My Secretary, My Weakness

Chapter 13: Rumors and Roses

The days following the banquet should have been simple, but hey weren't. In fact, they became significantly more complicated. Mostly because neither Ayden nor Elen knew how to act after what happened on the terrace.

The hand-holding. The conversation. The look they had shared. None of it had been accidental. And that made pretending much harder especially for Elen.

Monday morning arrived with far too much awareness. Awareness of Ayden. Awareness of herself. Awareness of feelings she had spent months carefully ignoring.

She sat behind her desk reviewing schedules when the memory returned. His hand around hers. The warmth, the sincerity in his eyes and the promise hidden behind his words.

Elen immediately forced herself back to work. Numbers, reports, emails. Those things made sense but felings did not. Unfortunately, reality had other plans.

A knock sounded against her office door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Mia entered.

One glance was enough. "Oh."

Elen narrowed her eyes. "Oh what?"

Mia grinned. "Oh, nothing."

A dangerous answer. The kind that always led to trouble.

"Say it."

"You look happy."

"I am working."

"You look happy while working."

Elen sighed. "Mia."

"You held hands with him, didn't you?"

Silence. Absolute silence covered them.

Mia gasped dramatically. "You did!"

"No one told you that."

"They didn't have to."

Elen seriously considered finding a new best friend.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the building, Ayden Adrian Valez was discovering that controlling multinational corporations was significantly easier than understanding his own emotions.

A realization he deeply disliked. He sat inside his office reviewing documents. Or at least pretending to. Because for the past fifteen minutes, he had been staring at the same page. Without reading a single word.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter."

Lucas Bennett stepped inside. One of Ayden's oldest friends. A corporate attorney, professional troublemaker.

And unfortunately... Far too observant.

Lucas sat down without invitation. A habit Ayden had long ago given up trying to stop.

"You look terrible."

"Good morning to you too."

Lucas smiled. "You look like a man losing a fight."

Ayden returned to his paperwork. "I'm not losing."

"Interesting."

Lucas leaned back. "Because that's exactly what people say right before they lose."

Ayden ignored him, but that was a mistake. Because Lucas only became more interested.

"You like her."

The statement landed directly. Without warning. Without mercy.

Ayden's pen stopped moving.

Lucas laughed. "Aha."

"Leave."

"No."

"Immediately."

"Still no."

Ayden pinched the bridge of his nose.

Lucas grinned. The reaction alone confirmed everything.

And for the first time in months, Lucas found something more entertaining than corporate lawsuits.

Unfortunately, rumors spread faster than facts. And by Wednesday afternoon, new rumors were everywhere. Not because anyone had seen Ayden and Elen together. Because someone had leaked photographs from the banquet. Photographs showing Ayden defending Elen during dinner. Photographs showing them talking privately afterward.

Nothing scandalous and inappropriate. Yet speculation exploded anyway. Employees whispered. Executives observed. The board noticed and Vanessa became furious. Which made her dangerous.

Very dangerous.

That same afternoon, Elen was called unexpectedly to the executive conference floor. She assumed it involved work. Naturally, but she was wrong.

The moment she entered the waiting area, she froze. Vanessa sat near the window. Waiting. Again.

Elen immediately regretted leaving her office. Vanessa smiled. The expression looked pleasant. It wasn't.

"Sit."

The command alone irritated Elen. Still, curiosity won.

She sat. "What do you want?"

Vanessa folded her hands elegantly. "You've become quite popular."

The comment carried obvious meaning. Elen remained silent.

Vanessa continued. "People are talking."

"People always talk."

"About you and Ayden."

There it was. Direct. Unavoidable.

Elen's expression remained calm. Professional and composed. The same composure that increasingly frustrated Vanessa. Because intimidation simply wasn't working.

"I don't know what you think is happening," Vanessa said.

"But you're making a mistake."

Elen tilted her head slightly. "A mistake?"

"Getting attached."

For several moments, silence settled between them.

Then Elen spoke quietly. "You keep talking as though you know him better than anyone."

Vanessa smiled. "I do."

The confidence irritated her more than it should.

"You dated him."

Vanessa nodded. "Exactly."

"Dated."

The single word landed harder than expected. Vanessa's smile weakened. Only slightly, but enough.

Elen stood. The conversation was over. Before leaving, she paused. Looking directly at the woman.

"For someone so confident, you spend an awful lot of time worrying about me."

Then she walked away. Leaving Vanessa speechless. For perhaps the first time in years.

