A stunned silence fell over the group.
"What do you an?" Rose blurted out, her smile vanishing. "You are leaving the project? Anne, that’s not fair. Everything that happened—it wasn’t your fault. Why should you be the one to leave?"
The others chid in, murmuring their protests, clearly unsettled by the news.
"Please, Anne," Lily pleaded, stepping closer. "Don’t rush this decision. We need you here. We trust you."
The genuine concern in their voices filled the space around her, but Anne’s decision remained firm in her heart.
Luke felt a wave of relief wash over him, though he tried to mask it with a look of concern. Putting on a troubled face, he said, "You must be upset that I’m the team leader now. I really don’t mind stepping down for you."
Anne smiled calmly. "I’ve thought about it carefully. Luke, you have more experience than I do. You are capable of leading the team." Glancing around at her colleagues, she added, "Give him a chance, everyone. I’m sure he’ll do a great job."
Everyone listened in stunned silence as she continued, "Besides, I’ve worked for over three years as the CEO’s secretary. I’m good at it, and after Lorie’s dismissal, I heard the boss is looking for a new secretary. I’ve already applied. If I’m selected, I’ll take it. If not, I’ll just continue working as a regular team mber."
The team looked disheartened by her decision.
"If you believe this is the best path for you, we’ll stand by you," Rose said softly, hiding her sadness.
"Yes, we support you," Lily added, wrapping Anne in a warm hug. "But we are really going to miss you."
Anne chuckled, hugging her back. "I’m not leaving just yet. I haven’t even been selected as the boss’s secretary."
"I have a feeling you’ll get it," Rose said with a hopeful smile.
Anne knew deep down that Augustine would choose her, but she kept her composure, feigning uncertainty. "Well, let’s see. It’s all up to the boss. Fingers crossed," she said, lifting her hands and crossing her fingers.
At Augustin’s office...
The door opened smoothly, and a woman stepped in confidently, dressed in a sleek black outfit, exuding power and purpose.
Augustine raised an eyebrow as he sized her up. He imdiately guessed that it was gan, even though he hadn’t seen her before. "Yes?"
The woman offered a composed smile. "Hello, Augustine. I’m gan—the new general manager. I wanted to et you the day I joined. But you were not here."
gan stepped forward, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Our families have been discussing our engagent," she said smoothly with expectation lacing in her voice.
"Miss gan..." Before she could say more, Augustine cut in firmly. "I keep my personal life separate from my work. Let’s stay professional."
The sharpness in his tone wiped the smile off gan’s face. She faltered for a beat but quickly composed herself. "Of course. I didn’t an to overstep. But I’d still like to talk about the marriage. Why don’t we grab dinner tonight? We have a chance to get to know each other."
Augustine’s patience was wearing thin. He inhaled deeply, trying to hold back his irritation. "I don’t know what discussions have taken place between our families, but I haven’t agreed to any of it. I’ll be blunt—I’m not marrying you."
The color drained from gan’s face, and for a split second, disbelief flickered in her eyes. No one had ever turned her down before.
She wasn’t just attractive—she was the kind of woman people noticed the mont she walked in. Wealthy, educated, with a commanding presence, she had always been surrounded by admirers.
n from elite families chased after her, eager for her attention. Complints flooded her inbox. Likes, comnts, DMs—she thrived on it all.
But Augustine? He hadn’t looked at her twice. No sweet words, no flattery. Just cold detachnt. And now, rejection.
Her pride took a hit like never before. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, nails pressing hard into her skin. She wasn’t used to this feeling.
It stung.
How dare he reject her? If anyone was supposed to say no, it should have been her.
"Why not?" gan’s voice rose, sharp with frustration. "Why can’t you marry ? Is there soone else?"
"Yes," Augustine replied flatly, without a hint of hesitation. "I love soone. So don’t hold on to false hope. This marriage isn’t happening."
gan froze. Her father had clearly told her that the old man of the Beaumont family was really interested in her, eager to make her his granddaughter-in-law, but Augustine had shattered all her hopes.
Her lips curved into a smile. But behind that smile, her mind churned. Her eyes were anything but warm.
She had to know who this woman was—the one who had captured Augustine’s heart so completely that he could reject her, gan Granet, without a second thought.
It wasn’t just curiosity—it was a challenge.
gan didn’t know yet whether she truly wanted to marry this guy, but one thing was clear: she wasn’t going to let it go that easily. She wanted to see him falter. She wanted to see if his love could withstand her charm. And she wanted to win—because that’s what she always did.
"I understand," she said sweetly. "No more talk about marriage. But we can still be friends? We’re going to be working together, and I’d hate for things to be awkward between us."
Augustine gave a short nod. "Cool."
In the anti, the door knocked.
"Co in," he said curtly without looking up.
The door swung open, and Anne stepped in, a bright smile lighting up her face. But the mont she spotted gan standing across the room, her steps faltered, and the smile wavered. She hadn’t expected to see gan there.
gan turned toward the door, her eyes narrowing when she saw Anne. A flash of annoyance passed over her face. mories of dismissing Anne from her position rushed back.
"You?" gan snapped. "What are you doing here? You’re just a regular employee now. You can’t just walk into the CEO’s office whenever you feel like it."
Anne straightened up, her hesitation lting into a quiet but firm resolve. She walked forward, her head held high.
"I’m not just a normal employee anymore," she said clearly, setting a folder down on Augustine’s desk. "I’m the new secretary to the CEO."
She slid the docunts toward him. "Here are my appointnt letter and the transfer report confirming my move from the production departnt to the secretarial team."
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