Chapter 1 Another Secretary

"Hold on!"

Emily Thompson's dress strap had slid down to her waist, teasingly revealing more skin, while Patrick Rivera's touch ignited a fire within her. Their kisses deepened, becoming more passionate, as they teetered on the edge of crossing into uncharted territory.

But right at that crucial moment, Emily called for a break.

Patrick opened his amber eyes, clearly annoyed.

Emily took off the bracelet from her wrist and placed it on the nearby dresser.

Patrick glanced at it, his cool demeanor darkening.

"Seriously? You're worried about a cheap bracelet that costs less than five hundred bucks?" he asked.

The bracelet looked old-fashioned and downright tacky, like something found at a flea market. It had oxidized and discolored so much that it was practically falling apart.

Every time, Emily would take it off, clean it, and put it back on.

Emily's long lashes hid her true feelings. "I'm just used to wearing it."

Patrick lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Are you used to the bracelet or something else?" he asked coldly.

Emily's attitude was submissive, but her eyes clearly showed she didn't want to answer. She pressed closer to him, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Mr. Rivera, let's continue."

Patrick wasn't stupid; she was using affection to divert his question.

However, her soft body reignited his desire.

He cupped her face and kissed her more fiercely, roughly flipping her onto the bed and pulling off her dress.

His large hands roamed possessively over her curves, his touch so intense that Emily's breath came in ragged gasps.

She tried to push him away to get some air, but every time she retreated an inch, he advanced three.

In the end, Emily had to give up resisting and let herself relax to take his forceful advances.

Just then, Patrick's phone rang.

Emily turned her head to reach for it and glanced at the caller ID as she brought it to his face.

Patrick was already grabbing one of Emily's legs, ready to take the final step.

Seeing the caller, he stopped.

"Shirley, what's wrong?" He answered the call and quickly got off the bed.

Before he even left the room, Emily heard the gentle, clear voice on the other end. "Patrick..."

Emily slowly sat up, looking at the disheveled sheets, knowing Patrick wouldn't be coming back. She went to the bathroom to take a shower.

When she came out in a loose bathrobe, Patrick was already preparing to leave.

He was fully dressed, even his tie was neatly in place. It was as if nothing had happened.

"Make sure all the meeting materials are organized. We'll need them for the nine o'clock meeting tomorrow," Patrick said coldly.

"Got it, Mr. Rivera," Emily replied.

Patrick used the tone of a boss giving orders to a subordinate. Emily naturally responded in the tone of a subordinate to a boss.

Patrick left without a trace of reluctance.

Emily looked down at the red marks on her chest from his rough kisses, feeling a bit desolate. She was Patrick's personal secretary. By day, she had to be the perfect professional at the office. By night, she was summoned to his presidential suite to fulfill his desires.

At work, she was excellent and professional. In bed, she was obedient and dutiful.

Patrick had said that what he liked about her was that she was useful and low-maintenance. Of course, that was all. She would never enter his heart.

In his heart was that girl named Shirley Wright.

The next day, Emily was heading back to her office after dropping off some documents at Patrick's when she caught some gossip in the break room.

"Come on, spill the beans! I saw you stepping out of the Bentley!"

"Yeah, seriously, you really know how to keep things under wraps! When's the big announcement?"

"Mr. Rivera is always so serious, but when you're together, it's like he comes alive! 'Ms. Boss,' just remember us little people when you're running the company!"

Emily acted like she didn't hear anything and walked in to get some water.

Shirley was surrounded by a group of female colleagues, all showering her with compliments.

Shirley kept telling them to stop, but she was clearly enjoying the attention.

She smiled and waved her hand. "Mr. Rivera and I grew up together. Our families have been friends for generations. You guys shouldn't spread rumors. Besides, Emily is also close to Mr. Rivera, isn't she?"

Hearing her name, Emily slammed her cup on the table. Finally, she got their attention.

They all fell silent, lowered their heads, and greeted her in unison, "Hi, Emily."

Shirley said, "Sorry, Emily, we weren't trying to slack off. We'll get back to work right away."

Shirley looked pitiful, making Emily seem like the villainous secretary. But Emily hadn't said a word.

That was Shirley's skill; she could make it seem like the whole world was bullying her. She was beautiful and charming, and her innocent demeanor made people want to protect her. That was probably why Patrick liked her.

Emily said, "I didn't say you were slacking off, you don't need to pin this on me..."

Emily hadn't finished speaking when Shirley started apologizing again.

"Shirley's new to the company, so give her a hand and show her the ropes."

Emily looked up to see Patrick entering the room, his distant expression carrying a hint of reproach.

"Please make sure to take good care of her," he added.

Patrick walked over to Emily, his gaze telling her this was an order, not a request.

Before Emily could respond, Patrick turned to Shirley, playfully tapping her head with an ID badge. "Don't forget your badge next time."

Shirley shrank back, sticking out her tongue. "Thanks, Patrick. I won't forget again."

Their intimate behavior was blatant. Everyone else quickly got the hint and left.

Finally, it was Emily's turn to leave. She looked down and nodded. "I'll be going now, Mr. Rivera."

As she walked out of the break room, she could still hear Shirley and Patrick talking. Shirley was complaining about not having enough breakfast and wanting a sandwich from three blocks away.

Patrick responded gently, "Sure, let's have Emily get it."

Standing outside the break room, Emily felt unsettled. The ID badge Patrick had given Shirley was for an assistant position. It meant she had the same job and status as Emily. But Shirley didn't even meet the qualifications to join the company. In terms of education and internship experience, she was far behind. But she still got in because Patrick made it happen.

For Shirley, he broke company rules. Their relationship was as clear as the gossip among the female colleagues. But Shirley kept denying it. It was so childish and ridiculous.

Soon, Patrick came out. As his secretary, Emily followed him to the conference room for the meeting.

After the meeting, Emily was organizing the minutes when Shirley walked in with a box of macarons.

"Emily!"