"Yeah."

The next day, William dragged himself to the 33rd floor looking like a zombie, dark circles heavy under his eyes.

Alice had just handed some reimbursement forms to Finance when she turned around and nearly jumped. "Secretary Brooks, did you rob a bank last night or something?"

William looked dead inside. "Honestly? Robbing a bank might've been easier."

"What happened?"

He raised the coffee cup in his hand and sighed miserably. "Been searching everywhere for someone and still can't find them. Called a bunch of times-no answer."

Alice's face fell. She was instantly reminded of the message she'd sent Alexander Blake. A soft sigh slipped out. "Wow. same here."

Not only hadn't he replied to her texts or calls, but lately, she couldn't even get through to his number anymore.

William raised an eyebrow. "Who are you looking for?"

"A friend." She kept a straight face as if the story wasn't made up on the spot. "She asked me to help find her husband."

William's gossip radar instantly went off. Whoever said only women loved drama clearly hadn't met a bored office guy.

"Why'd she ask you to find him?"

"Because she's tried everything already-calls, texts, you name it-and he just isn't responding." Alice looked puzzled. "Why would a man ghost his own wife?"

William didn't even hesitate. "Isn't it obvious?"

Alice blinked. "Huh?"

William nodded, dead serious. "Guaranteed he's cheating."

"Cheating?"

Alice hadn't even considered that angle. But if he was really cheating, wouldn't he try to push for a divorce sooner rather than later?

"You know," William continued, "the guy you're looking for sounds a lot like the one I'm trying to find. They both vanish like Houdini-zero trace."

Alice thought about asking who he was looking for too, but she still had her own mess to sort out. No point getting tangled in his.

Even though she stayed quiet, William wasn't giving up. "You should try calling from an unknown number. Maybe he'd actually pick up."

He held out his own phone. "Use mine if you want."

Alice thought about all the times she'd called that number-she almost had it memorized by now. But after a couple of seconds, she shook her head.

"Forget it. This kind of thing. they should handle it themselves." She'd never really liked mixing personal stuff with work anyway.

Her eyes flicked toward the CEO's office. "Is Mr. Hawthorne not coming in today?"

William looked surprised. "Why do you say that? He's been here since early morning."

"What?" Alice was stunned. He was that sick yesterday and didn't stay in the hospital?

She leaned in and told William what happened-the whole emergency with Edward being rushed to the hospital for his stomach problem.

William sighed and lowered his cup. "He looks fine on the surface, but truth is, he barely sleeps, and that stomach issue's no joke. Food abroad didn't suit him, and he's got back-to-back business dinners-doesn't even know when his next meal is half the time."

Alice was genuinely surprised. She never expected him to also struggle with insomnia on top of everything else. He always seemed so full of energy.

"Doesn't his wife care?"

William shrugged. "Would've been nice if she did. They lived apart when he was overseas, and she basically ghosted him the entire time. Now he's been back for a while, and they still haven't seen each other once."

Alice was genuinely caught off guard. Her impression of Mr. Hawthorne and his wife had just done a 180-seemed like the Mrs. wasn't even mildly interested in him. But somehow, the way they got along felt oddly familiar.

William's expression grew more gloomy, sighing heavily. "Anyway, I'm done talking. I'm heading out to grab Mr. Hawthorne some breakfast."

Alice quickly shelved her curiosity and silently reminded herself of the ultimate workplace survival mantra: don't stick your nose in the boss's business, stay focused, clock out on time, get home and chill.

--

That afternoon, Alice accompanied Edward to the Grant family's Stardawn Lounge. This time, the stalled partnership talks were back on, now with James Grant taking point.

Once they arrived, a staff member guided them straight to the VVIP suite.

By the time they stepped in, the others were already there.

As Alice followed behind Edward into the room, a familiar voice rang out.

"Edward! You're finally here!" Sophia's eyes lit up when she saw him. But the moment she noticed Alice behind him, her smile froze and her expression went dark.

