Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The Unwelcome Guest

No calls, no messages-what was his problem?

She considered calling him herself, but in the end, she just pulled the blanket over her head.

Forget it. She'd deal with it tomorrow.

--

The next morning, at GrandVerse Group headquarters.

A girl in a sweet, flowy dress stepped into the elevator heading straight to the 33rd floor. A man in a suit and glasses followed closely behind her.

"I'm just going to freshen up in the restroom quickly."

"Of course, Miss. I'll wait outside."

She stood in front of the mirror, carefully reapplying her lipstick, when two voices drifted out from one of the stalls.

"Alice has only been with the company for two years and she's already Edward's secretary. How'd she manage that?"

"Lots of people here are more qualified than her. Who knows what she did to get that position. Probably not entirely on merit."

"Right? I heard she's a bit too friendly with a lot of the higher-ups. Now that Edward's back-good-looking, powerful-maybe she's trying her luck with him, too?"

The girl's hand paused mid-motion. Her pretty face tightened slightly in displeasure.

She let out a soft, cold laugh, then turned and walked out of the restroom without another word.

--

Meanwhile, in the CEO's office-

William stood with his hands folded, speaking quietly. "Mr. Hawthorne, the Grants have sent Sophia Grant to discuss the partnership."

Edward's expression remained unreadable, though his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Get James Grant on the phone."

"Right away, Mr. Hawthorne."

William had already guessed Edward wouldn't meet with Sophia. Everyone knew she was hopelessly infatuated with him-completely obsessed. The only reason Edward tolerated her at all was out of respect for James.

When Edward was abroad for those two years, things were finally peaceful. Now he'd barely been back a week, and she was already showing up at his doorstep.

William stepped out of the office, glanced at Sophia and her assistant waiting nearby, and motioned for Alice to come over. He spoke in a low voice:

"Please escort Miss Grant to the conference room. Make sure she's comfortable. I'll contact Mr. Grant directly."

"Understood." Alice nodded and led Sophia to the meeting room.

She was well aware that Sophia's feelings for Edward were hardly a secret. He might ignore her, but Sophia clearly had other ideas.

"Miss Grant, may I offer you something to drink?"

Sophia gave Alice a deliberate once-over, then replied in an overly sweet tone, "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Mr. Hawthorne's secretary, Alice."

"So you're Alice?" Sophia let out a derisive snort, her eyes full of contempt.

"Yes." Alice chose not to react to her tone and repeated politely, "What would you like to drink, Miss Grant?"

Sophia didn't bother hiding her disgust. She barely looked at Alice before muttering, "Coffee."

Alice raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Sophia, then prepared two cups of coffee and set them on the table.

Sophia took a sip and immediately spat it back out.

"What is this? It's disgusting. Get me another one."

Ginny Lewis, her assistant, took a sip and nodded slightly. "It smells rich and tastes smooth." But since Miss Grant said it was terrible, then it was terrible-no arguing.

Alice smiled faintly at Sophia. "If this isn't to your liking, Miss Grant, I'll prepare another one for you."

She made one cup after another-five or six in total-yet Sophia found something wrong with every single one.

"Too bitter."

"Too sour."

"Too cold."

Alice was running out of patience, but she handed over yet another cup and said, "Miss Grant, Mr. Hawthorne is waiting. Please enjoy your coffee."

Sophia raised an eyebrow smugly and reached for the cup. "Oops-it's hot!"

Scalding coffee splashed all over Alice's arm.

"Hiss-" Earlier, Sophia had insisted the coffee be served hot, so Alice had used freshly boiled water. Even through her sleeve, the burn was intense. She drew a sharp breath.

A flash of triumph crossed Sophia's eyes before she slammed her hand on the table. "Trying to burn me with boiling coffee? Apologize. Now."

Alice clutched her arm, her lips pressed into a tight line as she stared coldly at Sophia. If this weren't a client, she wouldn't have held back. But for now, she had to.

Sophia crossed her arms and sneered, "What are you staring at? Apologize now-unless you want me to make sure you're blacklisted across the entire capital."

"You're welcome to try," a deep, calm voice came from the doorway.

Alice turned quickly to see Edward standing tall at the entrance-sharp suit, commanding presence, as if he owned the very air around him.

She froze, completely caught off guard.

Right behind him, William stepped forward immediately. "Miss Grant, this way, please."

"Edward, what are you doing?" Sophia refused to move, her eyes fixed on him. "I came here to discuss business. You can't treat me like this."

She hadn't even gotten a word in with him, and now he was throwing her out?

Ginny Lewis rushed to plead. "Mr. Hawthorne, Miss Grant didn't mean to harm your secretary. Please, for Mr. Grant's sake, let this go?"

Edward glanced at Alice's scalded arm, his tone icy. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"My apologies, Miss Grant," William said firmly as he began to escort her out.

"Let go of me! Edward, if my brother finds out how you're treating me, he'll be furious-he's your best friend!"

"Mr. Hawthorne. Miss Grant." Ginny tried to intervene, but as Sophia was led further away, she had no choice but to follow.

--

Sophia was unceremoniously escorted out of the GrandVerse building by William. Her face was flushed with rage.

"You'll regret this! I'm telling my brother, and he'll make you pay!"

"Goodbye, Miss Grant," William said curtly before turning back inside.

Fuming, Sophia stomped her foot in frustration.

"Miss, are you alright?" Ginny caught up, only to be slapped sharply across the face.

Humiliation flashed in the secretary's eyes, but she still lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Miss."

Sophia's beautiful face was twisted with cold hostility. "Edward actually threw me out over a secretary? Keep an eye on her. If she dares get close to him again, I'll make sure she regrets it."

--

Back in the executive lounge.

Edward glanced at Alice's reddened, burned arm and said calmly, "There's a first-aid kit in my office. Go treat that. If it's too painful, go to the hospital."

Alice nodded quickly. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. Some ointment will be enough."

She followed him back to his office, cleaned the burn, and applied the medication. The pain eased significantly. Turning to him, she said sincerely, "Thank you for stepping in earlier."

She finally understood why Sophia had targeted her-it wasn't about work. She'd been seen as a rival.

Mr. Hawthorne really did have that kind of effect. Just being his secretary had already made her a target. She couldn't imagine the pressure his wife must be under.

It also made her more cautious. That night with him-they couldn't let anyone find out. If it got out, she was finished.

Edward sat at his desk, his expression unreadable as he studied her. "What were you so afraid of back there?"

Alice met his gaze, then understood what he meant. "Miss Grant is a business partner. I didn't want to create tension that might affect the collaboration."

Edward let out a cold laugh. "Do you think we're that desperate for business? That GrandVerse will collapse without her?"

"Of course not." She bit her lip. "GrandVerse and the Grants have a long-standing relationship. It just seemed unnecessary to escalate things-"

He cut her off before she could finish.

"Alice, remember your position. You're my secretary. Everything you do reflects on GrandVerse. Since when do we bow and scrape to anyone?"

She stared at his sharp, cold features, completely stunned.

This was the first time she'd ever been criticized for being too accommodating.

She'd always been taught to play it safe, be polite, and avoid conflict. But Edward was different. No wonder people said he was difficult-he truly didn't play by the rules.

Still, having a boss who had your back like that? It felt pretty good.

"I understand, sir. It won't happen again."

Just then, William knocked and entered. "Mr. Hawthorne."

Alice took her cue. "I'll return to my work, then," she said, and quietly closed the door behind her.

William spoke softly, "Miss Grant has left, but. she didn't look very happy."

Edward didn't even blink, clearly unconcerned.

William placed a folder on the desk. "Here's the updated file on Mrs. Hawthorne-"