Secret Wife Of The Arrogant Tycoon

Damn it!

Getting to the hospital using public transport during the rush hour while wearing stiletto heels had been one of the worst decisions of my life. My feet were killing me, and I was constantly making sure my huge bag, with my boss's computer inside, didn't fall.

Don't judge me, but usually, I wasn't a bundle of nerves every time I took the bus to go home. And those nerves were because a certain wicked brother of Carlton might have opened his mouth, and I might not have a job by nightfall. I arrived at the hospital praying I wouldn't run into my boss's sexy and infuriating brother.

Luckily, I found him alone, finishing a call with his wife. He gestured for me to come in. As I closed the door, my boss ended his call with his wife.

"Good afternoon, Zoe. How are things at the office?" he asked, adjusting himself to sit more comfortably on the bed.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Carlton. It seems like an apocalypse has hit the office. Everyone is in chaos, but we've managed to survive without you." I settled into the single armchair next to the bed. "Although I came here because we really need to survive. Damian from Maintenance was organizing a rosary because everyone thinks you're about to die. Monica from Administration had to debunk that nonsense. And right now, you're the talk of the office."

My boss smiled.

"I suppose you brought my planner."

"And your laptop so you can review all the pending tasks before I take care of clearing your schedule and giving you some forced vacation."

We got to work on all the pending documents. I promised myself that after this visit, I wouldn't bother him again. The sick needed to recover in peace, and I would do everything in my power to make sure of that. I had to be that exemplary assistant to keep my job.

Though I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that his brother might have told him about that crazy night. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, unaware that Carlton was watching me.

"Zoe, is everything ready with the schedule?" Carlton asked from the bed, with a tired but mischievous smile.

"Yes, yes, of course, absolutely everything," I replied too quickly, as if I'd had five cups of coffee with caffeine coursing through my veins. "No one will bother you, no one will interrupt you, no one will... Uh... Bother you anymore."

Carlton looked at me with a frown.

"Bother me anymore? Has someone been bothering me?"

"Did I really say that?" I put a hand to my neck, smiling like a wax statue on the verge of melting. "No, no, I... what I meant to say is that you need to rest... and not worry about unnecessary things. Yes."

We looked at each other for a moment, during which my boss looked at me with genuine curiosity.

"Are you high?"

"What?"

"I'm just kidding, Zoe. Maybe you should take a break," he raised an eyebrow, amused. "You know, just yesterday I heard that someone was looking after me very closely."

I swallowed hard, my fingers gripping the folder so tightly I nearly turned it into origami.

"Well... I just... followed your instructions. All strictly work-related, you know—emails, tasks, clean socks."

Carlton smiled, as if he had accidentally made a joke.

"Clean socks? Wow, what a... intimate detail. I suppose."

I felt like my soul was already writing its resignation letter.

"No, I mean, I waited for your brother as you told me to," I interrupted myself, looking at him with pleading eyes. "I think I really do need a break. I don't know why I brought up the socks. I didn't say anything inappropriate, did I?"

He tilted his head, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Inappropriate?" he repeated, stretching out the word with an enigmatic smile. "Well, my brother mentioned he had a very entertaining night before he came to the hospital. I didn't know what he meant, although we're adults. He didn't go into details no matter how much I insisted."

The blood drained from my face, and I felt like a cold, sticky presence was sucking the life out of me. That was it. I had lost my job.

"Well... that's good," I said with a nervous laugh that sounded like a dying rooster. "Better for everyone, right?"

"That depends," he replied, his honey-colored eyes sparkling with something that sent shivers down my spine. "Sometimes the details are the most interesting."

I blinked, panicking, thinking my tombstone already had flowers, an epitaph, and even a black-and-white photo. I smiled nervously.

Did he know? Not knowing was driving me crazy.

"I think that's all for today, Zoe." Carlton was in a good mood, knowing he'd be discharged that afternoon. His surgery had gone excellently, and he could recover at home.

He was in his hospital room with an electronic tablet in hand, giving a final review of his schedule for the coming days, so I could work on everything necessary.

"Don't worry, Mr. Carlton. I'll make sure your schedule is completely clear so you can recover," I assured him, sounding like an employee giving a hundred percent. "For today, everything is completely cleared."

