she is not the only dramatic person in this world. When the door slides open, she steps out of the elevator at a slow pace.
When Adrianna opens the office her heart almost jump in surprise when someone pulls her out of nowhere and caged her in their arms. If not for the familiar feeling of his arm and the scent of his perfume, Adrianna will automatically use her bag to slap this person's face. She tries to push him away but he just quietly responds to it with a tight hug.
"Let me go!" Adrianna said in an irritated voice.
"I miss you." he answered her using his rich and seductive voice.
His voice is really good to listen to. It is so manly that many people will surely fall in love after listening to his voice in just a few minutes. But it is a pity that she is already immune to it. Adrianna clicks her tongue before she forcefully removes his arms around her waist.
The person who suddenly hugs her is none other than Garret Dawson. He did not try to hug her again knowing that she will be mad at him. Instead, he just crossed his arms and leans his body on the doorframe. His eyes are automatically glued to the woman in front of him.
"Look at what you have done! My dress is now crumpled everywhere." Adrianna complains while checking the condition of her dress.
"I can always buy you a new dress. Just say a word." Garret confidently replied. "And besides, it looks ugly."
Adrianna exaggeratedly gasps when she hears that.
"Are you calling me ugly now?"
"When did I say that?" Garret asked.
"Just now! You called me ugly."
"I only said that dress is ugly since you wear it tonight when meeting with whoever that man is."
"...What kind of logic is that?"
Garret quietly chuckles when he hears that question.
"Now you know how I feel while you are accusing me."
"It's still different. My logic is more pleasant to hear than yours." Adrianna justified herself.
"Alright. Whatever my queen will say is true."
"Hmph. You are just trying to lure me into your trap again."
Garret did not try to answer her again. The CEO knows to himself that he will just lose to her. Adrianna's line of thought is different from the norms. And it is one of the things he loves about her.
Garret carefully moves closer to Adrianna and wraps his arms around her waist again. This time, she did not try to resist him. But the look in her eyes is watching him like a hawk in case he will do something else tonight.
Garret ignores the wary look on her face. Instead, he gently tucks a stray strand of hair that is covering her eyes. Then his fingers follow the length of her hair and pinch the ends of it. In front of Adrianna, Garret slowly lifts it and leaves a kiss on her hair.
"Your father is looking for a good man to be your boyfriend?" Garret asked.
"Yes." Adrianna said as she pulls her hair away from his fingers. "As you all know, my dad is worried that I will grow up single without a companion in life aside from my cat."
"If so, then why don't you choose me again?"
Adrianna pauses for a moment and looks at him.
"You know that I—"
"Shh."
Adrianna gently put a finger on his lips to stop the words that will come out from it.
"I don't like it."
Garret stares at Adrianna straight to her eyes. Shaking his head, he holds her finger and nibbles on it using his lips. Before she can try to push him away, Garret lets go of her first and walk toward the telephone to call his assistant. Soon, a man wearing a gray suit enters the room with a gloomy expression on his face. But after seeing Adrianna's face, his mood suddenly improves and a happy smile appears on his face.
"Am I already losing my mind or am I seeing an angel for real?!"
Adrianna chuckles when she heard his exaggerated words.
"It is nice to see you again, Assistant Jake."
Before Adrianna can give Assistant Jake a friendly hug, Garret quickly appears behind them and pulls her to his side again. Both Adrianna and Jake look at Garret with exasperated expressions on their faces. But the subject of their gazes pretends that he didn't know what is going on.
"What?" Garret asked his assistant. "Am I paying you to act nice in front of Adrianna?"
Assistant Jake looks outside the office first before he closes the door and locks it. After making sure that no one can see or hear them from the outside, the assistant let out a sigh and loosen his necktie a little. Then Jake points his finger at Garret and looks at him as if he is an enemy.
"You! Just because I usually have long patience towards you doesn't mean I will always tolerate your hateful personality. You better be thankful that I am still choosing to stay as your assistant!" Jake exploded as he steadily point his finger at Garret.
"You obviously got it wrong. I know that you are still choosing to be my assistant because I can pay you three times the amount of an assistant's usual salary compared to the other companies out there." Garret confidently said.
"And you should be thankful that you are rich. Or else, I will be filing my resignation letter as soon as possible."
"Heh. Too bad that you cannot just miss the opportunity to earn a lot of money from me."
"Of course! Receiving a huge salary every month is the best feeling in the whole world."
While these two are still bickering, Adrianna has already made herself comfortable on the sofa and picks a small chocolate bar from the medium bowl on the table. Garret never forgets to refill the small bowl with new chocolates every day. He's well aware that Adrianna is fond of eating chocolates that's why he always has a stock of them just for her.
After peeling the chocolate and popping it in her mouth, she quietly watches the bickering between these two men in front of her. They are always like this when no one can see them aside from her. In the eyes of other employees, Garret is their serious boss while Jake is his reliable and responsible assistant. But when no one can see them anymore, they are like the typical noisy pair of high school boys arguing about what online game they should play after class.
Garret, Jake, and Adrianna were all college friends. Both Garret and Jake took business and finance courses while Adrianna took a culinary course. After they graduated, Garret immediately inherited their company. He also hired Jake to become his assistant knowing his efficiency when it comes to working.
Jake did not hesitate and accepted the job offer. As long as his salary is higher than a normal assistant working in a company, then Jake will promise to do his best and help his new boss to make their business more successful than before. Unlike Garret and Adrianna who were born with a golden spoon in their mouths, Jake comes from a normal family and his parents are both blue-collar workers. If not for his full scholarship, Jake will not have had a chance to study in college and meet them.
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