(Seph's POV)
"Good morning, Seph!"
I forced a smile and turned to the person greeting me. It was Mang Carding, the security guard on the morning shift.
"Good morning to you too, sir."
"My goodness, you're here so early!" He approached my counter and leaned against it. "Can you believe it? You're the only employee who beats me to the office in the morning. Even Ompong and Lukas are impressed by your diligence!" He was referring to the other two guards on the afternoon and graveyard shifts.
I scratched my head, letting out a soft laugh. "I just have a lot to take care of, sir, so I really need to come in early."
I glanced at the clock. It was 6:15 AM. Soon, the other employees would start arriving. Work officially starts at seven, but most people are here shortly before then.
"Your mother is very lucky to have such a hardworking son," he remarked, shaking his head in approval.
"Oh, Mang Carding, you're always praising me." I didn't know what else to say and just gave a polite laugh. I was actually waiting for him to head back so I could get started on my typing.
He shared a few more compliments before finally heading back down to the ground floor to his post. I immediately returned to encoding on the computer.
The deadline for these documents is 8:00 AM. I should have finished them last night, but the computer shop where I rent time had to close. I only managed five folders last night, so I have three left to finish now.
True enough, employees started trickling in one by one. I expected them to head up to the CEO's floor to drop off folders containing reports and requests.
"Seph, here's the finished document." "The file is on the flash drive." "Here's the request from the advertising company." "This is the revised contract for the client." "Hi! Here's the financial report."
I scanned everything they passed to me, correcting any errors I found. It was nice because sometimes they'd bring me breakfast or lunch. They were helping me save money.
"What the fuck? You're still here?"
I looked up from the computer toward the owner of the voice. As usual, he was wearing a floral polo tucked into his slacks, just in a different color.
His eyes were wide with shock as he looked at me, as if he couldn't believe I was still around. I smiled and stood up to greet him.
"Good morning, Sir Theo."
"Yeah, morning." He arched an eyebrow as he approached.
My smile widened. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Just stop calling me 'Sir' and we're fine," he said, shaking his head. "That's weird. You actually survived a week here."
"One week and one day, sir," I corrected.
I couldn't believe it myself. It was like a miracle had occurred this week; I hadn't run into a single problem.
His lips parted slightly, looking somewhere between impressed and creeped out.
"Wow. She hasn't done anything to you... you know?" He gestured and grimaced. "Perverted acts?"
I shook my head.
"She hasn't raped you?"
I shook my head even harder.
"Congrats, then," he said with a roll of his eyes, making me laugh softly.
"Thank you," I replied, though he just responded with another eye-roll.
If he was wondering, imagine how I felt. I never expected his friend to go a whole week without doing something lewd. She usually just stayed in her office and only called me when she had a task. Her sudden seriousness was strange; she barely looked at me and treated me like air whenever she passed by.
But that was much better than her pawing at me or saying something inappropriate. The last time her hand touched me, it almost found its way inside my pants.
"Anyway, is your insulting boss in yet?"
"Not yet."
"What? Not yet?!" His nose practically flared with annoyance as he leaned against the counter and set down what he was carrying. "What time is she getting here?"
I glanced at the clock. "It's nine o'clock. She should be here in a few minutes."
I had been so busy I hadn't even noticed the time.
"That bitch. What else did I expect?"
I just smiled. I figured they must be best friends; I'd noticed how comfortable they were insulting each other from the first time I saw them together.
"Wait, did you have your breakfast already?" he asked, glancing at me.
I scratched my head and shook my head, which made him scowl.
I was completely out of money, so I hadn't bothered buying breakfast. The "thousands" I had hidden away was my fare for the province, and I refused to touch it.
I was used to skipping meals, so I didn't understand why he looked so annoyed.
He clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't start your day without eating anything!" he barked, making me jump.
"B-but—"
He didn't let me finish. He suddenly pushed a box he had been carrying toward me and pulled a cup out of a smaller container. He gestured toward them, wiggling his eyebrows.
"For you."
My lips parted. "For me?" He nodded, and I swallowed. "What for?"
"Of course it's for you to eat, asshole. What else could it be?"
I couldn't find the words to respond, especially given what he called me. Ignoring his rudeness, I focused on the box he was opening.
