"What have you done to Jennie?" Oska's voice was low and seething as he confronted his wife.
"Nothing," Stevanie said, feigning innocence. "I just laid out some rules for working with us."
"Liar! You must have threatened her, didn't you?"
Stevanie raised her hands in a gesture of cluelessness and retreated into her office. Oska raced down the stairs, desperate to catch up with the young woman before she could get too far.
But it was too late. The office was empty, and Jennie had already reached the edge of the street. Her slender frame trembled as she tried to hold back tears.
"Jennie! Wait!"
The girl turned, her eyes swollen and red. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't work with your wife."
"I need to know why. What exactly did you talk about? My God, Jennie, what happened to your neck?"
Jennie's gaze fell to the ground, unwilling to meet his eyes.
"It was your wife. She threatened me to leave and stop being your assistant. She doesn't want me interfering in your personal affairs. If I didn't go, she said she'd make my life a living hell every day. The mark on my neck is just a small sample of what she'll do. She's planning something even more horrific if I stay." Jennie's voice broke as she spoke, drawing the attention of passersby.
Oska wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize she would go this far. I suspected she might do something, but not this."
"Please, sir, I can't work under these conditions."
"Hey, calm down," Oska gently wiped her tears away. "You have my word, I won't let Stevanie hurt you again. You'll be under my direct protection from now on. I promise your safety."
"I don't know... I still feel uneasy working with someone so unstable. Your wife is truly frightening."
"I understand. But my wife isn't the type to yield easily. For now, I want you to go home and take care of yourself. Remember, there's another reason I asked you to work with me. I hope you'll come back to the office tomorrow to continue your work. Here's a thousand dollars as an apology for what my wife did to you."
Jennie hesitated before accepting the money. "And if she harms me again?"
"I'll handle it personally. I guarantee your safety as long as you're with me."
Jennie nodded, looking a bit more at ease after Oska's assurances. As she walked away, Oska knew he had a new battle on his hands—one that involved confronting his crazy wife and making sure his new assistant was safe and secure.
Storming into the office, Oska found Stevanie engrossed in a phone call. His furious presence spoke volumes, but Stevanie remained unfazed. A single raised finger was all it took for her to keep Oska silent while she finished her conversation.
"I understand. How about eleven o'clock tomorrow? Alright then, see you there. Good afternoon." She ended the call.
"Well?" Oska demanded, his voice tight with anger.
"What did you—"
"Hold on a second. I need to make another call." Stevanie interrupted, leaving Oska mid-sentence. She picked up the phone again. "Please have an espresso delivered to my office immediately. Thank you." She hung up.
"Are you done?"
"Not yet. Give me about five more minutes."
Five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. A young woman entered with a tray of coffee. Stevanie took her drink with an air of calm as if nothing was amiss.
"Enough! I'm fed up with your games. What exactly did you do to Jennie? Why did you cut her neck?"
Stevanie placed her cup on the desk and walked to the window. "No particular reason. I just don't like seeing you get too close to anyone else. I suppose it's normal for a wife to feel jealous of her husband."
"Your words are poison. I can tell when you're lying. Be honest, what did you talk about with her?"
"Like I said, I was just laying out some rules for working with us. One of them was not getting too close to you. Didn't you know that assistants can fall for their bosses, just like in the movies?"
"Are you really jealous of me?"
"I just don't like having your attention diverted to anyone else. It's like someone taking away my favorite toy."
"You're being irrational. Whatever your reasons, I want you to stay away from Jennie. If you hurt her again, I will leave your life for good, and this time, I won't come back."
"Hmph!" Stevanie puffed up her cheeks, clearly unimpressed. "Now you're threatening me. Fine, do as you please."
Oska sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
The final hour at Bai Cheng's office felt like an eternity. Eventually, it was time to go home.
As the sun dipped below the western horizon, Stevanie, Oska, and Annchi were on their way, each lost in their own thoughts. The atmosphere was tense, especially for Stevanie, who was still brooding over the threats she'd overheard earlier at the office.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed two women standing in front of the door, each carrying a large bag.
"Who are they?" Stevanie asked, her curiosity piqued.