Jay stepped out of the tub in his hotel suite, wrapping a white towel around his waist. His broad chest and arms were exposed, and his hairy legs looked well-groomed. He wore slippers that complemented his casual appearance.

With his wet hair dripping water, he took a step back when he spotted a stranger half-naked on his bed. “Who are you?” he asked, startled.

The woman, dressed in a beautiful chiffon gown, replied, “Don’t…” as she walked closer to him. Jay stood stiffly, staring at her.

“I ask again, who are you? And what do you want?” she pressed. He tightened his lips and nodded, saying, “I just liked you, and I decided to…”

She raised her leg to rest it on the couch, bit her lower lip, and lifted her gown slightly. Jay looked away, but she approached him and pulled him into a hug. Flushing with embarrassment, he pushed her away. “If you want this…” he began, feeling butterflies stirring in her stomach. “You came here to get washed up, right?”

“That’s never a problem,” she replied, darting towards the tub. Jay sighed heavily, slowly closed the door, and locked it. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his wallet and suitcase, and rushed out of the room.

Waiting by the elevator, he noticed several women admiring his looks. He smirked, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away, leaving them behind with the lingering scent of his cologne. He stood in the garage, tapping his foot on the floor while checking his wristwatch.

“Where are you?” he spoke into his phone. “I give you ten minutes to get here, or you lose your job. With Jay Black, it’s the best or nothing!”

He hung up and scrolled through his emails, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You know what? You're fired!" he proclaimed before hanging up. Then, he picked up the phone again. “I need a new secretary…” he said as he left the garage.

A young man in a tuxedo approached him. “Sir, we offer driving services. Would you like one?” he asked. Jay nodded. “Please follow me to make the payment; it’s not far from here.” They entered a nearby building.

“Sir, please insert your card,” the man instructed. After a few attempts, it was still coming up as invalid.

“Try again… this can't be happening, and I don’t have any other cards with me…” Jay insisted, growing increasingly impatient.

“Sir, you can either pay with a card or cash; no transfers,” the man replied.

Jay’s frustration mounted. "Becky, how could you embarrass me like this?" he thought, exhaling slowly.

“What can I do? I don’t have another card, and I have a meeting in thirty minutes,” he admitted, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“You can wait at the train station; it’s nearby, and the next train leaves soon. I think that could help you,” the man suggested, handing him a short map before bowing and leaving. Jay raked his fingers through his hair, making it even messier.

Meanwhile, Selene was in the kitchen, turning on the gas. She made pancakes and boiled water for her tea, then carried the tray to the dining room. Just as she sat down, her phone rang. She rummaged through her bag, answered the call, and smiled, “Hey, best friend!” After listening, her expression shifted. “What happened?”

“Listen, Selene – there’s a job vacancy at the company, but it’s only for thirty minutes, and people are already arriving,” her friend explained.

“What time is it?” Selene asked.

“It’s 10:30 a.m.”

“What do you mean? It’s already 10:34 a.m., and I haven’t even had breakfast!” The call ended abruptly, causing her eyebrows to furrow. Without wasting time, she stuffed three pastries into her mouth and gulped down a cup of tea. Grabbing her bag, she dashed out, glancing at her watch. “The train leaves in five minutes,” she thought as she took off her shoes to run. Her heart raced, and her breaths quickened.

When the train arrived, she jumped in, quickly put on her shoes, and arranged her hair. There were no available seats, so she walked further in.

At the other end of the train, Jay noticed a woman nearby. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of someone coughing uncontrollably. To avoid her, he moved farther away and locked eyes with the woman. She was attractive, albeit a bit disheveled, and her day seemed just as chaotic as his. He winked as she stood beside him.

Suddenly, a guy moved in closer and inappropriately touched her. Jay adjusted his headphones and closed his eyes, getting lost in his favorite music. The woman glanced around and caught Jay smiling at her, but she quickly dismissed the thought and focused on the man who was bothering her.

Furious, her nostrils flared as she moved closer and punched the guy hard. He retaliated by snatching off Jay’s expensive headphones and tossing them to the ground. The commotion drew the attention of other passengers as she continued to confront him.

“This creep could not approach me like a normal guy. He just kept harassing me!” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed redder than ever. Jay’s eyes widened at the unexpected turn of events.

"Madam, don’t worry. Do you want me to call the police?" the guy said.

"Yes, quickly! I want to watch them take this baby to Juvenile," Jay shook off his hand from his neck.

"Madam, the allegations you've made against me are invalid. They're based on some silly crush," he replied as some people took pictures.

"How dare you call me that? Are you going crazy? It's your entire family that’s naughty, girly, and crushed!" she pointed at him and then moved to another corner.

