After the weekend, Yara went to the office on Monday as usual.

She took care of her work and went to inform Marcus that a meeting was about to start.

When she reached his office, she saw Quiana through the slightly open door.

Quiana was sitting in Marcus’s lap and feeding him a cookie she had eaten half of.

The normally germophobic man smiled as he took a bite. He kissed her fingers gently and said in a soft voice, “You said yesterday you wanted to try this place’s desserts. I waited in line for three hours this morning to get them. How is it?”

“They taste great, just like before. They’re just as sweet, but not too rich. You used to run all over town to get these for me. Now that you’re the CEO of the company, why do you still do it yourself? You could have a secretary handle it.”

Marcus rubbed her ankle lightly. His eyes were full of affection. “When it comes to you, I want to do everything myself. I don’t want anyone else involved.”

Quiana smiled happily. She hugged him and kissed him.

He held her in return and deepened the kiss. He was completely absorbed.

Yara felt her breath catch. A sharp ache spread through her chest.

She clenched her hands tightly. Her knuckles turned white, and her palms burned.

Time passed slowly. The meeting was about to start.

Yara calmed herself and knocked on the door.

“Mr. Quinn, the meeting is about to start.”

Marcus paused when he heard her voice. He was about to stand up, but Quiana pulled him back.

“I don’t want you to leave. Stay with me a little longer.”

Seeing her act so sweetly, Marcus’s heart melted.

“Postpone the meeting for two hours.”

This meeting involved a project with several of Jadewood’s largest corporations. It was crucial for the company’s future.

Yara knew how important it was, so she reminded him.

“The CEOs from Lane Corp, Gaber Corp, and Smith Corp are already waiting in the conference room.”

“Oh, Marcus, your secretary is so annoying. She really has no sense!”

Hearing Quiana complain, Marcus’s face turned cold.

“I said postpone it for two hours! Nothing is more important than Quiana!”

Yara felt a heavy weight in her chest, and she struggled to breathe.

In the end, she closed the door and turned away.

Everyone in their circle knew Marcus was a workaholic.

No matter how busy his personal life was, even after surgery, he always finished his work.

It was the first time he had risked offending business partners just to indulge a little coaxing and postpone such an important meeting.

Did he really like Quiana that much?

Yara lowered her sad eyes and forced herself to calm down. She walked into the conference room to apologize to the board.

The Quinn family was powerful. The CEOs had complaints but dared not confront Marcus. They took out their anger on her instead.

She did not argue. She kept her head down and endured the scolding.

Two hours later, Marcus finally arrived.

Yara dragged her sore, numb legs out of the conference room. Quiana stopped her.

“So, you’re Yara Summers? Marcus says you make great coffee. Everyone in the office looks tired. Go make a cup for each of them. Mine with ice, no sugar.”

Yara knew Quiana was only giving orders because Marcus indulged her. She did not dare turn down her request. She went to the break room.

It took her two hours to make over four hundred cups of coffee. She carried them out one by one.

Quiana barely took a sip before her expression changed. She lifted her cup and smashed it at Yara.

The hard mug hit Yara’s forehead and cut a deep gash.

She groaned softly, and her face scrunched up in pain. She held her wound and fell to the floor.

Quiana was not finished. She grabbed more cups and threw them at Yara over and over.

Yara’s body was covered in bruises. Broken ceramic cut her in many places.

Brown coffee soaked her completely and mixed with her blood as it dripped onto the floor.

It hurt her, but she could only curl up to protect her head and chest.

The office was silent. No one dared step forward. Everyone stayed far away and watched Quiana throw her tantrum.

The noise soon drew Marcus out.

He saw the messy scene and Yara lying on the floor, battered and bleeding. His brow tightened.

“What happened?”

Seeing him, Quiana immediately put on a pitiful expression. “Marcus, I asked your secretary to make me a coffee. I was not feeling well, and she put ice in it. My stomach hurts so much.”

Marcus’s face darkened as he looked at her teary eyes.

“You’ve worked with me for four years and can’t even do this right? Or are you deliberately making things difficult for Quiana because you don’t like her?”

Yara lifted her pale, battered face. She wanted to explain herself, but he did not give her a chance. He called his assistant.

“Yara has broken company rules. Deduct this month’s salary and quarterly bonus. Announce it to the entire company. She will be reviewed at next week’s meeting.”

After saying that, Marcus took off his coat, picked up Quiana, and left.

Yara watched him walk away until he disappeared from sight. The tears she had held back for so long finally fell.

