"Kylie, what's wrong?"

Lana's voice pulled Kylie out of her thoughts.

"It's nothing."

Kylie brushed the stray hairs from her forehead and forced a faint smile before adding, "Oh, by the way, I have something to take care of at noon, so I won't be joining you for lunch."

Lana nodded. "Alright, but make sure you come back early. I heard the new CEO is coming for an inspection this afternoon."

Kylie's eyes flickered slightly, and she only murmured a quiet acknowledgment before falling silent.

-

Kylie took a cab to the hospital.

Kevin lay quietly on the bed, as peaceful as ever. His eyes were closed, and the light cast a soft shadow on his lashes. Aside from the prominent scars from the burns, he looked just like someone who was merely asleep.

"Ms. Cooper, your brother's condition is very stable, don't worry," the nurse said, offering reassurance.

Kylie came to the hospital every week, and every time, the doctors and nurses would say the same thing: "He's stable."

She knew that these words were meant to comfort. However, they also seemed to extinguish the flickering hope that Kevin would wake up, just a little bit more each time.

But Kylie believed, deep down, that her brother would wake up one day.

He had to.

She leaned down, gently stroking his hand, again and again, her eyes welling up with tears.

Seeing her in this state, the nurse hesitated for a moment before gently interrupting, "Ms. Cooper, I'm sorry to bother you, but please don't forget to pay the fees before you leave."

"Oh, right. I'll do that now."

After paying, Kylie went to find her brother's attending doctor for an update. But when she opened the door to the doctor's office, she was taken aback.

Sitting in the office was a face that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Before Kylie could process it, the person spoke first.

"Kylie."

Kylie blinked, shocked and a bit in disbelief. "Nathan?"

The man's delicate features held a youthful, innocent light, and he smiled warmly. "It's been a long time."

"What are you doing here?"

Nathan Kingsley pointed to the white coat he was wearing.

"Maybe... I work here as a doctor?"

Kylie froze for a moment, then quickly processed the situation.

"So, now you're my brother's attending doctor?"

"Yeah."

Nathan adjusted his glasses, his smile still as pure and untroubled as ever.

He was a star student at medical school, a year ahead of Kylie. Back in college, he was the perfect combination of handsome and brilliant.

The two of them had been in the debate club together, but after Nathan went abroad for an exchange program, they lost touch.

Later, when Kylie's family faced a crisis, she started working part-time at a nightclub and changed her phone number, severing contact with old classmates and friends. She never imagined she would run into Nathan here, of all places.

The senior she had once known had returned from his studies abroad, now a doctor and her brother's attending physician.

And here she was—having been someone else's lover for three years and achieving nothing in the end.

Nathan's appearance stirred up old memories in Kylie. Her classmates from back then must be doing well now, living happy, fulfilling lives.

As for her...

Kylie snapped out of it quickly, forcing herself not to dwell on the past. She mustered a faint smile and asked Nathan, "What's the likelihood of my brother waking up?"

Nathan adjusted his glasses, and his gaze through the lenses became somber.

"Currently, the medical technology here in the country has limitations when it comes to treating those in deep comas."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "If possible, I'd recommend considering taking your brother to the country of Altheria for treatment. Their research in neuroscience and coma recovery is much more advanced. The treatments are more cutting-edge, and he could receive a more thorough diagnosis and therapy, which would greatly improve his chances of waking up."

Nathan's words brought Kylie a glimmer of hope, but it also felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her chest.

If possible...

So, that meant money. It all came down to money.

Kylie clenched her fists, lowered her gaze, and sighed in defeat.

Just then, her phone rang—it was Lana. Her voice on the other end sounded urgent.

"Hey, Kylie, you need to come back right away. The new CEO is coming to inspect our department. Don't be late!"

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Kylie hung up, then stood up and prepared to say goodbye to Nathan.

"I have to go, Dr. Kingsley. There's something happening at the company. We'll catch up next time."

Before she could leave, Nathan grabbed her arm gently.

"Kylie, if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to me."

His words were soft but sincere, his eyes locked on hers with a tenderness that made her heart flutter.

Kylie felt a bit dazed. She hummed an agreement before turning and quickly heading back to the company.

Nathan watched her hurriedly leave, his eyes filled with heartache.

On the way back, Lana kept bombarding Kylie with messages, urging her not to be late. She stressed that if she was, the consequences would be serious.

That only made Kylie more anxious. She kept urging the driver to go faster.

Before long, the taxi pulled up in front of the company building.

Hearing that the new CEO was about to arrive, the department heads were already lined up downstairs in formal attire, ready to welcome him.