The train came to a halt, and Jay quickly rushed out. He stood in the way and sighed, "What a day this is going to be..." he thought, but then an empty soda can landed on his shirt, leaving a dirty mark.

He turned and locked eyes with Selene. She pointed at his face. "Sorry, but that outfit belongs in the trash," she said and started to leave, but he called out to her.

"Trust me, we'll meet again, but I'll have the power over you, and I'll drive you crazy," he said before walking away.

Selene entered the company, adjusted her hair and suit, and held her bag tightly. She approached the receptionist. "I'm here for the vacancy."

"Good morning, madam. Welcome," the receptionist replied as Selene nodded.

"Great morning! I'm here for the job vacancy," she said.

"What is your name?" the receptionist asked.

"Selene Ariel De Gomez."

"That name is taken! Join the queue," she pointed to a long line of people waiting.

Selene blinked and turned back to her. "You mean to stand behind all those people for how long? Ten hours? This is unbelievable!"

"Do you know what position and who you're interviewing for? This is a rare opportunity that isn’t always open to many," the receptionist retorted, and Selene leaned on the desk.

"What do you mean?"

"Madam, this is a busy day for us. Just join the queue. It will definitely get to your turn," she said calmly. Selene took a card from the counter and moved to stand in a corner.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through TikTok. Her eyelids grew heavy, so she shut her phone and put it in her bag. Resting her hand on the bag, she closed her eyes.

She opened them suddenly when gentle hands landed on her. She glanced at the queue in surprise as she heard, "Next!" a man said as he walked out of the office.

She checked her reflection in her mirror, then tossed it into her bag. She turned to the man beside her, who nodded and smiled. She smiled back and left.

Jay entered his office to find his best friend sitting at his desk. "It's about time you started paying the boss some respect," his friend teased, his face lighting up.

"Even when I help the boss, you were late, and I had to set up an interview for a new secretary for you," Christine said, rising from her seat.

"Oh Christine, how I've missed you since you went on vacation!" he exclaimed.

"Now I'm back—where did we leave off?" she asked. He removed his suit jacket and locked the door before sinking into the couch, his expression suddenly darkening.

His teeth elongated into fangs, his nails sharpened, and his eyes turned red. He grabbed her wrist and sank his fangs into her neck, drinking deeply from her. She moaned and writhed on the floor.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Who's there?"

"Sir, it’s me, your secretary, Becky," came the response. He pulled back and transformed, quickly putting on his shirt and suit. Christine, looking composed, picked up a magazine and sat on the floor.

The door swung open. "Why is there such a wait when I have the keys with me, Boss?" Becky said, waving the keys.

"You've fired Becky?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I didn't want to let you go, but you forced my hand... as a matter of fact, the queue downstairs is for your position."

"Well, I heard they couldn’t find someone competent enough, and only two people are left," Becky bragged as she flicked her hair.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the landline rang. He picked it up to his ear. "Sir, we might have found the most competent candidate of all. Do you want to interview her yourself?" the voice asked.

"Yes—I'm coming right away!" he replied, putting the phone down. "Oops! Seems your hopes have been crushed after all. Shoo... shoo... shoo..." he gestured for her to leave his path. He tossed his hair and headed to the meeting hall.

Selene sat and answered questions until the door creaked open. Her interviewers stood up and bowed, "Welcome, Boss!" they chorused.

"Welcome, Boss," their words echoed slowly in her head as she turned to see him walk in, smirking. Memories flooded back in rapid succession, causing her head to spin and goosebumps to spread across her skin.

"I'll drive you crazy because I'm the boss around here," he said, making her heart skip a bit.

Selene stared at the elevator but decided to run up the stairs instead. She pushed her bag ahead and bent her head to hold the phone to her ear while her left hand clutched a cup of coffee.

As she reached the office, she pressed the button for the elevator, which opened with a ding. She hurried inside and made her way to her desk, quickly wiping her face and neck with a cloth before tossing it into the trash.

She placed all her belongings on the desk and collapsed into her seat, exhaling deeply as her memories flashed back to her first day of work.

**Flashback:** Selene sat at her desk, waiting outside the boss's office. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a young lady dressed in red walked in.

Without sparing Selene a glance, the young woman brushed past her, prompting Selene's eyebrows to rise in surprise.

She stood up, asking, “Who are you? And where do you think you’re going?”

“Out of my way, brat!” the woman retorted. Selene felt her cheeks flush as she bit her lower lip, trying to regain her composure.

“Excuse you, who do you think you are?” Selene replied defiantly, while the newcomer smirked.

“Trust me, this could be your last day here,” she said, opening her bag. Just then, Jay walked out of the office. His hair was stylish, and his hands were tucked into his pants pockets.

He wore black pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Three buttons were unbuttoned on his shirt. “Go back to your work and treat her like family next time,” he instructed Selene, who sank back into her seat.

