Chapter 28

Gabriela froze for a heartbeat,blindsided by Wesley's insight.

How could he possibly have guessed what was on her mind? Had he already learned about her one-night stand with Brenden?

The thought alone made her pulse quicken. Forcing her lips into a polite curve, she replied evenly, "I'm not here to see Mr. Saunders."

"Oh? Is that so?" Wesley's gaze drilled into her-dark,unreadable,laced with a faint edge of impatience. "As far as I know, you're still just a sales department intern.So why exactly are you on the twelfth floor?"

Her mind scrambled for an answer. The easiest escape would be to butter him up and hope it worked.

But with Wesley, whose moods shifted like quicksilver,one wrong word could backfire spectacularly.

She'd tried flattering him before-sometimes it had bought him a smile, other times only a cold look.Never had it earned her anything of substance-not even a token bit of overtime pay, let alone a permanent spot at the company. Perhaps, she'd been playing the wrong game all along.

Wesley wasn't the type to bask in compliments. If anything,he seemed to enjoy being scolded.

She thought she'd finally cracked a piece of his puzzle -yet one look at that impossibly handsome face,and every biting remark she might have mustered dissolved on her tongue.

Watching her cycle between wary hesitation and dawning comprehension, Wesley could practically read her thoughts.

The mere idea of Brenden staining his reputation had his fists itching to drag him back for another beating.

With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed her, his tone edged with cool detachment. "Get back to work."

Grateful for the reprieve, Gabriela wasted no time slipping out, hurrying back to the sales department.Aubrey barely glanced up before calling across the room,"Gabriela, there's a company notice!"

She hurried to her desk and opened the company email.

The bold text leapt out at her. "Brenden Saunders has been found responsible for spreading rumors about our CEO. As disciplinary action, he will be reassigned

to the Clawei Sea well-digging project effective immediately."

Gabriela stared at the screen, momentarily frozen

Claei Swea was all the way out in Afluena-if Brenden was shipped there now, would he even make it back before the New Year?

She'd already gone through enough trouble just to secure this fake boyfriend arrangement, and now Brenden had gotten himself into a mess.

Honestly, with that level of brainpower, his romantic resume of thirty-eight girlfriends defied all logic.

While she stewed, Aubrey's voice chirped right in her ear "They're calling it a project assignment,but really,it's punishment. He'll be digging wells. Turns out Mr.Saunders' little rumor about Mr. Moss being a masochist was totally bogus. I knew it was nonsense."

Gabriela almost laughed at Aubrey's shamelessness.

This from the very same person who'd been practically buzzing with excitement to share that juicy bit of gossip earlier-and then let it slip to half the office

Aubrey wasn't finished. "Oh, and I heard he made a massive scene at the meeting. Stood right up and called Mr. Moss a jerk in front of everyone. No wonder they're shipping him off to Afluena."

Gabriela's stomach sank. With this mess blowing up,there was no way he'd be back before the New Year.

And without him, where on earth was she supposed to find another man to drag along to Phyllis's wedding?

She fired off a quick message to "NotASaunders.""Why are you being sent to dig wells? How long is this project going to take?"

Wesley stormed back into his office,his mood already black. Seeing Gabriela's text only soured it further. He shot back a blunt reply. "I don't know!"

A jolt of panic racing down her spine. "Is this because you spread that rumor about Mr. Moss being a masochist?" she typed furiously. "Why can't you keep your mouth shut? Even if it's true, you should've kept it to yourself. And now what? Are you planning on spending the rest of your life in Afluena digging wells?"

Wesley's jaw flexed as he read her message, every word steeped in her frustration.

Her reply made his grip on the phone tighten until it nearly cracked.

He shut his eyes, forcing the irritation down before he typed,"The rumors are false. Completely fabricated.Don't believe a word of it."Gabriela was caught off guard when she read those words.

Something in his tone didn't match the usual cocky bravado. Could it be that Brenden had finally learned his lesson and decided to act like he had a shred of sense?

