She Handed Her Billionaire Boss Her Resignation, Unaware He Was Her Childhood Savior
She Handed Her Billionaire Boss Her Resignation, Unaware He Was Her Childhood Savior
The air in the executive suite tasted like recycled ozone and stale adrenaline.
Seline stood perfectly still, the thick carpet absorbing the sound of her shifting weight. In her hands, she held the morning schedule, a meticulously curated itinerary designed to keep a billionaire’s life from spinning completely off its axis.
Behind the massive mahogany desk sat Harry Aster.
He didn’t look up. He rarely did. He was currently reviewing the paperwork for a massive acquisition, his pen scratching aggressively against the parchment.
“Yesterday’s deal finally went through with Ben,” Harry muttered, his eyes still glued to the documents. “Guess they just need me to come in person and finish it up.”
He paused, finally glancing up. A ghost of a smirk played on his lips. “Oh, by the way, that painting… great touch. He’s been dying to own it like forever.”
Seline didn’t smile back. Her expression remained a mask of flawless, impenetrable professionalism.
“Good morning,” she said, her voice perfectly even. “Mr. Aster, you’ve got five minutes to get ready. You’ve got two important meetings scheduled for today, and you’re going to wear this.”
She gestured toward the crisp, perfectly pressed blue suit hanging on the valet stand.
Harry’s smirk vanished. He leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his arms. “Uh… the red suit.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Seline countered instantly, not missing a single beat. “You have a lunch with the family elders at noon, so red would just be unsuitable.”
Harry sighed heavily, the sound filling the quiet office. “But I don’t want to wear the blue one.”
Seline stepped closer to the desk. She leaned down just an inch, her voice dropping into a register that commanded absolute attention.
“Let me remind you, I had to outbid everybody at Sotheby’s to get that painting for Ben. It’s still with me, by the way. So wear the suit, or I’m not handing it over.”
Harry stared at her. For a long, suffocating moment, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the city traffic fifteen floors below. He hated being backed into a corner. But he also knew she was right. She was always right.
“Okay,” he finally relented, grabbing the blue jacket. “But sooner or later, that suit’s going in the trash.”
“You’ve got three minutes,” Seline replied, turning her back on him.
The morning dragged on in a blur of forced productivity and micro-aggressions.
Harry sat in the private dining room, glaring down at the plate placed in front of him. The porcelain was stark white, making the vibrant greens and lean proteins look entirely unappetizing to a man used to getting exactly what he wanted.
“What is this?” Harry sneered, pushing the plate away with the back of his hand. “I’m not eating that.”
“This is your low-cholesterol meal plan from your personal nutritionist,” Seline stated, picking up the plate and setting it firmly back in front of him. “Skip it, and you can say goodbye to that six-pack you were flaunting earlier.”
Harry glared at her, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Give me the rundown for this morning’s schedule.”
Seline pulled up her tablet without breaking eye contact. “Eight A.M., you’ve got a board meeting. Ten A.M., you have a conference call with the Toronto branch. Then at noon, you’ve got lunch with the family elders.”
“No,” Harry snapped. “Push the lunch to a later time. I need time to rest.”
He rubbed his temples, a sudden shadow crossing his features. “Wait… is my uncle going to be there?”
“Yes,” Seline said softly. “Patrick.”
The name hung in the air, heavy and loaded with unspoken history.
“He’s been eyeing family leadership for some time,” Seline added, her voice dropping the authoritative edge. “Lunch might be your best chance to get back on his side.”
Harry’s jaw tightened. The muscle feathered beneath his skin. He hated the politics. He hated the suffocating weight of the Aster family name.
“I know,” he muttered bitterly. “Fine. But I would like to rest in the afternoon.”
Seline nodded. “All right.”
But the truce was incredibly fragile.
Hours later, Harry stormed out of the boardroom. The tension radiating off him was palpable, a dark cloud that caused junior executives to practically press themselves against the glass walls to avoid his path.
He marched into his office, Seline trailing closely behind him.
“You cut this?” Harry demanded, holding up a severed piece of fabric. “You cut this?”
“Why not?” Seline replied calmly, organizing the files on his desk. “I like your design. Goes great with the blue suit and the tie.”
“All right, let’s go,” Harry barked, ignoring her explanation entirely. “Busy day. Busy day.”
Seline stopped moving.
Her hands stilled on the mahogany desk. She looked at the expensive leather chairs, the panoramic view of the skyline, and then at the man she had dedicated her entire waking life to managing.
“I’m quitting.”
Harry froze. He turned around very, very slowly.
“What?”
“I’m resigning.”
The silence that followed was deafening. The ambient noise of the city seemed to mute entirely.
“Why?” Harry’s voice cracked slightly, losing its polished, corporate edge. “Is this about money?”
“I’ve already made enough with my salary to pay off my student debt,” Seline said. The absolute relief in her voice was undeniable. The crushing weight of years of financial anxiety was finally gone. “I don’t have to put up with you anymore.”
Harry took a step closer. His dark eyes searched her face frantically, looking for the lie. Looking for the hidden angle.
“Is my uncle giving you trouble? Or is it the board?” He was grasping at straws, desperate to find an external enemy. “Right. They think I’m too young to be in charge, so they start targeting other people around me.”
He paused, a darker thought crossing his mind. “Or is it your awful father?”
Seline flinched. The mention of her father was a line she never allowed anyone to cross.
“Don’t drag my father into this,” she warned, her voice dropping an octave. “It has nothing to do with anyone else.”
She picked up her tablet, stepping back into the safety of her professional persona. “I’ve already drafted up a new job posting for your assistant. I’ll help you interview candidates. I know exactly what you need.”
“Well, who says you get to decide that?” Harry’s voice rose, a sudden, panicked anger bleeding through. “No one else works for me! Only you can do this job.”
“I don’t want anyone else,” he added, the vulnerability slipping out before he could catch it. “I want you.”
Seline looked down at the floor. The vulnerability was a trap. It always was.
“You’re going to be late for the board meeting.”
“Look, I… I could pay you more.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
Harry stared at her. He saw the finality in her eyes. The absolute certainty that she was walking out that door and never coming back. The rejection stung worse than any corporate betrayal.
His face hardened into a mask of pure, bitter pride.
“Fine,” he spat out. “Leave.”
He turned his back on her, walking toward the window.
“But you are going to regret this. You’re going to come crawling back here in a couple of days begging for your old job back.”
Seline didn’t argue. She didn’t raise her voice. She simply set the tablet down on the pristine desk and walked quietly out of the office, leaving the billionaire completely alone with his pride.
“So, you’re done running errands for him?”
Sylvia sat across from Seline in a small, cramped diner miles away from the Aster corporate tower. The air smelled of cheap grease and burnt coffee, a jarring contrast to the Michelin-starred meals Seline had been organizing just days prior.
“Why would she quit?” Mark, a mutual friend, chimed in, stirring his coffee absently. “Doesn’t make sense.”
Harry, sitting at a table across town with Mark, was aggressively nursing a drink.
“Real talk,” Mark said, looking at the brooding billionaire. “You’re not easy to be around. I mean, have you made a single friend other than me yet?”
“If it wasn’t for you, I’d have loads of friends,” Harry shot back defensively.
He took a long sip of his drink, staring at the condensation on the glass. “I have a theory. She’s fallen madly in love with me. But listen… she feels lowly about herself because she doesn’t think she’s good enough.”
Mark burst out laughing. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Look, she’s even refused the money,” Harry argued, desperation leaking into his tone. “I mean, she’s probably not trying to cause more problems, right? It probably tore her up inside just to say it out loud.”
“So, you like this girl?” Mark asked point-blank.
Harry stiffened. The question hit entirely too close to the bone.
“No. No. No, of course not.”
“So then why not let her go? Why fight so hard?”
“I’m not fighting for anything,” Harry muttered, looking away. “Look, she just… she knows the most about me. She’s impossible to replace.”
Miles away, Seline was looking down at a small, intricately carved silver necklace resting in the palm of her hand.
“Finally,” Sylvia was saying, reaching across the diner table to squeeze Seline’s hand. “Trust me, girl. You deserve better. That crazy workload you had managing his schedule 24/7… I’d be exhausted at day one.”
“Thanks, Sylvia.”
“His schedule filled my life,” Seline confessed quietly. “I mean, I just don’t want to live in Harry’s shadow anymore. I want to chase my dream. Become a designer. Want to travel. See the world.”
She looked back down at the necklace. Her thumb traced the familiar, jagged edges of the pendant.
“There’s someone I need to find.”
Sylvia leaned in closer. “The guy who owns that necklace you kept from years ago?”
