Emily would have considered resignation, but having just married impromptu, with no idea who she was truly married to…she knew she had to prepare herself for any eventuality.
What chance would she have if she didn't at least secure a source of income for herself?
She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, now isn't the time to think about the mess," she whispered, chiding herself softly.
With quick resolve, she shoved the thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand—making coffee.
The coffee machine hummed as it brewed the dark liquid, filling the air with the rich, bitter aroma of freshly brewed beans.
Black coffee. No sugar.
That should be simple enough, and hopefully wouldn't earn her boss's displeasure.
After all, this was one of the very first tasks she had been assigned years back when she joined the group.
With careful hands, she poured the coffee into a porcelain cup, her hands steady despite the chaos swirling in her mind.
"Perfect," she muttered, a small smirk tugging at her lips as relief washed over her. Taking a deep breath, she made her way back to Lucian's office.
Lucian was seated behind his massive desk, flipping through a file when she entered.
Emily moved without a sound, approaching his desk with measured steps, and placed the cup carefully before him before she stepped back, her hands clasped together.
He didn't spare her a glance. Instead, he picked up the cup, inhaled its fragrance, then took a slow, deliberate sip.
Silence.
Emily waited, her pulse thundering. Her gaze fixed on him. She watched him anxiously, waiting for his reaction.
This was her first assignment in this office and she wasn't ready to fail yet looking at the cold face behind the desk, she couldn't help but scream in her head.
Every second felt like an eternity. Her hands itched to fidget, but she forced herself to remain composed, silently patting herself on the back to calm down.
Finally, Lucian set the cup down and raised his gaze to hers. His voice was flat, unreadable.
"Acceptable."
Emily nearly laughed at the anticlimax, but instead, she released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That's all?" she thought, a swirl of emotions mixing inside her chest.
Lucian rose without another word and strode toward the door. Emily glanced at him, unsure of his intent, Emily hesitated.
Maybe it was her instinct or perhaps her quick wit told her to follow…and she followed immediately.
He stopped at a small office across the hall, just opposite the male receptionist's desk. Pushing the door open, he clipped out in his cold, measured tone:
"Here is your office. You can stay here."
His expression was as blank as stone. Emily wondered, not for the first time, how he managed to maintain such a poker face all day long.
"Thank you, sir," she murmured, her voice soft.
She turned, intending to fetch her box, when his voice, colder than before, froze her midstep.
"Bear in mind…you are not just my desk assistant. You will be handling tasks within and outside the company."
Emily paled, her lips parting, but before she could reply, he continued, his voice extraordinarily calm—too calm to give her goosebumps. "You will receive a copy of my itinerary. Acquaint yourself properly."
His lips curved in the faintest smirk, a glint of mischief flashing in his eyes before vanishing again.
"Yes, sir," Emily replied quickly, forcing composure.
Lucian studied her briefly, then, satisfied, turned on his heel and returned to his office.
Emily pressed a trembling hand against her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
She quietly fetched her box, settled into the office, and began arranging her desk with a mix of relief, shock and oddly curiosity.
Back in his office, Lucian allowed the faintest smile to curl his lips. The mistake might have seemed accidental, but he couldn't deny his interest in seeing how it all unfolded and possibly where it ends.
To be clearer, he had been shocked to see Timeless popping into his office. But when she introduced herself as his assistant, he was stumped.
After all, he had only ever requested one person to be given this role…his new wife. If Timeless was here as his assistant, then she was indeed his wife.
Coincidence? Fate? Providence? Whatever it was, he was grateful.
For months, he had wrestled with the burden of marrying the bratty daughter of the Roberts family.
A marriage alliance he had never wanted and wasn't ready to sign up for. But then his grandfather had cornered him at every turn, thwarting all his escape plans.
The inheritance his grandmother had left for him had been the final snare, forcing him to bow to the alliance.
Losing it wasn't an option. And so, he balled his guts and resolved to marry Emilie Roberts, secure the inheritance, and eventually press for divorce in six months or a year.
During their chats, he had broached the matter with Timeless, the woman behind the chat screen who had become his confidante.
He had hinted at marriage, hoping she might give him a chance. But she had spoken of her dream of returning to school, earning an outstanding certificate, and excelling in the profession she longed for.
With his identity unknown and very sure she might run away if he made it known, he had let the matter rest…who knows she might be his counselor in the journey.
He had told her then that fate had a way of putting people where they needed to be, that maybe one day she would find herself in a position to grasp everything she desired.
Who would have thought fate would twist identity itself, placing her directly into his life and his name? And most importantly solving his misery.
He had never met "Timeless" elsewhere but her profile picture is always her selfie but for his profile is just a twig of a rose flower.
He didn't want to scare people away from him as he did need a more sincere and genuine friend to talk to other than the hypocritic flattery and smile that people approach him with because of his position.
And surprisingly she had taken on that role effortlessly, always offering consolation, ideas and even suggestions to him.
In the course of their discussion, he had been able to learn a lot from her.
Despite the relief flooding his chest over the mistaken wife, he couldn't entirely suppress his fear for the outcome.
Definitely, Robert's family would come asking questions and the Sterling family would come demanding answers.
As though on cue, Lucian's mobile phone on the desk buzzed. A glance at the screen, he exhaled sharply.
"Hello Grandpa," He drawled.
"Lucian," a baritone voice rumbled through the speaker, cold as steel. Lucian could already feel the storm behind it and if his guess was right, he had called for answers.
"Grandpa," Lucian clipped back, a faint smile playing at his lips as he imagined the old man's fury.
"Have you signed the marriage certificate?" The question was grim and
sharp.
Lucian scoffed lightly, already sensing his grandfather knew more than he let on. This call was definitely a test.
"Of course. Didn't I promise you I'd sign it this morning?"
Lucian Sterling, are you taking me for a fool?" He boomed. Lucian had to take the phone away to save his ear drum.
"Grandpa, aren't you being difficult? I promised to marry Emilie and I did?" He retorted calmly.
"Then why is the Robert family saying, you didn't marry their daughter as agreed?"
Lucian's lips curved. "So they've already started panicking." He mused, sighing silently, "Grandpa, perhaps you should be asking Roberts' daughter if she was ready to marry."
"And if it wasn't Robert's daughter you married, then who was it?"
Lucian's eyes glinted, his voice deliberately cool. "You'll meet her in due time. Meanwhile, I've got work to do."
Without hesitation, he ended the call.