Her shoulders eased as she tapped out another reply."You'd better watch yourself from now on. Don't go running your mouth about the boss. I'm warning you -he's petty enough to blow up over nothing.I used to butter him up every day, but he just ignored me and refused to pay for my overtime. He's a ruthless businessman who likes to exploit his employees. What possessed you to spread nonsense about him? You've dug your own grave. Listen, give it a few days for him to cool off, then go apologize properly. You might earn his forgiveness and be transferred to headquarters soon."

Gabriela's thoughts were plain as day-if Brenden would just heed her advice and offer a heartfelt apology to Wesley, Brenden could come home.

That way, she wouldn't be scrambling for another fake boyfriend.

Wesley,however, had no idea what schemes were running through her head. All he saw in her messages was an almost palpable concern for Brenden spilling out of the screen.

His expression darkened as he texted back, "Ruthless businessman? Exploit his employees? So that's how you see Wesley?"

The shift in his tone made her uneasy. Brenden sounded genuinely angry.

Was it because, as Wesley's relative,he could openly insult him while she wasn't even allowed to speak ill of him behind his back?

Before she could piece it together, a new message from "NotASaunders" popped up. "I took screenshots of your messages and sent them to Wesley."

For a moment, she simply stared, brain stalling. Then the shock ignited into fury so fierce her fingers itched to dig into her phone like it was Brenden's face.

That fucking bastard! She'd gone out of her way to comfort him, and he'd turned around and sold her out to Wesley without a second thought.

She was doomed.

Spotting the blood draining from Gabriela's face, she leaned in,brows knitting. "Gabriela, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Gabriela nodded. She'd managed to offend both Wesley and a two-faced snake like Brenden. There was no salvaging this;she could only wait for the axe to fall and start clearing her desk.

Still, she forced herself to breathe, to think. Her postgraduate certificate would be issued soon. With that and her internship on her résumé,she could land somewhere else.

Being fired during an internship would be an ugly stain,though. Maybe she was better off quitting before they had the chance to show her the door.

Gabriela, weighed down by sadness and unable to concentrate, sat quietly at her desk scrolling through job listings.

Her focus broke when the sharp click of heels echoed across the sales department.

Tessa Ortiz swept in-Wesley's personal secretary,the woman who ran the executive office's assistant team with military precision, second in authority only to Billy and trusted enough to be at Wesley's side in nearly every meeting.

Her appearance here could only mean something important was about to unfold.

The manager of sales department hurried out, a broad smile plastered on his face. "Ms. Ortiz, what a surprise What brings you down here today?"

Tessa drew a crisp sheet of paper from her folder and passed it to the manager. "Year-end is chaotic, and the executive office is running short. We'll need to transfer someone from this team."

A hush fell over the room, as everyone was caught off guard by such a revelation.

Apex Group-one of the fastest-rising giants in the industry-hired only the best. Even entry-level clerks needed résumés stamped by elite universities.

The executive office was another world entirely, its staff boasting an average of postgraduate degrees;Tessa herself held two master's.

Landing a spot there wasn't just a promotion-it was a golden ticket.

The manager scanned the notice with deliberate care,his eyes narrowing slightly as he reached the last line,where Wesley's bold, unmistakable signature commanded the page.

A flicker of surprise crossed the manager's face before he masked it witha cordial smile and strode toward Gabriela. "Gabriela, Mr. Moss has personally acknowledged your abilities. You've been appointed as a secretary in the executive office.Congratulations." Gabriela stiffened, her brain scrambling to catch up.

She had just crossed Wesley, and now she was being sent to work under his nose. That hardly sounded like a promotion.

Wesley clearly wanted to get back at her-what a petty man.

Aubrey seized her arm, practically bouncing. "Gabriela,do you realize what this means? You'll be right there,working beside your dream guy every single day!"

But the thrill in Aubrey's voice only deepened the knot in Gabriela's stomach. She kept her lips pressed together, too uneasy to answer.