I couldn't afford to make a single mistake. If his brother decided to speak up, my super efficiency would be my safety net. It was a desperate plan with no guarantees, but I was determined to give it my best effort.

My boss hadn't mentioned anything about the fling I had with his brother a couple of nights ago, but his insinuations left me completely confused. The evil brother hadn't said a word. And now that I think about it, infidelity isn't something you say out loud.

I had a brief panic attack, which I had to control for my own good. Looking at it that way, it was worse than I had imagined. What if his wife suddenly appeared and made a scene?

"Do you have someone to drive you home?" I asked to divert my thoughts from great regret.

"Yes, my wife is coming here right now. Take a breather, Zoe. You've done very well. Go home, and we'll communicate by phone if there's any change."

I said goodbye to my boss and called it a day. He had given me half the afternoon off, which I spent visiting my brother, who was in intensive care in the same hospital. Once again, I asked for information about his condition, which remained serious.

I stayed until I remembered I had to go to the police, but the investigation still hadn't yielded any results so far.

***

The next day, I got up very early in the morning to go for a run and stop by the hospital before heading to the office.

Ariana was the first to approach me, even before I set my coffee on my desk.

"Friend, how's Carlton?" Ariana asked me, offering me a pastry, which I accepted gratefully.

"He was discharged yesterday afternoon. He'll be recovering at home for the next few days. Although I think I'm in a bit of a mess. Do you know of any other jobs?"

"How big is the mess for you to be asking me if I know of any other jobs?"

I looked around, and fortunately, the morning coffee was working its magic in the office, as each colleague was having their own conversation.

"Well, do you remember that I went to the wrong party?" Ariana nodded.

"Well, it turns out, I ended up in bed with a stranger, and yesterday I saw that stranger at the hospital."

"Oh my God!" My friend shouted, and the whole office turned towards us, but everyone returned to their personal gossip as soon as we quieted down. "Tell me it was love at first sight and that you're getting married soon."

"Ari," I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "I practically crushed the guy's ego and sent him to the urologist for an erectile dysfunction he doesn't have, but that's not all. I think he's married, and yesterday I called him an i***t before knowing he was Carlton's brother."

The murmur of the employees, before the start of the workday, was heard in the background without ceasing. It seemed like there was a major rumor circulating in the office, and I was sure it all revolved around my boss's broken leg.

"Is he Mr. Foster's brother?" I nodded reluctantly. "My God, Zoe, married?"

"Ariana, your boss, is asking for you." One of the assistants, who was passing by, informed my friend. "I think Mr. Carlton Foster's wife is going to take over the company."

"Thank you very much, Sofi." She said to the woman from the accounting department. My friend adjusted her blouse. "If Mrs. Foster comes, I think you're going to be very busy, but you won't escape me. We have a conversation to finish."

Having said that, my friend turned around and went to her supervisor's office.

An hour later, all the key staff who work closely with the CEO had received a notice from Human Resources for an urgent meeting in the conference room.

The office buzzed with chatter. Everyone was talking about Mr. Carlton's surgery and the supposed appointment of his wife as interim CEO. I nodded, smiling with a "sure, sure" expression, while inside I was bracing myself to become the servant of a wealthy, bitter widow. Well, widow, is a bit excessive, because the truth is Carlton was recovering.

When I received the email from Human Resources asking everyone to meet in the conference room, I felt my heart drop. That's it, Zoe, this is the end of your exemplary assistant phase.

Because, what if Mrs. Foster blamed me for her husband's fall and fracture? As his personal assistant, I should be more prepared.

I walked with my folder against my chest as if it were a shield. Ariana winked at me from her seat, ready for gossip, and I could only roll my eyes, pretending to stay calm.

The doors swung open with an elegant creak. All the employees settled in silence, including me. I took a deep breath, expecting to see Mrs. Foster, with her salon-styled hair, ready to publicly decapitate me.

The sound of shoes, which I could swear were worth more than my three-month salary, on the marble announced the arrival of someone much taller, more imposing, more impossible to ignore.

My legs turned to water when I saw him enter with a confident stride, the black suit accentuating his shoulders and that damn smile barely hinted at on his lips.

"Good morning. I'm Nikolai Foster." His deep voice spread through the room, freezing my blood. "From today, I will be in charge of the company while my brother recovers."

I fell flat on my backside.

Bloody hell!