Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO

At Foster Ventures …

Ryan was sitting behind his desk, working on a few documents when a knock interrupted the peace in the air. His brows wrinkled slightly, but it didn't stay for long. It just looked like a small ripple in the water.

"Yes, come in," he affirmed, and soon the door was pushed open.@@novelbin@@

It was Zenith, Ryan's secretary, who had come with a few files.

"Sir, I brought you the files that you have asked for," she said as she walked hastily inside, moving straight to keep the files on the desk.

Ryan glanced up at her, before darting his gaze to the files in her hand. A furrow appeared in between his brows. "Didn't I ask you to bring it the morning itself? What took you so long?"

"Oh that …," Zenith hesitated, "Actually sir, I have already reviewed the papers for you. There are no errors anywhere. You can now just give it a rough scan and approve it."

Ryan paused at those words. His eyes went back to look at the files. It might just be three in count, but he knew the work wasn't as easy as its number. "You reviewed them yourself? But weren't all these reports complete just the last day?"

"Yeah, it did," she said, clearing the lump she felt down her throat. She was clearly looking scared, fearing a sharp lash out that she might get at any moment. "I later took the files home and worked on them at night. There were a few things that needed to be rectified. So after discussing with the respective departments that also been done. It should not be okay to proceed further."

"That wasn't your job, Zenith. Why did you do that?" Ryan asked, his voice sharp. The files should have been sent to his desk today and he has to review it. But Zenith not only helped the departments to rectify all their mistakes but, she even did his part of the work.

He wasn't exactly upset, it was just that he felt that it wasn't required. After all, being his secretary, there were a lot of tasks she had to handle already. It was just extra work for her for which she wouldn't even get paid.

When even after a while he didn't hear her speaking, Ryan asked with more authority. "I asked you something, Zenith. Who asked you to do all this?"

The secretary flinched at his tone. Keeping her gaze down, she slowly replied, "N-no one asked me to do it. I did it on my own."

"Why?'

Zenith looked up at him. Her expression didn't show anything. It just looked like she did something after giving it a good consideration.

"Recently," she began, "after Mr. Evan has left, the work pressure has considerably increased. You have fallen sick a few times already. I just wanted to help you lessen your workload. I didn't mean to challenge your or anyone's authority. I was just —"

"Zenith, it's not about challenging anyone's authority. It's just that you didn't have to do it. You have your own tasks to complete. If you start helping me like this, your work will start getting delayed, then who will help you?" he said, before adding, "At least, I wouldn't be able to do it."

Zenith understood what he meant. But she still said, "Sir, I did it after completing all my work. None of my tasks has gotten delayed because of this."

"You—" Ryan didn't know what he should say to her anymore. She did it for him. He cannot scold her for helping him. In the end, he decided to let it go. "Thank you for making it easy for me. I will look into it once and then approve it."

When Zenith heard that, for a moment, she didn't believe it. Not because Ryan has been ruthless to her before. But if he hadn't been ruthless, then he has also never been this gentle as well. It was like he seemed to have changed recently.

But anyway, since he had thanked her for helping him with work, she was happy. Her late-night work has paid off. Her lips curled up on the corners.

Ryan reciprocated her smile. And then looking down at the tablet in her hand, he asked, "Anything else?"

"Yes," Zenith said briefly before tapping on the screen to give a brief of all the progress that had happened recently.

Ryan heard them all, nodding to it occasionally.

Once she was done, she closed the tablet. "That was all that you have asked for, sir. Later in the afternoon, you have asked me to keep your schedule clear. You said you will be visiting Mrs. Quinn."

"Yes," Ryan did ask her to do that. "I will be going there soon." He then pushed two files towards her and added. "These are done. You can take them with you."

Zenith nodded and took the files in her hand. "Okay, sir. There was also something that I needed to ask you."

"What is it?" Ryan asked, glancing back at her.

"Sir, you have asked me to keep your afternoon schedule free so, I thought to ask you if you would have the time to attend one in the evening," she asked, her expression foretelling that this was about something important. "Actually the clients from Amberson wanted to meet you once before decking on the deal. Their scheduled meetings have been cancelled twice already, they might feel offended if we delay them further anymore."

Ambersons were an important client, and the deal they were bringing to the table would not just help the Fosters in the near future, but also, in the long run.

Not catering them and then losing them and the deal would be a great … great loss.

Ryan frowned. Of course, he knew about it too. But evening today … he has to be back home. He couldn't miss it. Even if he has to miss a billion-dollar deal, he would do it without any hesitation.

"I am not free in the evening, Zenith," he said decisively. "Ask then for some other date. If they don't agree, apologize to them and politely ask them to look for another company."

"But sir …"

"Zenith, I have no time in the evening. Do what I asked you to do," Ryan said more firmly. Then he gestured toward the door. "If I already made it clear enough, you can head back to your desk."