"Liu Dai Fei, what's on today's schedule?" I asked as I flipped through the files she had sent me—pretending to understand a word, though my mind was drifting somewhere between past and present.
Dai Fei's eyes lingered on me a moment too long, studying me as though deciphering a complex puzzle.
"You have lunch with the investors at three," she finally said.
"Ah." It came out more like a sigh than agreement.
Her stare brought me sharply back to reality.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"Should I call you Ms. Wu… or Wu An?" she asked.
I lowered the file onto the table, soundless. "Where is that coming from? Why the sudden shift in formality?" I studied her face. "It looks like you're trying to solve an equation across my forehead."
Still, she said nothing. That silence unnerved me more than words. It always felt like she was dissecting my thoughts, performing an autopsy on my expression.
"Hey!" I snapped.
"Wu An."
I held my breath. This was it—the quiet breakdown. The moment everything became too clear.
First: why she was my secretary.
Second: why the weight of my name always dragged me back to regrets I thought had healed.
Third—and most dangerous of all—why she mattered so much to me.
"Yes, Fei-Fei?" I replied softly, matching her tone.
After what felt like forever, she sighed, closed her eyes, and swallowed hard before letting out that heavy exhale that always mirrored my own vulnerability.
"Nothing. Just remember the lunch with the investors… and your doctor's appointment."
I gasped. "Doctor's appointment? Today? I thought it was scheduled for Friday."
"It is Friday, Wu An." She gave me a look. "At least you remembered the day." She left the room, her heels clicking against the floor.
At three in the afternoon
The restaurant was luxury draped in the disguise of food—golden chandeliers chimed faintly with every breeze, casting light across the VIP hall where the investors waited.
As I entered, a few rose politely; the rest stayed seated, basking in the wealth I had helped them build.
"Ms. Wu, you're here," one of them greeted.
I nodded. Dai Fei followed, clutching the files as if they were her lifeline. She seated me at the far end, knowing I disliked wasting time on pleasantries or drinks. An hour was my limit before I'd disappear unnoticed.
I gestured for her to sit beside me. That's when I noticed him.
Across the table, a man's gaze lingered on me with unsettling intensity. His smirk, the way he shifted, the little moans he let slip at my remarks—it was revolting. He had once tried to touch me at a lunch meeting, gripping my wrist with an authority that said everything without a word.
I hated myself all over again for tolerating it.
Dai Fei noticed my discomfort immediately. "Are you okay, Wu An?" she whispered, her firm tone startling me.
"What?" I stuttered.
"Are you uncomfortable?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine. Don't worry." But she knew better.
"What do you think, Ms. Wu?" a masculine voice interrupted.
"Eh?"
"I asked—wouldn't offering employment to the unqualified be a waste of investment?"
He spoke in a blend of Spanish and Mexican Spanish. I hesitated, but under the table Dai Fei's hand found mine, grounding me.
"You've handled this before," she murmured. "Do it like you always do."
Her steady touch gave me the courage I lacked.
"It's not charity," I said aloud. "It's opportunity."
"Opportunity? How so?"
I inhaled deeply, forcing my chairwoman persona to the surface.
"Well, Mr. Elvado, aren't you underestimating the unemployed? You asked why this project should succeed—let me ask you in return: do you believe having a degree automatically makes one a businessman?"
"Doesn't it?" he smirked.
"No. You're wrong. Business is about more than resumes."
He leaned forward. "Do you employ anyone without one?"
I smiled coolly. "You don't need to know my HR files. But you can use me and my secretary as examples. I am one of the wealthiest people in this country—do you think I earned that with a résumé? As for her," I gestured to Dai Fei, "companies would pay millions to recruit her, résumé or not."
Elvado's curiosity piqued. "Then how did you grow your people?"
"Start with what they know," I said. "When they master it, test them—like in school. Those who excel move up, others continue building. Business isn't about resumes, it's about intelligence, resilience, and emotional strength. Give them the opportunity to prove themselves, and they'll surpass those who think paper credentials define them."
I sipped my coffee, letting the words hang.
A scoff broke the silence.
"Or maybe," a man sneered, "they're just spreading their legs for opportunity."
My grip tightened on the cup.
"They're nothing but worthless trash," he continued. "If they want opportunity, they should've been born with it. Otherwise, they're sluts and beggars—prostitutes pretending at ambition."
That was it.
I hurled my wine glass. He dodged, but not entirely—the liquid splashed across his face as glass shattered against the wall, echoes reverberating in the golden room.
"You…" He froze, too shocked to continue.
"Surprised I would do that?" My voice was steady, venom laced with calm. "You should be. But tell me—what made you think I wouldn't?"
The hall fell silent.
"All you think about is sex and drugs," I said coldly. "No wonder you're here groveling for favor. You're not owed respect—you're not owed breath. A man ruled by lust can never understand true business."
I stood, eyes locking with Elvado's unreadable smile that left me strangely exposed.
"I don't invest in charity. I invest in intelligence. If you want to talk business, book an appointment with my secretary. I don't waste time on ingrates."
I moved toward the exit, pausing only once.
"Repeat those words again, and I'll have your hands cut off—and still buy you prosthetics."
With that, I walked away, leaving their stunned faces behind.
Dai Fei followed silently.
In the car, she finally asked, "Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" I muttered, trying to calm myself.
"Ice cream or cake?" she asked suddenly.
"What?"
"Ice cream or cake?"
"If I say both?"
"Then both it is. With movies. Your choice."
I stared at her. "Why are you being so… devoted? You're scaring me."
"Just once. I'll allow it. Let's do things by your rules tonight."
For a moment, gratitude overwhelmed me.
"Fine," I said quietly. "Whatever you want."
And together, we drove off toward a little pastry shop and ice cream vendor—cheap, sweet, and perfect.