Almost instantly, everyone's gaze turned toward the entrance.

Standing tall at the door, Edward exuded a calm, refined air. As he moved further in, the crowd instinctively cleared a spot next to James on the sofa for him.

Once Edward took his seat, Alice finally had a clear view inside the suite.

James lounged casually next to Edward, one arm on the backrest, his sharp black suit pants neatly pressed, paired with a flawless white shirt. His lips curved with an effortless smile.

Unlike Edward's distant and cool demeanor, James felt more chill on the surface, but there was a slyness in his smile, like someone who played nice but had a blade behind his back.

Suddenly, James's gaze swept toward Alice. Their eyes met for a second.

Even though his face held a smile, soft and easy, Alice couldn't help but feel a touch of pressure-as if he could see through her.

She nodded slightly and gave him a polite smile before looking away, quietly thinking to herself-yup, none of the boss's friends are easy to deal with.

Just then, a clear, cheerful voice called out, "Alice! Over here!"

Alice turned and her eyes widened. "Dr. Bennett? What are you doing here?"

This was supposed to be a business meeting between their firm and James Grant-why was a doctor showing up?

Charles wasn't in his usual white coat today. Instead, he was dressed in an expensive-looking white loungewear set. Compared to his steady doctor self yesterday, he looked younger, even a bit dashing.

Standing up, Charles grinned and said, "James asked a few of us to hang out. I happened to be off today, so I came by."

So basically, James had combined work and play all in one.

Alice glanced at Edward-he didn't seem to mind, so she sat down beside Charles. Better than ending up next to Sophia, especially after the way she came for her last time.

Charles smiled reassuringly. "Relax, it's all friends here."

James raised an eyebrow, a faintly amused look on his handsome face. Fixing his gaze on Alice, he said, "So, you're Alice?"

Alice met his eyes, calm and composed, and tilted her head slightly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Grant. I'm Alice, Mr. Hawthorne's secretary."

James Grant smirked and glanced sideways at Edward.

"So you kicked my sister out of GrandVerse just for her?"

Edward held the glass in his hand, long fingers loosely wrapped around it. Before he could speak, Sophia was already glaring daggers at Alice, as if she could burn a hole through her with her eyes.

"Exactly, James! It was her! She poured coffee all over me and ruined my outfit!"

Alice silently stared back-seriously, who splashed who last time? This young lady really had a talent for flipping the story.

"You know your sister's personality better than anyone," Edward said coolly, throwing Sophia a sidelong glance, the chill in that simple act making people instinctively tense.

"Besides, do I need a reason to let someone go?"

"Edward!" Sophia started to protest, but one look from him shut her up. That cold gaze killed her momentum in an instant. Swallowing her frustration, she shot Alice another glare.

Alice met her look calmly, though in her mind she was cursing nonstop.

Sophia might be obsessed with her perfect fantasy, but if she's got what it takes, she should just go ahead and win Edward's heart the proper way-or at least shake up his fiancée for real.

All she does is pick on employees who are just trying to earn a living. Talk about missing the point.

James suddenly chuckled, his eyes sparkling with intrigue.

"Edward, this is the first time I've seen you that protective over a woman. She wouldn't happen to be that mysterious 'first love' you've been searching for all these years, huh?"

Compared to Charles Bennett, it seemed James had a better knack for knowing just where Edward's sensitive spots were.

Alice curved her lips into a polished smile, then lightly chimed in to defuse the tension for her boss.

"Mr. Grant, this is still the warm-up round. We're not in the competition yet. Maybe save those questions for after Mr. Hawthorne loses?"

James lazily lifted his gaze, eyes sharp and jet-black as they locked onto Alice.

Edward shifted slightly-his tall, authoritative silhouette suddenly grounding the room with the weight of his presence. As Alice's words echoed, everyone stared at Edward in stunned silence.

