My Secretary, My Weakness

Chapter 11: Unwelcome

The storm arrived quietly. Not with headlines. Not with public scandals. Not with dramatic confrontations. It arrived through whispers.

Through looks. Through conversations that suddenly stopped whenever Elen Cruz entered a room. And somehow, those were always the most dangerous kinds of storms. Because unlike direct attacks, they left no visible target.

No obvious enemy. Only growing discomfort. And uncertainty.

By Wednesday morning, Elen could already feel the difference. Employees who normally greeted her seemed unusually cautious. A few executives stared longer than necessary. Some conversations ended the moment she approached.

Nothing openly hostile. Not yet. But enough to notice. Enough to make her uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it. She always did. Yet the feeling followed her throughout the day.

Like a shadow.

Meanwhile, several floors above, Ayden Adrian Valez was losing patience. A rare occurrence. An unfortunate one.

The board remained problematic. Vanessa remained persistent. And now his relatives had decided to involve themselves. Which was somehow even worse.

His grandmother's annual charity banquet was scheduled for Saturday evening. A prestigious family event attended by influential business families, investors, and social elites.

Normally, Ayden avoided such gatherings whenever possible. This year would be no different. Or at least that had been the plan. Until his grandmother called personally. And refused to accept no as an answer.

The memory alone irritated him. His phone vibrated. A message from his cousin.

"Don't be late. Grandmother is already planning your future marriage again."

Ayden immediately regretted checking his phone.

At noon, Elen finally escaped her office long enough to grab lunch. The executive cafeteria was quieter than usual. She welcomed that. Peace sounded wonderful.

Unfortunately, peace remained determined to avoid her.

She had barely sat down when someone occupied the chair across from her.

Mia.

Naturally. "You look troubled."

"I am eating."

"So troubled."

Elen sighed. "Why are you here?"

"For gossip."

"Leave."

"No."

Mia leaned forward dramatically. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The banquet."

Elen frowned. "What banquet?"

"The Valez family banquet."

Immediately, she lost interest. "Why would I care about that?"

Mia stared at her. For several seconds. Then laughed.

"Oh, you are in denial."

"I am not."

"Adorable."

Elen seriously considered throwing another pen at her.

Unfortunately, she didn't have one.

That same afternoon, Vanessa Laurent entered Valez Corporation once again. By now, security guards greeted her by name. Employees recognized her instantly. And rumors followed her everywhere.

Exactly as intended.She moved confidently through the executive floor before eventually stopping near Elen's office. A secretary informed Elen of the visitor.

And despite her instincts warning otherwise...

Professional courtesy forced her to agree. Moments later, Vanessa entered. Elegant. Perfectly dressed. Perfectly composed. The woman practically looked expensive.

"Elen."

"Ms. Laurent."

Vanessa smiled. Still beautiful. Still cold. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"You are."

The answer surprised her. Then amused her. Interesting. Very interesting.

"I'll be direct."

"Please."

Vanessa sat gracefully across from her desk. Studying her. The way a chess player studied an opponent.

"You seem intelligent." Elen remained silent. "And because you're intelligent, I assume you've already realized something."

"What would that be?"

Vanessa folded her hands. "You don't belong in Ayden's world."

The room became very quiet. There it was. The attack. Not disguised. Not hidden. Direct.

Elen met her gaze calmly. "I wasn't aware his world required membership approval."

For the first time, Vanessa's smile tightened. Only slightly. "His family won't accept you."

"That's unfortunate."

"They're very influential people."

"I know."

"They have expectations."

Elen nodded. "I'm sure they do."

Vanessa frowned. The response wasn't what she wanted. Most people would've become defensive. Upset. Intimidated.

Elen simply remained calm. Composed. Unmoved. And somehow that irritated Vanessa more. Because confidence was difficult to attack. Especially genuine confidence.

Eventually, Vanessa stood. Before leaving, she paused.

One final attempt. "Ayden deserves someone who understands his world."

Elen's expression remained unchanged. "And yet he chose to spend years with someone who clearly doesn't understand him at all."

Silence. Absolute silence. Vanessa's eyes hardened.

For the first time...

The perfect mask cracked. Then she turned and left. The office door closed behind her. Only after she was gone did Elen finally release a slow breath. That conversation had gone exactly as expected. And somehow worse.

Friday evening arrived. Along with a problem. A very specific problem.

Ayden.

