When Sena thought Lyndon had temporarily halted the idea of talking to their company about the listing, she was suddenly bombarded by several invitations from him to go out. Sadly, his persistence seemed to have hit some kind of a thick ice wall.

None of his calls in the office was answered directly by her. 

“Oh, I'm sorry sir, this is April secretary of Ms Erde. the boss is currently on-site checking the client’s property.” 

“Well April, can you send me the address and I can just drive up there?”

April pinching a chocolate foil wrap near the phone receiver: Sir, Sir? Can you hear me? I’m so sorry, I could not hear you properly. I need to hang up.” 

As soon as the phone touched the cradle. Elia pulled the plug and gave her a thumbs up.

“Pest!” Rui sneered looking at the phone as if looking at a snake. 

Sena just returned from the washroom and looked at her agents grinning like idiots in front of her table. What on earth are these rascals up to?

 

On top of the Tang building, in the quiet president’s office. A slim pair of flawless legs dangled playfully from the executive chair. 

The newly minted Mrs Linda Tang, flipped through documents, from time to time her eyes would peek out to the man hunching on the couch busy signing on contracts. Leo scribbled on the last page, stretched his strained back and turned to his wife with a loving smile. No sign of impatience nor fatigue can be detected on that face.

“Bored?”

Linda wagged her fancily manicured nail, “No when I’m looking at you.”

He laughed, the deep warm voice echoed in the vast room. “Why didn’t Sena come with you?”

“Huh,” she snorted sullenly, “the brat said she needs to go with the agents.”

Brat? Leo raised an eyebrow. The wife seems to have eaten firecrackers. 

“She refused to go with me to the spa and had her nose on her desk all day. I told her to come here for lunch and she also refused. She is becoming more and more rebellious. I’m mad at her!” 

Leo nodded his head seemingly agreeing but there was a twitchy smile on his lips. Yep, angry all right. Sena better covers her butt. 

“Why did she say she didn’t want to come here?” 

“She said she doesn’t want to see us or else she wouldn’t be able to eat.”

“What a considerate kid.” He murmured knowing that she only wanted to give them private space. 

Perhaps he should give her a nice gift next time. 

“Let’s calm down, okay?” 

But Linda was on a roll and she continued to complain. “She’s only twenty-one for goodness sake but she’s working like a widow with a dozen mouths to feed!”

He was amused by his wife’s analogy. 

“Well, I think she loves what she does. Have you seen how amazing she is lately? Who among people her age could have million dollars of assets made by her own hands and not given by their parents? Who among her generation has her vision?”

Instead of going to some messy places like casinos and clubs, she stays up to review quarterly reports of their subsidiaries, conduct daily online meetings and approve documents. The three old men did not have to worry about her being ignored by the board because she was too young. 

“Love, Sena knows how to balance her time. Have you seen how she interacts with her friends?” Although she sometimes acted like an adult, there was still a youthful sweetness and playfulness in her. 

“You got a point.” Linda allowed with a sigh. 

“And she’s good with the agents.”

Err, right. She’s too close with the agents going as far as being privy with their issues. Their performance is getting better and better thanks to Sena’s leadership. Anyway, there is no harm in letting her explore. They have proven that she had completely gotten out of that rebellious phase and with her natural smarts, who knew what more surprises she could bring. 

“So… stop worrying alright?” He coaxed with a soft smile.  

Linda nodded. 

After sorting the documents on the coffee table, there was nothing left to do. 

“Come here…”

“Hungry?” Linda asked while getting up slowly, not bothering to wear her heels back. 

Leo stretched his hand as he welcomed her to his lap. Wide warm hands caught Linda on the waist. “What did you bring me?”

“Hm, warm vegetable beef soup, tofu and long beans stir fry and rice. Since baby girl did not come, you and I have to eat her share.” 

Oh, so it’s back to baby girl now? This means she is no longer annoyed with Sena. His wife is so easy to appease.  

His arm tightened around her waist crawling downwards and murmured, “You’re feeding me a lot every day. Aren’t you afraid I’ll get fat?”

She shook her head and nipped his nose laughingly. “You will be more cuddly that way.”

Leo held the back of her head and went on to devour her lips. His hand kneaded the soft flesh of her butt cheeks. They were engrossed in playing around when the door suddenly opened. 

“I, I’m sorry!” A young woman holding a box stammered. 

“Get out!” Leo bellowed. 

The woman was frightened hastily running out without closing the door. 

Linda leaned on him, “Who is that?”

“New employee to fire.” He said coldly. His eyes like daggers stuck on the door.   

“She looks familiar…” 

Outside the woman who fled is now facing several pairs of eyes filled with gossip and curiosity. Her complexion was yet to return to normal because until now, she could still hear the CEO’s furious shout.  

“Goodness, Xiaxia where have you— what happened to you? You’re as white as paper!” A concerned colleague commented. 