“Hi, Bestie!” he said, causing her to frown.

She crossed her arms and turned her face away, but he gently touched her jaw and smiled. “Why not tell me about your vacation instead?”

“Fine,” she replied, chuckling as he picked her up in a bridal carry. The sunlight illuminated her skin, and as he lifted her, she playfully raised her middle finger at Selene.

Jay teased her, pressing his cheek against hers. Selene gazed at the files on her desk, her head thudding onto them with a loud noise as she squished her face at their laughter. **End of Flashback.**

Suddenly, hot liquid splashed onto her skin, and she screamed, “Aaaarghhhh!” Opening her eyes wide, she stood up and instinctively slapped the figure responsible.

“How dare you splash hot coffee on me?” she exclaimed.

“You slapped me!” the woman replied.

Fuming, Selene pulled out her handkerchief, spreading it over her arm and glaring at Lauren. “This must not happen again!” she warned, pointing a finger at her.

Just then, Jay entered the room. He took off his headphones, and his presence exuded charm. Tears welled up in the corners of Lauren's eyes as she rushed to his side, clinging to him, dressed in a sleek black tux.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I accidentally spilled coffee on her, and she slapped me!” Lauren shot back defensively.

“Go inside!” His voice was sharp as he pressed his lips together. “I don’t want to hate you more than I already do. The Board won’t let you go because of your competence, but I won’t allow you to behave this way... You know where you belong—in the trash,” he added before turning to the door and gripping the knob. “Get to work; we’ve got little time left.” As he exited, Selene felt her heart sink, her eyes burning with frustration.

She placed her hand on the desk, wincing in pain. “Ouch! That hurts,” she yelped, then headed to the sink.

Jay scooped her up onto the desk when they re-entered the office, turning stylishly to slam the door behind him. She turned away, glaring at her phone.

“You have no idea how starved I’ve been while you were on vacation,” he said dramatically. He pressed his lips onto her neck, groaning, “Three weeks felt like three years!” Selene felt a smile spreading across her face as she walked toward the window.

“I’m back now, so we can pick up where we left off,” she said playfully. He lifted her again and showered her with kisses all over.

She giggled as he pulled out a chair for himself, positioning her to lean against him on the floor. He stared at the vein in her neck, his fangs showing as his eyes darkened. He leaned in and bit down gently, moaning softly.

Time flew by, and he finally exhaled, slumping back into the chair. Selene smiled, but her head felt light, and she struggled to stand.

Touching her neck, she noticed the bruise where he had bitten her. She applied some cotton wool to the spot before opening a can of milk to drink, then took a doughnut and some malt. Finally, she dozed off on a plate of fries.

Selene banged her forehead against the counter as she sat up. “Hi, Friss Solene,” a masculine voice pulled her from her thoughts.

The bartender stood beside her table. “Can I get you the best coffee?” he asked.

“Sure! That would be great!” she replied.

“Alright, it’ll be ready in ten,” he said. She pulled out her phone and scrolled until he returned, placing the coffee in front of her.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, taking it with a smile as he turned to leave.

“This is my best job trial ever; the salary is great, and it’ll boost my portfolio,” she thought, shaking her head. “I can’t lose this opportunity. I’ll just apologize to her; it’s not a big deal.” She tilted her head and giggled, picking up her pace.

She entered the office again and set the coffee down on her desk. Leaning in, she arranged her hair and touched up her outfit, then grabbed a rag and wiped her shoes.

After washing her hands at the sink, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror, feeling a spark of confidence.

She applied some lipstick and then knocked on his door, holding her purse in her palm as she pushed the door open with her foot.

“Come in!” she heard him call. She entered and found Lanen sitting at his desk, his legs crossed elegantly, as fine as diamonds. A glass of wine sat beside the neatly arranged files on his desk.

Clearing her throat, she scanned the room but found him lying back on the couch, sleeping. “Uhm! I brought you some coffee,” she said, placing the cup on the table.

Looking up from her phone, she glanced at him. "How can I be sure this wasn't poisoned?"

"No, I just thought we could have a moment of peace. We can’t fight over a misunderstanding. I’m sincerely sorry; I should have realized you were my boss's family, and I admit I was foolish," she replied, bowing her head.

Lauren smiled. "Oh, you weren’t just foolish... you’re senseless and pathetic." She raised the coffee and threw it at her, causing it to splatter on Selene's body.

Selene screamed as her skin turned pale, chills running down her spine as she fell to her knees and started to itch. Lauren chuckled and approached her.

“Oh my God, you’re hot... cool off!” she said, splashing a bottle of water on Selene. “I’m sorry,” Selene murmured amid the itching.

Lauren’s nose flared, her cheeks flushed as she raised her hand to hit Selene, but suddenly, someone caught her wrist. Selene had her eyes closed, bracing for the impact, but she opened them when the slap didn’t come.