“Yeah.” Seline closed her fingers over the silver. “That’s my only clue.”
“Good call leaving Harry,” Sylvia nodded firmly. “No more torment.”
“He wasn’t tormenting me,” Seline corrected softly. A strange, contradictory warmth bloomed in her chest. “I mean, he’s got problems. But we actually worked really great together.”
“What are you drawing?”
Harry stood abruptly in the doorway of Seline’s small apartment. He hadn’t knocked. He just appeared, a shadow blocking the hallway light.
Seline quickly closed her sketchbook, her heart jumping in her chest. “Just a handkerchief. It’s for Harry.”
Harry stepped fully into the room, his eyes scanning the modest space. “How did you know that? You don’t have feelings for him, do you?”
“No,” Seline said quickly. “No. Just co-workers.”
Harry moved closer. The space between them evaporated.
“I have to go to a banquet tomorrow night,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, commanding register. “You know how important this is. I need you.”
“I already resigned.”
“Just do me this one last favor.”
Seline looked up at him. She saw the exhaustion hiding just beneath the surface of his arrogant facade. The dark circles under his eyes. The subtle slump of his broad shoulders.
“Do you not have anyone else who can go with you?” she asked softly.
Harry’s jaw locked. He hated begging. He hated needing anyone.
“You really hate me that much?”
The vulnerability hung heavily in the air.
“Fine,” Seline sighed, breaking the silence. “One last time.”
The banquet hall was a cavernous expanse of crystal, gold, and suffocating wealth.
Seline stood near the grand entrance, feeling entirely out of place in a dress that Harry had hastily arranged for her.
“You look different tonight,” Harry said, approaching her with two glasses of champagne.
“How do I look different?”
“You are just not the same as usual.” He handed her a glass, his fingers brushing against hers. “What a clueless…”
“Doesn’t matter what you say,” Seline warned him, taking a sip. “I’m still not going to stay.”
Harry’s eyes darkened. “Who says I want you to stay? Don’t flatter yourself.”
Before Seline could formulate a response, a sharp, incredibly polished voice cut through the ambient music.
“Harry.”
Scarlet approached them. She moved with the predatory grace of a woman who had been born into this exact tax bracket. She wore a dress that clung perfectly to her figure, her neck draped in diamonds that caught the chandelier light.
“It’s been a while since my father’s invited you here,” Scarlet said, her eyes completely ignoring Seline’s presence. “I heard that you’re working with Ben. Um, if you need any intel, my father’s known him for years.”
“Thanks, Scarlet,” Harry said stiffly. “But I’ve already closed the deal.”
“Oh,” Scarlet smiled, a slow, calculated expression. “Well then you know what my father thinks. If we’re joined, you’ll have an even better position in the family. I know that you want that.”
“I appreciate it, but…”
“I mean, this is best for our families,” Scarlet pressed, stepping closer to Harry. “And for us.”
A passing waiter holding a silver tray of drinks suddenly stumbled. The heavy tray tipped violently forward.
Seline watched the glass falling in slow motion.
The dark red wine splashed aggressively across Scarlet’s immaculate, expensive gown.
Scarlet shrieked.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey! Stay with me. Are you okay?” Harry immediately moved forward, checking on the terrified waiter, not Scarlet.
“Fine. Fine, Scarlet. I understand this was an accident,” Harry said, his voice hard as iron. “But if Seline responded in any way, we’re going to answer for it.”
Scarlet stared at him, her face flushing a deep, humiliating red.
“Van,” Scarlet snapped at a passing attendant, her voice trembling with fury. “Please bring me a custom dress and some jewelry. Maybe we can dress up this girl to make her a little bit more appropriate.”
She glared at Seline, her eyes filled with venom. “If she ruins it, it’s fine.”
“Scarlet, she’s—”
“Oh, I know. She’s your maid.” Scarlet laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. “Yeah. Um, once we get married, then I’ll give her a very nice severance package and send her on her way.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Scarlet sneered, leaning closer to Seline. “Or I could host a pity party charity gala. If that charity is meant to honor somebody who paid off all of her student loans through honest work, then I would gladly attend.”
She took a step closer, invading Seline’s personal space.
“Though, I don’t know who I would be thanking, you or your father, given all of your assets are still in his name.”
Seline felt the air leave her lungs. The public humiliation was suffocating. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but Scarlet wasn’t finished.
“So what? I have more than you could ever dream of. And you should be thankful that you’re even standing here right now. You know what? I always get what I want.”
Scarlet turned her lethal gaze back to Seline.
“And right now, I want you to leave. So evaporate.”
“Scarlet.”
Harry’s voice was a low, terrifying rumble that carried across the quiet perimeter of the room. He stepped entirely in front of Seline, placing his broad body directly between the two women.
“She’s my personal assistant. You don’t get to decide her whereabouts.”
Scarlet’s confident smile faltered. The reality of his defense hit her like a physical blow.
“Harry, I…”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Harry said coldly. He grabbed Seline’s arm gently but firmly, turning his back on the heiress.
“Wait, Harry!” Scarlet called out desperately. “I got you flowers!”
They didn’t look back.
The interior of the luxury car was pitch black, save for the fleeting, ghostly shadows cast by the passing streetlights.
The tension inside the vehicle was incredibly thick, pressing against the leather seats like a physical weight.
“Where are you going?” Harry finally broke the silence, his voice tight.
“If you’re blind, then fix it and leave me alone,” Seline muttered, staring resolutely out the passenger window.
“Okay, you can sit up.”
“No.”
Harry let out a frustrated breath. “Hey, save your breath. Just focus on your breathing, and at least don’t ruin my car.”
Seline turned to him, her eyes flashing in the dark. “This event is really important. You should go back.”
“You don’t work for me anymore, remember?” Harry shot back. “My schedule is not your concern.”
“You’re supposed to give a speech. They’ll be waiting.” Seline leaned forward, tapping the privacy glass. “Leo, turn around.”
Harry leaned forward instantly, his voice a sharp command. “If you so much as look for the next exit for a U-turn, you are fired.”
The driver kept his eyes strictly on the road ahead.
“You know, I usually do whatever you say,” Seline argued, the frustration boiling over. “But not this time. This time I’m in charge.”
“What about the banquet?”
“If I can’t miss one silly banquet, how am I going to run the family?” Harry argued back, his logic twisting into a knot.
“Are you really concerned for me?” Seline asked softly. The question hung heavily in the confined space. “Or is this… is this just your pride?”
The silence stretched out, fragile and terrifying.
“Sir, we’ve arrived,” Leo announced quietly from the front seat.
The hospital corridors smelled intensely of bleach, stale coffee, and quiet panic.
Seline lay in the stark white observation bed, an IV dripping slowly into the back of her pale hand.
“She’s stable now. That’s it. She’ll be okay, Mr. Aster. No need to hover like a mother hen.”
The voice belonged to Ryan. He stood at the foot of the bed, wearing a crisp white doctor’s coat, a stethoscope draped casually around his neck.
Seline opened her eyes groggily. “Ryan?”
“Hello, Seline,” Ryan smiled down at her. “It’s been a long time.”
Harry stood rigidly by the door, his arms crossed so tightly his knuckles were white. He glared at the doctor with undisguised hostility.
“Isn’t he the genius heartthrob turned doctor?” Seline asked, forcing a weak smile.
“Stop teasing me,” Ryan chuckled warmly.
“You two know each other?” Harry interrupted, his voice sharp and demanding.
“We were classmates in college,” Ryan explained smoothly, barely glancing at the billionaire. “Design program.”
“Huh,” Harry snorted softly. “A designer turned doctor. That’s a hell of a career change.”
“You know, Seline was one of the top in our class,” Ryan continued, ignoring Harry’s tone. “And now she’s your assistant.”
“I actually just quit,” Seline clarified quietly.
“So good,” Ryan beamed. “You always loved design. You shouldn’t waste that talent.”
Harry took a menacing step closer to the bed. “Being my assistant isn’t some trivial job.”
“Sure. If you say so.” Ryan didn’t back down an inch.
The animosity between the two men was a living, breathing entity in the sterile room.
“Can we go?” Harry demanded, looking at Seline.
“Sorry, Ryan,” Seline sighed, carefully sitting up. “We’ll be out of your hair. It’s so good seeing you.”
“It’s good to see you, too,” Ryan smiled warmly at her. Then, his gaze shifted to Harry, turning entirely serious. “Take care of her, Mr. Aster.”
The car ride back was a suffocating nightmare of unspoken accusations.
“Didn’t know you had a little doctor friend,” Harry muttered into the darkness of the backseat.
