Episode 6

When it approached 4:40 PM, Arya received a call from the front desk informing her that Mr. Pagano's suit had arrived. She requested that the delivery person bring it up. After receiving it, she walked through the quiet surroundings, the only sound being her 10cm heels clacking on the marble floor. She knocked on the door and a few seconds later, she heard a hoarse male voice instruct her to enter, which she did. Upon entering, she saw a woman seated on the lap of a man who was without his blazer, his wine-colored shirt now unbuttoned, his beautiful black hair tousled—an extremely sexy sight. Her face flushed immediately with thoughts, and she quickly lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr., but your suit has just arrived; I'll leave it here for you." She hung it in a designated place in the corner of the room and quickly headed for the exit.

"Miss Lewis, you may leave now, and don't forget to send me your address for the dinner pickup—I don't want any surprises," the man said in an authoritative tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, the woman on his lap shot a deadly look at the assistant, then resumed kissing the man as if marking her territory. Arya rolled her eyes and left, making her way to her small office to grab her purse and phone. She strolled calmly to the elevator, passing by the secretary at a small desk on the top floor of the 16-story building. The secretary, who thought Arya had taken the job that should have been hers despite knowing she wasn't qualified enough, responded to Arya's farewell with a mere nod. Arya took the elevator down to the underground parking, where only the high-ranking employees had spaces. She got into her SUV and drove to a cafe, since there was still time before the children got out of school. She took a seat at a small table on the patio outside and when the waitress came by, she ordered a double espresso and two croissants. Once served, she sipped the unsweetened coffee and bit into her delicious pastry. When it was time, she drove to pick up her children.

"Mummy!" Little Mia shouted, running toward her mother who was standing by the door of her office and hugging her tightly.

"Hello, my love!" the woman greeted her daughter with a smile.

"You came early today," the boy noted, approaching with his and his sister's belongings.

"Mum had to come back to work later, so I came early," she explained gently to her son.

After picking up the children, she drove them to their grandmother's house, and then proceeded to her own home. Upon arrival, the kids changed clothes, and she did the same, then went back downstairs to find her mother sitting on the large black fabric couch, watching something on TV. Arya flopped beside the woman, resting her head in her lap, and her mother began to stroke her long black hair.

"How's work, my dear?" her mother asked without taking her eyes off the TV.

"Work is fine, it's just the boss who's a bit of a challenge, his moods are unpredictable, always looking so stern," Arya commented with a laugh, thinking of her boss's demeanor.

"You'll get used to it, and it'll be easy to read his mood eventually," her mother said with a smile.

"I hope so. Mr. Carter was much easier to work with, and his wife wasn't a crazy jealous woman," she mentioned, prompting her mother to look at her as if asking why she said that.

"Did something happen, Arya?" her mother asked, prompting Arya to sit up with legs crossed, cushion on her lap.

"Would you believe Mr. Pagano's fiancee stormed into my office, ranting about how Mrs. May is useless, that she bet Mrs. May hadn't told me about Kilam's fiancee, and that I wasn't going to win him over with my innocent face? All this before I could even respond. Later, I went to his office to drop off the suit from the cleaners, and when I entered, she was sitting on his lap," Arya recounted, laughing.

"I can only imagine what they were doing," her mother chuckled.

"Exactly. I left the suit and was about to leave when he told me to give him my address for dinner pickup. That girl just gave him a territory-marking kiss right in front of me," Arya said, nearly crying with laughter.

"Oh, my daughter, she felt threatened by you. I can somewhat understand; I'd feel jealous too," her mother admitted, laughing and caressing her daughter's face.

"Mum, do you really think a man like Kilam would look twice at a mere assistant, especially one with two children? He could have any woman he wants. Besides, it's my workplace; I'd never tarnish my resume over something as trivial as an office romance with my boss," Arya stated seriously to her mother.

"My dear, when was the last time you dated?" her mother inquired.

"I think the kids were just over a year old," she replied, uncertain.

"Arya, you're a beautiful, successful young woman and an incredible mother. You have every right to a romance, with whoever it may be—even your boss—office romances can be the best," her mother spoke excitedly.