"Why did Chief Lek call me in so early?"

"Speak up, Miss Chonlada."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Chonlada feigned innocence, playing along with the situation. As soon as she arrived at the hotel, she had been intercepted by Wadi, who was clearly acting under Apo's orders. With no choice, she had been summoned directly to the boss's office—under the watchful eyes of her colleagues. Chonlada enjoyed the attention.

She knew Apo was trying to put an end to the rumors. However, instead of letting them die out naturally, Apo kept making moves that only fueled the gossip. Chonlada found it amusing and decided to have some fun with it.

"You said you had a solution to end the rumors."

"Oh, right, I did promise to tell you today."

"Then spit it out and stop stalling."

Apo tried to maintain her composure, but Chonlada's teasing attitude was getting on her nerves. As a 29-year-old executive, Apo wasn't used to dealing with the sharp retorts of a 22-year-old—especially one who seemed to enjoy provoking her.

"Actually, I changed my mind. I don't think you'll like my solution anymore."

"..."

"Excuse me, I need to get back to work."

"You're not going anywhere!"

Apo blocked the door, preventing Chonlada from leaving, and grabbed her arm. Chonlada tried to mask her nerves under the weight of Apo's serious gaze, but she knew this time, the woman wasn't joking.

"Enough games. I'm your boss, not your friend."

"I know that very well."

"Then tell me what you had in mind."

"I'll talk—but only if you let go."

"No."

"If you don't let go, I won't talk."

"If you don't talk, I won't let go."

They stared each other down for a moment before Chonlada sighed in surrender.

"Fine, I'll talk. My plan is simple: If the rumors say we're something more, then show that our relationship is strictly professional. For example, promote me as your secretary's assistant."

Apo loosened her grip on Chonlada's arm, considering the idea. However, she found it unnecessary to create a new position just for someone who would likely bring more problems than solutions.

"That position doesn't exist."

"But it could exist. I'd be the first-ever secretary assistant!"

"It's unnecessary."

"Alright then, it's up to you to solve the problem. Good luck."

"Miss Chonlada—"

"Oh, almost forgot! You should hurry up, because by this morning, the rumors are definitely getting worse."

Chonlada left with a mischievous smile, while Apo remained in her office, deep in thought. When her secretary, Prim, entered to remind her about the marketing and PR department meeting, she noticed Apo looking distracted.

"Chief Lek, would you like me to postpone the meeting?"

"No, we'll keep the schedule."

Before Prim could leave, she was caught off guard by an unexpected question.

"Is work overwhelming you?"

"Why do you ask, Chief?"

"Would you like an assistant?"

"..."

Prim was stunned.

For the first time, Apo was showing signs of reconsidering her rigid stance.

⋆。𖦹 。⋆

"I'm really dedicating myself to work, Mom. I face any challenge, I don't pick and choose tasks, and I always give my best. That's why everyone at work loves me and has a special fondness for me."

[If your father knew this, he would be proud to see how much you've matured.]

"But I don't think Dad would be happy, Mom. He would probably scold me if he knew I was secretly working for P'Phat."

Her father was different from her mother, who always supported and encouraged her to do what she loved. Although Lada felt guilty for having to lie—saying she worked for the Wachara group under Phimphat's management—she didn't have the courage to reveal the truth.

In reality, she was in Hua Hin, working for the Watin group under the command of the unyielding Apo, her declared rival.

[Don't think that way, Lada. Focus on your work, my dear. That way, Mom and Dad will be very proud of you.]

"Of course, Mom. I won't disappoint you. I love you."

Although she had promised her mother not to let her down, Lada knew that if she found out she was conspiring with Phimphat on something important and behaving like a mischievous child, she would be furious and deeply disappointed. That's why Lada was determined to keep it a secret, even if it was the biggest challenge of her life. She needed to resolve the matter with the Watin group quickly so she could return to her normal routine at home without the risk of being discovered.

"But I don't know when this will end. Why won't the target just fall into my trap already?"

Lying on her bed with an arm over her forehead, Lada sighed deeply after hanging up the phone with her mother. It had been days since she had proposed her solution to the problem of rumors to the "manager who thinks she knows everything," but she still hadn't received any response. To make matters worse, Apo hadn't shown up at the hotel since then.

"Did the boss lek decide to run away from the problem and take a vacation? Maybe she thinks that if no one sees us together, the rumors will naturally fade away... Or maybe something more interesting will come up to distract the Watin employees."

"And they say she's a top manager... What kind of competent person runs away from problems like this?"

Meanwhile, Phimphat kept calling, asking for updates on useful information for the Wachara group. Lada, however, felt embarrassed to admit that she still had nothing. Apo, who she thought was starting to warm up to her, had disappeared.

"If things keep going like this, I won't get anywhere with this investigation in two years, let alone one or two months!"

Suddenly, Lada's phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She looked at the screen hesitantly when she saw an unknown number. After a few seconds, she decided to answer.

"Hello, who's speaking?"

[Good evening, Miss Chonlada.]

"Who's calling? Where are you calling from?"

[I'm Prim, the boss lek's secretary.]

"Ah, Miss Prim!"

Lada immediately sat up on the bed, crossing her legs, surprised and anxious about the unexpected call.

[Sorry for calling so late, I know it's late.]

"No problem, I never turn off my phone. Go ahead."

[I'm calling about the secretary assistant position. A few days ago, the boss lek asked me if I would like some help. I was surprised to learn that you were interested in the position.]

"Miss Prim, I'm willing to do anything. Just give me a chance, and I promise to dedicate myself to the fullest. Please speak to the boss lek for me!"

[No need to worry, Miss Chonlada. I'm calling to inform you that the boss lek has approved your entry for a trial period as an assistant.]

"Thank you, Miss Prim! When can I start? Tomorrow?"