“Yeah. College. I haven’t seen him in years.”
“You were… um, you were smiling at him.”
Seline turned to him, exasperated. “Take him home, please,” she instructed the driver.
“Okay. What’s… what’s with the attitude?” Harry snapped.
“Right. It’s just a friend.”
“Yeah,” Harry’s voice dripped with bitter sarcasm. “Just a friend that thinks you wasted your life working for me.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“I’m overreacting?” Harry exploded, turning his entire body toward her. “This random guy just waltzes in and thinks he knows you better than I do! And somehow I turn out to be the bad guy! I mean, what is it? Are you trying to keep your distance from me because of him?”
“You are so childish,” Seline said coldly, staring straight ahead. “Ryan has nothing to do with this.”
“First of all, since when do you talk to me like this?” Harry demanded, his pride completely wounded. “I mean, if you don’t want to work for me, I don’t know why you’re wearing that necklace anyway.”
Seline’s hand flew defensively to her throat. She gripped the small silver pendant tightly.
“My necklace. What are you talking about?”
“Do you ever think about anyone else?” Seline finally snapped, the years of suppression breaking wide open. “I am exhausted! Have you ever thought about my feelings?”
“Your feelings?” Harry scoffed loudly, blinded by his own jealousy. “Why would I? Don’t forget, I’m your boss. If you don’t like it, then get out of the car.”
The command hung violently in the air.
Seline looked at the man she had poured her entire life into. The man she had defended, organized, and protected.
“Harry, I quit,” she said softly. The fight completely drained out of her. “You don’t have to care about me. And I sure as hell don’t have to care about you. We’re done.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry started, immediately regretting the harsh words.
“Um, Mr. Aster, should we—” the driver began.
“Why? Why?” Harry shouted, panic setting in. “Both of you just get out of the car! Go! Just… just leave me alone.”
Three hours later, the screeching of tires echoed violently into the night.
“Seline, it’s Ryan.” The voice on the phone was urgent, clinical, but laced with genuine fear. “You need to come back. The hospital just called. Harry crashed his car. He’s been brought back here.”
Seline sprinted through the automatic doors of the emergency room, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
She found Harry sitting on an examination bed. He looked bruised, incredibly pale, but entirely conscious.
“How could you be so reckless, right?” she gasped, rushing to his side, her hands frantically checking him for hidden injuries. “You scared me to death.”
“I’m… I’m fine,” Harry mumbled, refusing to look her in the eye.
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I was just trying to be considerate after last time,” he muttered bitterly. “You said I wasn’t thoughtful. I didn’t want to bother you.”
The attending doctor walked in, reviewing a chart. “Excuse me, ma’am. Mr. Aster still needs some rest. Okay, lie down. Let them do their thing.”
“I can pay you overtime,” Harry offered Seline quietly.
Seline sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. “You know, when you’re apologizing to someone, you’re supposed to say ‘I’m sorry’, not ‘I can pay you more.'”
“Who says I’m apologizing?”
Ryan stepped back into the room, checking the monitors. “Seline, you’re back. How is he?”
“He’s got some minor injuries, but physically he’ll be just fine,” Ryan diagnosed professionally. “However, I would recommend he stay a night or two for observation.”
“That’s a relief.”
“He did seem pretty shaken up, though,” Ryan noted quietly to Seline. “So try to keep things calm around him.”
“I’m fine, doctor,” Harry snapped from the bed.
“He really does need rest,” Ryan said, ignoring the outburst. “Let’s step outside so we can get some peace. It’s getting late.”
Harry watched them leave the room together, his jaw clenching so hard it ached.
The next morning, Harry was already out of bed, violently shrugging into his wrinkled dress shirt.
“What are you doing?” Seline asked, standing in the doorway. “Uh, nothing.”
“I was just remembering how you slapped me last night. You deserved it.”
“Don’t ever do anything that stupid again,” Seline warned softly.
“Whatever. Let’s just check out.”
“No, I got to get all clear with Ryan first.”
“I’m sorry. Do I need his permission? We’re leaving.”
“Well, he said two more days.”
“All right, I rearranged all of your appointments,” Seline sighed, pulling out her tablet. “You need to rest.”
“I told you I’m fine,” Harry insisted, buttoning his cuffs. “I had like all the tests. Plus, my Uncle Patrick’s going to be at the board meeting today. If I’m not there, he’s going to steamroll me.”
He paused, looking at her with narrow eyes. “Look, I don’t like that Ryan guy hanging around, okay? He annoys me. It’s bad for my recovery.”
“What’s Ryan ever done to you?”
“He is just irritating, okay?” Harry declared stubbornly. “And I’m banning you from talking to him. Like, ever.”
“He took really good care of you, okay?” Seline defended. “Stayed up half the night explaining your condition to me.”
“How about I go ask Nikki… what are you doing? Where are we going?”
The corporate boardroom was a massive, oppressive space paneled in dark, ancient wood. It smelled of expensive polish and old money.
“We have a situation. You need to come,” a junior executive whispered frantically into his phone. “It’s about my Uncle Patrick… Seline, Mr. Harry’s company stock has plummeted.”
Back at the hospital, an aide rushed into Harry’s room, completely out of breath.
“Mr. Harry has just been released from the hospital. He is not aware of his company’s affairs. Our PR department will be scheduling a formal session soon.”
Harry stared at the television screen playing in the hospital room. The breaking news banner flashed aggressively across the bottom in bright red letters.
“What is going on?” Harry demanded quietly. “I want answers now.”
“Three years ago, May 2nd,” Seline read aloud from a hastily forwarded email, her face draining of color. “Your Uncle Patrick signed off on a railroad renovation project. At 9:00 A.M., PBC Media News broke that it was a massive money-laundering scheme. By 10, it hit every major news outlet. Your family enterprise took a nosedive. Within the last two hours, reporters have swarmed the company, and they’ve all turned up here.”
Harry closed his eyes. The weight of the Aster legacy threatened to crush him into the linoleum floor.
“My Uncle Patrick,” Harry whispered. “At least we know what he’s aiming for. How do we proceed?”
“Gather everything you have on this,” Harry commanded, instantly transforming back into the CEO. “Cut me a statement. I’m going to go back to the office and see what’s going on. Meet back here in three hours.”
“On it.”
Before Harry could even make it to the elevators, Scarlet appeared in the hospital corridor. She looked immaculate, unaffected by the chaos.
“Scarlet, what are you doing here?” Harry asked, his patience entirely depleted.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Actually, on my way out. Can we talk at the office?”
“Sure, if this is about work. But I’m here on a personal matter.” She glanced at Seline, who was standing nearby, holding the heavy files. “Oh, you’re still here. Great.”
“Well, this concerns you as well, Scarlet,” Harry warned. “Look, now really isn’t a good time. Can you come back another day?”
“The house is already on fire,” Scarlet smiled, a slow, predatory expression. “I brought a solution. Aren’t you curious?”
“What’s your idea?”
“Oh, simple. You get lost,” Scarlet said, turning her cruel gaze to Seline. Then she looked back at Harry. “I marry Harry, and my family supports us through this crisis.”
Harry stared at her. “What exactly is your plan to help?”
“Oh, so you’re willing to get lost then?” Scarlet sneered at Seline.
“I can if you have a concrete way of bailing Harry out,” Seline challenged, refusing to break eye contact.
“Yeah, my uncle works at City Hall,” Scarlet bragged. “So as soon as Harry says yes, then he’ll just smooth this whole thing over.”
“Could work,” Seline murmured.
“What? No,” Harry snapped aggressively. “What? Absolutely not. Scarlet, if you think you can dangle this in front of me and force me into a marriage, forget it. My family has been in this business for generations. We don’t need a wedding arrangement to weather the storm.”
“You underestimate me,” Scarlet warned.
“If I agree to this marriage, am I marrying you, or your family’s influence and resources?” Harry challenged coldly. “Scarlet… Seline and I still have some work to do. So, see yourself out.”
“Harry, you’re going to regret this.” Scarlet turned on her heel and marched down the sterile corridor.
“I dug up the old file,” Seline said quietly once they were alone, pulling up a digital document on her tablet. “Looks like your father saw some serious issues in it. He was planning on terminating it before his passing.”
“That’s how Uncle Patrick was able to swoop in and sign it,” Harry deduced, staring at the screen. “When I took over, I reviewed every contract. This shouldn’t have slipped by.”
“He gambled my entire family’s future just to put me down.”
“I suspected him before, but he is my uncle. Can’t afford to hesitate now.”
“You’re right,” Seline nodded firmly. “If we made a mistake, we must own it.”
