Chapter 20
Harper pushed open the door and saw Emily standing at the office entrance in a white dress, her face twisted with anger.
Emily was now Alex’s chief secretary, and she had the authority to manage the work as she saw fit. Harper just glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to leave.
She had just received a call from a client about an issue with a product from the Lavien Group, and she needed to go with the tech team to check it out.
Emily stood there with her arms crossed, radiating authority.
“Where’s Mr. Lavien’s coffee? Every morning, he needs a cup of black coffee. Don’t you all know that?”
Everyone froze, heads down, silent.
“From now on, every morning, you’re responsible for making coffee for Mr. Lavien and me. And remember, Mr. Lavien only accepts this brand.”
Emily pulled a pack of coffee from her bag and tossed it onto a desk.
The silence continued.
“Are you all mute? Or deaf?”
Everyone exchanged glances, hardly believing their ears.
Was this how a chief secretary should speak to her subordinates?
Emily had no class, no manners, no professionalism.
She suddenly slammed her hand on the desk.
The sound echoed through the quiet office.
“Speak!”
Finally, the head of the secretarial department stepped forward and quietly replied, “Mr. Lavien’s coffee was always prepared by Harper. We only follow the tasks assigned by Harper.”
Her response was tactful.
Their department was there to work, not to make coffee.
With someone standing up, the other secretaries began to murmur, expressing their dissatisfaction.
“Yeah, when Harper was the chief secretary, she never asked us to do such things. She always did it herself.”
Their comments only made Emily’s face darker.
“Now I am Mr. Lavien’s chief secretary. Do you have a problem with my arrangements?”
The company has rules. Making coffee isn’t part of our duties.”
The head replied quietly again.
Emily couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “Nonsense! I don’t care about the rules. From now on, my words are the rules, unless…”
Her eyes swept across the room, sharp as knives.
“Unless you’re ready to be fired!”
Her tone was severe, a clear threat.
If they didn’t want to do it, she could have them all fired.
She was asserting her dominance. Now she was Alex’s person, and she had the power to decide their fate.
The office fell silent.
1/3
“Anyone need to resign? If not, get to work.”
After issuing her orders, she turned and left like a queen.
As the sound of her high heels faded, the secretaries finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Someone muttered angrily, “What a power trip.”
“Yeah, when Harper was in charge, we never had to deal with this. We’re not her servants.”
“I really miss when Harper was the chief secretary. I can’t understand it. Harper is a hundred times more capable and attractive. How did Mr. Lavien end up with her?”
The room suddenly fell silent again.
The previously complaining secretary blushed, her cheeks burning.
Unbeknownst to them, Emily had returned and was standing at the door, leaning against the frame, her face livid.
She hadn’t left but had circled back to hear what they were saying about her.
Go on, why stop now?” she said coldly before turning and leaving for real this time.
No one dared to speak again until someone checked and confirmed she was gone. Then they returned to their desks.
But more messages were exchanged privately on WhatsApp.
[Better keep quiet at work, you never know who’s listening.]
[Emily’s using underhanded tactics. No wonder Mr. Lavien fell for her. Who knows what she did behind the scenes.]
[Harper was always straightforward and honest. Unlike her, spying on her subordinates.]
Despite this, Emily didn’t realize she was the problem.
She walked straight into Alex’s office, putting on a pitiful expression.
‘Alex!” she called softly, her eyes red.
Alex looked up, his face turning cold. What was it this time?
Emily walked over, grabbed a tissue from the desk, and dabbed at her eyes.
“Go ahead.”
She bit her lip. “I was making coffee for you, but the secretaries said I don’t know anything. They said if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be a secretary and that I stole you from Harper.”
Tears began to fall as she spoke.
“How do they know these things? Someone must have told them. You know, my relationship with you started before Harper’s. How could I have stolen you?”
Alex’s face darkened. He knew the secretaries rarely gossiped about such things. Emily was implying Harper spread rumors.
But he also knew Harper wasn’t the type to stir up trouble.
Seeing Alex’s silence, Emily continued, “Alex, why would Harper say such things about me? She doesn’t want me to find my footing in the company. She wants to drive me away from you. Just like that night, those thugs were probably hired by her to ruin my reputation so you wouldn’t like me anymore.”
“Do you have any proof? These are just your assumptions.”
Emily paused, pouting, “Are you saying I’m falsely accusing Harper? If that’s the case, let’s call the police. I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Her confident demeanor made Alex uneasy. Could it really be Harper? If so, things would get complicated.
“I’ll look into it. Don’t bring this up again.”
Emily nodded softly, saying no more, but she was annoyed underneath. He still had feelings for Harper, which was why he wanted to protect her.
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Chapter 20
Emily glanced at the desk in front of her. This desk had belonged to Harper. Since Emily moved in, Harper had moved out and no longer worked there.
Frowning, she said, ‘Alex, this desk is old. Let’s get rid of it. I want a new one.”
Throwing out Harper’s desk would be like discarding her entirely.
Alex looked at the desk, thought for a moment, and said, “No need. When Harper returns, she can continue using it.”
Emily’s face turned pale, panicking, “Alex, if Harper sits here, where will I go? Don’t you care about me?”