"W-what is that?" I swallowed hard at the sight of the contents.
"Those are doughnuts, you moron." He peered at my face and gave a boastful smirk. "Why? You don't know what doughnuts are? I pity you."
"It's not that," I countered. "I know what they are, and I've eaten them before. It's just... why do they look like that?"
They were doughnuts, but the design was staggering—they were covered in what looked like bright gold paper. Just looking at them made you hesitate between eating them or hocking them at a pawnshop.
One look and you knew the price was no joke.
"It's one of my masterpieces. The one and only Golden Doughnut Surprise."
"Are you sure these are edible?"
"Of course!" He proudly took one and broke it in half to show me the inside. "These doughnuts come in a wide variety of flavors, from basics like chocolate, vanilla, milk, and mocha, to the crowd-favorite Bavarian. They're filled with different fillings, but the most exquisite ingredient—the one that makes them special—is this: edible gold foil."
I stared in awe. "You made these?"
"Yeah."
"Wow." I smiled. "You're really talented, Theo."
He smirked and swept his hair back with one hand. "Well, what can I say? I'm a Scott, after all." He nudged the box. "Come on, take one. It's edible."
"Ah, but it feels like a waste to eat it. Wait, how much is this? I don't have money—" I nearly choked when he shoved the golden doughnut into my mouth.
"Quit talking and just eat my damn dessert," he said irritably, shoving a cup toward me. "Here, this is my special coffee. Drink it all, okay? Don't leave a single drop unless you want me to lose it, clear?"
I was forced to nod while he turned around and waved.
"Tell that bitch I came by to say hi. Ciao!"
I nodded, even though his back was turned. Once he was gone, I blinked and slowly started chewing the doughnut.
I didn't understand him. His mood shifted every second—one moment he was in a good mood, the next he was grumpy.
But I couldn't deny that the doughnut was delicious. It was chocolate, but not overly sweet—just right. I tried the coffee and was even more impressed. It was delicious; I could taste the bitterness, but the milk balanced it perfectly.
"Theo is so good." I peered at the remaining doughnuts, staring at the gold covering. "From a distance, it really looks like real gold."
"What are you talking about, honey?"
I suddenly choked on the doughnut I was chewing when she appeared out of nowhere. I broke into a fit of coughing as the doughnut got stuck in my throat.
"OMG, are you okay, babe?" She came up behind me and gently patted my back. "Gosh, I'm sorry I startled you. But like, who wouldn't be surprised? Anyone would be shocked if someone this beautiful suddenly appeared in front of them."
I choked even harder at her comment. I felt like I was going to die right then and there.
She handed me the cup of coffee, which I grabbed and downed. I felt a sense of relief as the doughnut finally cleared my throat and I could breathe properly again.
"Are you okay now?"
I nodded and wiped my lips with a handkerchief. "I'm okay now, thank you."
"I'm glad you're okay, sweetie. You really worried me."
My cheeks burned when I felt her body pressed against my back, her hands wrapped around my waist, gently stroking my stomach.
"M-Ma'am, g-good morning, by the way," I greeted, slowly removing her arms from around me.
"Babe, baby, honey, sweetie—or any damn call sign except for 'Ma'am,' okay?" She moved in front of me and wagged her finger.
"If you don't like 'Ma'am,' maybe 'Miss'—"
"My goodness, baby! You make it sound like I'm a stranger!" She fanned herself with her hand. "If you don't want to call me 'baby,' then just call me by my name. Or simply Vero, the one and only goddess."
I watched her animated hand gestures before she put her hands on her hips. I swallowed as I looked at her and realized how short and "liberated" her outfit was.
Her fair skin glowed in the revealing dress. It was tight, hugging every curve of her body; it looked like one wrong move would expose everything. Looking at her, you couldn't find a single flaw—from her complexion to her figure to her beautiful face, everything was perfect.
The only thing was, it was strange that with all her money, she couldn't seem to buy proper clothes. Everything was always missing fabric.
My observation was cut short when she snapped her fingers right in front of my face, demanding my attention.
"You like what you see?"
"W-what?"
She snapped again, forcing my eyes back to her face.
"Eyes up here, handsome," she teased, one corner of her mouth lifting.
