No Ones POV

"It says Enzo Valerious over here, sir," the receptionist’s voice echoed through the speaker.

"Though... he specifically asked the hospital administration to keep his name completely secret."

Dominic stayed dead silent on the line, his knuckles turning white as his grip tightened around his phone.

Enzo...

His mind instantly flashed back to the guy who sat besides Vivien. Dominic’s eyes became cold. And the fact that it was a secret meant Vivien had absolutely no idea that her nerdy classmate was the one funding her medical existence.

"If anyone else calls or asks who paid that bill, you do not let them know," Dominic commanded, his voice dripping with an authority that made the receptionist shiver on the other end. "Not even if it is the patient herself. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, sir! Completely understood, Mr. Valente," she stammered out quickly. "Your secret is safe with us."

Dominic cut the call without another word, tossing the phone onto the desk.

"Enzo Valerious... huh," he murmured into the empty room, his jaw ticking with possessive rage curled deep in his chest. How dare some background nobody lay a finger on what belonged entirely to him? How dare he play the silent savior in Vivien’s life? "He has to go."

With his mind made up and his patience entirely spent, Dominic stood up, threw on his jacket, and strode out of the mansion. He got straight into the back of his luxury car and drove away into the bustling city.

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"Oh, Dominic~~!!!"

Amelia’s annoying voice instantly shattered the tension in the room.

She practically floated into the office, a bright smile on her face. She was completely convinced that the broke little bitch had finally been thrown out of Dominic’s life for good after her stunt yesterday.

But the exact moment she fully stepped inside, her smile vanished. Her eyes locked right onto Vivien, who was casually sitting at the desk across from Dominic, peacefully sorting through paperwork.

Amelia froze mid-stride, her hand gripping the doorknob so hard her knuckles turned white. Her face rapidly flushed from pale to red with pure rage. She literally could not believe her own eyes!!

Vivien, catching the noticable shift in Amelia’s expression, couldn’t help the wicked smirk that crawled onto her lips. She rested her chin in her hands, completely enjoying the dramatic meltdown happening right in front of her. To top it off, she playfully winked at her.

Seeing that smug smirk and the mocking wink, Amelia completely snapped. She stormed into the room, pointing a trembling finger. "YOU!!! Why are you still here?! How dare you show your face?!"

Vivien didn’t even flinch. She tilted her head, resting her face on both of her palms as she looked up with mocking innocent eyes. "Because I still work here," she said, her voice totally mocking her.

"You bi--"

"Amelia."

Dominic’s voice cut in between, instantly snapping the room into silence. His dark eyes narrowed into a glare. "What are you doing here?"

Amelia immediately shrank back, her aggressive posture melting into a timid, submissive pout. "I... I was just here to bring you some lunch, Dominic. I made it myself," she said, lifting a beautifully wrapped lunchbox.

Vivien’s gaze darted between the two of them, her eyebrows furrowing in sudden realization. Wait a minute... if Amelia is already bringing him homemade food, why on earth did this tyrant order ME to start cooking breakfast and meals for him?! Is he just trying to find new ways to torture my soul?

Dominic didn’t even look at the food container. His jaw tightened in annoyance. "Didn’t I tell you to stop cooking for me?" He completely dismissed Amelia, turning his piercing gaze directly onto Vivien. "And you. There is a fully stocked private kitchen on the third floor. Go up there and prepare my lunch."

Vivien’s jaw dropped slightly. Are you serious right now?! She stood up grumpily, kicking her chair back a bit as she grabbed her notepad.

As she walked toward the door, she made sure not to let a perfectly petty opportunity pass by. Marching straight toward the exit, she intentionally angled her path and forcefully slammed her shoulder right into Amelia’s.

"Ouch!" Vivien gasped with fake surprise, staggering back a step. She reached up, slowly adjusting the frames of her glasses, and offered Amelia a deeply sarcastic smile. "Oh, I am so incredibly sorry, Miss Amelia! As you can see, my eyesight is just so weak. I totally didn’t see you standing there."

Before Amelia could scream, Vivien turned on her heel and happily strutted out of the office toward the third floor.

Up on the third floor, Vivien was completely focused in her cooking. Within minutes, a deeply rich, savory aroma began to drift through the hallways. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The staff members working on the floor stopped what they were doing. They looked at each other, their eyes wide as they sniffed the air. The scent was incredibly addictive, making their mouths water instantly. They gulped in unison, trying to look away and force themselves back to work, but the smell was too distracting.

"How can she just cook here? Who gave her permission?" one of the junior secretaries whispered, glaring toward the kitchen.

"Shhh! Lower your voice, it must be the boss who allowed it," an older clerk replied.

"But how is that even possible?" another staff member chimed in, shaking his head. "Boss never lets anyone prepare his food unless they are a licensed, Michelin-starred chef. He’s extremely particular."

"Don’t worry," the first one smirked, crossing her arms. "The boss will definitely kick her out the moment he tastes whatever she’s making. There’s no way her food can match his standards." They all nodded in agreement, waiting for her inevitable downfall.

Soon enough, Vivien finished plating the dishes. She wiped her hands on an apron and looked up, instantly spotting a few staff members poking their heads through the doorway to spy on her. The second she caught their eyes, they snapped their heads away, pretending to organize blank papers.

