Chapter 14

Tina asked, "Luke, what are you looking at?" She tugged on Luke's sleeve when she noticed him zoning out. His line of sight had been blocked by the trees along the path, obscuring whatever had caught his attention. He withdrew his gaze and said, "Nothing." He focused on the road ahead, but his thoughts were unsettled. Vespera followed after Dominic. He stood near a tree, taking a call, while she trailed close behind. He glanced over his shoulder at her. Realizing he was on the phone, she quickly stopped in her tracks and took a few steps back, retreating into a small pavilion designed to look like a giant mushroom. She rubbed her forehead and thought, "God, I'm an idiot." When Dominic ended the call, she walked over, awkwardly trying to act casual. "Mr. Reid, you're sharp as ever. I can't even read a situation properly, so I guess I really am unfit to be your secretary. Sorry for the disturbance." Dominic raised an eyebrow. "You followed me all the way here just to prove you're not suitable for the job? To tell me this?" Vespera had no defense against his words. She forced a laugh. There was no hope of getting the job, so she might as well be honest. "Of course not. I followed you because I wanted to fight for the opportunity. "But considering the terrible first impression I left, plus how embarrassing today has been, there's no way you'd consider me. I just figured I'd end this sooner rather than later—without making things worse." Dominic's expression remained cold. "You think that's why I rejected you?" Vespera asked, "Isn't it?" "You came to apply as my secretary dressed like this. If I hired you, people would assume I'm the kind of man who only cares about appearances." He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice. "And if I really did care about that, I wouldn't need to make it so obvious, would I?" Vespera's face flushed instantly. From her cheeks to the tips of her ears, she was so flushed she could feel the heat radiating off her skin. He was mocking her—implying that she had hoped to use her looks to get the job, but he had no interest in that. She didn't bother explaining herself. There was no point. But she was too embarrassed to stay any longer. Feeling awkward, she hurriedly said, "Thank you for the lesson. I'll be leaving now. Goodbye." She didn't even wait for his response before turning and walking away. … When Yasmine and Alban returned, they were surprised to see Dominic standing alone. "Where's Vespera?" Yasmine asked. "She left," Dominic replied. Yasmine was surprised. She immediately realized that Vespera's job application had been rejected, but she couldn't understand why. Things had seemed to be going well just moments ago. Unable to hold back, she said, "Mr. Reid, Vespera is highly capable…" Dominic cut her off. "She doesn't look like it." Yasmine, ever sharp, immediately caught onto the issue. She had always believed she understood men well, convinced that most would fall for this kind of approach. But Dominic proved to be an exception, entirely indifferent to such tactics. "Well, what a misunderstanding. It's my fault! Vespera wasn't dressed like this when she arrived. I thought she looked too formal in those long sleeves and pants, so I made her change into something I brought…" Dominic was at a loss for words. … As soon as she got home, Vespera changed her clothes. Feeling drained, she slumped into the chair in front of her vanity. She wondered if she was truly nothing without Eclipse Group or Luke. After shaking off some of her disappointment, she grabbed her phone to apologize to Yasmine. She had put her phone on silent so she wouldn't be disturbed during job hunting. As soon as she turned it on, countless missed calls popped up. There were calls from Luke and others from Yasmine. She ignored Luke's calls and immediately called Yasmine back. "Sorry, sorry. I wasn't feeling great and had a little low blood sugar, so I left early. I forgot to tell you." There was a brief silence on the other end before Yasmine finally said, "I should be the one apologizing." Smart people didn't need many words to understand each other. Vespera chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it. I just wanted to give it a shot. You've already helped me so much—I won't forget that." "Come on, don't talk about that. Listen, I explained the outfit thing to Dominic, but he didn't say much. I got his number from Alban. Do you want to give it another try?" Vespera thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Forget it. Tavian Group and I aren't meant to be." Hearing that, Yasmine didn't press her. After hanging up, Vespera curled up in bed. When her mood was low, her body felt just as exhausted. Half-asleep, she heard the sound of her bedroom door opening. "Mmm…" She turned over and squinted her eyes open. Luke stood by her bed, his expression cold. She didn't want to deal with him. Turning away, she yanked the blanket over her head. "You've been home all day? Haven't gone out?" Luke sat on the edge of the bed, his voice laced with suspicion. Vespera stayed silent. "I saw someone at the golf course today. Their back looked a lot like yours." Her eyes snapped open. He had been at the golf course too. That caught her off guard. How ridiculous. He and Tina had practically given her a live broadcast of their time together, yet he still dared to question whether she had gone out or not. She considered admitting it outright, but the thought of him causing trouble for Yasmine held her back. In the end, she chose to stay silent. Luke leaned in, lifting a corner of the blanket. His gaze swept over her pale neck, checking for anything suspicious. When he found nothing, his expression relaxed slightly. Still, he wasn't satisfied. He needed to hear her say it. "Did you go out today or not?" "I didn't. I was cleaning the yard all afternoon. I'm going to sleep now. Leave me alone." Vespera recoiled at his presence, pulling the blanket over her head again. Luke didn't think she was lying, so he let it go. … As night fell, Dominic was having dinner in his penthouse apartment. Raymond stood nearby, pouring freshly aerated red wine into a tall glass. As Dominic's house manager, he handled everything from driving and cooking to housekeeping. Occasionally, he also assisted Dominic's assistant, Gerard Nicholson, with business matters. "No updates from the headhunting firm?" Dominic asked after taking a sip of red wine. "Gerard just sent over a candidate list. He wanted you to take a look when you have time to see if anyone catches your interest," Raymond replied. Then, as if recalling something amusing, he added, "I glanced at it earlier, and guess what? That Ms. Gildon, the one I rear-ended last time, is on the list." "Oh?" Dominic set his glass down. "Bring me the tablet." His tone was casual, but after serving him for over 20 years, Raymond knew better. This level of response meant Dominic was already interested. Raymond retrieved the tablet from the study and handed it over. Dominic scrolled through the candidate list. He had already rejected several rounds of applicants. He needed someone who understood management, had a commanding presence, looked professional, and was an excellent communicator. His chief secretary had to be capable of maneuvering between company departments and external partners, handling both minor tasks and major deals with ease. "Mr. Reid, Ms. Gildon may look young, but she's quite accomplished. She climbed from a project staffer to a project manager in just four years at Eclipse Group. That company's rapid growth over the past few years? "Half of it was thanks to her. Plenty of competitors tried to poach her, but none succeeded. Mostly because Eclipse Group's president, Luke Munoz, was her boyfriend. "But word is, he's about to marry the scion of the Sowle family. So, in a fit of anger, she resigned. What a foolish woman…"