Alice, too, was caught off guard. She peeked at Edward's unreadable face-he was still flawless, mysterious, and intense.

So not only does he have a wife somewhere out there, but also a so-called first love he's been looking for all this time?!

Oddly enough, Sophia stayed shockingly composed.

First love? What a joke. The woman just had good timing when she saved Edward once. He probably just felt he owed her a favor.

He's never been one to carry debts around for long.

Under everyone's astonished gaze, Edward finally lifted his head.

His eyes, sharp as blades, swept across the room, and the air turned icy in an instant.

"Are we doing this deal or wasting my time?"

The burst of cold energy from him didn't discriminate-everyone tensed without realizing it.

Only James remained relaxed, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Of course, let's talk."

Business-wise, both men were seasoned, ruthless sharks. After drilling into a few key details, they reached an agreement pretty quickly.

This partnership was definitely shaping up to be a win-win.

Ignoring Sophia's death glares, Alice calmly gathered the signed contracts and slid them into the folder.

Then she flashed Sophia a poised, polite smile-equal parts manners and silent retaliation.

That finally pushed Sophia over the edge. She smacked the table and stood up.

"How about a round of archery? Winner gets to make the loser do anything they want."

She pointed right at Alice, her tone superior and condescending:

"Alice, you in or not?"

Alice set the briefcase down to the side, a polite smile gracing her calm, elegant features.

She answered evenly, "Miss Grant, I actually don't know how to shoot."

Charles Bennett's eyes lit up for a second. He leaned in and whispered near her ear, "Archery's actually pretty fun. Want me to show you the ropes?"

Alice raised an eyebrow slightly, thought for a moment, then still shook her head.

Charles seemed to pick up on her hesitation right away. He looked up at Sophia and offered, "I'm up for a match, but maybe let's tone down the bet. How about-winner gets to ask the loser any question?"

Before Sophia could refuse, James Grant cut in smoothly, "Now that's a reasonable idea. The deal's already signed, right? What's left is having a little fun. You're not planning to bail before playing anything, are you, Edward?"

Alice turned her head slightly toward James, her gaze growing cautious.

He gave off the vibe of a wolf in sheep's clothing, always calculating behind that easy smile.

Edward narrowed his eyes, giving a sidelong glance. Something unreadable flickered in their depths as he replied, voice calm and distant, "Whatever."

Sophia pouted but didn't argue further.

The group made their way over to the archery range.

Charles picked out a bow for Alice and handed it to her. "Try one shot first."

Alice took it awkwardly, already sensing this was going to be difficult.

She hadn't lied to Sophia-she really had never touched a bow before.

Charles couldn't help chuckling a bit at her tense, serious expression. "Relax."

Alice rolled her shoulders a bit, and under his guidance, started to pick up the basics-how to nock an arrow, how to aim, how to release.

Meanwhile, the others began warming up.

James, standing casually next to Edward, let loose an arrow with ease-dead center.

"So, why didn't your wife come tonight? Been married this long and none of us have met her yet."

Before anyone had time to react, Sophia jumped in, irritated. "What's the point of bringing her? If Grandpa Hawthorne hadn't forced him, Edward wouldn't have married that woman."

Right as she finished, Edward released his arrow-also a bullseye.

His eyes went cold. "Nothing worth meeting."

The chill in his voice was sharp, making everyone glance his way.

Alice remembered the dinner that got cut short the previous night. She didn't know exactly what had gone down between Edward and his wife, but something had clearly gone sideways.

She quietly blocked out the tension radiating from his focused, cutting stare.

James met Edward's dark gaze and let out a small laugh. "Interesting."

Edward's face was all ice, clearly not in the mood to chat.

While most people had taken just a few minutes to warm up, Alice was given ten full minutes to catch up, considering she was a total beginner.

By the time those ten minutes were up, James and Edward had already gone through several rounds.

James narrowly edged out Edward by a single point in the first round.

