Stealing Elliot

Rosette rubbed her face at the wrong time. She made a mistake-a huge one. She bet half a million on a gamble. She placed it on her friend, Priscilla, who had a horse race with her long-time rival. Because she loved her friend so much, she acted foolishly and gambled the money meant for their struggling company's investment.

Priscilla lost. All her money was gone.

You're so stupid, Rosè! She slapped herself as she slumped on the bench like a melting candle. Then, Priscilla approached her with a sorrowful look.

She shot her a sharp glare. "You disappointed me. Now, I've also lost my money. What shall I do?"

"I'm sorry..." was all her friend could say.

After that, she attended a concert of her favorite K-pop group to distract herself from her problems. But she didn't enjoy it at all. What would she tell her father?

She was just stepping outside when she bumped into a woman. She had to lift her head to see her face. The woman had long, wavy dark brown hair. Her chestnut eyes sparkled even in the dim light. Her cheeks were smooth and glowing, her nose elegantly shaped, fitting her small face, and her lips were small and red. Her skin was white and porcelain-like-clearly a foreigner. She had a slim, slender figure and wore a minimalist but classy outfit. Rosette didn't realize she was staring with her mouth slightly open. The woman just smiled.

Next thing she knew, she was at a milk tea shop with her. The woman had invited her for a snack after the tiring concert. "Don't worry, I'll pay," she had said.

"Rosette Valentino, yours?" she introduced herself after getting her milk tea. They sat at a corner of the café.

The woman smiled sweetly. "Juliette Mortez. Nice meeting you," she replied in a casual but friendly tone and extended her hand.

They shook hands. "Nice meeting you too," Rosette said with a smile.

"I noticed you at the concert earlier. You looked gloomy. I realized I'm not the only one depressed right now," Juliette said while sipping her matcha milk tea.

Rosette raised an eyebrow-she hadn't realized she was being observed. No wonder the woman invited her out.

Her eyes widened, but she began to feel at ease. Even though she had just met Juliette, it felt like reconnecting with a long-lost friend-she felt comfortable opening up.

"I lost my half-million pesos meant for our struggling company's investment," she confessed, her voice heavy with sadness. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"We're in the same boat," Juliette said with the same sadness, setting her milk tea on the table.

Rosette was intrigued. She raised an eyebrow. "Why? What happened to you?"

"My parents are arranging a marriage for me with a man I don't like. What's worse is he's my childhood friend. Actually, there are three of us who were close. And the one I like is the other friend. I feel doomed, you know?" she said softly, though the tension was evident as she clenched her fists.

Rosette covered her mouth, feeling sorrowful at her story. It took her a moment to respond.

"So... what are we going to do now, Juliette?" she asked, burying her face on the table, wallowing in her regret.

"I came up with a deal," Juliette said with enthusiasm, smiling at her even though her head was still down. Her face was glowing with light.

Rosette was curious and lifted her head.

"So, Rosette, are you ready for the opportunity of a lifetime?" Juliette leaned in with a sparkle in her eye.

Rosette raised an eyebrow. "Opportunity? Or a major setup? Because it feels a bit... shady, if I'm being honest."

"Let's just say it's a little of both. Don't worry, I'll pay you double," she said coolly, sipping her drink.

"What do you do for a living? You might be scamming me. And what exactly do I have to do?"

"Hey, c'mon. What do you think of me? I'm a supermodel. I'm hiding my identity right now, you know?"

Rosette inspected her outfit-it wasn't even that covered up. Just a normal outfit. But money was money, so why doubt it? She must really be rich. Unlike Rosette-a CEO with no money.

"Just steal my fiancé. Seduce him. Make him love you. And then... break his heart."

She nearly jumped from her seat. That was something she didn't know how to do. She never had a boyfriend-unless you count the one her father arranged with a friend's son. She had a fiancé now, but it was a loveless relationship-more like a business partnership.

She exhaled. It felt hot inside the café even though the air conditioner was blasting. There weren't many people now, since it was almost morning. Thankfully, the café was open 24/7.

"Hey Miss Juliette, you want me to make him fall in love and then hurt him? I'm not that cruel! A-and I already have a fiancé!" she nervously declined, wiping her neck for show.

Juliette set down her milk tea.

"You want money, right? Think about it. You help me, and I'll help you. A little seduction isn't too much to ask for the kind of cash I'm offering," she smirked and stared deeply, patiently waiting for her answer.

"You're okay with me seducing your fiancé?"

