The Billionaire's Nerdy Secretary

Evelyn Thomas was sitting behind the counter reading the newspaper when the casino door was pushed open, allowing a bone-chilling wind to quickly fill the room. An unlucky patron, enraged, roared towards the outside, but upon seeing that the new arrival was Norman, the patron mumbled something under his breath and pretended to continue feeling his cards, no longer daring to shout.

Norman owned a service company that mainly handled 'security', turning protection fees into protection services. Everything seemed legal, and no one in the Tumessa area dared to cross him.

Today was New Year's Eve. The locals had finished their reunion dinners and, with nothing else to do, habitually came to indulge their gambling cravings. Norman also came to scratch his gambling itch. Upon entering, he fixed his gaze on the young woman behind the counter engrossed in her newspaper, smiling as he signaled his men to keep quiet. He took a few steps toward the counter, stretching his arm forward. Just as his fingers were about to touch the girl's cheek, the newspaper in front of her rustled, blocking his hand.

Only then did Evelyn look up, unsurprised, and smile, "Liam, you've arrived. Shall I open a table for you?"

Inside the casino, unlike the snowy world outside, the air conditioning units maintained at twenty-nine degrees Celsius the temperature. Smoke swirled around the card tables, casting a faint peach-colored hue on Evelyn's face. Her long black hair partially covered her collarbones, giving off a lazy and casual vibe. She wore a loose V-neck shirt, indifferent to the snowy conditions outside.

Norman felt his addiction growing stronger. He retracted his hand and, to avoid losing face in front of his men, jokingly said, "Open a table? Will you play with me?"

Evelyn chuckled softly, "Sadly, I've been working here for months and still haven't learned to play French-suited cards."

Evelyn had arrived in Tumessa at the end of summer. The casino was short-staffed and had just posted a job opening when she applied. Norman, not sitting in the private room, had Evelyn set up a table for him near the air conditioner. A television on the wall played a New Year's comedy show. This was the best spot, and Norman was pleased. He asked Evelyn, "A young girl like you, working on New Year's, doesn't your family say anything? Oh, right, where are you from?"

Evelyn poured tea into the cups and served them to the four men, smiling, "Working on New Year's means more bonuses; no one says no to money."

Norman liked money and enjoyed hearing such words, forgetting Evelyn's evasive answer. He then persuaded her to join his service company, offering top-notch salary and benefits. As he spoke, his phone rang inconveniently. Norman answered it angrily, but upon hearing the voice, he jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over. Not knowing who was on the other end, he rarely lowered his head so submissively, said a few words, and hurried out. Evelyn continued to smile as she poured tea for another table.

Norman stepped outside, shivering in the cold, his breath forming into clouds. This year, the city was unimaginably cold.

He was a bit annoyed. "What to do? Didn't they say it would be next week? Why are they here today?"

He walked a few steps, then remembered he should wait until the ignorant men left before rushing to the entrance of Tumessa. Standing in the icy wind for five minutes, he finally saw car lights in the distance and quickly approached, smiling obsequiously as he got into the first car, asking, "Boss, is your boss in the car behind?"

Nathan Lee, sitting alone in the car, glanced at him and said, "Lead the way!" Not another word was spoken. Norman cursed inwardly but kept his face pleasant, leading the way with two curtain-covered cars following closely behind.

Tumessa was remote, untouched by economic planning, with its architecture unchanged for decades. Rows of houses along the river were abandoned, with shops and residences mixed. Despite a significant population, property prices remained low, with no interest from buyers. The streets became wider and houses sparser as they went further, with no streetlights and silence all around. Finally, they arrived. The cars stopped outside a wall. Norman jumped out and opened the gate. A courtyard lit by bright lights revealed an ancient three-story building with white walls and black tiles, featuring a large open balcony on the third floor and a dense tree growing above it, its survival a mystery.

Norman welcomed all the curtain-covered cars into the small courtyard, which soon became crowded. He glanced at the cars while saying to Nathan, "I didn't know you were coming today. The house has been cleaned, and the furniture replaced, but the courtyard hasn't been tidied yet."

As he spoke, two men got out of the third car-one wearing glasses with a refined face, the other short and ordinary-looking. Norman wondered which one was the 'boss' until he saw the driver of the second car get out, slightly bowing as he opened the back door.