Elen was organizing documents when a familiar voice interrupted her concentration.

"You have plans tomorrow?"

She looked up. Ayden stood inside her office. Jacket removed. Tie loosened. Looking tired. Again.

"Yes."

His gaze narrowed slightly. "You're lying."

"I was planning to stay home."

"Exactly."

"That's a plan."

"It isn't."

Elen crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

For a moment, he looked almost uncomfortable. A rare sight.

Then he answered. "I need a favor."

That immediately worried her. Powerful CEOs asking favors rarely led to simple outcomes.

"What kind of favor?"

Ayden exhaled slowly. "The banquet."

"No."

The answer came so fast that even he looked surprised.

"No?"

"No."

"I haven't asked yet."

"I know enough."

A faint smile appeared. Dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Come with me."

"No."

"As my guest."

"No."

"Please."

Elen froze. Did he just say please? Ayden Adrian Valez. CEO. Corporate tyrant. Professional menace.

Had just said please. The world might actually be ending.

Unfortunately, he noticed her shock. "Stop looking at me like that."

"You said please."

"I regret it already."

Elen laughed. And for several seconds, neither looked away. The moment lingered. Warm. Comfortable. Dangerously personal.

Then Ayden spoke quietly. "I don't want to be there alone."

The honesty caught her off guard. Because beneath those words was something deeper. Something vulnerable. And vulnerability was not something Ayden showed often.

Maybe not ever. Her resistance weakened immediately. Which annoyed her.

A lot.

"...One evening."

His eyes softened slightly.

"One evening."

"No expectations."

"None."

"No ridiculous introductions."

A pause.

Then—

"I'll try."

"You said try."

"That's the best offer available."

Elen groaned.

And somehow...Agreed.

Saturday evening arrived. And with it came disaster. At least from Elen's perspective. The venue looked like something from a luxury magazine. Crystal chandeliers.

Marble floors. Live orchestra.

Guests dressed in designer clothing worth more thansome people's annual salaries. The atmosphere practically screamed old money.

Elen immediately wanted to leave. Unfortunately, it was too late. Ayden stood beside her. Looking impossibly handsome in a black suit. Which was unhelpful. Very unhelpful.

"You look nervous."

"I'm considering several escape routes."

"Normal."

"This is normal?"

"For my family."

"That's terrifying."

A laugh escaped him. Brief. Genuine. Then the ballroom doors opened. And everything changed. Conversations slowed. People noticed.

Not Ayden.

Everyone always noticed Ayden. They noticed Elen beside him. The unknown woman arriving with the CEO. The whispers began immediately. Curious. Speculative. Interested.

And somewhere across the room...

Vanessa Laurent watched. Her expression darkening.

Because this was not what she expected. Not at all. Before she could react, another woman approached.

Elegant. Older. Sharp-eyed.

Ayden's aunt. Victoria Valez. One of the most influential members of the family.

And unfortunately...

One of the most judgmental. Her gaze landed on Elen. Assessing. Evaluating. Dismissing. All within seconds.

"Ayden."

"Aunt Victoria."

The older woman smiled politely. Then looked at Elen. The smile weakened considerably.

"And who is this?"

There was nothing friendly about the question. Nothing at all.

Ayden's expression cooled. "Elen Cruz."

His aunt waited. Clearly expecting more. When none came, she raised an eyebrow.

"Your secretary?"

The emphasis felt intentional. Sharp. Public. Designed to embarrass. Several nearby relatives immediately became interested. Listening. Watching. Waiting.

Elen felt the tension instantly. So did Ayden. And judging by the look in his eyes... He wasn't pleased. Not even slightly.

"Yes," he answered calmly.

His aunt's smile returned. Cold. Polite. Cruel.

"How... unexpected."

The insult remained hidden beneath elegance. Exactly the way people like Victoria preferred. But everyone understood it. Including Elen. Including Ayden.

Most importantly... Including the dozens of guests now watching. For the first time that evening, true silence settled around them. And somewhere nearby, Vanessa smiled. Because the real battle had finally begun.

The board. The company. The rumors. Those had merely been obstacles. This was different. This was family. And family had a way of wounding people far more deeply than strangers ever could.

Unfortunately for everyone involved—

Ayden Adrian Valez had just witnessed someone insulting Elen Cruz directly.

And unlike before... He was no longer willing to stand quietly and watch. The chase was about to begin.

And this time, he intended to make his feelings impossible to ignore.