Chapter 2

I glanced at Ariel. "You're Ariel Reed, right? You're overthinking it. Paying for 13 gowns is considered nothing to him. "Understandably, Callum doesn't know what it means to gift a gown to a woman—he’s been pampered since childhood. He even has someone debone his fish for him. "However, as his secretary, shouldn't you know better to keep your boundaries with him, especially when it comes to his private life?" Ariel quickly apologized with her head hung low. Callum had it all when it came to his family, career, and looks. He was practically like a shining star compared to the people around him. While countless women had shown their fancy toward him, he maintained his indifferent persona over the years. The women who tried to get close to him were only met with his distant gaze. Callum had held me in his arms for countless nights, whispering in my ear that I was the one he cherished most in this world. However, all of that had changed when I saw the pity in his eyes for another woman. Callum shook his head with a small smile before handing a black card to the sales associate leading the group. Callum unhurriedly walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. He locked eyes with me as his pleasant voice sounded in my ear, the music running in the background. "It's just a gown. I didn't expect you to care about it so much. It's a small issue to scare Ariel, but I'll feel heartbroken if you upset yourself over it." His tone was light and teasing, as if he were talking about something unimportant. Just like that, he had diverted the conversation from Ariel with ease. With a sneer, I wrapped my slender fingers around his tie and pulled him closer. "With how smart you are, I doubt you can't tell that Ariel likes you. I know you don't care about the money. However, I hope this will be the first and last time it happens." The employees only thought we were flirting and started to whistle and cheer. Callum flushed red from how close we were. It was rare to see an expression different from his usual calm demeanor. He frowned, saying, "Nancy, don't be like this. What will our subordinates think? Ariel is only my secretary, nothing else. Please don't overthink." I let out a soft snort and let go of him. While it was easy to embarrass him, it would look bad on me as well. It was an insult to my dignity to compete with such an average woman like her. Now that I’d vented my anger, I decided to let them off the hook for now. After all, I had no concrete proof of their relationship. Thus, I hooked my arm around his and walked toward the stage to deliver the speech celebrating the company's achievements this year. Meanwhile, all the branch secretaries were as smart as hawks. They carried their gowns happily and even paraded around Ariel. "It's all thanks to you that we have the chance to wear such an expensive gown. Otherwise, I doubt we'd get the opportunity in our entire lifetime!" "In Mr. Lawson's eyes, gifting someone a gown is no different than handing a child a piece of candy. You wouldn’t mistake that for something more, would you?" "Look at your eyes and dimples. It's no wonder Mr. Lawson took a second glance at you." Everyone's faces were filled with ridicule as they warned Ariel. Ariel had probably never been mocked like this in her entire life. Her head sank increasingly lower with embarrassment as her tears fell onto the floor. After waiting for the crowd to thin out, Ariel ran off with reddened eyes. She never came back, not even after the gala ended. After dinner, Callum and I tactfully excused ourselves early. This gave the younger employees enough room to relax and enjoy their night to the fullest. However, I noticed that the front passenger seat had been adjusted when I got into the car.