Under the Heiress' Facade

Alarm bells were going off in Camille's mind, but she flashed a smile and asked, "And who might this be?"

"I'm his secretary," Hera replied casually.

"What's your last name? You look young, like a 17 or 18-year-old teenager," Camille probed further.

"You don't have to know." Hera felt irritated as she glanced at their hands. Was this just a handshake or were they holding hands?

Taken aback by Hera's response, Camille remained silent.

Bernard was caught off guard by Hera's proactive disclosure of her identity, though her tone carried a hint of displeasure. Was she jealous? He smirked and deliberately prolonged the handshake.

"Mr. Killian, you've got quite an interesting secretary," Camille remarked with a faint smile. She attempted to withdraw her hand, but Bernard's grip lingered.

The faint smile on Bernard's lips sparked excitement in Camille's heart. Was Bernard into her too?

Seizing the moment, Camille linked arms with Bernard and led him into the private room.

Bernard shot a disdainful look at their hands but refrained from shaking Camille off rudely. Instead, he glanced at Hera, who was following behind.

Hera's expression was unreadable.

Unbeknownst to him, Hera was feeling irritated. But at the same time, she was unwilling to leave them alone in the room.

She followed them into the private room, where she saw a long table set with flowers, wine, and candlelight, with a chair on each side. Was this for medical consultation or romantic matchmaking?

Hera's frustration grew. Spotting a lounge area, she pulled out a chair and seated herself at the table's center.

"You two chat. I'll be here," she said as she put on earphones and immersed herself in Flip-and- Match.

Bernard remained silent as he observed Hera.

Camille mirrored his silence, her thoughts racing as she struggled to comprehend the situation. How could his secretary be so audacious? And shouldn't a secretary like her be outside to assist Douglas rather than intruding into their private meeting like this?

But Bernard didn't express his opinion, and Camille was at a loss for words. Whether it was her imagination or not, Bernard seemed oddly attentive to his secretary. He was occasionally stealing glances her way.

If it were anyone else, they would have immediately asked the waiter to kick out such an unprofessional employee. But Camille's upbringing didn't allow her to do so. She signaled the waiter to bring another set of cutlery for Hera.

Thus, Camille's anticipated romantic date was shattered by the unwelcome presence of this third wheel.

Hera's peripheral vision occasionally caught glimpses of Camille and Bernard chatting leisurely. Meanwhile, her phone screen displayed an alarming 50% error rate in her game.

Her irritation grew stronger, and she felt conflicted. She wouldn't fully trust Bernard until she had avenged her family. But seeing him cozying up to another woman made her uneasy.

He had spoken of marrying into the Everett family, yet here he was, flirting with someone else. NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

"Scumbag," she thought.

Just as she was getting annoyed, a notification popped up on her screen.

Piglet: "Boss, it's been a day since you asked the Gaskell family to raise the price."

Raven: "Have they agreed?"

Piglet: "No, they're recruiting other hackers at the mission hall. But no one dares to accept it because I commented the price you set. Aren't I smart? Quick, praise me!"

Raven: "Pigs are indeed clever."