"Well then, guess I'll take that win," James said with a lazy grin, smoothly lowering his bow with practiced ease.

"The first love or your wife-who do you love more?"

Everyone had been focused on their own practice, but James Grant's question was like a bomb-everyone instantly froze, eyes lighting up with gossipy curiosity.

Alice paused mid-draw and glanced toward Edward.

Edward shot James a sideways glance, lips curling with a frosty smirk.

Without answering, he strolled over to the bar, grabbed a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one go.

The rules were clear-skip a question, take a drink as penalty.

Alice frowned. She almost wanted to stop him. He ended up in the hospital after drinking just last night, and now he was back at hard liquor? Not exactly smart.

But since Charles Bennett, a literal doctor, was here and didn't say a word, she figured she'd better keep quiet too.

And just like that, things between Edward and James ramped up fast.

Their archery skills were evenly matched. In the second round, Edward scraped by with a one-point lead.

"So. does Laura love you? Or did she just marry you because she didn't have a choice? If I remember right, wasn't she about to get engaged to someone else before you showed up?"

Laura Grant was James' wife. Rumor had it she had a serious boyfriend before him, someone she wanted to marry. But James had shut it all down, forcing the couple apart with his influence and resources.

After breaking them up, he allegedly used pressure on her family's company to corner Laura into marrying him.

So yeah, even though Laura had his last name, her heart? Not his. That fact? Absolutely drilled into James's pride.

Everyone gasped sharply.

Only a close "friend" would know the exact spot to stab so it really hurt.

James' lazy grin never reached his eyes. That slightly raised corner of his lips had a kind of twisted edge to it. "She doesn't get to love anyone else but me."

Alice felt a chill crawl down her spine.

People like him, who'd do absolutely anything just to own someone they love... yeah, that was terrifying.

And this? This was elite drama at its finest. These people were all on the same level and seemed cool with all this, but she? She wasn't even supposed to overhear this stuff. She definitely knew way too much now.

The game kept moving.

In round three, James landed another bullseye with his final arrow, narrowly securing the win.

"Alice's voice sounds a lot like the way you once described your first love's. Is that why you hired her to be your secretary?"

Just like that, every gaze shifted and locked in on Alice again.

Sophia looked like she was seconds from exploding. Her glare could've ripped Alice apart.

So that's why Edward treated this woman so nicely? Because she sounded like someone from his past?

Great. Couldn't beat his first love, and now this woman had to sound like her too?

Alice went rigid. Internally, she cursed James for being such a snake. Couldn't believe he dragged her into this mess.

Now that she thought about it, Edward had often asked her to read out reports and documents. She figured it was just his way of absorbing info differently, given how many files he had to deal with every day.

He never asked William to do that. ever.

Could it really be what James hinted at? Was their voice that similar?

Edward gave Alice a passing glance, expression flat. "She wasn't my choice. That hire came from the board."

Alice had climbed her way up from the bottom. Long before Edward returned to the country, the board had already chosen her as his secretary to work alongside William.

She let out a tiny breath of relief, stealing a grateful glance at Edward.

Thank God he told the truth, or Sophia's glare probably would've killed her on the spot.

After that, the match between Edward and James Grant just got boring. At first, everyone was hyped, but when both of them kept hitting bullseyes every single round, the novelty wore off fast. It was basically a draw every time.

Even the two of them seemed to lose interest-they just ditched their bows and flopped back onto the couch.

Finally, the second round kicked off. Sophia strutted up to Alice with her chin raised high, the arrogance practically dripping off her as she said, "Go ahead. You can shoot first."

Charles Bennett gave Alice a gentle pat on the shoulder and leaned in with a grin, whispering, "Go get 'em, beauty."

Alice felt nervous inside, but her face stayed calm.

She stood tall, raised the bow, closed one eye to line up a shot right at the red center of the target.

Thwack!

"Alice, six points," the scorekeeper announced loudly.

