Julian Sterling drove over to pick me up. The man was usually an iceberg—cold, ascetic, untouchable. But there he was, letting his brand-new secretary sit in his passenger seat. That was the moment I knew: this marriage was dead in the water. 1 That day, Julian pulled up to the curb. When I opened the passenger door, I froze. A young, pretty girl was already occupying the seat, flashing a sugary sweet smile at me. "Hi, Mrs. Sterling!" She greeted me politely enough. But she made zero move to get her ass out of the seat. My eyes narrowed, shifting to Julian. He was looking down, finishing a call, completely oblivious to the silent warfare happening two feet away from him. We had plans to go to an exclusive auction tonight. I had been looking forward to this date. I’d spent hours getting ready, hair done, dress perfect. I didn’t expect to find a squatter in the front seat. "Hi, Mrs. Sterling. I’m Lola. I’m Mr. Sterling’s new Executive Assistant." Her smile widened, revealing two cute little dimples. "I heard you guys were going to a private auction tonight, so I begged Mr. Sterling to let me tag along. Just to broaden my horizons, you know? Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you two at all." My heart instantly dropped into the basement. I knew this man. He was distant. He had boundaries made of steel. He didn't just let people into his personal space. We got together through a merger—a strategic union. We weighed the pros and cons and chose each other. Outsiders joked that I was marrying a monk. But after we made it official, Julian would hold me with a gentle look in his eyes. In our most intimate moments, the corners of his eyes would turn a flushed red. He once told me, "You are my wife. We are one entity. You are different from everyone else." Today, it felt like the fine print on that contract had changed. 2 But I wasn't some shrinking violet trained to swallow insults. I was Summer Vance. I didn't cater to anyone’s mood but my own. "Get out." I ordered her out cold. Zero mercy. The girl froze. She clearly didn't expect me to slap her down so publicly on our first meeting. Maybe my tone was too harsh, because Lola looked completely lost. "I... I’m sorry, Mrs. Sterling." Her voice trembled with unshed tears as she scrambled into the back seat, looking like a kicked puppy. Julian finished his call and finally looked over. He realized I was pissed. A look of helpless indulgence crossed his face. He leaned over to buckle my seatbelt. Feeling that the seat position had been changed, I adjusted it back with aggressive, impatient jerks. The whole ordeal made my blood boil. "Annoying as hell. Who gave anyone the nerve to mess with my seat settings?" The air in the car turned to ice. The girl in the back didn't dare make a sound. Julian frowned slightly. His tone was calm, reasonable. "If you're in a bad mood, we can just go home." In the rearview mirror, I saw the woman silently wiping away tears. I was over it. "Lola, was it? I'm not in the mood anymore. Call yourself an Uber. Julian and I are going home." Her face went pale. She looked weakly at Julian. He made no move to save her. She got out of the car, looking like her soul had been crushed. 3 Julian would never embarrass me in front of outsiders. He knew how to control the room. That’s why he suggested going home. Issues get solved behind closed doors. That was our unspoken rule. "She’s just a college grad fresh out of school. Why are you lowering yourself to bicker with her?" Back home, Julian pulled me into his arms. "First time." Julian looked confused. "What?" "In all these years, this is the first time you’ve let another woman sit in your passenger seat." He didn't expect that to be the trigger. Everyone in our circle knew how exceptional Julian Sterling was. Countless women threw themselves at him. But he was clean. He walked through a garden of flowers and never let a single leaf stick to him. Julian chuckled softly, rubbing my hair. "I can't believe I actually made you jealous." He leaned down to kiss me, his nose grazing my cheek. "She is my subordinate. That’s it. "There will never be anything else between her and me." Julian cupped my face, staring deep into my eyes. His voice was low, heavy with a promise. 4 A woman’s intuition is basically a sniper rifle. Even though I’d only met Lola once, my gut screamed that this girl had designs on Julian. I thought my little power move at the car would be enough. I was wrong. The diamond necklace from the auction—the one meant for me—was around her neck the very next day. Harper, Julian’s Chief of Staff, sent me a photo and a screenshot of a social media post. In the photo, the crescent moon diamond necklace sat on Lola’s pale neck, making her look delicate and precious. Her eyes were red and puffy, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile. Presumably, she cried all night and received a consolation prize from a certain someone. The screenshot was from Lola’s timeline: [The Big Boss said girls need to be strong even when they’re wronged! Wiping my tears. Yes, sir, my Captain!] xoxo Followed by a few "fighting" emojis and a picture of the necklace in its velvet box. My blood turned to slush. I hate to admit it, but she got to me. It felt like finding a squashed mosquito on my favorite white silk scarf. It was a strange feeling. I wanted to drive my yellow Ferrari 180 mph straight to the office and slap her twice across the face. But looking at my manicured hands, I realized that engaging with a low-tier "Pick Me" girl was beneath my tax bracket. I called my SA at Hermès. Her voice practically vibrated with joy. "Mrs. Sterling, don't worry! I will empty out Shanghai if I have to. I’ll get the stock allocated and delivered immediately!" That afternoon. Before the workday ended. Every female assistant and employee in the CEO’s office—forty-six people in total—received a gift from the President’s wife. Everyone except Lola. A Hermès necklace worth about $15,000. Sure, the unit price didn't match the $300,000 auction piece, but I won on volume. Harper handled it beautifully. The condition for receiving the gift was a mandatory social media post with specific copy: [The Boss's Wife says every girl deserves the best! Clenched fist emoji. Yes, ma'am, my Queen!] The girls were more than happy to cooperate. As assistants in the CEO's office, they were the hub of all corporate gossip. Receiving a five-figure gift from the Lady of the House? They posted that sh*t instantly. Some smart ones even added their own flair: [Mrs. Sterling plays chess, not checkers!] These executive assistants might not have executive power, but their influence on the company grapevine was terrifying. In less than thirty minutes, the entire company knew the CEO’s wife had dropped a bomb of generosity. And everyone knew why. Lola’s face went white. She felt the humiliation burn. Red-eyed, she hid in the bathroom to take off the diamond necklace. Two colleagues came in to touch up their makeup, saw her, and let out a meaningful snicker. Lola wished the ground would swallow her. She put the necklace back in the box and marched it back to Julian’s office. 5 Julian had just finished a video conference with a partner. He saw the girl, obviously crying again, clutching the velvet box and staring at her shoes. "What’s wrong?" he asked, puzzled. Lola’s tears fell before she even spoke. "Mr. Sterling, please take this back. I don’t dare to keep it." A frown creased Julian’s cold face. He knew something had happened. He didn't ask directly. He just waited. Lola bit her lip, hesitated, and then poured out the whole story of what happened in the office. "I’m sorry, sir. I’m always causing trouble. I just posted to encourage myself... I didn't know Mrs. Sterling would see it." She sobbed quietly. "I didn't think she would be so angry." She looked as pitiful as a wet rabbit. "Mr. Sterling, I want to apologize to her. I can explain everything to her face." Julian never looked at social media. His life was consumed by work. But as a CEO, he knew how toxic office politics could be. His expression turned frosty. "I understand," he said, his voice deep.
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