The Billionare’s Dirty Secret

Chapter 14

Liam’s pov

I walked into my office. Behind me, I could hear my mother’s heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Vanessa followed beside her, quiet for once, though the look on her face told me she already had something unpleasant to say.

I loosened my tie, exhausted as I walked toward my desk.

“What was that about?” my mother asked almost immediately.

I barely looked at her. “What was what about?”

“That girl downstairs,” she replied with clear irritation in her voice. “I didn’t know we had started allowing strays onto the company premises. I’ll have a word with security. They need to be more alert.”

“Exactly, mother-in-law,” Vanessa muttered with disgust. “She looked completely out of place.”

My hand tightened slightly around the file I was holding.

“She’s not…” I stopped myself, irritation creeping into my tone. “She’s not a stray. She came for an interview.”

Both of them looked at me.

“What interview?” my mother asked, disbelief spreading across her face.

Vanessa let out a quiet scoff. “Definitely for the role of a cleaner.”

I slowly turned my head toward her. My stare was hard enough to wipe the amusement off her face. Then I looked back at my mother.

“She interviewed for the position of my secretary.”

“What?” my mother nearly snapped. “Liam, that is not possible. That girl doesn’t look qualified, nor does she look like she fits the role.”

I stayed silent.

“You can’t employ her,” she added firmly.

I leaned back slightly against the desk. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like her,” she replied without hesitation. “And I have a feeling she’ll be trouble.”

I almost laughed. “Well, good thing she’ll be working for me and not you or anyone else.”

“Mum,” Vanessa cut in softly before my mother could respond. “Don’t bother yourself over someone so irrelevant.”

Something about the way she said it irritated me even more.

I walked around my desk and sat down, opening my laptop. “What are you both doing here anyway? I thought you said you weren’t checking in today.”

My mother’s expression softened slightly. “Yes, you’re right. Vanessa and I were going shopping and then out for lunch afterward, so we decided to stop by and ask if you wanted to join us.”

My jaw tightened immediately. “I’m busy,” I said flatly. “I can’t leave the office right now.”

She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but Vanessa touched her arm gently.

“It’s fine,” Vanessa said with a small smile. “He can join us another time.”

I looked at her briefly. Why was she suddenly acting nice today? It honestly freaked me out a little. Vanessa was many things, but calm and understanding were not usually part of her personality.

My mother sighed. “Alright then. But make sure you come over to my place for dinner tonight.”

I gave a short nod without really agreeing.

Vanessa suddenly walked around the desk toward me. Before I could react, she leaned down and pressed a quick kiss against my lips.

I stiffened instantly. My fists clenched underneath the desk as she pulled away like nothing had happened.

“See you later,” she said softly.

I watched them leave the office. The moment the door shut behind them, I exhaled sharply.

I felt absolutely nothing for Vanessa. Nothing. But somehow, neither she nor my mother could understand that. Or maybe they simply refused to.

I rubbed a hand down my face and leaned back in my chair. The office suddenly felt too quiet. My eyes drifted toward the glass walls overlooking the city, but my mind wasn’t there anymore.

It was downstairs. Back in the lobby. On her.

Emily.

The way she had stood there earlier with nervous eyes and worn-out heels that looked like they had seen better days. Her dress had been simple. Cheap, too. But there was something about her face. Something painfully familiar.

****

I hadn’t even realized I was staring at nothing until a knock sounded against my office door. I straightened slightly.

“Come in,” I said without lifting my head from the laptop.

The door opened quietly.

“Good morning, sir.”

My fingers froze above the keyboard immediately. That voice. I looked up.

Emily stood in front of my desk, dressed in a modest, fitted dress that reached just below her knees. Her hair was pulled back neatly behind her head, exposing the soft curve of her neck. Her hands were clasped nervously in front of her as she fidgeted with her fingers. She looked uncomfortable, like she didn’t belong here.

But somehow, I couldn’t stop looking at her.

