Chapter 5 · The Executive Assistant Who Had to Seduce Her Boss

The next week, the tension in the office was so thick.

Dylan was icier than ever. During meetings, his stare sliced through the room like a frozen blade, leaving the execs shivering in their seats.

He went back to treating me like just another cog in the machine—strictly business, clinical, not a single unnecessary word.

I didn't dare pull any stunts. Every day, I dressed like a nun at a school board meeting—buttons fastened to the top, terrified of setting him off again.

Andrew called to check on my progress, and I just mumbled some vague excuses, dodging his questions as best I could.

I hung up and looked at the black card on the table. For the first time, that thirty million didn't seem so tempting.

Money was nice. But I couldn't spend it six feet under.

At this rate, I wasn't sure which would get me first—dying of frostbite from Dylan's cold shoulder or getting gutted by that death glare of his.

One day, an unexpected guest showed up at the office.

It was Vivian Stonewell, the heiress of Stonewell Group.

Everyone in the circle treated her like Dylan's "almost fiancée," even though he'd never actually confirmed it.

Vivian was drop-dead gorgeous, but every time she looked at me, there was this open hostility and superiority in her eyes—like she was sizing me up and finding me lacking.

"Ms. Nolan, is Dylan here? I made him some soup," she said, standing in front of my desk with a fancy thermos in hand, her smile bright and a little too sweet.

Vivian stood in front of my desk, holding a fancy thermos, her smile bright—almost too confident, with a hint of superiority in her eyes.

"Mr. Grant is in a meeting."

I gave her the usual businesslike response.

"Oh, I'll wait for him then," she said.

She carried herself like the lady of the house, not just some visitor.

I ignored her and kept working.

After a while, she spoke up again, her voice pitched just right so everyone in the secretarial pool could hear.

"Ms. Nolan, you really are impressive, so young and already chief secretary. But being a secretary is just about serving others. You should start planning for your future and find a good man to marry. That's the real goal," she said, her words laced with smugness.

One didn't need to be a genius to catch the shade she was throwing.

Everyone around pretended to be busy, but their ears were practically standing at attention.

I paused my typing, looked up, and flashed her a textbook professional smile. "Thanks for the concern, Ms. Stonewell. But honestly? Banking your whole value on landing a good husband is about the lamest idea ever. Women should build their own careers, don't you agree?"

Vivian's smile vanished in an instant.

Vivian probably never expected that someone like me would dare stand up to her right to her face.

"You!"

She shot up from her seat, fuming.

Just then, the door to the CEO's office opened up, and Dylan stepped out.

"What's all the noise about?"

He frowned, his expression dark and clearly annoyed.

As soon as Vivian saw him, she instantly switched gears, putting on her best pitiful act as she walked over. "Dylan, you're finally out of your meeting. I brought you some soup, but then Ms. Nolan..."

Before she could finish, Dylan's eyes landed on me, and he asked coolly, "What happened?"

Before I could say a word, Vivian jumped in, "Oh, it's nothing. Just chatting with Ms. Nolan. Maybe I was a bit too blunt, and she didn't like it."

Her innocent act was practically Oscar-worthy.

I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I just looked at Dylan, staying calm.

I figured he'd probably tell me to apologize to Vivian like he always did, or just brush off this whole drama.

But instead, he just glanced at me, then turned to Vivian and said, "This is a workplace, not a place to gossip. Don't come here unless you've got real business."

Vivian's expression froze on her face.

"Dylan, I..." she started, but the words died in her throat.

"Sophie," Dylan turned to me, his voice all business again. "Get the materials ready for this afternoon's meeting. Bring them to my office in ten minutes."

With that, he turned and walked away, not sparing Vivian so much as a glance.

Vivian stood there clutching her soup, her face going from pale to livid before she shot me a death glare and stomped off in her heels.

The office fell silent again.

I looked at Dylan's firmly shut office door, and something felt different inside me.

Was he... actually helping me just now?

Chapter 5

The next week, the tension in the office was so thick.

Dylan was icier than ever. During meetings, his stare sliced through the room like a frozen blade, leaving the execs shivering in their seats.

He went back to treating me like just another cog in the machine—strictly business, clinical, not a single unnecessary word.

I didn't dare pull any stunts. Every day, I dressed like a nun at a school board meeting—buttons fastened to the top, terrified of setting him off again.

Andrew called to check on my progress, and I just mumbled some vague excuses, dodging his questions as best I could.

I hung up and looked at the black card on the table. For the first time, that thirty million didn't seem so tempting.

Money was nice. But I couldn't spend it six feet under.

At this rate, I wasn't sure which would get me first—dying of frostbite from Dylan's cold shoulder or getting gutted by that death glare of his.

One day, an unexpected guest showed up at the office.

It was Vivian Stonewell, the heiress of Stonewell Group.

Everyone in the circle treated her like Dylan's "almost fiancée," even though he'd never actually confirmed it.

Vivian was drop-dead gorgeous, but every time she looked at me, there was this open hostility and superiority in her eyes—like she was sizing me up and finding me lacking.

"Ms. Nolan, is Dylan here? I made him some soup," she said, standing in front of my desk with a fancy thermos in hand, her smile bright and a little too sweet.

Vivian stood in front of my desk, holding a fancy thermos, her smile bright—almost too confident, with a hint of superiority in her eyes.

"Mr. Grant is in a meeting."

I gave her the usual businesslike response.

"Oh, I'll wait for him then," she said.

She carried herself like the lady of the house, not just some visitor.

I ignored her and kept working.

After a while, she spoke up again, her voice pitched just right so everyone in the secretarial pool could hear.

One didn't need to be a genius to catch the shade she was throwing.

Everyone around pretended to be busy, but their ears were practically standing at attention.

Vivian's smile vanished in an instant.

Vivian probably never expected that someone like me would dare stand up to her right to her face.

"You!"

She shot up from her seat, fuming.

Just then, the door to the CEO's office opened up, and Dylan stepped out.

"What's all the noise about?"

He frowned, his expression dark and clearly annoyed.

Before she could finish, Dylan's eyes landed on me, and he asked coolly, "What happened?"

Before I could say a word, Vivian jumped in, "Oh, it's nothing. Just chatting with Ms. Nolan. Maybe I was a bit too blunt, and she didn't like it."

Her innocent act was practically Oscar-worthy.

I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I just looked at Dylan, staying calm.

I figured he'd probably tell me to apologize to Vivian like he always did, or just brush off this whole drama.

But instead, he just glanced at me, then turned to Vivian and said, "This is a workplace, not a place to gossip. Don't come here unless you've got real business."

Vivian's expression froze on her face.

"Dylan, I..." she started, but the words died in her throat.

"Sophie," Dylan turned to me, his voice all business again. "Get the materials ready for this afternoon's meeting. Bring them to my office in ten minutes."

With that, he turned and walked away, not sparing Vivian so much as a glance.

Vivian stood there clutching her soup, her face going from pale to livid before she shot me a death glare and stomped off in her heels.

The office fell silent again.

I looked at Dylan's firmly shut office door, and something felt different inside me.

Was he... actually helping me just now?