A Car, A Secretary, A Lifetime of Regret

That night, Landon didn't come home for the first time.

The next morning, I walked straight into Hart Group. I took the private executive elevator and went directly to the senior management floor. It was empty.

This was where our secretaries were supposed to be on duty. I hadn't brought mine today, but where was his?

Laughter drifted out of his office, unrestrained, slipping through the gaps in the blinds.

Through the narrow opening, I saw Landon's secretary, Amelia Colton, holding a hair dryer and carefully blow-drying his hair. He leaned back in his office chair, relaxed and smiling as he chatted with her.

In the past, Landon had always been strict about boundaries. Other than me, he never allowed anyone to stay in his office for long. Now, the tenderness he showed Amelia was glaring to watch.

Even more blinding was the custom-made silver necklace gleaming around her neck. It was the very necklace he had carefully chosen abroad, meant to be my birthday gift.

Amelia was only an intern secretary. Even if she sold herself, she couldn't afford a single diamond from that necklace.

I pushed the door open.

Amelia dropped the hair dryer as if she had been electrocuted and hurriedly smoothed her hair. "Ms. Young? What are you doing here in Hart Group's office area?"

I shot her a cold glance. "I'm the general manager. Where I go is none of an intern's business. And call HR. I have questions about whether our hiring standards have dropped this low."

Amelia turned to Landon for help. He gestured for her to step out and lie low for now. Just as she was about to leave, I coldly instructed, "Take the necklace off."

She froze, her hand flying up to cover it, then looked pitifully at Landon.

I stared straight into his eyes. "Explain to me why my birthday gift is sitting around her neck. The deposit receipt for that necklace is still in my drawer, by the way!"

He seemed annoyed. "She's my secretary. She represents my image. Because you insisted on having the car she sat in professionally cleaned, people started looking down on her. So what if I gave her a necklace to keep up appearances?

"Didn't you also spend money customizing your secretary's wardrobe?"

I scoffed. "My secretary is a woman, and she earns her pay with real ability. What does this bimbo do to deserve it?"

I pointed at Amelia. "Is it because she knows how to please you?"

Fury burned in Landon's eyes, his expression grim. "It's just a necklace. I'm only using it to make up for the mockery she had to endure. I'll buy you a better, more expensive one for your birthday, alright?"