"G-good morning," I stammered.
She let out a teasing laugh as she flipped her hair, causing all the blood to rush to my face.
"You already greeted me, don't you remember?"
I blinked. "A-ah, right. Sorry." I gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of my neck.
"Oh well, I can't blame you. I know my beauty is mesmerizing. Like, I deal with that kind of staring every day, it's nothing new. Anyway, in case you wanted to know... there's nothing 'good' about my morning except for you."
She blinked cutely, doing the whole "beautiful eyes" thing with her long, thick lashes.
I forced a smile and quickly changed the subject.
"Theodore dropped by earlier looking for you."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and smiled. "Come to my office in thirty minutes, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good boy!" She winked and tapped my chest. "I'll wait for you, babe."
She didn't give me a chance to reply; she immediately turned around and walked toward her office, her hips swaying with every step.
Once she was inside, I let out a long sigh and offered a silent prayer.
"I wonder what we're going to do in her office," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.
"Here are the files you asked for, and these are from the different departments. I've also organized your schedule, and it looks like it won't be a hectic day."
I didn't miss the grimace on her face as I set the stacks of folders and papers on her desk.
In the past week, I've come to understand what she meant about her secretaries only lasting a day. I was greeted by a mountain of paperwork on my first day—work that she was supposed to be doing. I suspect the reason no one lasts is that the secretaries end up doing all her work for her.
I prepare her schedule, answer calls and emails from clients and partners, and contact the people she wants to speak with. I even order her food and deliver it to her. I'm the only one who cleans her office because she won't let anyone else inside. I even monitor who comes and goes on her floor.
In short, I'm not just a secretary—I'm the CEO, janitor, guard, and CCTV all rolled into one. But even so, I don't complain. I'm just curious why she locks herself in her office all day.
"Seph, baby," she called out, pouting. "Those papers are so dami (many)."
"I've already read through them. You just need to sign them, Miss—"
"Vero." She stopped resting her chin on her hand. "Just Vero, okay? 'Babe' for short."
"—Vero," I continued, which made her smile. "Okay, Vero, like I was saying, you just need to sign these and I'll take care of the rest."
"Okayyy~" she sang in response.
I just smiled and arranged the papers on the desk so she wouldn't have trouble keeping them organized.
"Seph?"
"Hmm?"
"Come here."
I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, puzzled.
"Huh?"
"Come on." She beckoned with her index finger. "Come here, baby."
Frowning, I approached her, wondering why she needed me closer. Could she not hear me from where I was?
"Sit," she commanded. I immediately looked for a chair, but she stopped me. "No, no. Not there."
"Not in a chair?" I asked, shocked.
"Not in the chair."
"Then where?"
"Sit..." She smirked and tapped her pressed-together thighs. "...here."
I grimaced and shook my head repeatedly.
"I'll just sit here, thank you very much." I sat in the chair in front of her desk. "I'm fine here."
She groaned in frustration and started rubbing her temples, glaring at me as if I were the cause of her headache.
"Why are you like that? You're so hard to get! It annoys me. Like, I've been trying to get into your pants since day one, but it's like I don't even turn you on." She pouted, and I jumped when she suddenly grabbed her own chest and gave it a squeeze. "Like, I have a body to die for! Big boobies, delicious ass, and an exceptional goddess face! Aren't you attracted to me? Hmm?"
I swallowed and felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. This woman was truly something else—she didn't feel the least bit awkward about her actions.
I made sure not to let my gaze drop to her chest; one wrong look and I'd lose my concentration for the rest of the day.
"W-we shouldn't be discussing these kinds of things in the office."
"Oh." She seemed to have an epiphany. "Well then, let's go to my unit and talk about it there, perhaps?" she said with a mischievous smile.
I took a deep breath. My desk was empty right now, but I knew the phone would be ringing off the hook when I got back. Still, I couldn't just walk out on her; it would be rude.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked, changing the subject.
She shook her head. "I haven't had any breakfast yet."
"What would you like to have?"
Where would she have me order from this time? The other day, she had me call some very unfamiliar restaurants.
She rested her chin on her hand again and leaned across the desk toward me, squeezing her chest with her elbows. I swallowed because her face was only inches from mine; one wrong move and our lips would touch.
