Chapter 3

Sophia and Olivia hit the bar to celebrate Sophia's new job, but they both ended up completely hammered.

Sophia had known Olivia for over a decade, and in her memory, Olivia had always been a proud person, never one to bow her head and admit fault.

But now, Olivia had to humble herself to please others, even enduring grievances alone.

Before coming here, Sophia's wishes were simple: a stable job and a loving partner. But before this, even paying rent was a struggle.

After a few bottles, they were both thoroughly drunk, talking, laughing, and crying, eventually helping each other home.

In the dead of night, Sophia's mind was unusually clear, Olivia's words echoing in her ears, making her heart ache and worry for Olivia's future.

Her phone rang incessantly by her pillow. Annoyed, Sophia picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number, promptly hanging up.

She turned over to continue her thoughts, but the caller was persistent, calling again and again.

Just as Sophia's patience was about to run out and she was ready to answer and yell, the ringing stopped abruptly.

A text message chimed loudly in the quiet night. Sophia sat up, cursing the caller in her mind.

Michael: [I'm Michael. Answer the phone.]

Michael's name appeared on the screen. Before Sophia could even process her surprise, the phone rang again.

"Mr. Johnson, it's late. What do you need?" Sophia's tone was less than friendly. If Michael were in front of her, she would have rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm downstairs. Come down," Michael said curtly, hanging up immediately.

He didn't give Sophia any time to react.

Staring at the ended call screen, Sophia's eyes widened.

Was that really Michael calling?

Sophia glanced at the time: 2 AM.

What was Michael doing outside her place at this hour?

Before she could think further, Michael's message came through.

Michael: [You have 10 minutes. Late arrivals will have their pay docked.]

Sophia snapped to attention, jumping out of bed and getting ready at lightning speed.

Ten minutes wasn't enough time to put on makeup, so Sophia bit the bullet and went downstairs bare-faced.

At the entrance of her apartment complex, Michael leaned against his car, a cigarette halfway burned between his fingers.

He looked different from the day of the interview. Dressed in sportswear, his aura was even more striking.

Thankfully, it was nighttime. If it were daytime, there would surely be a crowd of people trying to chat him up.

Snapping back to reality, Sophia walked over, her confusion growing.

Why was Michael looking for her at this hour? Was there really work to be done?"Mr. Johnson..."

Michael cut her off, glancing at his watch. "Nine minutes and forty-eight seconds. Barely made it."

Sophia rolled her eyes internally but kept a polite smile. "Mr. Johnson, what do you need at this hour?"

Michael looked at her briefly, not answering, and opened the passenger door. The sudden move left Sophia puzzled, staring at him in confusion.

She thought she heard Michael sigh. He said, "Get in."

Sophia became instantly wary, carefully choosing her words. "Mr. Johnson, it's not work hours, and it's inappropriate for us to be alone this late."

Her knowledge of Michael was limited to that one night. Besides, an assistant shouldn't be on call 24/7, right?

Sophia's confusion was evident, and Michael noticed. "As my personal assistant, you need to be available 24/7. Any objections?"

Personal assistant? Sophia was shocked. She had applied for the executive assistant position, not a personal one. After a long hesitation, she voiced her doubts.

Michael raised an eyebrow and said, "What's the difference between a personal assistant and an executive assistant? You're still my assistant. Just follow my orders unconditionally."

He wasn't wrong, and Sophia accepted his explanation. She needed this job. So what if her boss woke her up at 1 AM? Even if Michael asked her to cook dinner now, she wouldn't refuse!

With that thought, Sophia stopped hesitating and got into the passenger seat. Michael closed the door and got in on the other side. The limited-edition Rolls-Royce sped through the night.

The surroundings grew increasingly desolate, making Sophia nervous. Thankfully, the car slowed down after a few minutes, and Michael parked by the roadside.

The atmosphere inside the car turned ambiguous. Michael lit a cigarette, taking a drag and letting it burn out between his fingers. His family always tried to set him up with women. Usually, he would just send them away.

But this time, he couldn't stop thinking about Sophia, wanting to see her. To Michael, Sophia was the most unique woman he had ever met. That's why he had come to her place, even at this late hour.

Watching Michael smoke, Sophia couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Johnson, did you call me out here just to watch you smoke?"

Michael's hand paused mid-drag, then he tossed the cigarette out the window. He reached into the back seat, pulled out a file, and tossed it into Sophia's lap. Meeting her puzzled gaze, he simply told her to read it.

Sophia hesitated but opened the file. Her eyes widened as she read. SHe was shocked and asked, "Mr. Johnson, are you serious?"