MasukEmma wiped the last traces of mud from her trousers and sighed.
She had managed to clean it, but she had wasted precious minutes. “Perfect,” she muttered. “Just perfect.” First she was late. Then she got splashed with mud. And all because of that arrogant man. “I should’ve added more mud,” she grumbled as she hurried inside Draxen Group. The building was breathtaking. Polished floors, sleek walls, and an atmosphere that screamed power. Emma suddenly felt out of place. She reached for her phone and called Lucy, the woman she was supposed to meet. No answer. Great. She looked around at the employees moving confidently through the building. She needed to ask for help. But suddenly, she couldn’t. What if they ignored her? What if they asked questions she couldn’t answer? No. She quietly sat down on a nearby chair, pretending she meant to. A woman approached her moments later. “Can I help you?” Emma stood immediately. “Yes, please. I’m looking for Lucy. I have an interview today.” The woman smiled. “I’m Lucy. Follow me.” Relief washed over Emma as Lucy led her toward the elevator. Then Lucy added, “But you should know, my boss hates lateness.” Emma’s relief vanished. She was doomed. she was sure she was definitely going to lose this job before she even got interviewed !! A few moments later, Lucy led her into an office. “The CEO was supposed to interview you,” Lucy explained, “but he’s in a meeting, so the manager will handle it instead.” Emma nodded nervously. “Wait here,” Lucy said before leaving. Emma sat down and let out a breath. She was exhausted. She had run halfway across the city, fought with a stranger, cleaned mud off her clothes, and barely made it. Ten minutes passed. No one came. Emma leaned back in the chair. Maybe they had already rejected her from afar . Before she knew it, her eyes closed as she drifted quietly to sleep completely exhausted. Jerry changed out of his ruined suit and into a more casual outfit before heading to his office. Jackson looked up the moment he entered. “You’re late,” Jackson said with amusement. “And why do you look like your wardrobe gave up on you?” Jerry glared at him. “Don’t ask.” he really didn't want to talk about it . Jackson chuckled. “Fine. But you do remember you’re supposed to interview the candidate for the assistant position?” Jerry groaned pinching the bridge of his nose . “I forgot.” “Well, since you’re already late for your meeting, I can handle it.” Jerry nodded. “Do the interview. I need to leave now.” Together, they headed toward the office, with Lucy leading the way. The moment Jerry stepped inside, he froze. There, asleep in the chair, was the same woman from the boutique. The same woman who had rubbed mud on his suit. A slow smirk appeared on his face. if this wasn't coincidence he didn't know what else was.. Lucy looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her. she had to run her eyes to get a clearer view and indeed _ Emma was still there sleeping and snoring lightly . Jackson frowned. “Lucy, this is the person you recommended ?" Lucy couldn't bare to look at Jackson gaze right now so she kept her eyes glued to the floor as she nodded a yes . Jackson folded his arms in disbelief. “She’s late, and now she’s sleeping during the interview? She’s clearly lazy.”. Jerry said nothing. He simply stared at Emma, amused. Jackson noticed the look which made his frown deepen. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked quietly. Jerry finally spoke. “She gets the job.” Lucy blinked. she snapped her head up , so hard she worried it would fall.. did she hear right ? Jackson stared. “what ?" Jerry’s expression remained calm tearing his gaze from the clueless sleeping woman to Jackson he nodded a yes . he didn't like repeating himself and he was pretty sure Jackson heard him the first time . “Prepare the documents. Let her sign.” Jackson followed Jerry out immediately. “What are you doing?” he asked the moment they were alone. “That girl can’t even stay awake during an interview.” Jerry shrugged. “I need someone for the position.” “You need a manager, not a disaster.” Jerry gave him a small smile. “Relax. I know exactly what I’m doing.” Jackson narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t about the job, is it?” Jerry’s smile deepened. “I just want to teach her a lesson.” Jackson sighed. “You’re unbelievable.” Jerry leaned against the desk. “I want one change made to the contract before she signs.” Jackson frowned. “What kind of change?” Jerry’s expression turned cold. “She disrespected me. I’m making sure she regrets it.” Jackson hesitated. “This seems unnecessary.” Jerry looked at him blankly. “Thankfully, I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Jackson shook his head quietly he wanted to say something but shut his lips seeing Jerry firm expression . “She’s going to hate you.” Jerry smirked. “She already does.” Jackson let out a tired breath and turned toward the door. “You are going to ruin my vacation.” Jerry twirled his car key in his hand. “No one humiliates Jerry Whitmore and walks away untouched.” To be continued...Emma huffed, opening the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. Her friends were definitely *delulu*. How could she possibly like Jerry? He was the annoying man who had made her life difficult from day one! Yes, he’d changed recently—he was calmer, he’d taught her to play tennis, and he’d even been surprisingly sweet about her being late—but that didn't mean anything. She slammed the fridge door shut, the cold bottle pressed against her flushed cheek as if it could extinguish the heat radiating from her face."You're silent," Luan called out from the living room, her voice dripping with amusement. "Silence is the sound of you losing an argument with your own heart, Em.""I am not losing any arguments!" Emma shouted back, marching into the living room and flopping onto the armchair. "I’m just… processing. It’s a professional adjustment! If the fiancée comes back, the dynamic at the office changes. She’ll be around, she’ll be expecting things, and she’ll probably want me to clear my
