"You're definitely not a nanny," Maria said with all seriousness.

Isabella raised an eyebrow and plopped down next to her, blinking at her with expectant eyes. "Then what am I? Don't tell me I'm the most important person in your life?"

Maria closed her laptop with a perfectly blank face. "I said you're not a nanny because nannies get paid. You don't." Then she bolted.

Sure enough, a second later, Isabella exploded, hurling pillows one after another at her. Good thing Maria ran fast-none hit the mark.

When she came back out, Isabella was already goofing off with Ethan and Ella. Maria had changed into a sharp-looking outfit.

"Where you headed?"

"To sue James." Maria grumbled as she changed her shoes. "I'm gonna make that guy pay. I'm breaking this contract, no matter what!"

Isabella didn't doubt her for a second. "Alright, go kick some ass, but don't be late coming back."

Maria met up with Mr. Smith outside the Bennett Corp building.

A receptionist led them to a conference room on the 25th floor and brought them two cups of coffee. "Mr. Garcia is on his way. Please wait a moment."

Maria had no complaints about the staff's service and asked out of curiosity, "Isn't Andrew supposed to be here?"

Andrew was both a lawyer and James's close friend-his presence would've made more sense.

The receptionist smiled politely. "Not sure about the details. I'll get back to work now."

While waiting for the other lawyer, Maria chatted with Brandon Smith.

He said the contract from James had some legal gray areas and they had about a seventy percent chance of winning. The only catch-it could drag on. Whoever has the stamina wins.

Maria didn't even hesitate. "I can wait. I don't care how long it takes-I'm winning this."

Brandon nodded seriously.

He had been recommended to Maria by someone in Shadowglint and was known as a courtroom ace. Contract cases were apparently easy mode for him, so Maria fully trusted him.

About ten minutes later, Joseph Garcia strolled in. He and Brandon exchanged a firm handshake. Maria, though, looked impatient. "Can we start now?"

"Give it a moment-one more person's joining us," Joseph said politely.

Maria frowned slightly. Who else? Andrew Johnson?

The last person she expected walked through the door-James himself. He actually showed.

He sat down without a word, smoothed his sleeves neatly, and gestured to Joseph to begin.

Joseph looked soft-spoken but switched to business mode like flipping a switch-sharp, quick, and relentless. No matter what Brandon brought up, he parried smoothly without a hiccup.

Of course, Brandon wasn't backing down either. No raised voices, but the tension was thick-it was a full-on clash.

Two hours passed. James was off to the side, already immersed in his laptop, while the lawyers were still locked in a back-and-forth, nowhere near reaching any agreement.

Seeing Maria's face getting darker by the second, James was in a surprisingly good mood. "Why waste your time? This is my turf. Beating me in court here? Keep dreaming."

Maria shot him a sharp look. "I don't care what it costs, I will cancel the contract! Being your secretary makes my skin crawl."

James frowned, clearly not happy, but remembering how he'd misjudged her the day before, he forced himself to stay calm.

She glanced over at her lawyer, wiping sweat off his forehead, and muttered, "You think we have a chance?"

"Absolutely."

Brandon, who had started to lose steam, suddenly looked fired up and confident again.

Maria felt a little more at ease after that. No rush. If they didn't win today, they'd come back tomorrow. Or the day after. She had time.

Another hour ticked by. Bored, Maria pulled out her phone and started texting Isabella, who happened to be playing Jenga with the kids. She had already lost multiple rounds and now had sticky notes all over her face-one on Ethan's face and two on Ella's.

Isabella texted: [What did you give birth to?! These kids are monsters and they're only four!!]

Those double exclamation points told Maria just how much Isabella was struggling. Maria couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling, a soft smile spreading across her face, showing all eight of her pearly teeth.

James just stood there, staring. He thought she was texting David again, and that irrational flame in his chest lit up once more.

He leaned over to whisper something to Joseph, his lawyer, his tone cold: "Whatever it takes, win this."