"Can I have you for my breakfast, hon?" she whispered before biting her lower lip.
"I-I'm serious about my question—W-WAIT!"
I couldn't move as she swept all the folders off the desk and climbed onto it without hesitation. She gripped both my wrists against the armrests of my chair and sat on my lap, facing me.
I kept swallowing and taking deep breaths. Was this the time to scream for help? The question was, would anyone even believe me?
"Veronica, p-please. Get off, please."
"No."
"I'm asking you nicely, please get off because—"
"Because something is 'standing up'?" she teased with a giggle.
"No!" I denied, my face turning bright red. "It's not like that, okay? What I mean is, get off because this is wrong, very wrong." I looked away as her lips drew closer to mine.
"How is it wrong?"
"B-because it's work hours—"
"Then why don't you just 'work' on me instead?" I felt her warm breath against my ear. "Oh come on, Seph. Don't you want it?" Her body was pressed against mine now, so I pressed myself back into the chair. "Don't you want me?"
I closed my eyes and shook my head. It seemed my boss was sleep-deprived again and I was her favorite target.
"V-Vero—" My sentence was cut short by a hiss of pain as I felt a sharp sting on my neck.
Based on her loud laughter and her slightly smudged lipstick, I knew she had bitten me.
To my immense relief, she stood up and walked back to her chair, touching her lips. I scrambled to my feet, clutching my neck.
"You're so hot when you swear." She winked at me with a smirk. "I love your smell, by the way."
"J-just call me if you n-need anything," was all I could say before I turned and hurried out.
(Veronica's POV)
"Ugh, my head hurts." I slumped into my swivel chair.
Honestly, my head has been hurting for a while. I was just temporarily distracted by Seph.
Even now, I can't believe he obeys every order I give him, but whenever I start to tease and seduce him, he acts like a soldier putting up a lust-proof shield between us. He's so formal and... gentle. It's both adorable and annoying because he's like living proof that I can't attract every man. Ugh. It's so frustrating!
But of course, he's not the cause of my headache. I just have a hangover, that's all.
I froze when I felt a vibration—okay, don't be a pervert! It was just Seph's cheap phone vibrating, nothing else!
Yes, I took his phone earlier, even though I didn't want to touch it because it's so old and outdated. It doesn't even look like a phone to me; it looks more like a rock because of the gray color and the weight! My gosh, it's so heavy!
I just wanted to know if he's a freaking two-timer or not. This past week, he's always been on the phone. I heard him talking to a girl named Stef, then the other day it was Stephanie. He's so sweet and caring when he's on the phone—all smiles—while with me, it feels like he's forcing it. I wonder if he's just pretending to be innocent and humble.
"Either way, he's still handsome and hot in my eyes." I shrugged before checking the caller ID.
On his phone—which was heavier than my wallet full of cash—the name 'STEPHANIE' appeared.
I had no choice but to answer out of curiosity. I just wanted to judge if Stephanie deserved to be Seph's girlfriend. Personally, I think I'm a much better candidate.
"Hello?"
"Ooh, she sounds nice," I whispered before clearing my throat to speak. "Hello? Who's this?"
"Why are you asking? Wait—who are you? Why did you answer?"
Oh, my bad. She's fierce—I think.
I rested my legs on top of my table and leaned back in my chair.
"I'm the one and only Veronica Ruth Saavedra Verdan."
"So what?"
"Well, for your information, I have the right to check my boyfriend's phone. That's why I'm the one who answered." I said it proudly, and I was sure she could hear the boastfulness in my tone.
Several seconds passed before she replied.
"B-boyfriend?"
"Yup. Seph is my boyfriend."
She went silent again. Then, seconds later, I heard the sound of someone running.
"Moooooom! Kuya Seph has a girlfriend!" she screamed, making me choke on my own saliva.
I nearly fell out of my chair hearing her repeated screaming on the other end. She said "Kuya," right? As in, older brother. So this Stephanie must be one of his siblings?
"Moooooom! Kuya has a girlfriend in Manila—M-mom?! Mom! Kuya Stefan! Mom's having a heart attack!"
I swallowed hard as my whole body froze. I could feel the color draining from my face as fear surged through me.
Shit.