The invitation to the estate had come as a casual text from Beth. Still, Beth was relentless, and Emma found herself turning into the grand driveway in the afternoon, her stomach doing somersaults. Beth met her at the door with a beaming smile, pulling her inside with the kind of sisterly warmth that Emma found hard to resist. They settled into the sunroom with two steaming mugs of tea. Emma took a sip. It was actually quite good. "This is nice." "I knew you would like it," Beth said, winking playfully. "By the way, how is work?" Emma chuckled, shaking her head. "Stressful." "As always," Beth muttered. Both ladies chuckled, clearly enjoying the peaceful moment. "You know," Beth started, tucking her legs under her on the plush sofa, "I’m still not over that tennis match. Jerry hasn't stopped talking about it. Well, 'talking' is a strong word for my brother, but he mentioned you played surprisingly well for a beginner." Emma laughed, feeling the tension in her shoulders mel
The morning sun spilled through the curtains, illuminating the room. Emma groaned, pulling the duvet over her head. Luan was standing beside the bed, while Kristie sat on the edge, watching her. "Girl, you need to go to work?" "Go to work? Do you hear yourself? I’ll get fined into oblivion!" "Seriously, how would you even know that?" Kristie reasoned. "Besides, if you were fired, they would have sent you a message by now." Emma sat upright, which finally brought a smile to Luan’s face. "Kristie is right," Luan added. "Besides, I’m pretty sure he wouldn't have taken it seriously. Tell me, what exactly was his expression, anyway?" Emma thought hard. "None... his expression was totally blank. Like, completely blank." Kristie clicked her tongue. "Once, my boss had a blank expression, and the next thing I knew, I was fired." "What?" Luan asked, raising a brow. "I’m serious. I was fired the very next day. A blank expression is a bad sign, especially from a boss." Emma gr
Emma weighed her options. Option one: The truth. Option two: Amnesia. Option three: Throw herself into the nearest fountain and start a new life. Option three sounded incredibly appealing. "Uh..." Emma stuttered. *Geez, I’m going to be fired today,* she thought. Deciding that flight was the only viable option left, she turned around and... **RAN!** Jerry stood in the same spot, too stunned to move, watching her sprint away like her life depended on it. He cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, and turned around, slowly raising a hand to touch his lips. *She had just kissed him.* *Why in the hell did it feel good?* he wondered, staring at the direction in which she’d vanished. He wasn't even mad—just utterly perplexed. He walked slowly toward his car, trying to wrap his head around the sequence of events. He never expected her to just kiss him, but the feel of her lips... it had been far better than a split-second encounter should have been. "Damn," he growled, slammi
Emma had woken up late—the first time this had happened since she first started the job. That initial lateness had been intentional because she’d wanted to get fired, but today, it was purely accidental. She scrambled out of bed, rushing straight to the shower. Thankfully, she didn’t wear much makeup, so she quickly donned a simple white dress shirt. She frowned at the edges; she’d forgotten to iron it, and the fabric was slightly crinkled. She cursed under her breath. She had been so tired last night that she’d forgotten to set her alarm. Without it, she would likely be strolling into work at 10:00 AM. Emma adjusted her tie and marched toward Jerry’s office. She knocked twice, but when there was no reply, she pushed the door open. The room was empty. A frown settled on her forehead; her boss was never late. As she searched for a reason, it hit her. The file in her hand fell to the floor, her eyes widening. *Geez.* She had missed an important conference with some of the staff.
The Ride Home Jerry offered to drop Emma home. She didn't see any reason to disagree, so she got into the car, completely exhausted. If someone had told her she would be spending her Saturday on a tennis court, she would have flatly refused. But, she had to admit, it hadn't been that bad. Exhausting—but not bad. She slumped into the backseat, closing her eyes and letting the silence stretch out. She wasn't even in the mood to fill the air with small talk, as she usually did. For the first ten minutes, it was perfectly fine. "That backhand in the third set was decent," Jerry said, his eyes on the road as he glanced at Emma through the rearview mirror. Emma laughed, remembering that moment. The first time she’d swung the racket, she had used so much force she was worried her arm would snap. "Decent? I almost broke my wrist." Jerry’s lips curved into a sly smile at Emma’s words, her laughter filling the car. He wasn't one to break the silence, but he couldn't get that moment ou