The woman Xiaxia waved her hand off but no one believed her after she ran out like that. She was gone halfway through lunch break only to appear up here carrying something. Pressed by her co-workers, she reluctantly told what happened. 

“I was only sending the boss’s boxed lunch as instructed.”

The other secretaries looked at each other with knowing glances. 

“Who told you to enter his office?”

Xiaxia ignored that question, “I, I did not expect I would run into him playing with a… a woman.” 

Someone let out a sarcastic snort in the background. “That’s the CEO’s private space. He can do whatever the hell he wants. But you should know that he is not that kind of man,”

“B-But I saw him…” Xiaxia said softly biting her lip, her pale cheeks rapidly flushed. The posture of those two was too obvious to ignore. 

More and more people gathered around her. “Xiaxia, you’re a newbie here. You should pay attention to the rules.”

“No one is allowed to enter his office except for the madam.” 

Madam? Xiaxia sneered inwardly. Aren’t they referring to her aunt? The woman she saw was certainly very young. She dressed casually and was grinding on his lap like a cheap hooker in the alleys. Who are they fooling?

Before deciding to stay here in the capital, she heard plenty about the new CEO Tang and saw him in the magazine a year ago. Women loved to make him their dinner conversation. Plenty admires him, they could even overlook his aloof behaviour. Thanks to her aunt she easily got a new job and it's a position as a secretary everyone can dream of. Xiaxia grew confident because of her face, in their batch, she was often praised as the most beautiful which is why she decided to become a flight attendant. 

With her former job, a good record, plus her good educational background, she knew she would have a place even in this large metropolis after quitting.  

The CEO who was rumoured to be clean is surprisingly a playboy. A smile faintly pulled up her face. Xiaxia thought she discovered a secret but reality slapped her when the door of the private office opened. 

Two people walked side by side. The man held the woman tenderly as though she was a fragile piece of porcelain. The smile in the man’s eyes was so bright it could light up the whole building and save electricity!   

She suddenly felt weird, it was only her who felt uncomfortable seeing it everyone treated this like any ordinary thing.

“I did not notice that the madam came along…” another secretary beside Xiaxia whispered, then went to her table to arrange something. 

Madam again… she looked at the pair with a frown. 

The other employees followed suit and got busy all of a sudden. The senior secretary moved near her and pushed her glasses up her nose. “What you did was a huge violation. You should be thankful the CEO did not fire you on the spot.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.” 

Isn’t it normal for her to send him food? What violation?!

“Very well then, I will make it clear for you to understand. If you want to stay here then do your job sincerely. Next time, be sure to recognize the young madam lest you make another mistake in the future.”

“I was not thinking of any other things.” She insisted. The boxed lunch she carried was something she used as an excuse to get near the CEO’s office after learning that he hadn't taken a meal. “I was only doing my job…”

“Your job is here on the desk!” The head secretary said sharply. 

She thought she was done speaking when the other added with emphasis. 

“Don’t attempt to bring him food in the future. All of CEO Tang’s meals are personally made by his wife. It is not something your position should meddle into.” 

Xiaxia’s whole body softened, feeling as if she had been put in the pillory to be peeled and exposed. How would she know that the woman she saw was the madam they were referring to?! The CEO’s wife.

Then it dawned on her. Leonard Tang is married?! 

Her world collapsed. At first, she was only aiming to work in this company but when her aunt told her who she was going to work with she was elated. Meeting him on the plane a few months ago had left a huge impression on her. For once she was grateful to that aunt of hers who gave her the chance to come here. Everyone wants to come near him, why not try it?

She had no idea that all these little thoughts in her head can be easily seen, especially those who work here the longest. 

Ashamed and resentful, she ran out tearfully and went to the fire escape to call her relative.  

Mrs Tang was on fire when she received Xiaxia’s call that day she went ahead and complained to Leo’s father but the result was bleak. She was instead told not to meddle in the company and use her privilege to insert people as she pleased. 

In the end, she chalked up all these embarrassments for her lack of status in this family. 

 

Chang’an was late for the meeting with Sena today because his mother went on another round of lectures at the dining table. She always does this whenever their father has gone to work early. Over time, he has developed a strong aversion to spending his morning in the house.

Last night Leo warned him that his mother might explode first thing in the morning because he discovered her little movements in the company. Their father was informed as well and talked with Mrs Tang last night. 

He knew his mother had problems, but he did not expect she would be so bold as to dip her fingers into the company’s affairs! The recently dismissed people who had problems were in contact with her. His mother had done so much just to trouble Leo fortunately none of those created big harm yet and was discovered. There was also a brief incident of a female secretary whom she recommended to the president’s office. He would be an idiot if he didn’t understand what his mother’s purpose was.   

Chang’an’s mood was a bit down when he arrived at Pytheas, nearly bumping on a purple-haired girl who rushed out. 