A shiny black leather shoe stepped out, followed by long trousers. Half a face appeared, clad in a black overcoat of fine material, with sharp lines. The figure stood tall, adjusting his coat. His powerful frame, tightly pressed lips, and prominent nose were immediately noticeable. As he straightened up, he slightly adjusted his coat and his towering figure loomed, with a sharp gaze sweeping past the dumbfounded Norman. He showed no expression, but his presence was imposing. Norman dared not look directly at him, quickly smiling ingratiatingly but nervously fumbling with the lock.

Nathan had inspected the place from top to bottom, carefully checking the main bedroom on the second floor. Finally, he felt satisfied as he found the bed linens and bedding neatly arranged in the wardrobe, free from any dust. Cutting off Norman's continuous chatter, Nathan said, "General Manager Smith likes peace and quiet. Your men are unnecessary, and keep this quiet!"

Norman said, "I know, I know. That's why I didn't let the guys follow me here. If there's anything else you need, just let me know, and I'll bring it tomorrow!"

As they descended the stairs, the man with glasses was fiddling with the TV, and the short man emerged from the kitchen, saying, "There's no food, so I just boiled some water!"

Nathan looked at Norman. "Do you have anything to eat?"

It was New Year's Eve, and all the stores in Tumessa were closed, as no one would leave their family reunion to go buy dumplings. The place was far from the city center, and it was already past eleven, so there probably wasn't any food for sale. In this urgent situation, Norman remembered the supplier of dumplings and noodles for the casino, which might still be open. He quickly took out his phone and called Evelyn. After two rings without an answer, he called the casino's landline, finally confirming it was closed.

Remembering that Evelyn's lodging was nearby, he gritted his teeth and borrowed Nathan's car to go.

As soon as Norman left, Nathan finally sat down opposite the man on the brown leather sofa, saying, "Mr. Smith, he's my cousin on my father's side, nicknamed Norman. He's a local thug with some minor skills, no major issues." After a pause, seeing the man's tired expression, he added, "Would you like to rest upstairs?"

Jayce Smith glanced at his watch and said, "There's still an hour left. Let's watch the Spring Festival Gala!" He seemed relaxed, as if he were on vacation.

Evelyn heard a knock on the door. Evelyn, carrying the last dish out of the kitchen, was about to watch the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala on her phone. She paused, slowly setting down the hot soup, and only answered when the door was nearly battered down, "Coming, coming!" Opening the door, she exclaimed in surprise, "Liam?"

Norman was already agitated. "What were you doing? You didn't answer the phone, and you took forever to open the door!"

"You called me? I was busy in the kitchen and didn't hear it!"

Hearing the word "kitchen" and smelling the food, Norman ignored any excuses she had, pushed her aside, and entered. Pointing at the hot food on the table, he said, "Great! Cooking at this hour, pack this up for me, I need it!"

Evelyn pursed her lips in silence, not expecting someone to come and seize her food at midnight. Ignoring her, Norman found containers and packed the food. Seeing her slightly downcast face, a look he'd never seen before, different from her usual calm smile, made him shiver. He cursed inwardly, blaming the unexpected guests for his busy New Year's Eve. He took out five hundred dollars and shoved it into Evelyn's hand, saying, "Don't be angry, sis. It's urgent. I'll treat you to an enormous meal sometime!"

He had planned to touch her hand during the exchange, but Evelyn sidestepped, taking the money and stepping back a few paces, saying, "You're too kind, Liam."

Cursing his generosity, Norman returned to the old house with the food, explaining, "This is from the girl at the casino. It's her New Year's meal, but I brought it all here!"

Nathan handed him a thousand dollars, saying, "Thank her for me!"

The food comprised three dishes and a soup, typical home-cooked fare but surprisingly tasty, making everyone's mouth water. After seeing Norman off, the four men sat at the table. The short man reserved a portion for the driver who had gone to rest, and then served Jayce a bowl of hot soup, saying, "Mr. Smith, your wound hasn't fully healed yet, so you shouldn't eat anything too greasy!"

The heater warmed up the living room. Jayce took off his black coat, ate a spoonful of soup, and suddenly stopped, raising his eyebrows. "Peanut chicken soup, not local?"

At midnight, the sound of fireworks outside drowned out the voices on the Spring Festival Gala. Evelyn, holding a bowl of soup she had just ladled out, slowly walked to the balcony. She leaned on the railing, ate, then finished the last sip. She looked up at the distant three-story old house, now lit up.

The news that someone had moved into the old house in Tumessa spread the next day.

