By day, I was just Julian Sterling's executive assistant. By night, I took the private elevator straight to his penthouse suite. Julian was clingy. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, we did everything lovers do. But that didn't stop the news from breaking: he was getting engaged to Layla Vance. When we discussed the breakup, Julian offered a lot of compensation: a luxury apartment in Manhattan, a villa in the Hamptons, and a historic townhouse in Georgetown... The only condition was that I could never resign from Sterling Corp. 1 The day Julian's lawyer came to discuss the breakup, I was already irritable because my period was late. I tuned out most of her legalese, but the last sentence caught my attention. "As compensation, Mr. Sterling is gifting you a penthouse in Manhattan, a villa in the Hamptons, and a historic townhouse in Georgetown." I was stunned. I knew Julian was rich—we'd been "together" for seven years—but I didn't expect him to be this generous to a secret lover. The lawyer continued, "Ms. York, do you have any objections to these terms?" I shook my head vigorously. Only an idiot would say no to money like this. "Mr. Sterling has only one condition," the lawyer added, looking puzzled. "He insists that you never resign from Sterling Corp. Can you... agree to that?" "Absolutely," I said without hesitation. "Is the contract ready?" "Not yet. I'll contact you when it's drafted." "Thank you." I stood up to leave, but the lawyer, usually so professional and cold in her black suit, suddenly spoke up. "Wait, Ms. York. I have something personal to say." "I've known Julian for over a decade. I've never seen him treat a woman like this." "He has his responsibilities. Please don't blame him." "To Julian, you really are special." I wanted to laugh. Instead, I patted her shoulder. "Don't overthink it, Ms. Zhang. You really need to stop reading those romance novels on your phone." 2 When I returned to the executive office, the buzz was all about the Chairman's impending marriage to Layla Vance. Some said he'd waited years for her. Others claimed the rooftop hotel, "The Summit," was designed just for her. I was listening with interest when the Chief of Staff stood up. "The boss is treating the whole company to bubble tea." Whispers erupted immediately. "The boss drinks bubble tea?" "It must be Layla's favorite. She's visiting today. We're just benefiting from it." I shook my head internally. Nope. Julian loved the stuff. Even if he looked like a stoic statue while chewing on tapioca pearls. Amidst the noise, the Chief of Staff's eyes landed on me. "Eva, go pick up the order for our team." "I'm not feeling well today," I said. Lately, I'd been unusually drowsy. "Don't be a princess," she scoffed. "If you don't go, I'm putting your name first for the next overseas assignment." As I stood up, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I nearly fell. "Are you okay? I can go," my colleague Jenny offered worriedly. "I'm fine," I smiled. "Just low blood sugar. Skipped breakfast." 3 Carrying a massive bag of bubble tea back into the lobby, I spotted Julian immediately. He was surrounded by an entourage. It was hard to miss him. At 6'3", his lean frame was wrapped in a bespoke black suit, the buttons done all the way up, revealing a perfectly knotted silver-grey tie. When Julian took over Sterling Corp, the media loved him. One headline read: "Smarter than the models, better looking than the scholars, and richer than God. His only flaw is he never smiles." Whether in the office or on camera, Julian was always cold, serious, and impeccably dressed. But only I knew that the silver-grey tie he was wearing had once been used to blindfold me while I screamed until my voice gave out. Thinking about the breakup, I felt a twinge of regret. The food during our years together had been exceptional. A black Lincoln pulled up. Julian walked over and helped a graceful woman out of the car. "Layla." I heard his deep voice. She looked up at him with tender eyes. "I just came to visit. You didn't need to come down." A golden couple. A match made in heaven. I stopped watching. It would be a lie to say I wasn't sad. But thinking about the Manhattan penthouse, the Hamptons villa, and the Georgetown townhouse... I had to think of every tragedy in my life just to keep from laughing out loud. 4 Because the future Mrs. Sterling was visiting, the building was buzzing with excitement and gossip. I used the opportunity to slack off until 6:30 PM. Just as I was packing up, the Chief of Staff messaged me. "Ms. Vance wants to try on wedding dresses. The boss is in a meeting. Go with her." I never expected my first time in a bridal shop would be with Julian's fiancée. She tried on dress after dress, tireless. "Since you've been with Julian the longest, you should know what he likes." My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my composure. "You are the one he loves. He'll like whatever you wear." Layla gave me a meaningful look. "You have a sweet mouth." She yawned. "I'm tired. You try on the rest. I'll just watch." The staff drew the heavy curtains around me. Putting on the feather-light white gown, staring at myself in the mirror, I felt a moment of trance. But I didn't expect that when I stepped out, Julian would be standing there. He looked like he'd rushed over, tired. When he saw me, his expression froze. "How is it?" Layla leaned into him, smiling. "Let's use this one for the wedding." "Nonsense," Julian frowned, scolding me. "You're here to help her, why are you wearing it?" "She looked like she wanted to, so I let her," Layla explained. Julian looked like he wanted to say more, but his phone rang. He walked away to answer it. I sighed. "Ms. Vance's face-changing skills are impressive." Layla looked confused. "It's just a dress, Ms. York. Why so serious?" She smiled, then added, "But coveting a dress is one thing. Coveting anything else would be laughable. Don't you agree?" I realized then. Choosing me wasn't a coincidence. Layla was here to mark her territory. But how did she know? No one in the company knew. "You worry too much," I said smoothly. "Everyone knows you and the boss are childhood sweethearts. Now that his dreams are coming true, why would he care about anyone else?" I bowed slightly. "I wish you both a lifetime of happiness." Just then, Julian returned. Layla paled, looking at him anxiously. "Julian, I..." Julian glanced at her, then at me, and pointed at the door. "Get out!" "Yes, sir." I obeyed instantly. I changed out of the dress and left. through the gap in the door, I saw Layla leaning into Julian's chest, looking fragile. I mused. So that's the type Julian likes.
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