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."

Maria had just stepped into the office when someone came rushing over before she could even sit down.

This time, Maria recognized her-Grace Thompson, the same girl who'd handed her Charlie Cruz's file earlier.

Grace was quite young and also fairly new to Bennett Group. Ever since Tina assigned her to work with Charlie, she'd been on the edge. Charlie had a temper, never cooperated, and she didn't dare to snap back at him-so she had to beg, plead, and tiptoe around him every day like she was walking on eggshells.

When Tina told her someone else would take over Charlie's styling, Grace practically felt the handcuffs click open. Total relief.

Still, she wasn't heartless-passing the hot potato to someone else made her feel super guilty.

"Charlie has to go on stage in two hours, but he won't even sit still for makeup," she said, looking like she owed Maria big time.

"Take me there." Maria didn't hesitate. She grabbed her kit and strode out.

The moment she pushed open the door to the dressing room, she saw Charlie lounging on the chair, scrolling on his phone, a lollipop in his mouth. He looked more like he was ready to hit the beach than a live show.

"You're late. If he's not ready on time, think you can handle the fallout?!" Charlie's manager snapped the second Grace showed up. He got so fired up that he even looked like he might lay hands on her.

Grace just bowed her head and took it all, lips pressed tight.

Maria frowned and stepped forward, pulling Grace behind her. "From now on, I'm doing Charlie's styling. You've got any complaints, bring them to me. Don't take it out on her."

The manager froze. He probably wasn't used to stylists talking back.

"You-" He raised his voice again, but then caught the glint in Maria's eyes. That look wasn't playing. He blinked and suddenly backed off like someone had hit the mute button. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get started already!"

Maria gave Grace a comforting little pat on the head. "It's fine now. If you're free, mind handing me the stuff? I'm still figuring out where everything is."

The makeup was all in the kit, but every stylist liked to arrange things their own way. Maria hadn't had a chance to reorganize hers before getting thrown into the mix.

Grace nodded obediently and took the case like a trusty assistant.

Maria walked over to Charlie. As soon as she got close, a stick from his finished lollipop landed at her feet. A childish move if she'd ever seen one.

She just chuckled and ignored it. Pulling up a chair, she sat down. "Turn around. I need to get started."

Charlie didn't respond, still humming a tune.

"I said, turn," she repeated, clenching back the frustration rising in her chest.

Still nothing-he only switched to an even perkier song.

Even the manager couldn't take it anymore and leaned in, trying to coax him. "Come on, Charlie, you're going on soon. The fans are waiting. Can we not make a scene right now?"

Charlie shot him a look. "She had the nerve to boss me around."

Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes, just in time to get caught by the manager, who immediately barked, "Watch your attitude! What was that look just now? Apologize to Charlie Cruz!"

Maria slammed her hand on the table. "I'm here to do makeup, not babysit."

Only then did Charlie glance over, eyes dark and cold. He suddenly tossed his phone on the table. "Then I'm not going on stage. Just tell them the stylist lost it on me."

The manager stood there, clearly torn. He couldn't offend either side.

Maria wasn't new to working with celebrities, had done her fair share of big and small stars abroad, but Charlie? He was in a league of his own-for all the wrong reasons. Her brows furrowed slightly.

Clearly, he was used to pushing makeup artists around, playing the 'I've got fans, I'm the star here' card, probably relying on online drama and tantrums to get his way.

Well, tough luck, today he picked the wrong person to mess with. Maria wasn't someone he could steamroll.

Grace tugged softly at Maria's sleeve, whispering, "Maybe I should handle it. He really might not go out otherwise."

Maria shot her a quick look and shook her head calmly. "Don't stress it."

She plopped into the chair, eyeing Charlie who was back to staring at his phone, and said coolly, "Here's the deal: sit down and let me do your makeup, or just walk out. Your call."

Charlie snapped his head up, looking at her like she'd just grown a second head. Someone actually dared talk to him like that?

The manager's jaw dropped, eyes wide. "Do you even know who you're talking to? Are you out of your mind?"

Maria let out a low chuckle, sharp and calculated.

She pulled off her work badge and slapped it onto the table. Then turned calmly to ask, "What's the show he's supposed to be on?"

"The Late Night Scoop," Grace stammered, arms tightening around the makeup case like it was a life preserver.

The host ran a nightly show that was both a ratings magnet and a PR landmine. Her sharp wit and bold questions made celebs either shine or sweat. Getting on her show was no small feat. Charlie's manager had probably pulled every string to snag the spot.

Maria pulled out her phone, glanced at the manager, then fixed her eyes on Charlie, her voice icy. "I'll ask one last time-makeup or walk."

Charlie scoffed, visibly unimpressed.

The manager snapped, "You're the one who should walk!"

Maria casually typed as she spoke, then slowly recited a few names.

Each name she dropped made the color drain from their faces.

"Sound familiar?" Her tone was light but threatening. "Keep playing this game and I'll have no problem watching a new headline go viral. How about-'Top Star Charlie Cruz Blacklisted'?"

They froze, stunned.

Every name she had said belonged to some serious heavyweights in the industry-including the actual big boss behind The Late Night Scoop. These were people who stayed out of the public eye, almost invisible online. Only real insiders would know them.

Grace looked around, confused but catching enough to sense how real this was. She stared at Maria with newfound respect.