“Yes. Call a press conference. Apologize together.”
“I’m already on the ship,” Seline smiled faintly. “It’s not exactly a good spot to hop off together.”
The massive double doors to Patrick Aster’s private study flew open with a violent crack.
“Harry. Long time no see,” Patrick sat behind a sprawling mahogany desk, nursing a scotch. “Still so rude you can’t knock.”
“This house was a gift from my father to you,” Harry replied coldly, stepping fully into the lion’s den. “I know it better than you do.”
“Past is the past. You’re young. Look forward, not back. Now, why are you here?”
“Company scandal. Care to explain?”
Patrick’s gaze drifted lazily over to Seline, standing quietly by Harry’s side. “Why would I explain anything to a servant?”
“You know damn well she’s not just a servant,” Harry warned, his voice dropping into a lethal register.
“Fine. Fine. We’ll deal with this in court.”
“Whoa, longing to be so dramatic, Harry,” Patrick chuckled darkly. “This fiasco was all because one eager reporter stole some evidence from me. Now, he wanted to expose it, so he might not live much longer.”
“What are you implying?” Harry demanded.
“I messed up. Sure, but it’s my problem. I’ll handle it. This reporter can be removed, and evidence can vanish, stolen, bribed, whatever. Anything I want gone can just disappear.”
Seline stared at the older man in absolute horror. “How can you say that so shamelessly? You are a disgrace to the Aster name.”
Patrick slammed his glass down. “You are a disgrace to the Aster name! This news broke two days ago. Have you been doing nothing but watching the public fury?”
He pointed a thick finger at Seline. “I’ll warn you again. Know your place. Hand over the files you signed.”
“This is all before Harry’s time in charge,” Seline defended fiercely. “It’s not his concern. Keep your filthy hands off.”
“Do you want to drag Harry down with you?”
“Well done, Harry,” Patrick sneered. “You got a real attack dog.”
“You’ve been colluding with clients for rigged bids, laundering money under our family name,” Harry stated, laying the facts bare in the quiet study. “You’ve learned nothing. I respected you as an elder. No more.”
He took a slow step toward the desk.
“Our family businesses are cutting you off, and we’re erasing you from the Aster records. And if you don’t apologize to Seline right now, you’re not leaving this room in one piece.”
Patrick let out a cruel, rattling laugh. “Don’t be so childish, Harry. You’ve barely led this family for a blink, and now you’re trying to get rid of me? Just think, how many are tied up in our interests? How many will stand against you?”
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with pure malice. “Kid, you’re just so naive. You think I’m the only threat to you?”
“Hey. What? Protect me. Protect the whole family. You want to stay in power? Be sensible.”
Patrick’s gaze slid slowly, disgustingly back to Seline.
“Yeah. Why don’t you let the woman spend the night with me, and I’ll forget all about this, and you can stay head of the family. Deal?”
Harry went completely, deathly still.
“I’m your uncle.”
“Heard you were losing your teeth, Uncle,” Harry whispered, stepping aggressively into Patrick’s personal space. “I’ll knock ’em all out right now if you say one more thing about her.”
“She’s just a—”
“Chairman,” a voice interrupted from the doorway. An executive aide stood there, holding a tablet. “We have already seized most of Patrick’s assets, and the evidence has been handed to the authorities.”
“Good,” Harry nodded firmly. “Our group will fully cooperate to make sure there’s no place for him to hide.”
“Stop with the stupid trash! Patrick, let go of me!” a woman’s voice screamed from the hallway.
“She’s your daughter! Hey, what are you doing? Let go! Let go!”
“I called the police,” Seline stated, looking at Patrick with pure disgust. “You’re done for.”
“How dare you?” Patrick roared.
“I dare because I’m exposing the crimes for everyone to see,” Harry said calmly. “You think being head of the family means you’re safe? Your wealth, your status, your so-called morality, all built on our family’s foundation. You turn on me, and the whole family goes down, and so do you.”
“There’s no excuse for what you’ve done.”
“Betrayal, is it?” Patrick spat. “If I go down, I’m taking the entire family and you with me.”
“Are you still talking?”
“Our family has been in this business for generations. We’ve never done anything shameful. You’re the real traitor here.”
“Who ends up worse off, Harry? We’ll see.”
The flashbulbs were blinding.
Hundreds of reporters crammed into the opulent press room, shouting questions over one another. The noise was a deafening roar of corporate panic.
Harry stood at the podium. The microphone picked up the steady, rhythmic breathing he used to calm his racing heart. Seline stood just off-stage, holding the thick binders of evidence, watching him with quiet pride.
“On behalf of the Aster family and all of its enterprises, I would like to publicly apologize,” Harry’s voice boomed over the speakers, commanding instant silence.
“Because of Patrick Aster’s illegal activities, the law and society have been gravely harmed. We will compensate for any damages that have occurred or any that have arisen. Moreover, Patrick Aster’s actions go against the Aster family code, damaging our reputation.”
He looked directly into the bank of camera lenses.
“As head of the family, I will personally see to it that he is removed from our ranks. I pledge that the Aster group has always put social responsibilities first, and will never allow unlawful acts for personal gain.”
He bowed deeply, respectfully.
“On behalf of the Aster family, I sincerely apologize once more. Thank you. Now, if there are any questions, I’d be happy to answer.”
“Hey. Hey.”
Seline nudged his shoulder gently. “All wrapped up. I thought you were wiped out from the interviews. Looks like you still got plenty of energy. Maybe I should call them back.”
“No, don’t you dare,” Harry groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. “They are exhausting.”
“Look, Seline. Without your notes here, this would have been a disaster.”
“We’ve still got mountains of work,” Seline reminded him pragmatically. “Renewing contracts, compensations, PR. Think you can handle it?”
Harry stood up suddenly, grabbing her hand.
“What are you doing? Let’s go. We still have so much work to do.”
“No, I think we’ve done enough work, and we need to celebrate.”
“Celebrate? You’ve got an evening meeting here.”
“Come on,” Harry pulled her toward the private elevator.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“You said I have a meeting tonight, right? Fine. Until 7:00 P.M., I do whatever you say.”
“Really?” Seline asked skeptically.
“Since when have I lied to you?”
“If we’re going to sneak out, you should probably change. Then we can slip out.”
“Sneaking around? Where are we?”
“Follow me.”
They ducked into a small service closet.
“Here. Wear that.” Seline tossed a plain baseball cap and a faded hoodie at the billionaire.
“What is this?”
“I thought you said you do what I wanted till 7.”
Harry grumbled, struggling into the rough fabric. “Are you not going to change as well?”
“Too. Turn around.”
A few moments later, Seline emerged wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans.
“Okay. Now what?” Harry asked.
“Now we get an Uber.”
Harry stared at her. “Uber? Seriously? Why don’t we just call in a chauffeur?”
“Mm-mm. Not today. Today we’re doing things my way.”
They stood on the busy, chaotic street corner. The city noise was deafening down here on the pavement.
“Want to get us a ride?” Seline asked, holding up her dead phone. “Fine. Here, use mine. Thanks.”
She handed him her device. Harry stared at the glowing screen completely blankly.
“Um, what are you doing?”
“What? Are you going to get us a ride?”
“I am. You’re just standing here.”
“What do you mean?” Harry pointed to the street with an aristocratic wave. “Cars usually come to me when I am like this. It’s taking a little bit longer than I expected, but I guess that’s how Uber works.”
Seline burst out laughing. “What? That’s not how it works! Here, let me… oh.”
She tapped the screen a few times, shaking her head.
The ride was claustrophobic. Harry’s long legs were cramped aggressively against the plastic back of the driver’s seat in the tiny hybrid car.
“What’s wrong? You can’t handle an Uber?” Seline teased.
“I’m squished. Are you not like, suffocating right now?”
“You know, back in college, I used to rush in every morning to get on the earliest bus. Packed full of people every day. This is much better. Trust me.”
She looked out the window, watching the neighborhoods change from glittering high-rises to older, worn brick buildings.
“I would commute to save on rent, you know. Wait for deals at Walmart. Pack my schedule full of part-time jobs just to pay off student loans. That was my life.”
Harry watched her profile in the dim light of the backseat, realizing how little he actually knew about the woman who managed his every waking second.
“Well, um… where are we going again?”
“We’ll see.”
They arrived at a bustling, open-air farmer’s market. The air was thick with the smell of roasting nuts, fresh earth, and aged dairy.
“Ooh, cheddar,” Seline pointed to a rustic wooden stall. “Is this homemade?”
The vendor, a burly man with flour on his apron, smiled warmly. “Traditional farmhouse cheddar from my hometown. You have to try this.”
