Chapter 11

Someone immediately retorted, "You want Ms. Gildon to be someone's secretary? Are you out of your mind?" "Ms. Gildon is smart, capable, and stunning. With her impressive track record, which president wouldn't want her on their team? If she were to enter the job market, headhunters would be falling over themselves to snatch her up." Vespera simply smiled without responding. In truth, they were underestimating how sharp headhunters could be. She had already received calls ten days ago, with recruiters subtly probing about her career plans. At the time, no one outside the company even had the slightest hint that she was leaving Eclipse Group. The conversation continued. "Don't look down on the position of a secretary. We're talking about the chief secretary to the heir of the Tavian Group. That position gives access to Halewick's elite and powerful players. If she plays her cards right, her future is limitless." "I heard about a secretary from an overseas company who was so exceptional she got promoted to vice president within a few years. And guess what? She ended up marrying the president too." "Heh, if that's the case, I might just apply myself!" "Has anyone actually seen the heir of Tavian Group in person? Is he even good-looking?" "Nope. Out of the four Reid siblings, only the eldest sister has ever appeared in public. The other three are pretty mysterious." The conversation kept spiraling further off track. Vespera couldn't help but laugh. Watching them gush about romance made her feel like a jaded old nun who had long since seen through it all. Love was something she would never touch again. But when it came to her career… that was worth considering. She had thought about starting her own business. The problem was that all her professional connections were tied to Luke. Once she cut ties with him, there would be no one left to give her any consideration. She needed to build herself up first. That night, she reached out to an elite socialite who thrived in high society, hoping to get some information on Tavian Group and its mysterious heir. A lazy, amused voice came through the phone. "Digging around about another man? Aren't you worried Mr. Munoz will get jealous?" "He can feel however he wants. I don't care," Vespera replied coldly. "Vespera, don't tell me you two actually broke up," Yasmine Ralston asked, curiosity dripping from her tone. "Not yet," Vespera answered vaguely. Yasmine immediately understood and let out a dramatic sigh. "So the rumors are true. You've been with him for eight years, and he still did you dirty. What an absolute bastard." Yasmine had always been blunt. Vespera played along, feigning a pitiful tone. "That's why I need to start planning for myself. I heard that heir is looking for a chief secretary. I want to give it a shot." "Tell me the truth—are you after the man or the money?" "I only believe in one thing now—God." Yasmine burst into laughter. "Oh, leave it to me. I'll make sure you meet this God in person." "Thanks." "Sit tight and wait for my good news." After hanging up, Vespera sat back down at her desk. She typed Dominic Reid's name into the search bar, but the results were disappointingly sparse. "Dominic Reid…" she muttered his name under her breath. If she was going to work for him, it wouldn't hurt to know his preferences and habits in advance. Just as she was deep in thought, the door to the study swung open. Luke walked in. Vespera immediately shut her laptop. She and Luke had their own studies. When they were deeply in love, they were inseparable. But over time, their relationship shifted into a strict boss-subordinate dynamic, even at home. Once they were off work, they barely interacted. "Do you need something?" she asked, glancing up. "Do I need a reason to come in?" "Of course not… You can do whatever you want." She finished the last sentence in her mind. "Once I'm gone, you can run around naked in here for all I care." Luke's gaze darkened with suspicion as he glanced at her laptop. She had closed it the moment he walked in, clearly hiding something from him. He settled into a lounge chair in her study. "I wanted to give you a heads-up about something." Vespera's expression remained neutral. "Go ahead." Luke lowered his gaze, pausing for a moment before saying, "Tina wants to join your project department." Vespera had already suspected his sudden politeness meant nothing good, but she hadn't expected it to be this ridiculous. It felt like a punch to the gut. Her expression turned ice-cold. "Out of all the departments in the company, she just has to choose mine?" Luke frowned. "Don't say it like that. She genuinely wants to prove herself. That should be encouraged." Vespera nearly choked on her own frustration. "If she wants to prove herself, fine. Let her play around with another department, I don't care. But not the project team! That's my department! Those are my people!" "Be reasonable, Vespera. You already resigned. You're not part of Eclipse Group anymore. The project team isn't yours." Her throat tightened. He was right. Eclipse Group belonged to him. She had no right to refuse, no right to fight him on this. He was ready to hand over the department she had built from the ground up to his new lover, and there was nothing she could do about it. Luke studied her expression and suppressed his irritation. "You're making her out to be worse than she is. I promise she's not going there to cause trouble—I'll keep her in check." "Do whatever you want." Vespera's voice was quiet, almost indifferent. She was exhausted. She didn't want to care anymore. Frustration simmered in Luke's eyes. "I came to tell you in advance because I didn't want you to get upset. But look at you now. You've always been hostile toward Tina. "I know you don't like her, but can't you at least consider my position? Our families are in the middle of a business partnership. Am I supposed to ruin things with the Sowles just because you don't like her?" Vespera was stunned speechless by his twisted logic. She had done nothing wrong. First, her man was taken from Tina, then her career. And now, she was expected to smile and accept it as if she should be grateful. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. So this was what it felt like to be pushed to the breaking point—when rage and heartbreak mixed until all she could do was laugh. A sharp, bitter taste rose in her throat. … Three days later, Vespera returned to Eclipse Group to finalize her departure. Tina, dressed in a full Chanel ensemble, strutted into what used to be Vespera's office like a victorious conqueror. She cleared out the entire office, tossing away the furniture and decorations without a second thought. The trophies Vespera had spent years earning, once displayed proudly along the wall, were now discarded like trash, carelessly thrown into a bin. The entire project department was on the verge of losing it. Everyone had speculated for days about who would take over as the new department head after Vespera left. They hadn't expected someone better, but they also hadn't thought they would get stuck with a complete fool. Word from the executive secretary's office was that Tina couldn't even operate a printer. She spent her days snacking and playing games, recklessly downloading files onto her computer until she infected it with a virus. Instead of fixing the issue, she stormed into the secretary's office and snatched one of their computers—only to end up deleting critical files in the process. Instead of punishing her, Luke fired the secretary whose computer had been wiped. No one even wanted to imagine what kind of chaos she would bring to the project team. Meanwhile, Vespera remained expressionless in the office as she worked through the handover process. But the moment she reached for an important document, Tina launched into a smug, self-indulgent speech. "Vespera, how does it feel?" She lounged back in the chair that used to belong to Vespera, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Lost your man, lost your job. Everything you spent years building, everything you worked your ass off for—I can take it all with the snap of my fingers. And do you know why? "Because you and I are not the same. I was born superior. You are beneath me. I have powerful people backing me, and you have no one. In our social circle, women like you—pretty, desperate, and insignificant—are a dime a dozen. You are nothing more than playthings for men to use and toss aside. "And you? You actually thought you could marry into the Munoz family? How laughable." She let out a mocking laugh.