The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Black Enterprises' sleek, modern office, casting a golden glow over the bustling workspace below.
Yvonne Lewis, the personal assistant of the most formidable man in the entire state, rushed into the building like a gush of wind.
She was really late today!
The traffic in Astoria City was going to cost her this hard-earned job. Oh God, let the devil be late today!
Liam Black, her boss, was the hottest bachelor in this state but in Yvonne's eyes, he was also the strictest devil! No delay, no excuse, no untidy! That's his discipline and no ordinary people can take on his wrath.
Beads of sweat slid down her forehead as Yvonne stopped panting in front of the President's office. She wiped away the sweat and exhaled as she looked at the wristwatch on her hand. Yes! She had another record-breaking sprint today. There was still a minute before the devil arrived at the parking lot and she had time to prepare everything.
She opened the door with a confident smile, but it soon froze on her face when she caught the tall figure sitting in the presidential chair.
"Ms. Lewis," he said sternly, his tone brooking no argument. "You were late today."
Yvonne's heart sank.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Black," she stammered, and her mind raced for an explanation.
"I'm actually not late.” She argued in a small voice, hugging the papers in her arms tighter.
Liam raised his brow and followed her eyes to glance at the clock which just jumped to 8:00 AM. Well, it was true that he was a little early today.
But how could this great CEO take it as his mistake? Being his personal assistant, she was supposed to serve his convenience. After all, he was not offering a low salary.
Liam cleared his throat, "At 8:00, my schedule should be on my desk."
"Y-Yes, sure," Yvonne nodded as she quickly put the file on the desk and the next second, the clock jumped to 8:01.
Liam was speechless as he caught her bright smile Yvonne Lewis had indeed lasted the longest of all his past assistants, and he had no thoughts of replacing her for the time being.
Sighing, he took the file and signaled her to introduce the following schedule for today.
Thankfully, today was the good version of the devil! Yvonne cheered inwardly as she jumped at the chance to rush into work.
The time came quickly to the afternoon. Yvonne sat at her desk, surrounded by stacks of paperwork that demanded her attention. With furrowed brows and a focused expression, she sifted through the documents, her pen moving swiftly as she annotated each page with precision.
As she reached for another file, her phone buzzed in her pocket, a call from an unknown number flashing on the screen. She stepped aside to answer.
"Hello?" she said, confusion was obvious in her voice.
"Is this Yvonne Lewis?" a voice on the other end asked, the tone grave and serious.
"Yes, this is her. What's wrong?" she asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"It's about your brother Charlie Lewis," the voice replied. "He's been in an accident. You need to come to the hospital right away."
Her world spun as Yvonne heard this horrible news. Without a second thought, she abandoned the work and dashed out of the office but accidentally bumped into her boss in the hallway.
Liam held the arms of the woman who had thrown herself headlong into his arms, his irritation palpable. "Must you always be so clumsy, Ms. Lewis?"
Yvonne's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Black," she stammered, her voice wavering with anxiety. "My brother, Charlie... just got into an accident. I need...I need to..."
Liam was shocked as he sensed the vulnerability in her voice. Yvonne Lewis always acted like a strong woman, as if nothing could knock her down. That was also why the picky President Liam would have chosen her.
He spoke, his voice a bit gentler than before. "Allow you a day off, Yvonne. Adjust well and come back to work."
Gratitude flooded through Yvonne as she nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you, Mr. Black," she whispered before heading to the hospital.
At the hospital, a symphony of beeping monitors and hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors. Yvonne sought out the unfamiliar face of the receptionist, her heart pounding in her chest.
Finally, a nurse emerged from the depths of the hospital, her expression grave as she delivered the update Yvonne dreaded to hear.
“Sorry Ms., your brother's injuries are severe, and his prognosis is uncertain. We need to carry out the operation as soon as possible.”
At that moment, Yvonne felt the weight of the world crashing down upon her shoulder.
“Yes, please do whatever you can do to save him." Uncontrollable tears poured through her eyes, "Please, I can't lose my brother.”
“No worries, Ms., we will try our best. Please fill in this form and pay the necessary fee.” The nurse handed her a paper and pen, which she accepted with trembling hands.
In haste, she filled out the form and signed it, not realizing the amount mentioned there.
Alone in the sterile confines of the waiting room, Yvonne grappled with a torrent of emotions—fear, guilt, and a profound sense of loneliness. With no other family to lean on except her old grandmother who lived far from the city. She didn't want to lose Charlie. She can't take it!
Fortunately, the operation turned out successful. Happy tears poured through her eyes as they wheeled her brother out of the emergency room.
“Oh, my poor brother…”
Over the next few hours, Yvonne sat by her brother's bedside, waiting for his recovery. The doctor walked in at the next second, accompanied by a nurse.
After her brother’s check-up, the doctor motioned her to go outside.
“Ms. Lewis, though your brother seems stable, but…” the Doctor took a pause, hesitating to let out the next words.
Yvonne anxiously eyed the doctor. “What’s it?” Her voice dripped with worry.
“Uhm, your brother’s knee is injured. So, it will be difficult for him to walk normally in the future,” he gazed at Yvonne with empathy.
“Relax Ms., we will try our best to cure it, but please prepare yourself in advance. The entire treatment may cost anywhere from $2 million to $10 million.”
What!
Yvonne felt as if the ground was slipping under her feet!