Thursday evening brought something unexpected. A flowers.

Specifically—

A bouquet of white roses. It was beautiful, elegant, and expensive.

It's currently sitting on Elen's desk. She stared at them suspiciously. Because nothing good ever started with mysterious flowers.

Mia appeared seconds later. Then immediately screamed. Not loudly. But enthusiastically.

"Oh my God."

Elen closed her eyes. "No."

"Oh my God."

"Mia."

"WHO SENT THEM?"

Several nearby employees immediately became interested. Traitors. All of them.

Elen searched for a card. Finding one tucked carefully among the flowers. She opened it.

A single sentence.

You looked like you needed something beautiful after last weekend.

No signature. No name. No explanation. None required. Her heart betrayed her immediately, because she recognized the handwriting.

Ayden.

Across the executive floor, inside his office, Ayden was attempting to work. Unfortunately Lucas was visiting again.

Which meant peace was impossible.The lawyer glanced toward the flower delivery receipt sitting on the desk.

Then laughed.

"You sent flowers."

Ayden didn't look up.

"No."

"You absolutely did."

"No."

"White roses?"

Silence.

Lucas looked delighted.

"Ayden Adrian Valez."

"Leave."

"You sent romantic flowers."

"They were appreciation flowers."

Lucas nearly fell out of his chair laughing.

By Friday morning, the flowers had become company gossip. Naturally.

Nobody knew who sent them. At least officially.

Unofficially...nEveryone suspected including the board, the executive team, and Vanessa.

Especially Vanessa.

Unfortunately, the situation became worse around noon. Because Elen received another delivery. This time a small box. Inside was a delicate silver bookmark. Elegant. Simple. Beautiful.

Accompanied by another note. For someone who never returns books on time.

Elen stared. Then laughed softly.nBecause months ago she had mentioned exactly that. Once. Only once.

Yet he remembered.

Again.

The realization warmed her heart. And frightened her at the same time. Because Ayden wasn't making grand gestures. He wasn't buying affection. He wasn't showing off. He was paying attention to small things, even to tiny things that most people forgot.

And somehow...

That felt infinitely more dangerous.

Late that evening, Elen finally left the office. The building had mostly emptied. The city lights glowed beyond the glass walls. Everything felt peaceful. For once.

As she entered the elevator, a familiar hand stopped the doors. Ayden stepped inside looking tired. Yet strangely satisfied.

The doors closed and silence followed.A familiar silence. One neither seemed eager to break.

Eventually, Elen looked at him. "The flowers were excessive."

"No they weren't."

"The bookmark was excessive."

"No it wasn't."

She crossed her arms.

His eyes sparkled with amusement. A rare sight.

"You are impossible."

"So I've been told."

The elevator continued descending. Floor after floor. Neither looked away.

Finally, Elen spoke. "You know people are talking."

"I know."

"You don't care?"

"No."

The answer arrived instantly without even hesitation and apology. Her heartbeat quickened. Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

"And if it becomes a problem?"

For the first time, Ayden's expression softened. The teasing look disappeared.

Leaving only sincerity.

Then he answered quietly. "I'll handle it."

The certainty in his voice made her chest tighten. Because she believed him. Completely.

The elevator reached the lobby. Yet neither moved immediately. The moment stretched longer than it should have.

Then Ayden did something unexpected.

Again. He stepped closer. Not enough to invade her space. Just enough for his voice to lower. Just enough for only her to hear.

"Elen."

Her breath caught. "Yes?"

His gaze remained locked on hers. Steady. Warm. Certain.

"I'm not sending flowers because I feel obligated."

Her heart pounded. Harder. Faster. Dangerously.

Ayden continued. "I'm sending them because I want to."

Silence. Absolute silence. The words settled between them. Simple. Honest. Impossible to misunderstand.

And for the first time since they met...

Neither of them could pretend this was merely friendship anymore. Something had changed. Something significant. Something neither could take back.

Unfortunately...

Elsewhere in the city, Vanessa Laurent was staring at photographs spread across her dining table. Photographs of Elen. Information about her family. Her education. Her past.

A slow smile appeared on Vanessa's lips Cold. Calculating. Dangerous. Because if emotional manipulation wasn't enough...Then perhaps it was time for something more serious.

Something permanent. And as she picked up her phone to make a call, only one thought occupied her mind.

If Elen Cruz refused to leave willingly...

Then Vanessa would give her a reason to. A reason impossible to ignore. The next move had already begun.

And this time...

It would hit far closer to home.