Joseph nodded seriously, dabbing his forehead with a tissue.

Maria's brows furrowed when she heard him. If they were going all in, her side didn't stand a great chance.

She thought it over but got nowhere. So she just looked down and kept chatting with Isabella. Then a call popped up-the caller ID showed it was someone from Shadowglint. Her heart skipped as she stepped outside to take it.

"I heard you're back," came that familiar voice on the other end.

"Yeah," she replied, flat. "Got orders for me?"

"The organization wants you to get inside Bennett Group. There's a big task in the pipeline."

Maria paused. Was this for real?

She pressed, skeptical, "You mean James's company?"

"Exactly. How soon can you get in?"

Maria rubbed her temples, already seeing where this was going. She gave in. "Couple of days, tops."

There was a pause on the other end. When he spoke again, his tone was noticeably more relaxed. "I trust your skill. Go for it."

She clenched her jaw but swallowed the urge to curse.

Back in the conference room, she looked visibly deflated. Shooting James a glare, she sighed deeply and sat down next to her lawyer.

"It's off," she said under her breath.

Brandon looked confused. "Huh?"

Maria let out another long sigh. "I'll be his secretary. No need to push this anymore."

Her voice wasn't loud, but in the small room it carried easily. Brandon heard it loud and clear. So did James. His posture straightened instantly, and a smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Joseph gave Brandon a nod, motioning for him to leave the conference room together. Although they had been at each other's throats moments ago, now they had a mutual respect for one another's capabilities.

James leaned back in his chair, looking like he had it all figured out. His tone was calm but confident. "Ms. Lewis, I can make Daniel famous."

He never liked lowering his head, but this was his way of making up to her.

Daniel had those intense brows and sharp eyes, a naturally handsome face that somehow carried a hint of vulnerability. It shouldn't have worked, but it did - that contrast actually made him stand out more.

In short, he totally fit the 'tragically hot guy' vibe - perfect for going viral.

Maria hesitated, brows knitting slightly. She couldn't help but wonder what he was really after.

"Still thinking?" James raised an eyebrow. "I just see potential in your brother. Don't forget - I'm a capitalist, after all."

Now that sounded more like him. Maria stopped second-guessing and simply looked at him like, "well duh."

James, on the other hand, frowned a bit - so that's how she saw him?

"I don't know if he even wants to be a celebrity. I'll talk to him," Maria said calmly.

Daniel was the kind of guy who kept everything bottled up. She honestly had no idea what was going on in his head.

James stood, brushing off his sleeves as he walked away. "Don't forget, you're starting work at the company tomorrow."

As he turned his back, his usual cool expression softened just a little - not that Maria noticed.

She had already started adjusting to her new role - no surprise, since this was a direct order from Shadowglint.

Walking out, she caught a glimpse of Brandon ahead. She bit her lip for a second, then quickly chased after him.

"Ms. Lewis," Brandon greeted her with a polite nod.

"Mr. Smith, I wanted to ask you something."

He gave her his full attention. "Go ahead."

Maria smiled lightly. "What do you think of Bennett Group? Would you consider joining them?"

James had actually hit the nail on the head earlier - Brandon was competent and sharp. He deserved more opportunities.

And Bennett Group was full of those. After the debate they just had, she could tell James thought highly of Brandon. If she set her feelings about James aside, the company really wasn't a bad place to be.

Brandon paused, surprised. "Seriously?"

When he and Joseph had gone to meet James's assistant, Joseph had encouraged him to join Bennett Group, talking about the salary and growth it offered. People went where the prospects were. Brandon knew that. But he'd turned them down out of concern for Maria's opinion of James.

Now, hearing her endorsement, his eyes lit up.

Maria caught the flicker of excitement in his gaze and smiled, feeling like she'd done something right.

She nodded earnestly. "Absolutely. I think you'd thrive there. Since James and Mr. Garcia are probably still around, this is the perfect time to talk to them."

Brandon shot her a grateful glance. "Ms. Lewis, thank you. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'll do my best to help."