He sliced a thick wedge and handed it to Harry.
“Thoughts?” Seline asked.
Harry chewed slowly, his refined palate genuinely surprised. “It’s unique. Nutty flavor. It’s different from the cheese you usually give me.”
“Kid, you’ve got taste,” the vendor beamed. “This is the pride of our farm.”
“We’ll take it. And that one. And this…”
Harry reached for his wallet out of pure habit. “He’s paid.”
“Really? Do I get reimbursed?” Seline joked. “Thank you.”
They moved down the row of tents.
“You two a couple?” an elderly woman called out from behind a table covered in intricate carvings. “I have woodcrafts, too.”
“Oh, for a couple. Do we get a discount?” Harry asked smoothly.
“But of course.”
The woman held up a beautifully polished wooden figurine of two birds intertwined.
“I call this Home. My daughter carved it to bring good luck to loving pairs. She hopes whoever buys it will have a carefree life together.”
“I’ll take it,” Harry said softly, never breaking eye contact with Seline.
“Bless you. May you find your home soon.”
“Thank you. I will.”
“Me too.”
“Time’s almost up.”
“What?” Harry looked at his expensive watch.
“I don’t want to leave. Can we stay a little bit longer?”
“No, you have an evening meeting. I’ve already arranged for a driver.”
“Well, we can come back sometime, right?” Harry asked hopefully. “You’re saying you actually enjoyed this? Not just the market… there are plenty of places we can go together.”
Seline looked away, the reality of their vastly different worlds crashing back down on her.
Maybe I’ll only realize how different we really are after I leave him for good, she thought silently.
“Something wrong?” Harry asked. “Nothing.”
“Must be tired from walking around all day, huh? Okay, let’s go somewhere.”
“Where?”
“I did what you said until 7:00 P.M. We toured an entire marketplace. Even tasted cheese.” Harry stopped walking and turned to face her fully in the fading light of the street.
“I don’t want you as my assistant anymore.”
Seline’s breath caught in her throat.
“I want you to step into my world.”
The transition was jarring. From the rustic smells of the market, they were suddenly seated in one of the most exclusive, heavily guarded restaurants in the city. The ambient lighting was low and moody, the silverware impossibly heavy.
“You seem distracted at the meeting,” Seline noted, cutting a tiny piece of her meal. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“The meal is so elegant.”
The sommelier approached quietly. “Please introduce the courses and pairings for my honored guest.”
“Of course, sir. To start, we have a parmesan swift amuse-bouche. Then pan-seared foie gras with apple jelly, served with the Um Swiss satin. Lobster slow-cooked, served with the Pagandi Chardonnay. And then we have brie cheese and Camembert. And for the soup, we have the classic French onion with sherry. For the dessert, we have the signature chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis.”
“Everything okay?” Harry asked anxiously. “I know you’re not big on Dover sole, so I had them replace it with lobster. It’s great.”
“Thank you.”
“She says it’s fine. You can serve. Thank you.”
Harry watched her eat, counting every single bite. “Are you full?”
“Maybe we… overdid it with the cheese earlier.”
“Well, no. I’m still hungry. Really?”
Seline stared at the exquisite, astronomically expensive food on her plate.
Are we really from the same world? Can I truly fit into your life?
“For your request, sir, we have a piano performance. Shall I bring them in?” a waiter asked quietly.
“Never mind. Not tonight,” Harry sighed, sensing the invisible wall building rapidly between them again. “We’ll just settle the bill. Okay.”
“Let me…” Seline started to reach for her purse.
“Hey.” Harry stopped her hand.
They stood awkwardly on the dark street outside Seline’s apartment building.
“Thanks for tonight, Seline.”
“I… um… Nothing. It’s nothing. Good night.”
She practically ran up the stairs to her door.
Harry stood entirely alone on the dark sidewalk, staring up at her window.
“What did I do wrong this time?” he whispered to the empty street.
The next afternoon, Seline sat in a bright, modern cafe across from Ryan.
“Harry, your girl’s out with somebody else,” Mark texted Harry frantically from the other side of the coffee shop, hiding behind a newspaper.
“Well, you were right on time,” Seline smiled at Ryan. “I was beginning to think you stood me up.”
“Not when you promised me a decent public outfit,” Ryan joked, sipping his coffee. “One of my patients is a big shot in the design world. I took the liberty and I showed him some of your college works. He loved your portfolio. He said, ‘If you’re interested, there’s an opening.'”
“That’s unexpected.” Seline’s eyes widened with genuine, overwhelming hope. “Well, it’s a good opportunity.”
“You’ve always wanted this.”
“This is bad,” Mark texted furiously, sending rapid-fire blurry photos of Seline and Ryan smiling at each other.
“Harry and I have been here once, too,” Seline remembered suddenly. “Was it fun?” Ryan asked politely.
“Yeah, kind of. You said it was too crowded.”
A waiter approached the table carrying a massive vase of lilies. “Excuse me. Would you like some flowers for your table? A touch of spring, perhaps?”
“Thank you, no,” Ryan intercepted smoothly. “She’s allergic to pollen.”
“What’s your wishes if we’d like some flowers?”
“Oh, my apologies.”
Seline looked at Ryan in surprise. “You remembered?”
“Yeah, I remembered from college. When that flower got close, I worried. I’m all right.”
Harry, receiving the texts in his office, was absolutely losing his mind.
“Look at that charm,” Mark typed. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Where are you right now?” Harry demanded over the phone.
“That man in the photo, that’s her college classmate.”
“Look, just calm down. Okay, wait. No, no, no. Why are you even sending me these photos in the first place? You know what? Forget it. I don’t want to know.”
Harry hung up violently.
“Hey, wait,” Mark yelled into the dead line.
“You look tired. Come on. I’ll take you home,” Ryan offered softly as they left the cafe.
Harry was waiting in his office when Mark finally burst through the doors.
“What are you doing, man?” Mark panted. “Nothing.”
“I mean, you’re finished. She’s off having a cozy meal with Ryan. I mean, you basically lost her. She already quit. There’s no point in sticking around. No, really.”
“So, why’d you beg me for her whereabouts on the phone?”
“Look, don’t you have anything better to do? Cause if not, you can just leave.”
“Fine. I’ll just say this,” Mark said, throwing his hands up in defeat. “If you don’t do something about this, she’s gone for good. Just get out, man.”
“Hey, don’t blame me for not warning you. All right. Out.”
Seline walked up to her apartment door. She hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob.
“You know, you don’t have to go in just yet,” Ryan said softly behind her.
“Trying to stall, right?”
“Maybe. Maybe. I just think you deserve to breathe before stepping back into that world.”
“It’s just a job.”
“No. And you know it.” Ryan stepped closer. The air in the hallway felt suddenly very thick.
“I used to think that if I ever found you again, things would be simple. We’d go back to the way things were. We’d share our dreams, laugh, maybe even…”
He stopped himself, the confession hanging painfully in the silence.
“Never mind. It’s not how life works, is it?”
“Right,” Seline whispered.
“I guess what I’m trying to say… you’ve always had a way of making people want to stay. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t one of them.”
“Right. I’m sorry if I…” She swallowed hard. “You should go. It’s late. Thank you for today. Really.”
Seline unlocked her door and stepped inside. The apartment was completely dark.
“Where you been?”
Seline shrieked, dropping her keys. “Harry. Harry. Were you waiting for me?”
Harry stepped out of the shadows of her tiny living room. “Waiting? No. Wondering. Wondering how much fun you were having with Ryan.”
“How did you know?”
“You guys look really, really comfortable together.”
“You were overreacting, right?” Seline demanded, turning on the lights. “Ryan is just a friend.”
“Oh, I know exactly who he is. Mr. Perfect. Thoughtful, stable, a real gentleman.”
“You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to pick apart my life like it is some game.”
“That’s funny, because that’s what you’re supposed to do,” Harry snapped bitterly. “You’re supposed to organize my life, and he seems so willing to throw it away the second he walks back in.”
“What is that supposed to—”
“I just want to know why the hell the thought of you with him makes me want to tear this entire place apart!” Harry shouted, the raw, unfiltered jealousy finally breaking loose. “Why I can’t stand seeing you smile at him. Why the hell I can’t breathe when I imagine you walking away. When I…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence. The absolute terror of losing her choked the words completely out of his throat.
“Ben, what happened?” Seline asked urgently into the phone the next morning.
“I just went back to my room. So what now? I don’t know.”
“So what about Ryan? Huh?”
“I don’t know, girl. Then what do you know?”
“I just want to get my feelings sorted out. Feelings about what? Harry.”
