But meanwhile, Wayne hadn't turned fearful facing her. His sexism led him to consider himself superior. Even sensing something different with Hannah, he still looked down on her, believing she would embarrass herself after her conference presentation.

“You’re inviting a death wish for yourself,” he said, then walked away angrily.

“I don’t think so,” Hannah murmured, smiling as she watched him go.

She went to the common room for coffee. The conference had run late, and she expected to work overtime. A short break was welcome. Returning to her office, she found a woman waiting. The woman wore a formal suit, her hair in a ponytail, and black-framed glasses.

“Hi, Ms. Hannah, I’m Rose, your special secretary,” she greeted respectfully.

“Nice to meet you,” Hannah replied, gesturing to a chair. “Please be seated.”

Rose sat. She was a secretary appointed by Hannah's father.

Hannah, lacking familiarity with company personnel and dealing with the fallout from Jane in the sales department, had sought her father's help in securing a secretary.

“You’re 31, right?” Hannah asked.

“Yes.”

“You’ve served six years in the chairman's secretary office?”

“Yes.”

Hannah smiled. “I’m a 22-year-old with no experience. Don't you think you’re overqualified?”

Rose replied frankly, “Yes. But Mr. Miguel expects your tenure to last only six months, after which I return to the secretary office.”

Hannah smiled. Even her father, who had so resolutely made this decision at the conference, seemed doubtful, a fact she found rather impressive.

“Honestly, I’ve set myself an impossible mission. Fail, and I’m out,” Hannah admitted. “So, I need your assistance.”

“I will do my best,” Rose replied, aware of her duty despite not knowing Hannah's capabilities.

“I’m planning staff changes in sales. Any suggestions?”

“I suggest you not make any changes on your first day.”

“What if I insist?”

“Be my guest,” Rose conceded.

“Okay, no more suggestions.”

“Yes, Ms. Hannah.”

Hannah handed Rose a pile of résumés. She already had a plan for staff changes, but wanted Rose’s input. Rose reviewed Hannah’s ideas carefully. If she didn’t know Hannah was new, she would have thought the plan came from a seasoned department director.

“No more suggestions,” Rose said frankly. “Was this drafted by Mr. Miguel?”

“No. Still overqualified?” Hannah asked, smiling.

“Well, I still doubt it.”

Hannah looked slightly embarrassed, but undeterred. “I need an appointment with the human resources director tomorrow morning to discuss staff changes.”

“Yes, Ms. Hannah.”

“Oh, it’s 8:00 PM,” Hannah said, looking out the window, surprised at the lateness of the hour. “Time to go.”

“The most basic duty of a secretary is to leave after her boss,” Rose stated, maintaining a serious expression.

Hannah, intrigued, asked, “Are you married?”

“No.”

“Ever been in a relationship?”

“Never.”

Hannah stood. “Alright, you may leave.”

“Yes, Ms. Hannah.”

Feeling tired, Hannah drove to Oscar’s manor. He was away for a few days, but she realized she didn’t particularly care when he’d return.

After parking, she entered the lobby. Max, the butler, was waiting. “Mrs. Wells, welcome back.”

“Haven’t slept yet?”

“Mrs. Wells, I wait until you finish dinner,” Max replied respectfully.

Hannah paused; she’d eaten at the office. Max quickly added, “It’s okay. Master Oscar asked me to prepare nourishment for you.”

“Oscar told you to do that?”

“Yes. He guessed you’d work late on your first day.”

Hannah felt a surge of pleasure. “Okay.”

“One moment, please.”

Hannah sat at the dining table. After a moment, she texted Oscar her thanks. Unsure what else to say, she waited for his reply.

‘Not a problem. I did this for myself,’ he texted back immediately, a response that suggested he'd been anticipating her message. She couldn’t help but compare this to her past with Charles, who had always replied perfunctorily, or not at all, to her texts.

Touched, yet reminding herself of her path of revenge against Charles, she texted, ‘What do you mean?’

‘Only when you learn to nourish your body can I taste something better from you,’ Oscar replied brazenly.

Irritated, she dropped her phone. Her pleasant feelings vanished. What a jerk! She felt objectified. A better taste? She was furious.

Meanwhile, Oscar laughed.

“Oscar, your laughter is disgusting,” Theodore complained. Since Oscar married Hannah, he was a changed man; Theodore wondered at the magic that had transformed this nonchalant man into a boisterous one.