"Alright," Maria replied with a smile.

Watching Brandon walk back into Bennett Corp with a lighter step, Maria felt an odd sense of relief. She drove home and gave Daniel a call on the way, asking him to come back right away.

By the time she got home, the living room was spotless, Ethan was grinning at cartoons on TV, and the smell of food wafted from the kitchen.

When Maria first met Isabella, the woman couldn't cook to save her life-even Scrambling eggs was a disaster. But then, wanting to impress the kids, she decided to learn. She said that if you're taking care of kids, ordering food all the time just won't cut it.

Over the years, she got really good at it. Now she could whip up a feast like it was nothing, and the dishes could rival any restaurant.

"You're back! Come help me prep these veggies," Isabella called from the kitchen.

"Coming," Maria answered, walking over.

She got to work quietly, but Isabella could tell something was bothering her. "What's on your mind?"

Maria had never kept things from Isabella, and today was no exception. "I agreed to be James's assistant. He said he could help Daniel become famous, and he wants me as his stylist. It seemed like a good opportunity."

"And what's the hesitation? Scared Richard and his wife might see him on TV?"

"That's not it. If anything, that's their problem. Daniel doesn't owe them anything and doesn't need to hide."

"Then you're worried Daniel won't go for it?"

Maria sighed, emotions all tangled up. "He holds a lot of resentment toward them, yeah. But more than anything, I just want to see him happy. I thought maybe giving him something else to focus on would help. I'm not afraid he'll say no-I'm afraid he'll say yes just because of me."

Sometimes, she wished her little brother would act like a regular teen-argue with her, push back, not be so damn mature all the time. It broke her heart.

"Maria," Isabella said while trimming the veggies, "Don't you think maybe you're trying to control too much? That's Daniel's life. If he wants to live cautiously, let him. You're not in charge of every part of him."

That snapped Maria out of it. She was right-it's his life. She needed to respect that.

"Grab the meat from the fridge. I'll make one of Daniel's favorites," Isabella added.

Maria took a deep breath, focused on helping her in the kitchen, and let the rest be.

When dinner was ready, Daniel came home. He sat at the table with a child on each knee, playing with them.

The kids had already eaten a bunch earlier, so they only picked at the food before running off to play again, leaving just the three of them at the table.

Maria brought up James's offer and waited for Daniel's response, her eyes full of hope.

After a long pause, lost in thought, Daniel finally said, "Alright. I'll go. Besides, I can help you out at Bennett Corp too."

Maria gave a wry smile. She figured he'd agree for her sake.

Still, she didn't push it further. Isabella's words stuck with her-this time, she was really starting to get it.

Over on the other side, the news about Maria joining the company had already gone viral within the office.

No one knew she used to be James's ex-wife. All they remembered was how she once threw shade at him publicly and even dropped eighty million on a contract termination-definitely not your average new hire.

Their whole vibe just screamed "not normal."

But what really had everyone talking was how she handed over that massive penalty fee and still came back. as a secretary!

Of course, the gossip mill went into overdrive. Everyone was dying to know how Amelia would take the news.

She'd been around the company for ages and had her own network of people. The second she heard about it, she completely lost it and stormed into the office, ready to confront James about it.

Bad timing though-James had already left for the day.

Unclear on what James was actually planning, Amelia decided to switch tactics and go after Maria instead, hoping to pressure her into quitting.

"Get Tina in here," she ordered her assistant, tone like ice.

The moment Tina stepped in, Amelia flipped the switch and put on a friendly face. She told her assistant to grab them a couple of coffees before diving right in: "You've probably heard-there's a new stylist coming in tomorrow. I want you to assign Charlie Cruz to her."

As she spoke, she slid a check across the desk toward Tina.

Tina's eyes lit up at the sight of it, but she hesitated. Charlie was notoriously hard to manage-hot-tempered, high-maintenance, and an absolute nightmare on bad days. Add in the fact that Maria probably had a deeper connection with the boss. Tina wasn't exactly eager to ruffle feathers.