“Watch it!”

“So sorry.” He apologized then walked away absently. 

The girl turned back several times with a surprised expression on her face. It wasn’t until she was called by a beautiful woman that she came to her senses.

“Alexis!”

“Sister,” the girl smiled obediently. A little while later, she turned her head to where Chang’an went and made a face.

What is he doing here?

Inside the private room, Sena looked into her watch then at the person standing like a telephone pole at the door. 

“I’m late. You can kill me.” Chang’an said as soon as he entered. 

His complexion and overall disposition don’t seem to be good, making her forehead wrinkle. Sena guessed it must be something in their house again. 

“Sit down and drink cold water.” 

It was then that Chang’an noticed that Layla was also there playing with her mobile phone. Like the last time they met, she also wore her school uniform and a book bag with her. 

“Hey,” he greeted to get her attention. He had a good impression of this girl Sena introduced. She’s energetic and witty, and unlike most girls who like to swipe their phones for SNS and videos, hers was filled with cooking video tutorials. 

“Sup.” Layla looked up and smiled. 

“You’re watching those again?”

“I have to feed my brother carefully. I don’t want him to die of overwork before finding me a sister-in-law.” Layla replied wittily. 

Sena invited him today to talk about the film’s visual effects. Michael agreed to help them make the final touch-ups for the movie. As for the rest, nothing was changed as planned. 

“I’m going to the site the day after tomorrow, if you want you can also come along and see the progress of the shooting,” Chang’an said. “The place is a little remote but we have a villa over there so you don’t have to worry about accommodations.”

“I also plan to go.” Sena nodded. It had always been on the agenda. 

“By the way Sena, you joined an outdoor reality program. Are you aware that it will be on live broadcast 24/7?”

She did not deny it. “I read the contract carefully, everything stated there is clear to me.” 

Nothing was changed in the show. The crew will put them in a remote village to live with a family. Tasks will be decided by roulette and their living expenses depend on the points they get from those tasks.

It sounds easy but she knew that for people growing up privileged, this is not some simple challenge. Even for Maya who appears to have everything under control. She watched the previous season where the casts were left on an island for a month with limited resources. 

“I never thought you would have an interest in this kind of program. What piqued you?”

“The rural life.”

Chang’an did not believe her. He happens to have a connection to the deputy director of the said reality show. The cast and the drawn up script for this season is a bit special. 

The internet is now dominated by Maya Luz’s good girl image while Sena is yet to thoroughly clear out her name. If someone did not know any better they would assume that it was Sena and her mother who were the real villains. But the fact that Sena was born three months earlier than Maya is still an indisputable fact showing that it was her mother who slept with a married man and committed adultery. 

“You should not come in contact with those. Even people with limited brain capacity like them can still make disturbances. Who knows what kind of tricks they are up to?” Chang’an said. 

Sena’s side remained silent, making the audience want to see live bloodshed disappointed. She deliberately deprived them of the satisfaction of hearing her side, in a way this is also her strategy. 

The internet is a double-edged sword. If you use it too often, people will eventually get tired of you. She doesn’t have to answer every little issue that pops up, she was too lazy to deal with unfounded gossip. Anyway, even if she does not move, there will always be people who are willing to exert more brain cells to dig up the truth. 

Once they gather enough evidence, the truth will eventually come out.

As for now, her attention was turned to Chang’an. He is under pressure from his mother. The constant ridicule and comparison were tiring and it did play a part in Chang’an bad end. 

Sena was aware of the Tang's family conflict more than anyone else. After all, she had experienced it from the future. Chang’an’s fate is also closely related to big brother Leo and Linda’s life. 

“What about the offer you wanted to discuss with me?” Sena asked. 

Chang’an sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. “Sydney and the crew called me last night saying that there is another investor who was interested in our movie. They gave an offer the same as you but in a condition that we cast the person they sponsor.” 

“What is your opinion about it?” Sena did not show any signs of displeasure making him relax. Knowing her, he had been ready to get his head bashed. 

“We are not taking it. Personally, I think it’s not worth it either. We have settled the casting for the roles and with your investment, there will be no more future problems.” 

From eating cold packaged food in the set they have changed into restaurant meals after she injected a huge capital. Isn’t her goodwill enough? The problem is that this new investor might add blockage when it was time to release the advertisements. After all, they seem to be from a huge group. 

“Your next plan?” 

“I’m attending this year’s Royal Gem trade show to meet the investor, perhaps take this chance to thank them and decline the offer.”

Leo and Linda are sure to attend and he will be there as the couple's plus one on the guest list. The investor who can get a rare invitation like this is definitely not a simple person. He needs to be careful when dealing with it.  

Sena nodded, “You should go. I happen to receive their invitation as well. See you there.” 

He was taken aback. She has an invitation too?