The Scam Of My Ex, My CEO Waited For Me

Chapter 9

Noticing the hopeful look in Stassie's eyes, Nate took the bento box from her.

"I'll finish it all."

During his commute, Nate sat in the back seat, staring at the cartoon-themed bento box in his hand with a hint of puzzlement.

He married Stassie because he loved her and wanted to share his life with her, not to have her running around doing chores for him.

He couldn't quite wrap his head around why Stassie felt the need to cook for him.

The chef at home was already a fantastic cook. Was Stassie unhappy with her meals? But hadn't she been clearly enjoying the food lately?

When Nate arrived at the office, Jessica went to brief him as usual. Her sharp eyes immediately caught sight of a cute bento box on his desk.

"Sir, your fiancée made this bento box for you, right? Must be nice!"

Normally, no one would dare to joke with Nate like this. It was only because Jessica had been by his side for so long that she could get away with it.

Nate didn't reply, but the pleased expression on his face said everything.

Noticing his noticeably better mood, especially when the fiancée was mentioned, Jessica pressed on.

"This is so romantic."

Jessica had long known that he had someone special in his heart, but it seemed that person didn't feel the same about him.

For years, Nate had been pining for her in secret. Unrequited love was the most torturous thing.

She hadn't expected them to have grown so close recently. Jessica had worried that the engagement might be forced, fearing that even if they married, Nate wouldn't be happy.

But now it seems the lady is clearly interested in the CEO too - it's so sweet to see them both pursuing each other.

"Romantic?"

The word left Nate feeling a bit bewildered.

"Isn't that romantic? Haven't you heard the saying that to catch a man's heart, you've got to catch his stomach first?"

That cute bento box was definitely not Nate's taste, nor did it match his usual aesthetic. Seeing Stassie cook for him, Jessica could only think of one reason.

But when would love finally be her turn? It was probably because she was constantly running errands for Nate's company, leaving no time to find her own romance.

"Your bonus will be doubled this month."

Hearing this, Jessica instantly pushed romance out of her mind. Perfect romance? She still needed to keep grinding at work.

"By the way, sir, while I was sorting through some documents, I noticed that a recent business partner seems to be changing its legal representative."

Upon hearing this, Nate narrowed his eyes slightly, which was enough for Jessica to know exactly how to proceed.

"I'll keep a close eye on them and have the legal department draw up contingency plans."

Jessica certainly didn't become the CEO's secretary through flattery alone. Having honed her skills working by Nate's side for years, she had completely mastered his preferences; often, even without explicit instructions, she already knew exactly what needed to be done.

After finishing her report, Nate noticed that Jessica hadn't left yet.

"Is there anything else?"

"What about Daisy? She's also your secretary. Lately, you've only had her doing assistant work, and I worry it's not appropriate in the long run."

"Jessica, how did you manage to keep your spot in the first place?"

Nate only needed to say that, and Jessica already knew exactly how to handle it.

"Daisy, print several copies of this document and distribute them to all departments. Also, make the CEO a black coffee - no sugar - and bring it in at nine."

Daisy listened with a blank expression, though she was seething inside.

She had also graduated from a prestigious university and, like Jessica, had been hired through standard channels. So why, as a secretary, was her status and treatment so vastly inferior?

She was stuck doing grunt work, while Jessica handled key documents and accompanied Nate on business trips.

A while later, as Jessica was swamped with work, she heard a voice from above.

"Jessica, is there anything I can help with?"

Without needing to look up, she recognized the voice immediately - it was Daisy.

"No need. Have you finished your assigned tasks? If you have, go sort through the files and organize the documents."

"Any assistant could handle those tasks. There's no need to assign them to a secretary."

Jessica hadn't expected Daisy to push back so soon.

"Do you have an issue with this work arrangement?"

A rookie is still a rookie. Without proper polish in a corporate environment, she'll never grow. Today, Jessica was going to teach Daisy her first hard lesson.

"I wouldn't dare voice any objections, but I am also the CEO's secretary."

The tense standoff between the two was broken when Eric walked over.

"What's going on? I haven't been here for a few days, and when did Nate's company turn into such a mess?"

The newcomer wore his signature smile, giving off an unreadable vibe.

Seeing someone approach, Jessica and Daisy were instantly plastered with smiles.

"Mr. Rhys is here? The president is in his office. Shall I let him know you're here?"

"No need. I don't have anything particularly important to see Nate about, so I'll just go in myself."

Since he had put it that way, Jessica nodded and opened the door for Eric.

She knew exactly who Eric was - the renowned Eric Rhys, also Nate's good friend, so he generally didn't need an appointment to come upstairs.

"I couldn't make it back in time for your engagement since I was abroad, but my best wishes definitely reached you."

Hearing that voice, Nate didn't even need to look up to know his old friend had arrived.

"What wind blew you in?"

Nate could only really let his guard down around his best friend.

"Isn't that why I came to congratulate you - to make up for my absence?"

"What's this?"