She forced herself to stand. She ignored the pain, went to get a broom and a mop, and started cleaning the broken cups and spilled coffee on the floor.

A few kind coworkers came over to help. Their eyes were full of sympathy when they looked at her.

“I clearly heard her say iced, no sugar. How can she turn it around like that? Yara, did you do something to upset her?”

“Does she even need a reason? I’ve heard so many people say she’s arrogant and bossy. The moment she’s in a bad mood, she takes it out on someone. Lots of people in our circle can’t stand her. But Mr. Quinn spoils her, so no one dares to offend her.”

“Sigh. I’ve never seen Mr. Quinn care about anyone this much. Yara, you should be more careful from now on. We’re just ordinary people. We can’t compare to someone like her. She’s a rich heiress, and she has Mr. Quinn’s backing. Even if we’re being treated unfairly, we’re the ones who have to swallow it.”

Yara knew they meant well.

But their words stirred up too many emotions inside her. She could not say a single word.

In the past, there had been an issue with a contract she handled. It was clearly the client’s mistake, but they shifted the blame onto her.

When they accused her and put her under pressure, Marcus firmly took her side. He argued with them and cleared her name.

Quiana had dropped a casual lie, and he did not check the facts. He did not give Yara a chance to explain. He placed all the blame on her.

Yara had always worked hard and handled countless problems for him. In the end, did he have so little trust in her?

Or did right and wrong simply not matter to him? Did he only care about keeping Quiana happy?

The thought made her chest tighten with pain. The bitterness was hard to bear.

It took her a long time to finish cleaning up. After that, she dragged her exhausted body home.

She had just finished washing up when Marcus called again.

“Bring everything for Quiana's period.”

She prepared everything as quickly as possible and took it to his villa.

She had only been away for two or three days, but the simple and elegant villa had completely changed.

The peach tree that Marcus’ father had planted years ago was gone. In its place stood a garden of tulips. The black-and-white furniture had been replaced with pink and pale yellow, colors Marcus used to dislike. The display cabinets were filled with jewelry, designer bags, and expensive gifts.

It was obviously Quiana’s doing.

Yara looked around in silence. She walked to the bedroom, where the light was still on, and knocked on the door.

Marcus opened the door after a moment. He took the items from her hands and then looked at her.

After she washed off the coffee, the wound on her face looked even more alarming. He froze for a second.

“Was it that serious? Did you go to the hospital?”

Yara did not speak. She shook her head.

He rubbed his temples. His tone softened.

“Quiana wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t mean to take it out on you. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll balance out the salary deduction with your year-end bonus. Go to the hospital later. If it’s serious, take a few days off. I’ll approve it. You don’t need to go through the usual process.”

“There’s no need. At the end of this month, I’ll…”

Yara wanted to tell him she was about to resign, but he did not let her finish. He handed her a card and interrupted her.

“Be sensible. I still need you to help me organize a welcome banquet for Quiana. Get some rest and recover.”

The words remained in her throat.

She hummed in agreement, took the card, and left the villa.

The door had barely shut when she heard Quiana’s sweet, clingy voice from inside.

“Marcus, is the herbal tea ready yet? I want you to rub my stomach.”

“I’m coming. Just lie still and don’t move.”

His voice was so gentle and soft, it felt like a stream. Yara gave a silent laugh. There was a hint of self-mockery in her eyes.

She suffered from bad cramps, too. She had fainted at work more than once and had been taken to the hospital by coworkers.

Marcus had been aware. He had approved her leave, but he never visited her. He never made her herbal tea or brought her anything.

Back then, she thought he had been too busy.

But after what happened with Quiana, she understood. It was never a matter of his being busy. He simply did not care about her.

After leaving the villa, Yara went to the hospital to have her wound treated and bandaged.

She rested at home for a few days. The assistant sent her the banquet proposal.

Every detail was strict. The choice of flowers, the types of desserts, and even the servers’ uniforms all had specific requirements.

She only had three days. She pulled herself together and got to work.

After days of nonstop effort, the banquet she organized began right at 7 p.m.

Quiana stepped into the hall in a custom gown as everyone watched.

The guests quickly surrounded her and praised her endlessly. She looked thrilled.

“After all these years, Ms. Xanthe is still as graceful and stunning as ever. Even your welcoming party is so grand. Mr. Quinn’s devotion to you clearly has not changed.”

“I remember back in school when someone confessed to Quiana. Mr. Quinn found out and forced him to transfer. He tore up every love letter she received. When people gossiped about her, he went to confront them and beat them badly enough to send them to the hospital.”

