"No. Not now. My mother is quite emotional over the phone. I'm not even sure what will happen if we tell them now." She even tried to drive to the hospital by herself.

Seeing her whole body trembling, he insisted on driving. She succ.u.mbed to his offer just to end the argument as she badly wanted to go to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the 37th floor of ZFC, Dan was greeted by employees.

Mich.e.l.le Park arrived just in time to walk behind as he stepped out of the elevator. She stopped by her desk as the CEO was about to enter his office.

Suddenly, she was surprised as her boss glanced at her, tilted his head a little, gesturing her to also come inside the office.

Since Dan transferred to the head office, no woman has been alone in the office with the CEO. Even his a.s.sistant usually receives orders from her desk. Other women coming in for business would be accompanied by the a.s.sistant. Therefore, even if most of these rich and powerful ladies would want to get closer with the CEO, they could not be deliberate in doing so.

With these in mind, people started to gossip on whether a.s.sistant Park has a special relations.h.i.+p with their CEO. In fact, she was brought as his date in a cruise. Rumor has it that they were even stuck alone in an island after the hijacking incident.

At this point, people started to wonder and murmur on what the two are doing behind the door of the CEO's office.

"It might not be far-fetched. Ms. Park is slim and has a pretty face. She is also very efficient in her job."

"But doesn't the rumor say that the CEO is gay?"

"Then maybe she turned him straight..?"

Mich.e.l.le went out of the CEO office and heared buzzing of some flies.

She took out her phone and began her task.

.

Riley had just coordinated with the COO of the shoe brand regarding the launch of the bridal line when his phone beeped.

"Meet me downstairs in 10 minutes."

He was confused. Indeed, his CEO is still on leave, but Mich.e.l.le would have brains enough to a.s.sume and remember that he might be at work.

Matching the business tone in her message, he sent back, "a.s.sistant Park, may I ask the agenda for this sudden meeting?"

He was still hesitating on pus.h.i.+ng for the elevator b.u.t.ton since this was not in his schedule, when his phone rang.

"Where are you?" No h.e.l.lo or other pleasantries.

"I'm at work." He was a bit annoyed. Why would she suddenly ask him to meet up during office hours.

The truth is, they had been meeting each other a couple of times after the incident, discounting the wedding of their bosses. However, they keep it casual and each tries not to interfere much on the other's work.

"Did I not tell you to meet me outside within 10 minutes?! I'm at the entrance to the main lobby." Her voice sounded annoyed.

"Tsk. Fine. But you have to explain yourself once I get there."

.

Riley looked at the woman beside him as the elevator ascends. Her words kept ringing in his ears.

"CEO Zhou wants a dialogue with you."

The gravity of the statement was inexplicable. Does that mean that CEO Zhou would like a meeting as ZFC's CEO or as my boss's husband? Either way, for Riley Adams, it is a.s.sumed that the matter is important because he had to personally take the order with a trip to ZFC.

As a blonde handsome man stepped out of the elevator with a.s.sistant Park, employees exchaged looks of confusion.

"Is this Ms. Park's boyfriend?"

"He's hot! But, I still like the CEO better."

"Maybe he's a foreign investor. After all, Ms. Park personally went to escort him into the office."

Mich.e.l.le can hear some of the murmurs and whispers. She glanced at Riley, without changing her strides. Finally, they came into the office.

"You can go now, Park." Dan instructed in his usual neutral face.

"CEO Zhou. What can I do for you?" As he uttered his words, his mind was a bit confused. 'Why does it sound like I work for him instead of his wife? Am I a conjugal property now?'

.

When Mich.e.l.le went back to her desk, people's gossips intensified.

"Hey, it was rare for the CEO to be alone with a client, whatever the gender."

"That's right. He even sent a.s.sistant Park away this time. That guy might be a big shot!"

"And he's so gorgeous!" A female employee let out a soft squeal.

"I think he's gay. Maybe he's the CEO's lover."

"Woah...what about Ms. Park then?"

"I think her position has been clear when she fetched the guy and left them alone inside."

"No, no! I don't think CEO Zhou is gay! He cannot be gay!"

"Hey! How can he not be? Tsk. If that really is his lover, it would be a hard game to play. How I wish he would turn gay on me." A male employee exaggeratedly clutched the left side of his s.h.i.+rt.

"You sly fox! Quit fantasizing about the CEO! The compet.i.tion is tight enough for us girls!"

Mich.e.l.le could not take it anymore. Though some remarks made it hard for her not to laugh, as the conversations went on, people became annoying. "Alright, people. We are not being paid to gossip. Time to work."

Silence ensued for only a couple of minutes before softer buzz resumed.

"Hey, do you think a.s.sistant Park is annoyed because she is jealous?"

"I think so too."

"But whom is she jealous of?" Giggles were heard.

"If I were her, I'd prefer the CEO. That would also ensure that she could keep her job and could always be by his side."

"I'll take the blonde hottie. At least, if I had a fall out with the CEO, someone can take me away in another country."

Mich.e.l.le snickered at the last remark. She stared at the photo in her phone. The blonde man on the picture was sipping coffee and he looked at the camera as if he just caught the one who took the photo in the act.