Downstairs at The Bennett Group, Zoe Rhodes had just arrived when she ran into Nathan Bennett's secretary. 'His name's Alan, right?'
"Miss Rhodes." Alan had been waiting downstairs ever since he got a call from the manor's butler.
"Is Mr. Bennett busy? I hope I'm not interrupting your work."
"Not at all, but Mr. Bennett is in a meeting right now." Alan glanced at the time. "It probably won't be over until noon."
"Are you here to see Mr. Bennett about something urgent, Miss Rhodes?"
"Nothing too urgent." Zoe Rhodes scanned her surroundings, as if looking for someone.
"It's okay, you don't have to mind me. I can just wait here."
Alan nodded in understanding.
"This is Mr. Bennett's office. You can wait in here for now, Miss Rhodes. If you want to take a look around later, feel free to call me anytime."
"Okay, okay! You go on and do your thing!"
As Zoe Rhodes watched, the heavy door closed. She let out a small sigh of relief and began to look around Nathan Bennett's office.
It was two or three times larger than Ethan Rhodes' office as she remembered it. A massive floor-to-ceiling window was made of a single pane of glass, looking out over the famous Crimson Harbor.
This was her first time in Porten.
Zoe Rhodes couldn't resist. She stood before the window and snapped over a dozen photos before remembering what she was there for.
When she came in, she'd noticed a lot of workstations across from Nathan Bennett's office. It seemed to be his team of assistants.
'The female lead should be out there, then, right?'
"Hello, Miss Rhodes. Is there anything you need?"
Zoe Rhodes was holding the door, quietly pushing it open a crack. Before she could get a clear look outside, she was caught red-handed.
It wasn't Alan outside the door, but an unfamiliar woman in a black business suit, who was also sizing her up.
Their eyes met. Staring at the woman's delicate features, Zoe Rhodes felt her heart skip a beat. She asked instinctively, "And you are?"
"Hello, Miss Rhodes. I'm Mr. Bennett's assistant. My surname is Sullivan."
'Sullivan...?!"
Zoe Rhodes shot upright, and a name tumbled from her lips: "Linda Sullivan?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Linda Sullivan's eyes. "Do you know me, Miss Rhodes?"
'Oho, it really is the female lead!!!'
"I've... heard of you, heheh." Zoe Rhodes gave a dry laugh.
Linda Sullivan didn't press the matter, maintaining her professional composure. "Alan just stepped out. If you need anything, Miss Rhodes, you can ask me. It's all the same."
"Could I have a glass of juice?"
"Of course." Linda Sullivan gestured for her to go back inside. "Please wait a moment, Miss Rhodes. I'll go prepare it."
"I'll go with you!"
Zoe Rhodes pushed the door open and followed her. Linda Sullivan found the way this young girl was looking at her very strange, but since she was the boss's guest, she couldn't say anything.
'Just before Alan left, he had repeatedly stressed that they must do their best to accommodate any request from the Miss Rhodes in the office. They had even gossiped about who she might be. Alan was tight-lipped and didn't say much, only warning them, "She is Mr. Bennett's honored guest. Do not neglect her." At first, they actually wondered if she was Mr. Bennett's woman. After all, Mr. Bennett had never brought a woman to the company before.'
'But now, seeing her up close, Linda Sullivan realized just how young she was.'
'How should I put it?'
'She didn't seem like Mr. Bennett's girlfriend or mistress. More like... a niece?'
'But it didn't seem like Mr. Bennett had any relatives with the surname Rhodes.'
'There were hardly any noble families in Porten with the surname Rhodes, though it wasn't unheard of.'
'The first person Linda Sullivan thought of was that man—Ethan Rhodes.'
"Assistant Sullivan, the water is overflowing."
The girl's soft, sweet voice reached her ears, a gentle reminder. Linda Sullivan snapped back to reality and quickly turned off the faucet. "Sorry, sorry."
"It's fine." Zoe Rhodes leaned against the counter, propping her chin on one hand and smiling brightly at her. "Assistant Sullivan, you're so pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Linda Sullivan glanced at her. As their eyes met, the smile in the young girl's eyes deepened. It didn't seem malicious, more like a child's curiosity, the kind that could easily soften one's heart.
She hesitated before shaking her head.
'If she really didn't have one, why would she hesitate like that?'
Zoe Rhodes was quite perceptive at times like this.
The smile on her face froze, and her expression instantly paled. "You have a boyfriend?"
Linda Sullivan was too embarrassed to speak.
Seeing her expression, Zoe Rhodes felt her world come crashing down. She couldn't stop her mind from racing.
'She's hemming and hawing so much... could it be...' "Ethan Rhodes?"
'Zoe Rhodes's head was spinning. Don't tell me the female lead is already with my brother?'
Linda Sullivan looked at her in alarm. "You know Mr. Rhodes?"
"Yeah, he's my older brother!"
Now it was Linda Sullivan's turn to be shocked. 'She couldn't understand why the sister of their rival company's CEO would be in their boss's office.'
Zoe Rhodes, assuming they were really together, said, "It's just that I've heard my brother mention you. He said you're very pretty and a strong worker!"
Linda Sullivan was a bit stunned by the compliment. "Well, thank Mr. Rhodes for me then."
Zoe Rhodes grinned and leaned in closer. "So, sister-in-law, when did you two get together?"
"!" That "sister-in-law" was like a bomb going off right over Linda Sullivan's head, leaving her utterly shell-shocked.
"Miss Rhodes, you must have misunderstood. I don't know Mr. Rhodes very well."
"Huh?" Zoe Rhodes froze.
'They're not together yet? Then who is the female lead with right now? If it's not my brother, then who else could it be?'
Linda Sullivan had no idea why she thought she and Ethan Rhodes were in that kind of relationship. Seeing how deep the misunderstanding seemed to be, she rushed to explain, "I do have a boyfriend, but it's really not Mr. Rhodes. My boyfriend also works at The Bennett Group."
Zoe Rhodes's head was buzzing.
'How come she didn't remember this part from the original story? Or did she miss something?'
Linda Sullivan was focused on preparing the fruit to make fresh juice for her and didn't notice the change in her expression.
'Zoe Rhodes couldn't help but wonder if she'd found the wrong female lead. But all the other information matched up perfectly... There's no way it could be such a coincidence!'
Her gaze silently fell on the female lead's face, then slowly drifted down, pausing for a moment when it passed over the other woman's wrist.
'That watch looks so familiar.'
"Sullivan, I feel like I've seen that watch of yours somewhere before."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, I think... I think..." Zoe Rhodes clearly remembered she had definitely seen this watch recently. Suddenly, she slapped her forehead. "Doesn't Nathan Bennett have one just like it!"
"Yes, this watch comes in a men's and a women's version."
Linda Sullivan answered naturally, without even looking up.
As soon as she said that, Zoe Rhodes's heart sank. Leaning against the counter, her body swayed and she nearly fell.
'So, Linda Sullivan's current boyfriend is... Nathan Bennett?!'
'Wait, how did the female lead skip over my brother and get together with the villain?! Is that even right?!'
Beside her, Linda Sullivan was completely unaware of what was happening, concentrating on preparing the fruit and putting it into the juicer.
Suddenly, Zoe Rhodes grabbed her hand. "Sullivan! Tell me the truth, did Nathan Bennett force you to do this?!"
"Huh?" Linda Sullivan was completely lost.
"He must have forced you, right?!"
"I knew that old bastard was no good!"
"Damn it! How could he—"
Zoe Rhodes was filled with righteous indignation, but Linda Sullivan's expression suddenly changed. She stared in horror at the space behind Zoe. "Mr... Mr. Bennett!"