I pointed toward the chair in front of my desk. “Sit.”

She immediately pulled out the chair and sat down carefully.

“Thank you very much for giving me the job,” she said quickly. “After waiting two days after the interview and not hearing anything back, I thought I had messed this up, too. But thank you for considering me worthy.”

I stared at her blankly for a few seconds. Messed this up, too? Something about those words settled strangely in my chest.

I snapped myself out of it.

“You sounded like you really needed the job,” I said calmly. “And despite your educational qualifications, you did well in the interview.”

Her lips parted slightly, like she wasn’t expecting that answer.

I cleared my throat softly, and returned my eyes to the document in front of me. “First,” I began coldly, “you’re here to make my life easier, not harder.”

The room went silent, except for the faint hum of the air conditioner.

“I don’t repeat myself, I don’t tolerate incompetence, and I don’t like excuses. If I ask for something, I expect it done immediately and properly.” I finally looked up at her.

“You’ll manage my schedule, answer calls and emails, organize meetings, handle files, and make sure nobody wastes my time unnecessarily. You’ll remind me of appointments before I have to ask, filter who gets access to me, and keep this office running smoothly.”

Her eyes stayed fixed on me attentively.

My gaze hardened slightly. “If you’re late, careless, emotional, or easily overwhelmed, this won’t work.”

She swallowed nervously.

Then, after a short pause, I added, “But if you can keep up… you’ll learn fast.”

“Yes… yes, sir,” she stammered quickly. “I understand.”

“Good.” I closed the file in front of me. “You resume immediately. Your office is outside mine, by the right corner.”

She nodded fast. “Thank you, sir.”

Emily scrambled up from the chair and hurried toward the door. But just as her fingers touched the handle, my voice stopped her.

“Emily.”

She turned immediately, her expression cautious.

I leaned back slowly in my chair. “Don’t make me regret this.”

For a second, something flashed across her face. Pain. Then it disappeared so quickly I almost thought I imagined it.

“I promise I won’t,” she said softly before walking out.

The door clicked shut behind her, and somehow, the office still felt full of her presence. I stared at the closed door longer than I should have. Then, I cursed quietly under my breath and forced myself back to work.

Hours passed. Or at least I thought they did, because every few minutes, my eyes drifted toward the glass walls outside my office. Toward her.

She moved quickly from desk to desk—organizing files, answering calls, and writing things down carefully in her little notebook. She looked nervous every single time someone spoke to her, but she worked hard. I noticed that immediately.

She barely sat down. Even when one of the staff members accidentally spilled coffee near her desk, she cleaned it up herself instead of complaining.

And somehow, that irritated me. Not because she cleaned it, but because she looked too used to cleaning up messes that weren’t hers.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts again. Emily stepped inside, carefully holding a file against her chest.

“Sir?”

I looked up. “What is it?”

“You have a meeting with the Singapore investors in thirty minutes,” she said quietly. “I already prepared the documents you asked for.”

She walked toward the desk and handed them to me carefully. Our fingers brushed slightly. It was a tiny touch, but for some reason, it felt strange. Her hand pulled back immediately, like the contact burned her. Mine almost did, too.

I opened the file to distract myself. Everything was arranged properly. Neat. Organized. Efficient.

I looked up at her again. “You did this yourself?”

“Yes, sir.”

I nodded once. “Good.”

For the first time since she entered the office, I saw the smallest hint of relief cross her face.

Then suddenly…

Her phone vibrated loudly inside the quiet office. Emily froze, her eyes widening in panic.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she rushed out quickly, trying to silence it.

But before she could, the phone slipped from her hands. It hit the floor with a sharp crack. The screen lit up instantly, and my eyes landed on it before she could grab it.

My entire body went still.

A picture stared back at me from the broken screen. A little boy, maybe four or five years old. Curly dark hair. Big brown eyes.

And for one horrifying second—I felt like I was staring at a younger version of myself.