She looked up to see him holding Lauren's wrist firmly and she struggled to free herself from his grip. Their eyes locked, and after a moment, Lauren shook her head, stamped her foot, and frowned, trying to mask her beauty with anger.

Lauren stamped her feet in anger and stormed out. Jay turned to Selene and playfully smacked her on the face. "Can you ever stay out of trouble? I need to either get rid of you in this company or I'll lose my sanity," he said, rubbing his forehead.

He made her sit down, then grabbed a pack of ice and the first aid kit to treat her burn. He opened the kit and smiled at the sight of it. He cleaned the burn and placed the pack of ice on it. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was asleep.

She shifted on the couch, causing the duvet to fall off her. Glancing around and finding nobody, she checked the door only to discover it was locked. She yawned and stretched her arms before sitting in his chair, where she found a plate.

Selene opened it, and her eyes widened. Without a second thought, she dove into the food. Just then, the door swung open. "Sorry, I forgot you were here..." He paused, "Wait, you ate my dinner! You know what? I'm just going to leave." He cursed under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Sir! I didn't know..." she replied.

"Just leave!" he snapped.

Selene bowed her head and left, walking out of the elevator. She dashed outside, her heart racing. "It's very late!" she thought.

She reached for her phone in her pocket, threw her head back, and groaned, "Where are you now?" as she walked down the hallway.

Two men approached her and snatched her bag. One pushed her to the ground, and she screamed. But as a car pulled to a halt, the men ran away. Jay walked up to her and said, "Hey! Trouble," extending his arm to help her up.

She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She quickly got into the car, and he rolled his eyes, speeding off. The ride was silent until he came to a stop. As she was about to hop out of the car, he said, "Here's your phone," and held it out to her.

She snatched it from him and shot him a glare before exiting the car. Back in her apartment, she saw her best friend lying on the bed. After dropping her bag, she took a shower. Once she was refreshed, she walked to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she made some vegetable noodles and carried the plate to the dining table. As she set the plate down, her phone beeped—a message from an unknown number.

“Hi! I’m Lauren. I accept your apologies because it’s not always good to start on the wrong foot." Selene's eyes darted through the lines of the message.

"I apologize for today’s events. I hate it when people hurt my ego, but that’s beside the point." She quickly typed back, “Apology accepted.”

"So, Selene, that's your name, right? Are we friends now? Please don't reply with 'kind of' or 'not really.' It's a yes/no question."

“Yes,” she replied.

“I’d like to go out to lunch with you tomorrow with a few other friends. I'd like to introduce you to my wonderful group. Oh, and just so you know, the dress code is yellow." Lauren smiled to herself, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

The next day, as she walked into the reception area, everyone turned to stare at her. Her confidence swelled as she made her way to the elevator. People inside the elevator looked at her, but she smirked, chewing gum nonchalantly.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she thought, "Why is everyone dressed in black?" She shrugged it off and walked toward the door, flinging it open.

Jay emerged from his office, and their eyes locked. He frowned, his cheeks flushed and his nostrils flaring at the sight of her outfit.

She bowed her head and greeted him on her way to her office, but he had already left. She sat down at her desk, cleaned her computer, and began typing.

An email popped up: “Meet me at the office. The manager.” She closed her laptop, adjusted her dress, and walked to the manager’s office. After knocking, she swung the door open.

The entire board of executives sat around the desk. She walked in, her heart pounding. “Good morning, Sir,” she said as an envelope was pushed toward her.

She opened it. "Why suspension? What did I do?" she asked.

"We should be asking you that. What have you done in just a few hours, not even days?" the manager replied. She looked around, searching for a familiar face, and bit her lower lip.

"Please, there must be some mix-up," she pleaded.

"Look, it's just a suspension, but only your boss can lift the curfew on you," he said.

"My boss?" she echoed, bowing her head as she left. She hurried to his office, but it was empty. Desperately, she ran down the elevator and scanned the area for him, but he was nowhere to be found. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the cafeteria.

She dragged out a seat and closed her eyes. A young woman placed her order in front of her, and Selene stared blankly ahead, her mind racing. Suddenly, she felt a presence nearby. Not lifting her head, she continued to think.

"Get me a smoothie," she heard a voice say. She raised her head to see one of the men from the board of executives looking at her.

"So what did I do? What went wrong? I have attended to my duties effectively and professionally. Who reported me?" she demanded.

"Why the color yellow?" he asked. "You know you still have a chance to return if you can speak to Jay Blacks. He has the power to reinstate you. For now, don’t worry too much. It’s just a job."

He patted her shoulder before leaving, and she sat there, feeling a mix of confusion and frustration.

" Lauren!" She groaned with her lips shut.