Sylvia practically screamed through the receiver. “I knew it! All right. Well, tell me more. Do what?”
“Then what? I mean, does it matter?”
“Realize she definitely likes me,” Harry told Mark confidently in the office later that day.
“Dude, why do you say that?” Mark asked skeptically. “What do you know, you perpetual single dog?”
“Quit asking. Hey, as far as I know, I don’t think you’re in a relationship either. She checked that bruise in your face from where she slapped you.”
“Don’t you know any loyalty? I mean, you’re practically rooting for Ryan.”
“Take it easy. All right. I’m just as clueless as you.”
“Mark,” Harry narrowed his eyes. “Why… you said that whenever we need you, you’re never there. But you’re first in line for every party. Where do you find the time?”
“Well, unlike Harry, I don’t have an inheritance coming my way,” Mark shrugged indifferently. “Basically, my family just wants me to lay around. They’re happy when I don’t even try.”
“Still hurt?” Seline asked gently, dabbing a cold cloth against Harry’s bruised cheek later that evening in his office.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you so hard last night. Just… just startled me.”
“Well, you didn’t have to be so rough, though,” Harry grumbled, wincing slightly. “Come on, get dressed.”
“Where to?”
“Going to go hire your new assistant. My replacement.”
“So soon?” Harry asked, clearly stalling. “Yes. You seem eager to replace yourself.”
“Well, they’re already here, so help me with this.” Seline handed him a stack of resumes.
“Do it yourself. You always help me with this. Everything okay?”
“Nothing,” Seline lied smoothly. “I just can’t manage it today. Soon it’ll be someone else’s job.”
“Why are you staring?” Harry asked, catching her looking at him across the desk.
“Because I want to. You see me every day. Is that not enough?”
“It’s never enough,” Harry answered quietly. The truth hung heavily in the sterile corporate air between them.
“Come in,” Seline called out abruptly. “So, why don’t you introduce yourself?”
“Hi, I am Amy. Thank you for the opportunity to uh… to interview. I’ve worked as a personal assistant at two companies before. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in early childhood education.”
“Early childhood education,” Harry mused, leaning back in his leather chair. “You must be very patient.”
“I… I’m known for being detailed and very patient.”
“It’s perfect,” Seline announced brightly. “That is exactly what we need. Having experience isn’t enough to handle my assistant job. Why don’t you tell us what’s required?”
“Fine,” Harry sighed, annoyed by the entire charade. “Um, well, for starters, I don’t like someone who hits people. No violent tendencies, please.”
“Excuse me?” Amy blinked in confusion.
“Oh, I see,” Seline nodded sagely. “So, pretty much your job is going to be to tolerate his childish temper. Our CEO here, he’s very hotheaded. So, Amy, for instance, she might be perfect. He will… he’ll misplace things, miss appointments, forget a tie, get into a car crash at 3:00 A.M. Also, you’re on 24-hour call.”
“Uh, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Amy tried weakly.
“What’s really important here is that you have a good personality, very patient, and don’t quit over tiny things,” Harry added, staring pointedly at Seline. “Also, no randomly hitting people. Think you can manage? Also, just so you know, there’s no overtime pay for this role.”
“Wait, what?” Amy gaped.
“If you end up hitting someone and causing a medical emergency, I’m not liable,” Harry warned.
“Excuse me? Are you okay?” Amy stood up slowly.
“So, now you have problems with how I do my job,” Seline crossed her arms defensively.
“Well, you’re the one who’s dissatisfied with your boss!” Harry shot back.
“Fine, we’ll do it your way,” Seline scoffed. “Cuddle you, keep you amused. Maybe buy you a rattle.”
“Hey, maybe I’ll hire you as my bodyguard,” Harry retorted loudly. “I know you love to hit people. That’s your specialty. She’s so good at it.”
Amy practically sprinted out of the office.
“No more. I’m done,” Harry groaned, rubbing his temples. “This is worse than negotiating a contract. We’ve only got one more.”
“Please, let’s bail. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Oh, fine. One more. Bring them in.”
“Hello, I’m Millie.”
“So, um, MIT,” Harry read off the paper. “It says, uh, masters in mechanical engineering. Why… why apply for an assistant position?”
“I need a valid status to stay here,” Millie answered bluntly. “Plus, a salary to pay off my student loans.”
“So, do you have any actual assistant experience?”
“No, but I’m confident I can manage.”
“Do you have any experience in crisis PR?” Seline asked sharply.
“I assume you’d have a full PR department working on it.”
“Still, I can handle some emergencies, but this job is that wide-ranging,” Seline pressed.
“If it is, we can renegotiate your salary,” Harry offered lazily. “Just want to be sure that Mr. Aster is in good hands.”
“Renegotiate?” Seline turned on him. “We’re not made of money here. We can’t.”
“What is that? Double your salary,” Harry said directly to Millie. “Having someone who can keep up with you is worth it.”
“Half your salary. You do it for that,” Seline ordered the candidate.
Millie looked between the two bickering executives, completely bewildered.
“Hey, it’s your call. You’re hired,” Harry announced. “Come back tomorrow.”
“So, that was the wine cellar,” Seline explained, leading Millie through the sprawling Aster mansion. “If his friends or family stop by, you can bring them down there. Especially some guy named Mark. Mr. Aster’s room is downstairs there. And this is the assistant’s room. Do you want to take a quick look? It’s going to be yours in a few days. You two live so close.”
“All right,” Millie nodded, taking in the opulent, intimidating space. “So, the assistant actually lives here.”
“Yes.”
“Uh, is there any real personal time?”
“Yeah, of course,” Seline lied smoothly.
“Hey, Seline,” Harry called out from the bottom of the grand staircase later that evening. “Can we talk about yesterday?”
Seline paused on the landing.
“I lost my cool. I’m sorry,” Harry said softly, staring up at her.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I… I know I’ve been erratic lately. Acting in ways that I can’t even justify. Moodiness. Frustrations. It’s… it’s because I don’t want you to go.”
The words floated up the heavy wooden stairs, thick with absolute sincerity.
“The past few days, I’ve been thinking about how much you really mean to me,” Harry confessed into the quiet house. “You’re not just my assistant. Someone who organizes my life. You’re one of the few people I can open up to without pretense, or having to show off. I know I’ve been up and down, hurting you, and you have every reason to be mad. I just want you to know… I’m sorry.”
Seline looked down at him. She touched the silver necklace resting against her collarbone.
“Something so ragged. Could have replaced it,” Harry observed gently, noting the worn chain. “The longer I wear it, the more real it feels.”
“Got a new one for you. Here.” Harry pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.
“What is it?”
“Nothing special. Just a sketch. It’s my forget-me-not. Meaning, don’t forget me.”
“Already got my next job lined up,” Seline said softly, taking the small box. “Ryan hooked it up. I’m going to be a designer.”
“I get it. It’s always been your dream.” Harry took a slow breath. “You know, even if you quit… you don’t have to leave. What about Millie? We have so many rooms. I can… I can coordinate a driver for you to take you to work. I just… whatever. Just don’t leave. There. New and shiny. Looks good on you.”
“I don’t want a new one,” Seline whispered, clutching the old, jagged silver pendant tightly in her fist.
“I didn’t think I’d ever come back here,” Seline murmured, staring up at the dark, decaying facade of her childhood home. The wood was rotting, the windows taped over with heavy plastic.
“Yeah, a lot of work to do. It’s been a long time,” Ryan agreed, standing beside her in the overgrown yard. “Hey, isn’t this the place that you got from that boy?”
“Yeah.”
The terrible, suffocating memory rushed back violently.
Oh, she’s your daughter. Take this necklace to Miss Kaden and go swim in lane. She’ll give you a place to stay. You’ll never have to be afraid again.
“If it wasn’t for him, my life would be shrouded in darkness forever,” Seline said softly, looking at the boarded-up window of the room where she had hidden for so many terrifying nights. “And you still can’t remember his name?” Ryan asked.
“No. No. That… that smash on the head got me pretty good. He’s been working really hard. I just don’t know how I’m going to find him.”
“Thank you so much, Sylvia,” Seline hugged her friend tightly back in the bright safety of the city. “How am I going to repay you?”
“Well, help me sell a painting and maybe we’ll call it even. Okay?”
“Who’s the buyer?”
“Well, Harry, of course.”
“What? What?”
“Just tell him it’s a painting of the two of you and he’ll buy it for sure. Hey, for real. What’s going on with the two of you? What do you mean by going on? Fine. Tell me this. How do you feel about the man?”
“Harry? You quit it. Right. I’m packing up my stuff tomorrow.”