Sophia shot her a mocking smirk before readying her own arrow.

Thwack!

"Sophia, nine points."

Alice ignored her smug looks and let out a quiet breath to calm her nerves.

Thwack!

"Alice, eight."

"Sophia, eight."

"Alice, nine."

"Sophia, ten."

After several rounds, Sophia was leading by a few points. It was down to the final arrow now. A thin sheen of sweat had formed across Alice's pale forehead.

She shut her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and imagined the target was someone she desperately wanted to destroy. When she opened them, her eyes were sharp with focus. She took the shot.

Thwack!

"Alice, ten."

She blinked in disbelief at the bullseye, then spun around with bright eyes toward Charles.

"I actually hit ten points!"

Her clean, delicate features lit up with joy, that smile of hers adding a refreshing kind of innocence. Even Charles was a little stunned staring at her. "Yeah, you nailed it."

Thwack!

"Sophia, ten."

"Oh please, you act like hitting one ten-pointer is some big deal?" Sophia folded her arms, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "You still lost, right?"

Alice didn't even flinch. She casually lowered her bow, smiling sweetly.

"True, Miss Grant. Your archery skills are clearly on a different level."

Charles chuckled, "Come on, Sophia. Alice just started learning. No need to be so competitive."

It wasn't like it was some amazing feat to beat a beginner when you've been training since childhood. Besides, the final score difference was only three points.

Sophia caught sight of the amused stares from the people around them. Her cheeks flushed, and she stomped her foot. "Whatever, I still won, and she has to answer my question!"

Then she blurted out the most outrageous thing that could've fried Alice's brain.

"Tell the truth-have you slept with Edward?"

In an instant, the whole room fell into dead silence.

Not a single person made a sound.

Alice's bright smile vanished. Her lips parted slightly, eyes wide with shock-as if she'd been struck out of nowhere.

Was this girl out of her mind? What kind of inappropriate question was that to ask in front of everyone?

"Miss Grant, a question like that not only offends me-it disrespects Mr. Hawthorne and his wife. Please think before you speak."

But Sophia, far from backing down, only grew more aggressive. Her voice turned shrill. "Oh, come on. Why so defensive? Unless. you're guilty? You do have feelings for Edward, don't you?"

Alice felt her chest tighten, her breath catching mid-sentence. Instinctively, she glanced toward Edward. His lips were pressed into a thin, firm line, his eyes dark and unreadable. He said nothing.

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to appear calm. "There is nothing between Mr. Hawthorne and me beyond a professional relationship. That's all."

"So did you sleep with him or not-?"

"Is the show over yet?" Edward's icy voice cut through Sophia's accusation like a blade.

He was still lounging on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, his entire aura cold and detached. His sharp eyes turned toward James Grant, the look in them impossible to decipher.

"If you won't shut your sister up, I will have her removed."

James let out a low laugh. That devil-may-care face flared with mischief. "Well, can you blame her? Drama this good doesn't come around often."

"But that's enough for tonight. Show's over, everyone."

"James!" Sophia stomped her foot in protest. "She didn't even properly answer the question!"

He stood up, slowly fastening his suit jacket. His voice was calm and clear. "Sometimes, you don't need a straight answer to know what's really going on."

He lifted his gaze suddenly, his dark eyes locking onto Alice. "Isn't that right, Miss Sterling?"

That stare sent a chill down her spine.

Alice instantly lowered her eyes, avoiding the intensity in his look. She couldn't afford for him to see more than he already had.

That twisted night with Edward. she regretted it more than anything. If she could turn back time, she'd undo it all. How had she, usually so composed, ended up like this? Too scared to give a clear denial-all she could do was evade.

--

Once they stepped out of the club, everyone headed to their cars and left. Even Sophia was dragged off by her brother.

Soon, only three remained: Edward, Alice, and Charles Bennett.

Charles glanced at the darkening sky, then offered gently, "Alice, need a ride home?"

