YNA went to the canteen and saw Alas and Brenda chatting happily. Ignoring them, she headed to the counter and ordered her food.
"A cup of rice and medium-cooked steak, please," she ordered. She looked for a vacant seat while waiting for her meal. She felt a surge of annoyance when she realized the only available table was right next to theirs. She had no choice but to sit there, as she couldn't exactly eat while standing.
She hadn't eaten breakfast, which was why she was so hungry. She sat down and waited for her order.
"I'd love to work as your secretary, Alas. Why didn't you fire her?" she heard the woman say, intentionally raising her voice.
Yna pretended she didn't see or hear a thing. But what if Alas actually dismissed her because his fiancée was volunteering to be the new secretary? How could she help Apo Larry if that happened? Then again, she thought she could still help since her family was wealthy and she could just ask her father for assistance.
"No. As I told you earlier, we have an agreement. So, I can't fire her; besides, we're working on my new projects, and she's a big help," Alas answered.
She felt relieved by what Alas said. He didn't want to replace her—well, because Yna was of great use to him. If not for her, Apo Larry would never agree to his project.
"Miss Cortes, here's your order," the waitress said, leaving after placing the food on the table. The woman shot her a nasty look, followed by a series of insulting glares.
Yna shook her head and focused on her food. She began to eat, remaining silent. Brenda stood up and approached her.
"Oh, you're here? You're lucky enough that Alas won't fire you. See you tomorrow," she said meaningfully before walking away.
Ignoring the woman, Yna continued eating. She didn't want to engage and lose her appetite—or worse, lose her temper.
"Don't mind her," Alas said, tapping her shoulder before leaving as well.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't care," she hissed, continuing her lunch.
Back at the Office
After lunch, she returned to the office. There they were again—Alas and Brenda talking. She thought their flirting was over, but apparently not. She went straight to her desk and sat down, refusing to pay them any mind.
She opened her laptop to continue her work. She needed to make the article captivating and meaningful.
"Why shouldn't I include the brewed coffee? Many tourists will love their coffee; once they taste it, they'll surely keep coming back," she muttered to herself. She added it to the draft, as it was one of the local specialties.
Brenda just stared at her intently. Yna ignored her.
"She's crazy; she's talking to herself. Ew, that's not a good secretary, Alas. See? You need to fire her—as in, now!" Brenda said.
This girl has nothing better to do with her life, Yna thought. *She's just making trouble and judging people. She's a model, not a judge, yet here she is judging me.*
Yna simply smiled at what she heard. She refused to let it affect her so she wouldn't look like the loser. She was brave and stubborn; she wouldn't let the woman in front of her win. If this woman thought she could make her life a mess, she was wrong. No one could pull her down.
"No, I won't. I'll introduce you to the other teams. Let's go!" Alas urged the woman to get her away from Yna. He took Brenda by the arm and pulled her out.
Alas knew that if he didn't get Brenda out of the office, "World War III" would break out. He didn't want the two of them clashing.
"Alas, let me go. I can walk. Take your hands off my arms. I noticed you are protecting her—why?" she asked, annoyed.
Alas released her. "Well, I can't let someone hurt her. Her dad wants her to work here. That's why I should take good care of her, too. Please, don't argue with me, okay?" Alas explained.
Brenda smiled. "Friends?"
"Yeah, she's been my childhood friend."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just jealous; she's beautiful, and maybe you fell for your secretary."
Alas smiled at her. "Then what's the matter? I'm single, and so is she."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Tsk, still, you can't."
"Why?"
"Never mind," Brenda replied, walking ahead.
The New Employee
They entered the Board of Directors' office, where Alas introduced her to all the staff present.
"Good afternoon, everyone. We have a newly hired employee. Please welcome Miss Brenda Smith. I know many of you already know her; she's a famous model, right?" Alas introduced her. She faked a smile.
The staff inside the office nodded. Yes, Brenda was famous. But why did she need to work at Alas's company? For what?
"Nice meeting you all. I will love working with you. I hope you'll feel the same," she said, flashing another fake smile. If she could fake her attitude toward Yna and Alas, why couldn't she do it with them?
"Welcome, Miss Brenda," the staff greeted. She smiled back.
"Okay, she starts tomorrow. Please be good to her, okay?" Alas reminded them.
They nodded in agreement. She smiled to show she was kind and deserving of a spot in Alas's company as a new employee.
"That's all. Please excuse us," Alas said as they stepped out. Brenda bowed slightly before following him. Once they left, the staff gathered and began talking behind her back. They couldn't believe it.
The Proposal
Meanwhile, Yna began printing the articles she was going to show Alas. She hoped he would like her proposals.
She was confident the article was interesting and captivating, but she wasn't sure if it would suit Alas's taste. She was almost finished when Alas entered, followed by Brenda.
She felt a tumultuous disturbance in her surroundings the moment she saw that woman again. The good vibes she had while alone were replaced by chaotic feelings.
"What are you doing?" Alas asked.
She turned around. "I'm printing my article about promoting Malaya Village as a tourist site." She turned back and organized the printed documents on her mini-table.
"Okay, that's good. Let me see." Alas approached her, but Brenda interfered.
"Alas, please send me home," Brenda interrupted, acting like a child who didn't know the way back.
Yna hissed. "Ew, flirt and such an itchy b*tch!" she muttered.
"I'm sorry, Brenda. I can't send you home right now. I have a lot of work to do. Please understand, okay?"
She shrugged and pouted. "Okay, just accompany me to the lobby." Alas didn't say another word and just escorted her out.
Yna shook her head. "Tsk, what an annoying woman." She stapled the documents and placed them on Alas's desk.
She sat at her spot and opened the booklet Alas had given her. She had nothing else to do, everything was finished. She decided to try and memorize it.
Lydia knocked and entered.
"Hi, Lydia. Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.
"I just have a folder here for you to study. By the way, what are you busy with?"
"Just this—trying to memorize the contents of this booklet."
"Oh, don't bother memorizing that. Focus on the schedule of meetings and appointments. You know, I never memorized that before. Maybe Sir Alas is just giving you a hard time, but he's a kind boss and CEO, right?"
"Really? Then why is he doing this to me? But thanks for the concern."
"Maybe he's just messing with you. Do you still need me to teach you, or can you handle it yourself?"
"Well, I can handle it. I don't want to disturb you in your new role. What I can't handle is being fake with that new employee. I'm sure you saw who was with him earlier, right?"
"Ah, Brenda. She's a famous model. Don't you know her?"
"No, and I don't want to. She's too full of herself and fake."
"Hmm, just ignore her. Focus on being a secretary. Just report it to Sir Alas if she ever tries to hurt you. To be honest, I don't like her type either—following Sir Alas around like a dog."
"You're right," they both laughed. Lydia said her goodbyes, as she had a lot of work left to do.