At noon, when Evelyn arrived at the casino, Aunt Susan, who was stationed at the French-suited card table, said, "This morning, when I went out, I saw a car with curtains driving out from there. Before I could look closely, the gate was closed."

The casino owner said, "Really? It's rare for outsiders to live here!"

"How do you know they're outsiders?"

"Just a guess. The people renting houses here are usually city workers. Which local would move here? You said they drove a car with curtains; anyone driving that kind of car isn't a worker!"

The owner was smart, leaving Aunt Susan feeling slapped in the face.

Tumessa had only one casino, run by Ava, who was almost sixty years old. She had been in business for more than half her life, raising her two children alone. Now, her daughter was married and ran a three-star hotel nearby. Ava should be enjoying her retirement, but she refused to grow old quietly, driven by the need to save money for her autistic son, who was over thirty and still not fully aware of his surroundings.

Yesterday, the owner had brought back some dried meat and a lion's head from her daughter's house as a perk for Evelyn. She had mentioned, "Business hasn't been great lately, and Norman's been collecting a lot of money. There was even another service company trying to collect fees here. I thought if the two of them clashed, it would be hard to tell who'd win. This year has been full of troubles!"

Evelyn accepted the gift and thanked her, not mentioning any bonuses.

Unaware, the occupants of older adults house became the town's gossip. In the old, dusty Crepucsol Hall, their arrival provided significant entertainment value.

Early in the morning, the driver had gone to the nearby district to buy some food and had just returned when Norman arrived, carrying four or five bags filled with cigarettes, alcohol, and food.

Nathan, displeased, said, "Why didn't you inform us before coming here?"

Ignoring Nathan's expression, Norman smiled, "Boss, I didn't have time to greet Mr. Smith properly yesterday. Would you introduce me?"

Feeling a bit guilty, Norman remembered the childhood bond with Nathan, which had faded over the twenty years they hadn't seen each other. He couldn't read Nathan's mind anymore.

Despite being unaware of Mr. Smith's background, he had heard rumors about Nathan's increased influence, potentially because of his two-year stay abroad. Seeing an opportunity, Norman couldn't let it slip.

Nathan ignored him, letting the driver take the bags from Norman, saying, "The food you brought yesterday was good. Thanks for your hard work!"

Nathan's casual remark dismissed him quickly, but Norman took it as a compliment and ran to the casino, asking Evelyn to prepare breakfast. The owner allowed Evelyn two hours off.

Nathan accepted the hot food but still didn't let Norman inside, asking at the dining table, "Anyone want to eat?"

Two shook heads, Jayce on sofa reading, eyes behind his head. "Throw it away."

Evelyn didn't know her food had 'gone to the trash'. She glanced at the room full of guests, flexed her wrist, and continued to serve them tea.

Yesterday, Norman hadn't bonded with Evelyn, so today, after finishing his errands, he hurried over as usual. He pulled out two movie tickets, inviting Evelyn to watch, "A new movie, just released today. If you're busy today, tomorrow works too. The theater will be open all week!"

He had learned to research all his options, thinking Evelyn couldn't refuse. But Evelyn said, "This movie? Jasper Taylor wanted to see it. Is it for tonight? He might have time." She smiled at Norman, "Liam, are these tickets really for me?"

Jasper was Ava's autistic son. Norman wouldn't waste movie tickets but felt something was off in Evelyn's words. Yet, he couldn't retract the offer and realized he'd been outmaneuvered by Evelyn, who had decided to give the tickets to Jasper. Frustrated, Norman vowed to be more careful with his words next time.

Jasper, over thirty, always walked with his head down, afraid of strangers. He didn't really like Evelyn, but loved movies. Seeing the tickets, he said, "I want to see..."

Ava, pleased, handed Evelyn ten dollars to buy popcorn and drinks.

By nightfall, Tumessa was silent. It was New Year's Day, and shops were still closed. Around nine people passed by the old house, likely returning from a restaurant, discussing the quality and price of their meals.

Jayce, rarely having a full day off, opened his window for some fresh air. Outside, Nathan asked if he wanted dinner. Jayce, tapping the window frame out of habit, didn't reply immediately, eventually stepping out of the room.

Nathan knew Jayce's habits well and quickly asked, "Mr. Smith, shall I have someone bring a set of gym equipment here tomorrow?" Jayce stayed silent as Nathan mentioned, "It's freezing outside."

Jayce, already at the door, didn't turn around and replied casually, "Why so wordy?"