"I told you already, I don't like him. He ruined my life and crushed my hopes of being with the one I truly love. I want to destroy him! So do it!"

"What's your fiancé's name?"

"Elliot Jon Mallary."

Her ears rang upon hearing that name.

"The cold, ruthless, and arrogant billionaire CEO, according to rumors. A woman-hater..." she pointed a trembling finger. "You? You're going to marry that jerk? Oh, poor me. How can I possibly seduce him?"

She felt like melting in her seat. She glanced at her milk tea. The ice had melted, and water had pooled on the table. She had forgotten to drink it.

"I know you can do it! So what do you say-deal?" Juliette's tone was enticing.

She saw the promise of peso bills in Juliette's eyes. She badly needed the money, and she had no choice.

"Fine. Deal. What shall I do? How do I start?" she reluctantly agreed.

A smile curved on Juliette's lips. She moved beside her and hugged her.

"First, you need to hide your identity and become his secretary. It's perfect timing-his secretary is about to resign."

"Or did you convince her to leave so-"

"Fine. I orchestrated it. You're a God's gift to me. So, are you ready to seduce and break him?"

She shrugged. "And then what? I make him cry, get my money, and we both go our separate ways? That sounds harder than it seems," she complained, furrowing her brows.

Juliette scoffed. "Think of it as a little social experiment. Heartbreak will follow, and then I'll get my sweet revenge," she whispered.

She shook her head. "Wow! Hurting someone that easily. Fine. I'll do it."

"I'll transfer the money tomorrow. So give me your bank account number." Juliette winked. Rosette handed her business card and wrote down her account number.

Juliette eagerly returned to her seat and pulled out her phone.

"Just remember: this is all about breaking hearts," she reminded.

Rosette nodded slowly. "Right. I guess I better put on my best charm." She picked up her ube-flavored milk tea and took a sip.

Juliette clapped her hands in excitement. "Excellent! This is going to be fun. Just remember, darling, one man's heartbreak is another woman's victory."

"Can I ask for a vacation for three months?" Rosette boldly asked her father for permission.

He automatically looked up at her. They were in the study room now. Her head hurt every time she saw the scattered books and papers on the floor and the boxes stacked in one corner. Their family business was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Gabriele closed his laptop. His haggard face wrinkled as he removed his glasses. He was only in his fifties, but he aged quickly. Some strands of his hair were already white, and he was almost bald.

"Why three months?" he asked.

"I'm exhausted, Pa. I want to take a rest," she whined in a childish tone. She acted like a kid in front of him.

She twirled a few strands of her caramel-colored, waist-length wavy hair. They had Italian blood, and she got her hair color from her father.

"Where exactly are you going? And why does it have to be for three months?" he asked firmly.

She looked around. "I want to go to the province, to Mom's maternal house in Bukidnon," she lied.

She hoped her plan would work. Luckily, their house was in Batangas, so it wouldn't be obvious that she was going to Manila. She planned to book a plane ticket as part of her cover to convince him.

Her father went quiet.

"I'll leave the company with Cristina. She'll manage it for now. I'll just monitor things every now and then while I take my break," she explained cheerfully.

Cristina Vera, the company's VP. Her best friend. She trusted her completely. Besides, she had already told Cristina the truth. Cristina was on board with her plan.

Her father just sighed.

"Whatever your decision is, I respect it. But your fiancé, does he know about this plan?" he asked in agreement.

It felt like a thorn was removed from her heart. A smile lit up her face.

"I'll tell Ranier soon. I'll also ask him not to follow me. I want total peace of mind," she said dramatically, even touching her forehead.

Her head hurt. This wasn't the right time to talk about Ranier. That millionaire CEO didn't even care about her. They only became a couple because their families had arranged their marriage. She wouldn't have agreed if it weren't for her desire not to hurt her father or jeopardize the family business. His family was one of their investors. She didn't like Ranier. He was arrogant, cold, and nonchalant. They didn't get along at all - their ideas and strategies in business always clashed. They had no shared interests. She liked tennis; he hated sports.

"This is all my fault, Anak. I've been stressing you out too much, especially now that we're close to bankruptcy," he said, filled with disappointment and sadness.

She quickly approached her father. "Pa," she said and hugged him around the neck.

"Don't worry. I already brought in the money, and we've invested it in Mallary Group. We're now under the protection of a powerful family, and we won't go bankrupt anymore," she whispered in a sweet voice as she massaged his shoulders.