“Everyone knows Quiana is Mr. Quinn’s first love and the apple of his eye. Look at the jewelry she’s wearing tonight. It must be worth tens of millions. That gown is custom-made and one of a kind. Mr. Quinn has never spared any expense when it comes to making her happy.”

Yara stood a short distance away and listened quietly. She did not say a word.

Quiana proudly sauntered over and looked at her with obvious disdain.

“You did a good job with the banquet. But there’s a small problem. There was no carpet in the hall. My dress got dirty. To make up for it, I want you to hold it for me.”

Yara kept her head down and said calmly, “Please wait. There’s a carpet backstage. I’ll have someone lay it out right away.”

Quiana’s face turned dark. She could not believe Yara had refused her.

Just then, Marcus walked over. He saw Quiana looking upset and rushed over.

“What’s wrong?”

“Marcus, I don’t want my dress to get dirty. I asked your secretary to hold it for me, but she wouldn’t. Is she still upset about what happened last time?”

Seeing Quiana feeling upset, Marcus quickly pulled her into his arms. He glared at Yara.

“It’s just a matter of holding some garment up. That’s your job. You’ve been a secretary for a long time. You can’t handle such a small task?”

The guests nearby whispered and laughed.

“A secretary dares to give Ms. Xanthe attitude? Does she even know her place?”

“Different people have different luck. The rich heiress is born to be pampered. Letting you hold her dress is already generous. Be grateful.”

Yara’s eyes fell as she heard their mockery.

She pushed down her feelings, bent down, and picked up the dress.

Quiana dragged Marcus around the house, upstairs and downstairs, just to make Yara suffer.

The hem of the dress was covered in pearls. Yara’s arms ached from holding it. She clenched her teeth and kept going.

Quiana was not satisfied. She had more wine poured and waved at Yara.

“I don’t want to drink tonight, but my friends came to the banquet. I can’t refuse. Drink all this for me.”

“I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Marcus, look at her!”

Yara tried to explain herself, but Quiana started whining and acting cute.

Marcus was aware of Yara’s allergies. Still, he wanted to make Quiana happy, so he agreed.

“Don’t you carry allergy medicine? Take it first, then drink. You should be fine.”

There was no room for her to refuse. Yara felt her heart sink.

Her face turned pale. She stayed silent, took out her medicine, and swallowed a few pills.

Soon, people came over with glasses of wine, talking and laughing. Yara raised a glass and forced it down her throat.

One glass after another, her stomach churned. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her head felt heavy. Her vision blurred.

The hall spun around her. She heard Quiana scream.

“Marcus, the necklace you gave me is gone! The only person who came near me was your secretary. She must have stolen it!”

Hearing the false accusation, Yara regained her clarity for a moment.

“Mr. Quinn, it wasn’t me.”

Marcus looked at Quiana’s teary eyes and then at Yara, who was drunk and unsteady. His face grew serious.

“There were a lot of people around. Maybe you dropped it somewhere. Let’s look for it first.”

Quiana would not let it go. She shook his hand away. “If it wasn’t her, then who else? I only care so much because it was a gift from you. Yet you’re protecting her. If you won’t search her, then don’t come near me again!”

With that, she turned to storm off. Marcus quickly held her and called the bodyguards over.

The next moment, a few bodyguards forced Yara to the floor and tore at her clothes.

Her mind went blank. She struggled, but she was completely overpowered.

Her shirt was ripped into strips. Her dress was ruined. Her skin was bruised and scratched, and some areas were bleeding.

A wave of humiliation hit her. She could not help crying and screaming for help.

“It’s not me! I didn’t do it!”

Her cries only brought more violence.

The bodyguards reached for her undergarments.

Marcus could not bear to watch. He tried to stop them when several servers ran over.

“Found it! The necklace fell on the stairs!”

Everyone in the hall immediately turned to look at the sparkling diamond necklace in their hands.

Marcus’ tense brow relaxed. He waved for the bodyguards to step back.

He picked up the necklace and put it around Quiana’s neck himself. His voice was calmer.

“The necklace is back. Stop being angry, okay?”

Quiana finally smiled.

She looked down at Yara, who was lying on the floor in a mess. She held Marcus’ arm and acted cute again.

“Good thing it was found. If not, I would have been upset for a long time. But your secretary suffered so much because of this. Should I apologize to her?”

All eyes in the hall turned to Yara, whose clothes were torn and disheveled.

She could only curl up and hug herself tightly under the hostile stares.

Through the pain, she heard Marcus’ cold voice.

“No need to apologize. She’s just a secretary. A little suffering is nothing.”