Falling for the Enemy

Ch.19

Althea's Pov

"Hi Amanda." My voice was filled with excitement, sounding quite shrill.

"Hello Althea, it's wonderful to have you back. We missed you." She embraced me tightly, swaying me from side to side.

"Thanks, Amanda, I missed all of you too." I returned her hug. She was incredibly sweet and welcoming.

"Mr. Valenti is in his office waiting for you."

I wasn't surprised. Where else would a workaholic be?

"Welcome back, Honey," Pascal said, pointing a rose at me.

"Thanks, Pascal." I smiled back at him.

"Honey?" Amanda inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yes, Honey. It's a term of endearment for lovers, or would you like me to spell it out for you?"

"Sorry... I didn't realize you two were a thing," Amanda stuttered.

"Now you know. We've been together for a while," I said, lifting my chin slightly, feeling a bit annoyed by Pascal's arrogance.

"Really?" Amanda's gaze locked onto me, her eyes wide with intrigue.

"Um...er.....ah....." I found myself stumbling over my words now.

Ohhh....why did Pascal have to lie? I'm certain we'll become the talk of the office now. He's attractive and polite. A few days back, he asked if I wanted to go out with him. He appears to be a decent guy, but after what happened with Adam, I just can't deal with that right now.

"Yeah, ever since we began working together," Pascal responded.

"So, have you given any thought to my offer, Althea?"

"I have. And I've come to the conclusion that I'm sorry. But at this moment, I can't."

"Okay, okay. I really don't want to put any pressure on you."

"Good luck to both of you," Amanda said, forming a heart shape with her hand.

It has already been a year since I began working with Mr. Valenti as his personal assistant. I collaborated closely with him to handle secretarial and administrative duties. I served as his main point of contact for individuals both within and outside the organization.

I was responsible for maintaining office systems, taking notes and dictation during meetings, managing phone calls, and assisting other staff. We successfully completed Mr. Thompson’s project and recovered our losses. I continued to hold my role as his assistant and artist.

By chance, he began picking me up every morning for work and dropping me off afterward. I once inquired about it, but he didn’t respond. On other occasions, he surprised me with flowers, chocolates, pancakes, books, and more.

Recently, he appeared quite vulnerable. He seemed troubled and perplexed. Sitting behind his desk, he was lost in thought. Clearly, he had no desire to work at all.

"Are you alright? Is something troubling you?"

He nodded and let out a groan.

"What’s wrong? You can share it with me if you’d like."

I was taken aback when he suddenly grasped my hand with both of his, gently gliding his palm over mine. I felt a jolt, as if a magnetic force had surged through me.

"This may sound insane, but would you consider moving in with me?"

Eros Pov

"Sandra." A woman screams, her piercing voice shattering my thoughts about Christmas.

I chose to ignore the chaos; the sound of her calling out has turned into a daily battle.

"Uncle! You must save me!" Sandra's voice resonated in my quiet room as I adjusted my tie. Her eyes were wide, and her hair was a mess, resembling someone who had just been shocked.

"I'll assist you in just a moment; I just need to get dressed for work," I replied, gently holding her face in my hands. Essel often wished, or sometimes prayed, that my little niece would act appropriately for once.

"Uncle, mom is going to kill me," Sandra cries out, her sweet voice cutting through the air. I raise my brow at her, but it all became clear when Essel entered my room.

Her hair was tousled just like Essel's, though it seemed even more disheveled. She appeared as if she had encountered a ghost. Clearing her throat, she startled Sandra, who jumped into my arms.

Essel has struggled to manage Sandra, but it has never been this chaotic before...

"Thank goodness you haven't left yet, Eros," she said, trying to catch her breath. She must have been chasing her all over the house.

"What do you want, Essel?" I inquired.

"Can Sandra stay with you for the Christmas celebration while Colton and I enjoy Christmas alone in Hawaii?" she asked.

"No."

"Awwww, you know you can't refuse me." She said, gazing at me with her puppy eyes.

"How am I supposed to care for her? I don't even have a nanny to start with."

Victor, my butler, retired a few days ago, and I'm currently looking for a chef to take his place, and now this.

"Hire someone or ask Althea to help you; she would be more than happy to look after my little girl," she suggested.

A few minutes I was sitting in my office when my pear-phone suddenly clattered on my desk. I picked it up and held it to my ear.

"Eros Valenti, speaking."

"Good morning, Mr. Valenti. This is Abigail from Mr. Luxe Fashion Company," the woman on the other end said.

"Fantastic, I’ve been waiting for a call from your boss."

"Yes. He asked me to let you know that he will be assigning the project to someone else."

"Wait, what? Why?" A cold sweat trickled down my back. I couldn’t afford to lose this project; I wouldn’t let that happen. This was a significant deal. I must secure this project by any means necessary.

"Mr. Luxe has decided not to grant the project to your company, stating that you are still too inexperienced to engage in business negotiations with them. They are concerned that you may not adhere to the contract terms. Previously, they had a negative experience with a young billionaire bachelor who mishandled the project assigned to him."

"However, I have an excellent reputation. You can verify my business credibility through a background check."

"We understand, but we have already put a new policy in place. We prefer not to negotiate with a young bachelor again."

"What?" Althea appeared taken aback.

"I'm not sure I understand you, Mr. Valenti."

"This may sound a bit odd, but I actually need a nanny at the moment." I managed to say, a wave of anxiety washing over me.

"Do you have a child?"

"No, she's my niece. To be specific, she's Essel's daughter. She's going on a private Christmas trip with her husband and have left their daughter in my care. So, I was hoping you could look after her during this time. It's just for this Christmas."

She examined my expression for a moment, which only heightened my nerves.

"There's one more thing."

"What is it?" Althea inquired.

"We're on the verge of losing Mr. Luxe's project."

"What? Why?" Althea's disappointment was evident. Her lips curled in frustration as she sat in front of my desk on a chair.

"Yeah," I reclined in my chair, looking at Althea, who appeared distressed.

"We can't afford to lose that project; it's a significant business opportunity." She shook her head in disappointment, knowing how hard she had worked for it.

"I need you to meet with Mr. Luxe and try to persuade him. If that doesn't succeed, we'll explore other options."

A smile appeared on her lips. "I would love to," she replied, her smile transforming into a grin. I let out a sigh, and a smile finally spread across my face.