Chapter 3 Accidentally

"What?"

Elliot Jon Mallary snapped irritably at his secretary. His brows furrowed as he stared at the woman before him with confusion.

"You're resigning? I just hired you last week. I found you reliable and diligent. It's a shame if you leave. If you only knew how hard it is to find trustworthy employees."

She bowed her head.

"I'm really sorry, Sir. My husband told me to just stay at home so I can properly take care of our children. Thank you so much even if it was just a short stay," she explained calmly.

"Ahh, what a shame," he said, massaging his forehead. "Fine. I dismiss you. Thank you also for everything. I hope I can find another one like you."

He leaned back in his swivel chair, drained by his secretary's decision. He was about to lose yet another trustworthy worker.

"Thank you again, Sir," she said with a smile before leaving his office.

He sighed deeply. His chest tightened with the frustration piling inside him. He looked up at the ceiling and started zoning out again.

He was a billionaire CEO, the chairman of the Mallary Group. He was rich. He had money. He could buy anything he wanted, but his responsibilities were massive. Everyone thought that lying on a bed of roses meant no thorns. They were wrong-every day was a mountain of problems and tasks. He could barely breathe and had little time for socializing with friends. He came home exhausted and went straight to sleep.

It's been seven years since he became CEO of the corporation. At just 27, he had already achieved a lot in growing the business.

Born into a wealthy family, Elliot was the eldest of three siblings. His father, a powerful businessman, always had high expectations for him, including arranging a marriage with Juliette to merge their family fortunes.

Even though he was against his parents' decision, he followed it for the company's sake.

Juliette Mortez-she was his childhood friend, but he never had any romantic feelings for her. He knew she had feelings for their other childhood friend, Magnus Rhys Zaragoza. Since high school and even now, Juliette had been chasing Magnus, who had become an international fashion model. He felt sorry for her. He was aware that she loathed him. For their families' sake, both of them would suffer in a loveless marriage.

But he was thinking of a way to stop the wedding. He would use Magnus. He would try to make Juliette fall in love with him again.

He smiled to himself at the idea. He leaned his elbow on the desk and picked up his phone, dialing a number and placing it to his ear.

"Raffy, start looking for a new secretary," he ordered his HR manager.

"No need, Sir! We found out Gretchen was leaving, so we quickly looked for a replacement. We already hired someone. She'll start tomorrow," Raffy replied cheerfully.

Joy sparked in his heart. "Well done, Raff. I'll definitely increase your salary."

"Oh! Thank you, sir!"

After the call, he hung up, stood, grabbed his black coat, and stepped out of the office while putting it on.

He was already running late for a business meeting with a new client.

As he hurried past the rows of vehicles, Elliot fumbled with his keys, his mind racing with the agenda he needed to discuss.

He finally spotted his black sedan parked at the far end. He dashed toward it, weaving between other cars, quickly unlocked it, tossed his bag onto the passenger seat, and slid into the driver's seat, barely catching his breath.

He started the engine and glanced at his wristwatch. Only 15 minutes left before the meeting started. Fortunately, the client's company was near his. He just hoped traffic wouldn't block his way.

He felt relieved as the traffic flow was smooth. He stopped when the light turned red. He grabbed his phone while waiting for the few seconds' grace as pedestrians crossed.

He called Johannes Romangoli's secretary to let them know he was on his way. Johannes was actually one of his friends. A CEO of a company that ranked just below his. He'd invited him several times to be business partners, but Johannes always declined. Maybe he was desperate now, which was why he finally agreed to work with him.

He dropped the call when the green light came on, signaling him to move. He glanced at the sidewalk, distracted by the chaotic flow of pedestrians. Many people were waiting to cross, and he couldn't make out their faces because he was in a hurry.

But one woman stood out from the rest. Like a winged horse, she blindly ran across the street-even though the light was already green. Her expression was full of anguish as her long black hair whipped wildly in the air.

He saw her slam into his car.

Panic surged through his veins as he hit the brakes. His heart racing, he jumped out of the car, his mind reeling in disbelief and horror.

Luckily, there weren't many cars behind him. He found the beautiful woman lying on the pavement, a shocked expression on her face as she struggled to breathe.

The world around him faded like a silent film-the honking cars, the shouting pedestrians-none of it reached him as he knelt beside her, his heart pounding.

"Are you okay? Please, can you hear me? What were you thinking, running like that?!" he stammered, not knowing what to do, the gravity of the situation crashing over him like relentless waves.

She squinted one eye and tried to sit up.

"I didn't see the car. And I'm going to be late for my meeting," she explained.

"Late for your-my meeting, you mean? Do you realize what you've done? I can't afford to be delayed right now!" he snapped, almost breathing fire. Then guilt hit him. He thought about bringing her to the hospital.

"I know. I just wanted to cross, but then the light turned green and..."

"It doesn't matter! You could've really hurt yourself!" he cut her off.

"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm running to save my job."

He paused and thought.

"You're that same girl I met last time," he studied her face.

"You're the one who stole my strawberry shortcake!" he exclaimed, holding his waist.

He shook his head and grabbed his phone to call the paramedics.

"I never stole it. I bought it, and it was mine," he said with irritation, glancing at his wristwatch. "Oh sucks! I can't believe this. I was supposed to be at a meeting in fifteen minutes."

He glared at her. "This is all your fault! That traffic light is huge! You didn't even see it was green?" he scolded, smoke practically coming out of his ears.

"I'm sorry, mister. I guess I'm just really stupid. I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disrupt your life," she said, breathing heavily after apologizing.

His expression softened. "Well, now we're both disrupted," he replied coolly, placing both hands on his hips.

Moments later, the ambulance arrived.

"What happened here?" asked a paramedic.

"She ran into the street..."

"I wasn't paying attention," she cut him off.

"I can sue her. This is all her fault," he said, turning his gaze back to her. She didn't speak, only stared at him like a stray dog pleading for mercy. He sighed. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today. I will spare you, Miss."

He stepped back. The paramedics rushed in to help lift her. Frustration boiled inside him as he watched the scene unfold.

---

The next day, Elliot was back at the office.

He had rescheduled his appointment with Johannes. He was seated in front of his laptop, busy typing replies to the mountain of emails in his inbox. He didn't notice the door opening.

His new secretary walked in with Raffy.

Elliot's jaw dropped when he recognized the woman standing in front of him. It was her-the troublemaker. He glanced at her resume to read her name again.

No words seemed to come out of his mouth.

The woman smiled. Her round eyes sparkled with innocence. Her hair was in a neat ponytail, and she wore a minimalist corporate outfit-white, silky long sleeves and a pastel lavender over-the-knee skirt. It perfectly suited her slender frame. Her innocent look suddenly fluttered his cold heart.

He could only sigh in defeat.