Amelia noticed her hesitation and didn't bother hiding her irritation. She shot her a sharp glare and said coldly, "Think real hard about who you're willing to piss off."

After doing some mental math, Tina realized Amelia still held more sway in the company than a newcomer. She wasn't about to say no. So she took the check and left.

Now, as the manager of all stylists in the company, Tina did have some status.

She handled all the stylist-artist pairings.

And honestly, the second she took the check, she had her mind made up-higher profile celebrities got the better stylists. That was how the pecking order worked.

Charlie Cruz was definitely one of the top names, and handing him to Maria could actually be seen as a vote of confidence in her abilities.

Even if James asked questions later, she could spin it easily.

Charlie had shot to fame thanks to a popular romance drama. He played a younger boyfriend type-sweet, obedient, sometimes playfully bossy. His acting was solid, and once the drama aired, he racked up a massive fanbase.

But in real life? Totally different story.

He'd gotten famous, and with it, his ego had blown up too. Back when he was a nobody, he was still pretty humble. Now? Pure arrogance. Treated everyone like they were beneath him.

He was super into keeping up appearances, so he had insanely high expectations for his look-and an even lower tolerance for people who didn't meet them. Even Tina had eaten his sarcasm more than once while working on him. No one could really control him.

Handing him to Maria?

Amelia's meaning couldn't be clearer.

Knowing Maria's personality, it was only a matter of time before sparks flew.

One's a top money-making celeb, the other got a reputation for being hard to get along with-obviously, James's choice was a no-brainer.

The next day, Maria officially started work. She had just parked her car when she heard a voice she really didn't want to hear.

"Maria."

She turned around, and yep-Amelia, grinning away.

"What do you want?" Maria had zero patience for her, and it showed.

Seeing her attitude, Amelia got even more annoyed, but still put on a smug "lady of the house" posture. "Welcome to Bennett Corp. Since you're now assisting James, there are some things you should keep in mind."

"James only drinks black coffee-no sugar. Oh, and he hates anything with a lavender scent..."

"Enough," Maria cut her off fast. "I'm a secretary, not his maid. And definitely not his mom."

Amelia gave a little chuckle. "Right, you're just his secretary. I'm the fiancée, remember."

Maria caught her meaning and smirked coldly. "Funny how you remember that so clearly, yet James didn't make you his secretary. Kind of a waste-seems like you'd enjoy the job."

She never thought Amelia would one day see her as a threat.

Back then, James was head over heels for his childhood sweetheart. But now? It didn't really look like he treated her all that well.

Amelia's smile froze a little, but she forced it back on. "I've got my own career. James says that's the side of me he loves most."

Maria felt her stomach churn. She turned on her heel and left-any more of that and she might actually gag.

Inside the office, an employee led her to her new workspace. It was a secretary-slash-styling office, neat and fully stocked. Clearly someone had put some thought into this.

She started unpacking her things, but before her seat even warmed up, someone came rushing in. "Maria? Tina's asking for you."

"Got it." Maria followed the assistant out.

She'd looked up Tina beforehand-the head of the styling team. Since she accepted this job, she was ready to give it her all. Basic respect and manners weren't going to be a problem.

Tina had heard Maria was gorgeous, but seeing her in person still caught her off guard.

Honestly, looks-wise, this woman didn't just pass for a stylist-she could've easily been one of the company's top stars. She might even outshine Amelia.

But Tina shook off the moment's surprise. Amelia's instructions came rushing back to her.

She gave Maria a quick once-over. "From now on, you're handling Charlie Cruz. He's got a short fuse, so be careful how you deal with him."

A nearby stylist handed Maria a stack of A4 papers. It had all of Charlie's basic info and a full list of do's and don'ts. Entire page, single-spaced. One line stood out: "Charlie hates anything rose-scented. Strictly no."

"Any problem with that?" Tina asked, voice flat.

Maria still hadn't caught on to how much trouble that "assignment" might bring her. She just nodded. "No problem."