[No need to rush. I'll organize everything with your department, and you can start next week.]

"Understood! See you on Monday!"

After the call ended, Lada threw herself onto the bed, radiant with happiness. Finally, it seemed like things were going exactly as she had planned. If Apo had personally approved it, that could only mean one thing: the boss lek had fallen into the trap she had set.

⋆。𖦹 。⋆

"Mrs. Apo, good afternoon. What a coincidence to meet you here."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Phimphat. This is Chonlada, my assistant."

Apo responded to the greeting of Phimphat, one of the directors of the Wachara Group, the direct competitor of the Watin Group. They had run into each other by chance in the restaurant parking lot just as Apo was about to leave after concluding an important meeting. Noticing that Phimphat was staring intently at her companion, Apo introduced Chonlada, since she remained silent and did not take the initiative to greet him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Chonlada."

"Pleasure."

Chonlada didn't know what her brother intended by approaching and greeting them directly. She was already nervous upon seeing him there, but instead of ignoring her and moving on, he addressed her, forcing her to disguise her discomfort to avoid raising any suspicion from Apo.

"Is this restaurant good, Miss Apo? Seeing you here, so far from the hotel, surprises me."

"If it's worth it, the distance doesn't matter. I'm willing to make the necessary effort."

"I completely agree. It seems that, often, we have similar tastes."

"Excuse me, I have other commitments."

Without extending the conversation, Apo ended the discussion and distanced herself from the situation. In her view, even if something was unique in the world, the most important thing was who had the most merit or competence to obtain it. Likewise, in business, whoever had the best ideas and resources would come out on top.

"Aren't you coming, Miss Chonlada?"

"Yes, boss lek. I'm coming."

Chonlada followed her boss toward the luxurious car parked nearby. She got into the passenger seat and averted her gaze from her brother, who was still watching her before finally entering the restaurant. Trying not to show any suspicious reaction, she maintained a neutral expression, ensuring that Apo, a direct competitor, wouldn't suspect anything.

"Boss lek."

"What is it?"

"The meeting with Chef Ian today—does that mean he agreed to participate in the hotel project?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'd like to understand the work better. Today, you gave me so many documents to read, but in the end, none of them seemed related to the meeting with Chef Ian. I put in so much effort for nothing..."

"I never said they were related."

"What?"

"I just wanted to avoid a headache while driving. It was just to keep you busy and quiet."

Normally, Chonlada would have responded with her usual sharp tongue, but at that moment, she thought the project involving Chef Ian was more important. She decided to swallow her frustration and redirect the conversation strategically back to work.

"I really want to learn, boss lek. Even if it's just a trial period, I want to show that I'm putting in the effort as an assistant."

"Starting next month, we'll enter the mid-year promotion period. It's the rainy season, and both domestic and international tourists decrease. With fewer reservations, expenses become heavier. That's why I planned a campaign to attract more guests and increase bookings."

"Does that include lowering room prices?"

"Yes, but competitors already do that, and the impact isn't very significant."

"That's why you brought in Chef Ian to collaborate with the Watin team. Being a renowned and hard-to-hire chef, many customers will want to try his food. This, in turn, would increase room reservations."

"Exactly. You understood perfectly."

Apo cast a quick glance at Chonlada, intrigued by her understanding and quick grasp of the strategy. Perhaps she was more capable than Apo had initially thought. However, she knew she needed more time to evaluate whether Chonlada could truly hold the assistant position or if she would end up returning to the hotel reception.

⋆。𖦹 。⋆

"Why didn't you tell me that you're now Miss Apo's assistant?"

"Today was my first day at work, P'Phimphat. And I really didn't expect to run into you and Miss Apo together."

"But that means you can now get more detailed information since you're so close to her, right?"

"It might be a little easier, yes, but I'm just the secretary's assistant. I doubt they'll give me access to any confidential information."

"Then just tell me who Miss Apo met today and what they discussed at the restaurant."

Chonlada hesitated for a moment, feeling pressured by her brother's insistence—he knew she had valuable information. However, besides learning about Chef Ian, a key figure in the Watin Group's project, she was surprised by Miss Apo's transparency. Apo had answered her questions without hesitation, allowing her to better understand the project and potentially use this knowledge to benefit the Wachara Group.

If she told him, her brother would surely try to hire Chef Ian before Watin...

"I really don't know this person, and I don't know what they talked about."

"What? What kind of useless job is that?"

"I think Miss Apo doesn't fully trust me yet, so I haven't been able to do much."

"If she doesn't trust you, you need to work harder to gain her trust as soon as possible. You have to dedicate yourself more before I can no longer hold things together at Wachara Group."

"Yes, phi. I understand."

"Do you really understand? Or do you want Auntie's hotel to go bankrupt?"

"I'll do everything to protect Wachara."

"Then do what you say!"

Chonlada sighed, distressed, after Phimphat abruptly hung up, clearly frustrated with her lack of progress. She felt guilty for withholding important information but decided to keep it to herself for now, fearing that revealing something too soon could jeopardize her position and her long-term plan.

She still couldn't identify any dishonest actions from Miss Apo. From what she had heard, Chef Ian was convinced after several meetings and direct negotiations. If she revealed this information and her brother managed to convince the chef to switch sides, it would mean she was encouraging unethical behavior from Wachara Group.

"Sorry, Phimphat."

She apologized in her mind, determined not to act recklessly. She needed to gain Miss Apo's trust before making any moves. Otherwise, everything would be lost if she were caught acting impulsively.

Chonlada knew she had to be patient and strategic, like a calm river that slowly breaks through any barrier. She would infiltrate the Watin Group so subtly that no one would notice, getting closer and closer to Miss Apo Watinwanich's life.

⋆。𖦹 。⋆