Despite the low temperature, the cold cleared his mind instantly. Jayce, wearing only a thin shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a couple of buttons undone, stepped into the night.

The movie ended, and Linda, having used Evelyn, paid no further attention to her and walked ahead with his head down. Evelyn followed slowly behind him, the streetlights casting her shadow sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, as if playing hide and seek with herself.

The riverside was deserted. Some houses along the river were intact, others half-collapsed, with even the railings broken in places, posing a risk of falling for the unwary. Remembering his mother's warnings, Jasper kept his distance from the river, walking on the opposite side of the road. Evelyn deliberately strolled along the railings, hands in her pockets, walking leisurely, her thick scarf covering half her face, looking quite content.

Just as Jasper was about to call Evelyn over, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw four or five men charging towards them, shouting something. He jumped in fright.

Jasper couldn't understand, but Evelyn saw clearly. The leading man pointed at her, shouting, "That's the girl!"

Instinctively, Evelyn took a step back, then reacted quickly and turned to run. But her brief hesitation gave her pursuers an advantage. After just a few steps, she felt a hand grab her shoulder, and someone cursed near her ear. Before the person could finish cursing, they yelped in pain, stepping back and clutching their leg, which had been kicked.

Evelyn had landed a swift and powerful kick to the man's face. Unprepared, he screamed and fell directly into the river.

The remaining three were stunned, swore, and charged at Evelyn. Even Jasper wasn't spared, his large, plump body offering no resistance as he was quickly subdued.

Evelyn cursed under her breath and sprinted forward desperately. The dim streetlights barely illuminated the path, and she hadn't noticed the man in a white shirt standing calmly ahead, watching her without moving. Without hesitation, she shouted for help.

The man remained motionless, hands in his pockets, watching leisurely. Ignoring whether he was a friend or foe, Evelyn kept running, unable to stop because of inertia. As she neared the man, he suddenly stepped aside, causing her to stumble and fall.

Seeing a stranger, her pursuers hesitated for a moment. Evelyn, on the ground, shouted, "Brother, run and get help!"

The man in the white shirt paused briefly, sighed, and faced the angry attackers. As a fist approached his face, he sidestepped, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and kicked him hard. As the man fell, he twisted his arm, eliciting groans of pain. The remaining two men rushed forward.

Evelyn got up, ignoring the fighting behind her, and ran to Jasper, who was crying on the ground. After ensuring he was unharmed, she called Norman.

Jasper wouldn't stand, crying so hard that his snot almost landed on Evelyn's hand. She grimaced, pulling him up and speaking into the phone, "Liam, come quickly, the other service company's men are after me!"

The furious cursing on the other end nearly deafened Evelyn. She pulled Jasper up and was about to run when she felt a warm wall behind her and heard a low voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

Evelyn's heart raced inexplicably. She rarely felt panic, the last time being when she faced a police officer. The man before her was tall, with a chiseled jaw and tanned skin, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing powerful arms with bulging veins. He looked down at her, expressionless yet intimidating.

However, Evelyn quickly composed herself, smiling sincerely, "Thank you so much! Without you, I'd be lost!" Even Jasper, still sniffling, stopped crying. Evelyn's mother's teachings were effective, and he added, "Thank you!"

Expressing gratitude made him seem heroic. Jayce subtly smiled and elegantly rolled up his sleeves, exuding a sense of tranquility. Standing firmly in the cold, he exuded strength and reliability. Evelyn kept her distance from him.

Norman arrived quickly, having stayed nearby. Seeing Evelyn unharmed, he was about to speak when Jayce startled him, stammering, "Jayce... Jayce..."

Jayce shrugged. "Don't worry about me."

Norman wanted to "worry" about Jayce but had to handle the situation, hoping to impress Jayce. He questioned clearly.

Evelyn, her hair disheveled and face pale, occasionally licked her lips nervously while speaking, adding a touch of allure to her innocent-looking face. Jayce watched, entertained.

"I'm scared! I don't know how I kicked him into the river. Liam, is he okay?"

The night air was below freezing, and while the southern rivers didn't freeze, the cold water could be deadly. The man Evelyn kicked into the river struggled to climb out and lay motionless, shivering uncontrollably. Norman's men easily caught him.

The remaining three had fled, leaving no trace. Unwilling to release them, Norman had his men assault the captured man and placed a few calls. After handling everything, he apologized to Jayce.