“What’s wrong?” Sylvia asked, noticing the sudden drop in Seline’s mood.
“Nothing.”
“That parting ways forever… it’s not that dramatic. Time’s almost up. Got to load my stuff.”
Seline walked out to the curb where the heavy black car waited.
“Don’t go,” Harry said. He was standing on the pavement, looking completely, utterly defeated. “I’ve never begged anyone before in my life, but I’m begging now. Don’t leave me.”
“Driver’s here,” Seline whispered, forcing the tears back. “Harry, sorry. I have to go.”
“Are you ready to move it? Let’s go.”
“Seline.”
Harry watched the car drive away until it completely vanished into the city traffic.
“Hi everyone. Let’s welcome our new colleague Seline. She’s joining our design department starting today. So please take good care of her.”
Seline smiled politely at the row of drafting tables. “Hi everyone. I am looking forward to working with you.”
“Seline, could you revise this layout?” a senior designer immediately demanded, dropping a massive stack of blueprints on her pristine desk. “Was a big event this evening. We going to go through this first.”
“Sure.”
“It’s called Vogue Vista. Worth about 11 billion.”
“What?”
“It’s the firm Seline works for. Aren’t we waiting on her text?” Harry asked impatiently in the Aster boardroom across the city.
“Who says I’m waiting on anything? Okay. Waiting for a response from a… a business partner. That’s all. Sure.”
“Oh, so it’s not from Seline,” Mark teased mercilessly.
“Well, actually, that’s none of your business.” Harry grabbed his ringing phone. “Hello. Yes, Miss Fitzroy. How can I follow it? You’re inviting Mr. Harry to a fashion evening. Really? Tonight he’s booked, I’m afraid.”
“Vogue Vista,” Mark whispered loudly. “So Seline might be funding, too. Seline will be there.”
Harry immediately spoke back into the phone. “Great. I’ll pick you up later. Is that all?”
“Hey, could you show me some respect? I thought you were my date,” Scarlet hissed later that evening, grabbing Mark’s arm at the crowded, flashing fashion gala.
“Look, just find yourself another date. Okay,” Mark brushed her off.
“Hey, now. Why is the lovely Scarlet so upset?” Harry appeared, holding two drinks. “You… you’re my date.”
“Do I look like someone who’s just free for the taking?” Scarlet scoffed, storming away into the crowd.
Across the room, Seline was trying to balance a tray of champagne flutes.
“Hey, it’s been a long time, huh? How are you?”
She turned around. Ryan was standing there, looking perfectly at ease in a tailored suit.
“Good. Yeah. What are you doing here?” Seline asked, surprised.
“A patient of mine told me that you accepted the offer. I’m not on call today, so I thought I’d come down and see how you’re doing. Going somewhere?”
“Yeah. I’ve got this event I got to go to. So, sure. Come on. Let me drive you there.”
“I just don’t get it,” Scarlet muttered bitterly to a friend near the hors d’oeuvres table. “The mighty Harry Aster, head of the family, is debasing himself every single day for a mere maid who doesn’t even appreciate it. What does Harry even like about her?”
“I mean, he’s in love, obviously,” her friend whispered back.
“Still, it is kind of a dick move that he’d leave you behind like that.”
“I don’t need your pity,” Scarlet snapped. “It’s not what I’m doing. You think I’m just going to roll over and die because he’s chasing after Seline? Or that I’m going to throw a fit? Isn’t that exactly what you did when Seline had an allergy attack?”
“If you hate it here, then go home.” Harry suddenly appeared right behind Scarlet, his voice cold. “All right. All right. Hold on. You’re just mad cuz you won’t blame Harry.”
“What did you say?” Harry demanded.
“Nothing. Let’s dance.”
“Thank you so much for everything, Ryan,” Seline said warmly, sitting across from the doctor at a quiet corner table. “This new job, it really means a lot to me.”
“God, don’t mention it. You earned it with your talent. You’re going to be a great designer. I actually wanted to treat you to some dinner. I know how much you like Thai food.”
“Thai? You know exactly what I like.”
“Who doesn’t have a clue? He’s absolutely clueless,” Harry muttered, watching them aggressively from the other side of the room.
“Sorry,” Ryan said softly, leaning closer across the small table. “Do you love Harry?”
“Seline, it’s… I don’t want…” Harry suddenly appeared at their table, completely ignoring the massive social breach. “We’re here.”
“You know you don’t have to escort her everywhere,” Ryan said calmly, sitting back in his chair.
“Of course I do. See, I have good manners.”
“Well, with your good manners, you should leave. We’re a little bit busy.”
“Always running around busy,” Harry sneered. “Perhaps that’s the sign of an incompetent boss.”
“Well, it’s quite the opposite, pal,” Ryan smiled thinly. “You see, uh, with my also excellent skills, I’m the one who’s usually in charge.”
“Being in charge…”
“Ryan, you should go,” Seline interjected firmly, rubbing her temples.
“Hey, I don’t want to waste any more of your time,” Ryan stood up politely, giving Harry a final, warning look. “Okay, I’ll call you.”
When Ryan was gone, Seline turned to Harry, furious. “How long have you been waiting? Where are we going? Hey, no. How’d you know about this place? We gave Leo the address right away.”
“Why do you keep interfering?” she demanded. “Interfering? Following me wherever I go. Every time I’m with Ryan, you two bicker. I… I know you don’t like him, but he’s an old friend.”
“Old friend?” Harry challenged loudly. “Is he that important enough to hurt the man that you’re in a relationship with?”
“Relationship?” Seline blinked. “Yes. Relationship? I don’t… I don’t think there’s another word to describe it.”
“Right. I like you. You like me. We are in a romantic relationship, are we not?”
“You what?”
“You and I, we’re in a relationship right now.”
Seline just stared at him, absolutely speechless at the sheer, blinding arrogance.
“Seline, turn on the news,” Mark texted her frantically the next morning.
“Why? It’s Harry. Seline, turn on the news. Why? What happened? It’s Harry.”
Seline turned on the television in the design studio. The breaking news banner was flashing bright red.
Whistleblowers claim that certain members may have been engaged in illegal activities. Harry Aster’s ex-personal assistant allegedly couldn’t stand his behavior and the Aster family is embroiled in multiple scandals. This all started when Patrick Aster was imprisoned. Officials state Aster’s group will liquidate all assets to compensate society for any damages caused. Current chairman Harry Aster will accept full legal scrutiny and punishment.
“Hi, Mark,” Seline called immediately, pacing the hallway. “Uh, have you seen Harry?”
“He’s with me. He’s at my place now. He’s not answering any of my calls. Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he… uh, he needs some time,” Mark replied quietly over the phone.
“Can I talk to him?”
“Sorry. It’s okay. Just take care of him.”
“So not responded,” Mark sighed, looking down at Harry, who was slumped heavily on the couch. “Don’t you know how worried she is?”
“Shut the [__] up.”
“Look, man. I’m just saying if you keep ignoring her, she’s going to get more worried. Okay? You sure you don’t want a drink?”
“She doesn’t like men drinking,” Harry muttered to the floor.
“Yeah, but how would you know? Look, man, there’s… there’s food in the fridge. All right. Just at least eat something for me.”
Seline was waiting outside Mark’s apartment building when Scarlet suddenly strutted up the sidewalk.
“How dare you ignore my calls?” Scarlet demanded, pointing a manicured finger at Seline.
“Would you stop?” Seline fired back. “What? Are you stalking me now? Because I—”
“Stop acting so high and mighty,” Scarlet sneered maliciously. “Nobody cares about your family’s pathetic leftover. Okay. You knew I was a player. If I were you, I would keep your distance. Okay.”
“Oh, really? And… and what about me?” Scarlet yelled, her face contorting with ugly, desperate rage. “Don’t you get it? Aster’s downfall didn’t do me any favors either! My family is acting like I’m a stranger, and they want me to be with your brother, but he’s engaged. So, when I refused, they cut my funding and they disowned me! So, this is your problem. So, fix it, Mark.”
Mark had just stepped out of the building. He held his hands up defensively. “What are you talking about? I’m an idle nobody in my family. Okay, stop dragging this out. I can’t magically sway their business decisions.”
“You both ruined me!” Scarlet screamed, completely unhinged. “Okay, first it was that big money loser and now you… another money loser. So, you’re talking down on me, but you still want my help. What? Do I owe you something? Do you think I care about you at all?”
“Say it again,” Seline warned, taking a dangerous step forward.
“Shut your mouth,” Scarlet hissed.
“Make me.”
Before the argument could turn physically violent, Mark’s phone rang. He answered it, and his face instantly lost all color.