Vivien’s lips twitched with amusement. "Ahem... well, I accidentally made a bit too much extra," she announced loudly to the room, pretending to sigh. "But it seems like absolutely no one here wants to taste it. What a shame."

The wall of professionalism instantly crumbled. "We are free!" they shouted, practically barging into the kitchen and crowding around the counter.

Vivien smirked inwardly, handing them a few extra portions on small plates. The staff members had fully intended to chew her out and criticize her cooking to her face, but the moment the food hit their tongues, their eyes widened. It was absolutely addicting- comforting, perfectly seasoned, and professional.

They ended up absolutely loving it, shoving the food into their mouths while trying to avoid her smug gaze. Vivien just smiled warmly. she knew exactly how much they had hated her a minute ago, and winning them over through their stomachs was a classic trick.

Behind the glass partition, Amelia watched the entire scene unfold. Her nails dug into her palms, her eyes literally burning with mix of hatred and pure jealousy. Seeing Vivien successfully charm the staff was the final straw.

She let out a huff and stormed off down the corridor.

While receiving the compliments from the staff, Vivien’s eyes tracked Amelia’s dramatic exit. She’s definitely up to something, Vivien thought, her intuition immediately going on high alert.

Quickly excusing herself from the crowd, Vivien stepped out into the quiet hallway, keeping her footsteps completely silent as she stalked behind Amelia. She followed her around the corner and ducked behind a pillar just in time to see Amelia pull out her phone, her face twisted in an ugly scowl.

Amelia dialed a number, waiting a few seconds before barking into the receiver. "Meet me in thirty minutes at the Grand Sapphire Cafe. Don’t be late." Without even waiting for a reply, she harshly cut the call and shoved the phone back into her bag.

I need to follow her, Vivien thought frantically, her mind racing. If she’s meeting someone secret right after seeing me at the office, it’s definitely a plot twist meant to sabotage me. But how could she follow her? If she left the building now, Dominic would immediately notice her absence, and Amelia would spot her trailing behind in a second.

Suddenly, her hand brushed against the small pocket of her skirt, feeling a familiar hard object. She pulled it out- it was a digital smart tracker she kept attached to her apartment keys.

A plan formed in her mind.

Vivien quickly unclipped the tiny tracker from her keychain. She took a deep breath, stepped out and intentionally speed up her pace as she walked, heading straight toward Amelia.

BUMP!

"Ah!" Amelia gasped, stumbling back a step as Vivien ran right into her side.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I’m just so clumsy today!" Vivien apologized frantically. While Amelia was busy brushing off her expensive clothes and glaring in disgust, Vivien’s hand smoothly slid down, dropping the tiny tracker directly into Amelia’s bag.

Amelia snapped at her, "Watch where you are going, you blind peasant!" and pushed past her, completely unaware that she was now carrying a live GPS beacon.

Vivien stood back, adjusting her glasses with a tsmirk. Pulling out her own phone, she opened the tracking app and watched the little glowing dot sync up perfectly with Amelia’s location. Game on, Amelia. Let’s see who you’re meeting.

Inside the office, Dominic stood by the tinted glass window, having watched the entire spectacle in the kitchen through the security feed. He let out a quiet scoff. She really did enjoy being around people way too much. An sharp flick of irritation pricked at his chest at the realization that those random staff members had gotten to eat her freshly cooked food before him.

He looked away from the monitor just as the office door pushed open. Vivien entered, carrying a beautifully arranged tray, and carefully served the dishes right in front of him.

The rich, savory aroma instantly hit his nose, making his stomach growl.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He didn’t pick up the cutlery right away. Instead, his eyes locked onto her face, noticing how she was fidgeting with her fingers, shifting her weight from foot to foot with an eager look.

"Say what you want to say," he commanded smoothly, reading her like an open book.

Vivien blinked, a bit surprised by how fast he had caught on. She quickly put on her best, most innocent smile. "Actually... I have a friend to meet in a few minutes at a nearby cafe. Can I please take my lunch break right now instead of later? I swear on my life I’ll be back incredibly fast!"

The moment the word "friend" left her lips, the temperature in the room dropped. Dominic’s eyes turned dangerously cold. Was she running off to meet another man behind his back?

He opened his mouth to give a flat refusal. But before the words could leave his throat, Vivien stepped closer. She looked up at him through her thick glasses, her eyes wide, soft, and pleading, practically begging him for permission.

Dominic’s breath hitched. For a split second, the image of him kissing her flashed in his mind. Against his own will, his defenses completely crumbled.

He gave a stiff nod.

Instantly, Vivien’s face brightened into a beautiful smile. She didn’t waste a single second, spinning on her shoe to escape before he could change his mind. "Thank you so much, boss! You are literally the absolute best!" she cheered, running out of the office and slamming the door behind her.

Dominic quickly looked away from the empty doorway, staring down at the hot food she had prepared for him. The tips of his ears burned with a faint blush, completely annoyed by how easily she could sway him with a single look.

Yet, despite the soft flush on his skin, a wave of jealousy remained coiled deep in his gut. He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over his assistant’s speed dial. If she thought she was meeting another man on his watch, she was dead wrong.

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TO BE CONTINUED