My eyes felt glued shut, as if some invisible adhesive was forcing them to stay closed.
"Ughhh…" I groaned in pain. Every muscle in my body ached, and my head pounded like it was about to split open.
I tried moving my arm, but it felt as heavy as stone.
When I finally managed to turn my head, my breath caught. Leonardo was lying on top of my arm, completely naked. Naked?!
"Holy shit!" I screamed, jerking back in panic, which startled him awake. He shot up, sitting on the bed.
"What the fuck? What's going on?"
~~~~~
"Oh, so you're Leo's new secretary. I mean, you do look prettier than the last one, no wonder he hired you right away." Jonathan Rhys's face hovered dangerously close just two handspans from mine.
It was suffocating.
I forced a polite smile. "Is there something you need, Mr. Jonathan? Can I assist you while you wait for Mr. Leonardo?"
Jonathan raised a brow. "Nope. I just hope you can handle being close to my brother. You know, he's got a temper." He finally stepped back.
I exhaled in relief, choosing not to reply.
"Oh, right! Are you going to the fundraising event for the OneWay Foundation? Did Leo tell you about it?" Jonathan crossed his arms casually.
"Yes, sir. Mr. Leo already informed me. The event starts at 7 tonight, and I'll be there." I answered firmly, my gaze steady on his face.
Jonathan nodded, then strolled into Leo's office without even knocking.
Jonathan is that Leo's older brother but only as the CTO of Rhys Tech. Shouldn't the older sibling usually be the CEO? Was Leo's ego so massive that he had to outshine his own brother?
Not long after, the sharp sound of dress shoes echoed through the hall. Leonardo Rhys appeared, his hair messy, shirt half-buttoned without a tie, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
Why does he always look like he just rolled out of bed?
"Good morning, Mr. Leo. Mr. Jonathan is already waiting inside." I stood immediately as he approached.
Leo paused briefly. "Okay, thanks." Then he continued toward his office.
I sat back down, though faint traces of their conversation slipped through the door.
"You're insane! On what grounds are you suddenly investigating the Orion-78 case?!" Jonathan's furious voice rang out.
"Because it's suspicious as hell, and if we don't look into it, things could—"
*CRASH!*
I shot to my feet and rushed toward the office door.
Shit. Should I go in? I bit my thumbnail anxiously.
Suddenly, the door flung open. Jonathan stormed out, face twisted with rage. I peeked inside and saw Leo's nameplate shattered across the floor.
"Um, sir, I'll call someone to clean this up. Please wait on the sofa." I said quickly, guiding Leo away before fetching maintenance staff.
When I returned, Leo sat pale and silent, frozen in place.
I hesitated, then approached. "Sir, should I contact procurement to order a new nameplate for you?" I offered, trying to seem useful though I honestly didn't care that much.
Leo finally lifted his head and pointed at a large drawer. "There. Just take one."
Confused, I opened it only to find stacks of identical glass nameplates inside. My eyes widened.
Was this normal? Or did this kind of thing happen often enough that he kept spares ready?
I placed a new one on his desk. The cleaners left quietly, but Leo remained seated, visibly shaken.
"Mm… then I'll return to the front desk now, sir." I excused myself quickly, eager to leave.
~~~~~
"You need to learn and get to know the important people at this event," Leo said. I simply nodded.
Like I care about these rich snobs.
"Leo!" Jonathan's voice boomed across the room.
Wait, weren't they just fighting this morning?
He approached us, a glass of champagne in hand. "Hey, brother," he said, slinging an arm around Leo before turning to me. "And hey, pretty." He flicked my chin with a drunken grin.
He was clearly wasted.
"Come on, let's party after this. I'll bring in some entertainment, if you know what I mean, eh?" He tousled Leo's hair.
"Shut up. I don't need your stupid party." Leo shoved him away roughly.
We left Jonathan sulking behind us and were led by a server to a VIP table, already set with several drinks and desserts.
"Hello, Mr. Leonardo. The food and drinks at this table have already been paid for by Mr. Jonathan. Please enjoy." said one of the waiters.
I avoided the drinks. I had to drive Leo home later anyway. But I quickly snacth the cookie.
"I'm not drinking this wine. I'll step out for a bit. You stay here." Leo pointed firmly at my seat.
I nodded curtly and watched him leave.
Looking around, the event struck me as strange. A fundraiser wasn't supposed to look like a semi-nightclub. Why were women clinging to men everywhere like leeches?
"Emily, isn't it?" A voice whispered near my ear, one I instantly recognized.
I turned. "Yes, Mr. Jonathan. Do you need something?" I asked politely.
"Ah, of course. I'd like you to—"
"You can ask your own secretary for help, sir. Should I call her for you?" I cut him off.
Jonathan paused, then smirked.
Well, this isn't good. But fuck it, he's been annoying me all day.
Jonathan raised his hand, signaling someone. Soon, Rose Whalen, his secretary, approached us.
"What is it, sir?" she asked softly, eyes downcast. She didn't dare look at him.
Still watching me, Jonathan swirled his champagne. "Give Miss Hart my special drink. I want to properly welcome her to Rhys Tech."
Rose hesitated briefly, then nodded and left.
"Oh, don't forget to bring one for my dear
brother too!" Jonathan called after her, laughing.
A knot of unease twisted in my gut, but I forced a shy smile. "That really isn't necessary, Mr. Jonathan."
"No, no. I insist." His grin widened. Soon, Rose returned with two glasses of something I couldn't identify.
"Here, Miss Hart. This is my signature mix, crafted by a Rhys heir himself. Priceless, really. Consider yourself lucky!" Jonathan laughed loudly.
I eyed the drink, hesitant. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him whispering something to Rose before she carried the second glass away.
Jonathan cleared his throat when he caught me watching. "Relax. Leo might take a while, so I told Rose to deliver his drink now. Come on, cheers!"
I raised my glass slightly, then took a sip.
What? It tasted sweet, too sweet, with no trace of alcohol.
"What's in this? It's delicious," I asked, sipping another more.
"Well, this and that. Can't tell you or you'll steal my recipe." He chuckled. I gave a small laugh back.
I mean it tastes non-alcoholic, should be safe, right?
~~~~~
"Mr. Leonardo, Miss Hart asked me to deliver this drink to you. She said she had to step out for a moment but already ordered it for you." Rose appeared behind Leo, who was smoking outside in the garden.
"Emily ordered this? For me?" Leo asked, smiling faintly at the ocean-blue liquid in the glass.
"Y-yes, sir. If you'll excuse me." Rose bowed and hurried off.
"Hah… is this because I refused Nathan's wine? So she decided to get me something else instead?" Leo chuckled, shaking his head. "Cute." He downed the drink in one go.
Setting the glass aside, he leaned back against a stone wall. But suddenly, his heartbeat raced, his chest tightened, and pain spread through his body.
"What the fuck… what is going on… Emily Hart… what are you planning…?" His voice slurred as he groaned in agony, collapsing unconscious.