“Seline… Harry’s missing.”
“What?”
“He… he just ran out and he left his phone.”
“How long ago?” Seline demanded, panic flooding her chest.
“An hour. Maybe you waited an hour.”
“What were you doing?”
“I… uh… ran into some trouble. Trouble? What? I… I’m okay now. Sorry, Seline. Just… we got to split up and find him.”
“Ryan,” Seline said urgently into the phone moments later. “Sorry. Right now is really not a good time. Harry’s missing. Can I come in?”
“Look, I don’t think you understand how deep the Aster family and Harry are connected,” Ryan said slowly, sitting across from her in a quiet cafe booth. “You need to walk away from him.”
“The news are wrong,” Seline stated with absolute, fierce conviction. “His Uncle Patrick framed him. Harry wants vengeance. He is not corrupt. I have to go find him.”
“Don’t go.” Ryan reached across the table, grabbing her hand tightly. “Seline, do you remember our graduation party? We promised to become the people you always dreamed of being. I’ve been thinking about that promise. I’m a doctor and you’re a designer. And maybe… maybe it’s time to start over. Be with me.”
Seline looked at the man holding her hand. He was safe. He was secure. He was a doctor with a perfect life.
But he wasn’t Harry.
“Ryan, I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“It’s because of Harry, isn’t it?”
“You’re so nice,” Seline whispered, gently pulling her hand away. “You care about me and value me a lot. They have to go with my heart.”
Ryan sighed heavily, defeated. He stood up. “Harry’s missing, right? Come on, let’s go find him.”
“Maybe he went to the company.”
“No, no, the company’s sealed off by the feds. He wouldn’t go there.”
Seline closed her eyes, remembering a conversation from what felt like a lifetime ago. A conversation in the dark.
“I know where he is.”
The old, abandoned warehouse at the edge of the industrial district smelled heavily of rust and stagnant water.
Seline pushed open the heavy, rusted metal door.
“You’re here,” Harry said softly from the shadows. He was sitting on a broken wooden crate, looking completely empty.
“I am.”
“Hey, I’m… sorry for not replying to your text.”
“I was… um… letting you go. Okay. I don’t want to drag you down with me. I… I thought distance…”
“I’m not letting you face this alone,” Seline said firmly, walking into the dark room.
“Seline, I’ve got nothing now,” Harry laughed bitterly, a broken sound. “No mansions. No, no, no, no cars. I’m not the Aster CEO anymore.”
“Strip away all the luxury,” Seline said softly, stopping right in front of him. “You’re still Harry. Even if I got nothing.”
“You are not nothing.”
“Seline, will you…?”
“Hello.”
The chilling, gravelly voice echoed loudly from the dark entrance of the warehouse.
“It’s been a long time. How are you doing, Seline?”
Seline completely froze. The blood turned to solid ice in her veins. She slowly, mechanically turned her head.
A tall, gaunt man stood in the doorway. He wore dirty, worn clothes, and he smelled violently of cheap, stale liquor.
“Dad.”
The memories rushed back like a physical, brutal assault.
Dad, you go get me some more booze. Let’s go home, please. No more drinking. I told you. Go get me some more booze now. But I don’t have any money. Worthless. A burden. Ow. She’s your daughter. Yeah. Yes.
From now on, she’s not your daughter. What? Let me make this clear. From this moment on, she has nothing to do with you. And if you ever bother her again, I promise you won’t live to see tomorrow. Got it. Got it. Let me go.
“Dad, what do you want?” Seline demanded, her voice shaking with pure, unadulterated terror.
“Just to see my daughter. It’s been too long,” the man slurred, stumbling slightly forward into the dim light. “I know I wasn’t the best father, but I’ve changed. I… I just want… I just want to make things right. Maybe we can meet, talk.”
“Going somewhere,” Seline backed up. “Just work. Be back soon.”
“There’s my girl all grown up,” her father grinned, a horrifying, gap-toothed smile. “Why? I know after all these years. Saw you in the news working for that Aster kid. You must be coming up, huh? Just figured maybe you could help out your old man.”
“Help you?”
“Just need some cash,” he demanded aggressively. “No, nothing crazy. Just to clear some debts, get back on my feet.”
“So, you don’t want to fix anything?” Seline yelled, the anger finally overriding the paralyzing fear. “You just called me because you think I…”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“No. You’re always a selfish little brat. You owe me.”
He took a sudden, violent step forward, his fists clenching tight.
“I was in prison for 10 years!” he roared, spittle flying from his mouth. “Beaten daily by guards paid to look the other way! 10 years in hell! Meanwhile, you’re off at college having a good life. You deserve that. You deserve everything that you got. You have nobody to blame but yourself.”
“You still have that same fire in your eyes just like before,” he sneered, pulling a heavy, rusted metal pipe from behind his back.
“You can scream all you want. Nobody’s going to hear. Nobody ever comes here. I’ll break you if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
“Go ahead. Kill me,” Seline said, standing her ground despite the terror screaming in her head. “Don’t change the fact that… that you’re pathetic. That you are a coward. Bully. I hate the fact that you are my father. And I hate that the law couldn’t keep you locked up forever.”
“Not that scary little girl anymore,” he growled, raising the heavy iron pipe high into the air. “Send you to hell first.”
“Who? Who are you?” the father suddenly shouted, confused, as a massive shadow moved aggressively from the dark corner of the room.
“My name is Harry,” the billionaire said, stepping directly in front of the iron pipe.
“Harry, stop!” Seline screamed as the heavy metal swung violently downward in a brutal arc.
The sickening CRACK of iron hitting a human skull echoed loudly through the abandoned, empty warehouse.
Harry hit the concrete floor hard. He didn’t move.
“Hey, there you are,” Seline sobbed hysterically, dropping heavily to her knees beside his bleeding head. “Okay. Hey, stay with me. Okay. Hey. Hey, look at me. Don’t you die on me, please. Hey. Dear God, no.”
Sirens wailed aggressively in the far distance, growing rapidly louder as Ryan and the police finally breached the warehouse doors. The father was violently tackled to the ground by heavily armed officers.
But Seline didn’t see any of it. She only saw the dark, spreading pool of blood expanding rapidly across the concrete beneath Harry’s head.
“Hey, it’s late,” Harry whispered weakly from the stark, sterile hospital bed hours later. A thick, white bandage was wrapped securely around his head.
“Hey, are you okay?” Seline asked softly, gently gripping his hand.
“Fine.”
“Really? Does it hurt?”
“Good point.” He managed a tiny, exhausted smirk.
Seline looked down at the jagged, silver necklace resting heavily against her collarbone. The pieces of the agonizing puzzle finally, beautifully clicked into place. The protective anger. The desperate need to keep her safe. The absolute refusal to let her walk away.
“You saved me all those years ago,” she whispered, tears flooding her eyes. “It’s you.”
“You’re just realizing now?” Harry smiled softly, squeezing her fingers. “The exact moment I saw your resume in my office, I knew exactly who you were.”
“I thought you’d forgotten.”
“I can’t believe that the person that I’ve been actively searching for… is also the way to go.”
He shifted painfully on the hospital pillows. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, dark velvet box he had tried to give her in the hallway weeks ago.
“I don’t need an answer right now,” Harry rasped, his eyes locking onto hers with absolute, terrifying devotion. “And I know it’s absolutely not the best time clearly… but Seline… will you marry me?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Seline laughed, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. “Who proposes like this? Bleeding in a hospital bed?”
“Someone who’s been desperately waiting for this exact moment for over a decade,” Harry replied smoothly. “And then they already agree to be with you.”
“Who would have thought that Harry would bounce back so heavily after all that massive corporate scandal?” Mark asked Sylvia two years later, standing near a beautifully decorated outdoor altar overlooking the ocean. “And it’s only been two years.”
“Well, he was always capable,” Sylvia noted. “He just refused to see it.”
“Wow. Look at you turning around and being on his side.”
“Fine, I’ll admit it,” Sylvia smiled. “Maybe he’s not that bad. You okay? Jealous?”
“No. Harry’s so lame. I couldn’t care less,” Mark joked, adjusting his tie. “But if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have gone through all this grief. So…”
The music swelled beautifully.
Harry stood at the altar, looking entirely completely rebuilt. The dark shadows of his arrogant past were completely erased, replaced by the quiet, unshakeable confidence of a man who had survived the absolute worst of the world, and walked out the other side holding the only thing that mattered.
“Would the bride and groom please exchange rings?” the officiant asked.
“Seline, will you marry me?” Harry asked softly, sliding the ring onto her finger.
“I will.”
“And now, you may kiss the bride.”