"Thank you, darling. You've already done so much for me. I don't know how I'll ever repay you. Ever since your mother passed, you and Rosario have been my strength," he said with emotion.

Her heart swelled. After her mother died of a brain tumor two years ago, her father poured his time into the company and into raising them. She, too, poured all her love into him so he wouldn't feel the deep loss of her mother.

They were two siblings. She was the eldest at 25, and Rosario, her younger brother, was 24. The Valentino family lived a simple, normal life. They weren't very rich, but they had enough to survive in this chaotic world.

Each of them had a small business. Her father ran a food chain, she had a clothing retail business, and Rosario owned several restaurants and cafés. She loved one of Rosario's cafés in Manila and visited it every weekend. She was crazy about bubble tea and would go there even if it was far.

Rosè took a deep breath before leaving her father. She headed to her room to finish packing her medications for tomorrow. She would temporarily stay at the house of Tia Razon - one of their former housemaids. She would make up an excuse that she'd hang out in Manila to do undercover work for an important business mission. She knew Tia well - she was always quick to believe her nonsense.

She gasped. She wiped the sweat on her forehead. It was scorching hot in Manila. The humidity was intense, and the air was polluted. She was currently walking along the sidewalk, dragging her large luggage behind her. She was looking for a taxi to take her to Tia's house in Quezon City. She just came from the airport. She waited for her father to leave before sneaking away because she wasn't really going to Bukidnon.

Suddenly, her favorite ringtone - "Polaroid Love" by her favorite K-pop group Enhypen - rang. She stopped walking. She fumbled to answer the call, nearly dropping her phone.

"Rosè!" a woman shouted from the other end, her tone irritated after Rosè answered. "What the heck are you doing? You're disappearing for three months? Is this a prank? Are you sick? Tell me the truth, Rosè."

She covered one ear and pulled the phone slightly away. Cristina was ranting like a chicken again. Her best friend, who lectured more than her mother ever did.

"What's with the drama, Cristina? I'm not sick. I just want to rest," she said, trying to calm her down.

"Did we do something wrong? Are we making things hard for you?" Cristina asked in a teary voice, clearly worried.

"Don't worry. I'll monitor things from time to time. And no, you didn't do anything wrong, and you're not a burden. I just really want to rest for a while. Please bear with me. I know you can handle everything," she said while glancing around and walking again.

"Rosè, I'm just worried about you. But whatever your decision is, I respect it."

She sighed.

"Where are you now, Rosè?" Cristina asked when she didn't respond.

"In Bukidnon. Oh no! My battery's dying, Cris. I'll call you later, okay?" she lied and quickly hung up.

But the truth is something had caught her attention. She stopped in front of a pastry shop. She loved sweets - especially strawberry shortcake. She couldn't take her eyes off the desserts on display. She started drooling. She swallowed hard before entering the shop. She went straight to the cake display.

Oh, my strawberry shortcake! she whispered to herself, hugging her face with her hands. The cake sparkled in her eyes.

"Miss, I'll take this strawberry shortcake and-" she began, when someone interrupted.

"Miss, give me that strawberry shortcake, please," said a man behind her in an authoritative but attractive voice.

Her joy vanished. Her brows furrowed. She was annoyed - he was trying to take the cake she wanted.

"Hey you, lady! Get out of my way!" he snapped.

She turned and glared at him.

"Hey, you mister! That's my cake-" she stopped mid-sentence when she saw his angelic, handsome face. She stared at him for a few seconds.

"You're drooling, Miss," he said coldly, with a hint of annoyance and a grimace.

She covered her mouth. There was no drool. What the hell... he's an evil angel in disguise, she grumbled internally. And so rude.

"Excuse me, okay! I ordered that cake first, so you have no right to take it!" she snapped.

"Really? Well, I paid for it first, so there's nothing you can do. How long do you plan to stand there? Don't block my way, Miss. I'm not done ordering," he retorted.

Her blood boiled. People these days loved throwing their weight around just because they had money - so quick to oppress others.

"I'm a customer too, you know," she muttered as she looked him up and down, then returned her attention to the cakes.

"Miss, can you give me that Black Forest cake instead?" she said to the salesgirl. The girl nodded and took the cake from the display.

She tried to ignore the man behind her. She felt him move, heading to the counter to pick up the cake. Her eyes instinctively followed him. He turned to give her a sharp look before leaving.

She swallowed hard.

And then she realized that bastard was Elliot Jon Mallary.

"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.