Edward shot him a sidelong glance. "You always this helpful?"

Charles shrugged. "When it comes to women, always."

Edward let out a cold chuckle. "Figures. Explains the girlfriend turnover rate."

"Excuse me??" Charles looked stunned. "Did you really just say that?"

He shot Alice a hasty look. "Don't listen to him, Alice. I'm actually very loyal."

Alice smiled faintly, not taking it seriously. "It's fine, Dr. Bennett. I'll just grab a ride-share. You don't have to go out of your way."

Charles moved closer. "It's not out of the way. Really."

Edward's low, cynical voice cut in again. "You don't even know where she lives. How is that 'on the way'?"

Charles glared at him. "Can you shut up for one second?"

"Ignore him. Come on, I'll give you a ride." Charles opened the car door and gestured invitingly toward Alice. "Might as well save on the fare, right?"

Alice glanced hesitantly at Edward.

"Up to you," Edward said flatly, not even looking at her. He walked straight to his black Bentley, opened the back door, and got in.

Alice didn't want to turn Charles down-he had stuck up for her, after all. She had one foot raised, ready to get into his car, when suddenly the window of the Bentley rolled down.

Edward turned his head slightly, his gaze cool and detached as it settled on her.

"I've had a drink, and my driver's off. If you're taking his car, be a dear and find me a driver, too."

Alice: "."

Charles: "."

In the end, Alice climbed into the Bentley-to drive Edward home.

Charles was left fuming, clenching his jaw, seriously tempted to punch his stuffy 'bro.'

--

On the way back, Alice kept sneaking glances at Edward through the rearview mirror, still brooding over what had happened earlier.

Sophia had confronted her in front of everyone, and yet she was the only one affected. Edward acted completely unbothered.

Oddly, that gave her a bit of peace-as long as her career wasn't ruined over this, she could handle the embarrassment.

Still, her curiosity couldn't resist poking around the mystery. If Edward had a first love he'd been searching for over ten years, how had he ended up marrying someone else?

Maybe. the one he called his 'first love' wasn't really someone he was still hung up on?

Then suddenly, Edward looked up and caught her eyes in the mirror, his gaze icy.

Alice froze, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly turned her eyes back to the road, sat up straighter, and focused on driving.

--

After what felt like forever, she finally dropped him off and made her way back toward the bus stop near The Lodge Apartments.

From afar, she saw a familiar figure standing there.

"Anthony?" she called.

Anthony Hayes looked up and walked toward her. "What took you so long?"

"Overtime," Alice sighed. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"What else? Waiting for you." He gave her an unimpressed look. "You're a married woman coming home this late, and your husband is MIA. What's the point of being married if he doesn't even show up when it counts?"

Alice nodded, half-laughing. "Honestly, it kind of feels like I married a ghost."

It was bad enough not seeing him most days-worse when she actually needed someone.

Anthony wasn't done. "And your boss, too-knows it's unsafe for a woman to be out so late, still works you like crazy. Hasn't he ever heard of boundaries?"

Alice nodded harder. "Exactly! It's the struggle of corporate life."

"Ugh, whatever." She waved a hand. "I guess I put up with it for the paycheck."

Anthony snorted. "You and your love for money."

He reached out and knocked gently on her forehead. "Alright, let's get you home. I'll walk you."

"Ow!" Alice shot him a glare. "Anthony Hayes, would you stop flicking my forehead already?"

He grabbed her hand, dragging her along. "Come on, let's go."

The walk from the complex gate to Building B's 12th-floor door was long, and the dim lighting made it feel eerie. Alice always felt uneasy doing it alone at night-having Anthony there made it much better.

Once they reached her door, Anthony stopped.

"Oh, right." His tone turned more serious. "I installed the new fingerprint lock with a camera today. While I was inside, I kept hearing your old phone ring-the same number, over and over. You might wanna check it. Could be something important."