Chapter 7 The news that Latrina was called to the CEO's office spread like wildfire . Everyone assumed Latrina had been reprimanded by Gerhart , so when she ate in the company cafeteria on the 10th floor at noon , people pointed and whispered behind her back , making the theft rumors feel even more tangible . But it didn't stop Latrina from enjoying her lunch . Calm as ever, she said to Laurence across the table , " Mr. Manning , I'd like to take some time off starting the day after tomorrow . " Laurence noticed her tiredness , and considering the morning's mess , he could only agree . Monique , sitting beside him , quickly chimed in , " Yeah , take a break first . We'll get to the bottom of it once the cameras are fixed . " " I'm not taking leave because of this . I'll sort this out before I go . I won't cause you any trouble . I'm just really tired and need a rest . Latrina didn't elaborate . She pulled out her phone , transferred some money to Gerhart , and typed in the note : For breakfast . Upstairs , in the middle of a meeting , Gerhart's phone pinged . In the tense atmosphere , where everyone held their breath , expecting a scolding for the unmuted phone , Gerhart unlocked his phone and opened the payment app . When he saw the money , a faint laugh escaped him . The executives in the conference room exchanged odd glances . It was the first time Gerhart had smiled in front of them . Kelvin , standing beside him , realized what was going on . " The meeting's adjourned . We'll pick this afternoon , " Gerhart announced . Then he hit the " accept " button for the 10 dollars . Menu " I heard from the HR Department that Mr. Crowley is hiring a secretary , and he specifically asked for a woman , " Monique said . She glanced at the HR staff walking past before leaning in to whisper to Latrina , " Is the ice - cold Mr. Crowley finally in love with someone ? " " In love ? I seriously doubt it , " Latrina thought . " He even took my money . I guess he will never fall for someone . " Latrina didn't contradict or argue with her . After saying goodbye to Monique , she headed to the underground parking lot and called Eduardo from her car . She'd blown him off last night with an excuse about her car breaking down , asking him to arrange a tow for repairs . What was more ironic , though , was that Sonya and Eduardo had run into each other last night . They were so spooked that Latrina might see them that they'd acted like mere acquaintances . Eduardo had waited at the cinema all night , only to be mocked by Sonya when Latrina never showed . Eduardo was quite the actor . He sounded so genuinely fond of Latrina that he agreed at once to take care of the car repairs . Latrina had known he would agree without hesitation . Guilty of underhanded deeds , he'd try to please her as much as he could ! Sitting in the car , Latrina adjusted the pinhole camera and touched up her makeup . Then her mind drifted back to that morning , replaying the expressions of the colleagues in the Design Department . Most of those hurling accusations had blended into a blur , but one stood out , a woman smirking , watching it all unfold . She was Shelby Aguilar , daughter of the minister of the Transportation Department , and a key member of the Design Department . Colleagues enjoyed getting along with her . Rich as Shelby was , she knew how to curry favor with small gifts , and she had pretty looks . Latrina didn't dare jump to conclusions . Not yet . 11 3.2 % < Chapter 7 She left work ten minutes early . It was her first time to slip out early since joining Crowley Apparel . Back in her car , she changed into a black jacket and pants , then hid in a shadow near the elevator , watching cars file out after work . She clutched her phone , snapping photos at intervals , terrified of missing a thing . It wasn't until Shelby emerged , her high heels clicking , slid into that BMW 290 , and drove off slowly that Latrina's suspicions solidified . Latrina lingered for a few minutes , then stepped out from the corner by the elevator . In her hurry , she collided with a dark figure just exiting the lift . Her white canvas shoe caught on a leather shoe . The phone slipped from her hand , and her body lurched forward . A strong arm shot out , wrapping around her slender waist , yanking her upright and pulling her into a firm chest . Latrina crashed into him , and at that very moment , the hair tie holding her blonde hair snapped . Her hair spilled down . She grabbed his shirt , and two buttons popped off , bouncing onto her forehead . Ah ! " In pain , she pressed her forehead to his chest . The faint sandalwood scent hit her nose at once . She steadied herself , rubbed her forehead , then looked up at her rescuer . " Mr. Crowley ... " she whispered , her pink lips moving as a flush spread across her cheeks . Their eyes locked , gazes tangled . Latrina felt her hand resting on his chest , rising and falling with his steady breaths . Kelvin averted his gaze , pretending not to notice . Gerhart's eyes traced her loose blonde hair in the dim light , finally settling on his own shirt . Its chest was now gaping open . Through the split fabric , his sharp collarbones and toned pectoral muscles were faintly visible . " This is the second shirt you've ruined , " he said . His voice was flat , as if stating a trivial fact . He was right . The first shirt had been torn in the car . He slowly released his grip on her waist . Latrina bit her lip , carefully pulling his shirt closed and straightening his tie . Gerhart froze , rooted to the spot , every brush of her hand against his skin sending a jolt through him . His body felt ablaze , heat coiling through him as his vision clouded . He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze . Once she'd fixed his clothes , Latrina stepped back , bowing deeply . " I'm so sorry , Mr. Crowley ! " Gerhart said nothing , just swallowed hard and held out her phone . She took it with both hands , mumbled a quick thanks , then turned and hurried to her car . Sliding into the driver's seat , she covered her face with her hands , burying her forehead against the steering wheel . She thought , " This is a disaster . Why am I so unlucky lately ? Why couldn't I avoid crossing paths with Mr. Crowley ? " And why did my cheeks have to flush like this ? Damn ! " It took her a long time to calm down . 1311 Menu 3.2 % < Chapter 7 Gathering herself , Latrina waited until Gerhart had indeed left , then hurried out of her car and into the elevator . In the break room , she made two cups of coffee , crushed a sleeping pill in half , and dropped one half into each cup . Menu The elevator descended to the second floor . She made her way to the monitoring room , set the coffee down at the door , and knocked three times on the door . The door creaked open . The security guard glanced around . He saw no one around , just two steaming cups of coffee with a note , " Thanks for your hard work . " He smiled , picked up the coffee , and shut the door , About ten minutes later , Latrina knocked again . No sound came from inside . She scanned the area carefully , made sure no one was there , then slipped in quietly . The cameras weren't broken . The footage had been edited . She found the deleted footage in the " Recycle Bin " on the desktop , copied a backup , then slipped out as quietly as she'd come . Back home , she prepared the salad while watching the backup video . Sure enough , it was Shelby . The footage was timestamped just after 1a.m. , explaining why she'd spotted Shelby hurrying to drive off in the underground parking lot earlier . " Oh no did she see me and Gerhart ? " Just thinking of Gerhart made Latrina's cheeks flush for no reason . Shelby's family worked with Gerhart . The Aguilar Group handled all of Crowley Apparel's product transportation . If this got out , Latrina wondered if it would affect Gerhart's business . Latrina chewed her lip , deciding not to act hastily . She picked up her salad , sighed , turned on a movie , and settled back on the sofa , eating slowly . That was when she noticed his suit jacket draped over the arm of the sofa ....