Seeing the scene, Kylie quickly lowered her head and hurried past. She reached out to press the elevator button—

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" a security guard barked at her. "That's the CEO's private elevator!"

Kylie was forced to use the regular elevator, but the floor indicator wasn't moving. Time was running out.

Gritting her teeth, she made a decision—stairs it was!

The finance department was on the 12th floor. If she ran, it would be faster than waiting for the elevator.

Without hesitation, Kylie kicked off her heels and dashed into the stairwell.

By the time she finally reached the office, she was completely out of breath.

Climbing twelve flights of stairs was no joke—especially for someone like Kylie, who hardly exercised.

She collapsed into her chair, reaching for her water bottle to take a sip, when Lana suddenly patted her on the shoulder and shrieked, "Kylie! Why are you barefoot?!"

Startled, Kylie fumbled and knocked over her water bottle.

The cold water drenched the front of her light blue blouse.

She scrambled to grab some tissues, dabbing at the fabric. But before she could do much, Alex Hill, the Finance Department Manager, was already leading Jonathan into the office.

As they entered, Alex was all smiles, bowing and scraping as he introduced the new CEO.

The man behind him carried an air of dominance—his presence was sharp, his gaze intense.

"Wow, he looks even better in person," Lana whispered excitedly.

Kylie kept her head down as she stood behind her chair, hoping to avoid his attention.

Jonathan strode closer. Even without looking up, she could feel the weight of his presence bearing down on her.

A moment later, his cool, impassive voice rang out—

"Ms. Cooper seems to have a lot of free time at work."

Kylie froze. She had no idea what Jonathan's words meant, and Alex seemed just as confused.

The man chuckled darkly, his tone growing sharper.

"Ms. Cooper, since you have time to work part-time at the club at night, I imagine your days must be pretty free, huh?"

Kylie bit her lip, a wave of hurt rising in her chest.

Why was Jonathan singling her out like this?

Even if he didn't love her, she hadn't done anything to offend him, had she? Well… except for that time when she had smashed something over his head.

Okay. Now Kylie regretted it—she regretted being so impulsive and smashing the cup on him. He probably never had anyone treat him like that before. Maybe she really had offended him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sinclair," she said quickly. "I've already quit the part-time job at the nightclub. I won't..."

"Did you quit, or were you fired?" Jonathan cut in, pressing harder.

"I was fired..."

The exchange made the room go still. Everyone, except for Michael, was left with wide eyes and expressions of disbelief.

Kylie gave up fighting back. She lowered her head even further, trying to shrink into herself.

Jonathan's gaze flicked down to Kylie's damp blouse, now almost see-through and clinging to her chest.

His eyes moved lower, catching sight of her bare feet. His brow furrowed.

He let out a disgusted snort, a look of disdain crossing his face. Turning to Alex, he snapped, "Is this the company dress code?"

"Huh?" Alex was stunned. He turned to Kylie, his face suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

Flustered, he hurriedly explained, "Mr. Sinclair, this... this must be a misunderstanding, really!"

Jonathan's cold eyes locked onto Alex's, sending a clear message of authority. Then, flanked by his entourage, he strode out of the finance department.

Alex stood there, drenched in sweat, still muttering to himself as Jonathan walked away.

"Misunderstanding... definitely a misunderstanding... ugh!"

Kylie felt bad for causing trouble for Alex, so she quietly murmured, "Sorry, Mr. Hill. I'll be more careful next time."

Alex turned to face her and was about to scold her. But then he paused, his expression thoughtful.

"Did Mr. Sinclair say you were working part-time at a nightclub?"

Kylie saw the hint of gossip—and something more inappropriate—in his eyes. She quickly responded, "Mr. Hill, I was just working as a regular waitress. Please don't read into it."

"Did you run into Mr. Sinclair at the nightclub?"

Alex's sharp instincts kicked in, and his words hit the mark. Kylie was left speechless, unsure how to respond.

Lana, ever the gossip, immediately leaned in and said, "Hey, Kylie, I think you look a lot like Mr. Sinclair's fiancee!"

As she spoke, Lana pulled out her phone and started comparing photos.

Alex raised an eyebrow, glanced at the photo on Lana's phone, and then studied Kylie with narrowed eyes. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, there's definitely a resemblance."

Lana, with her eternal bystander mentality, began analyzing the situation, oblivious to Kylie's discomfort.

"Maybe when you were working at the club, Mr. Sinclair noticed you and thought you looked like her. That's why he remembers you."

Kylie lowered her gaze. The words that she looked like Jonathan's fiancee felt like soft thorns, pricking at her heart.

A few days later, the HR department sent out a notice about personnel changes.

The company chat erupted with messages tagging Kylie, but she was too busy sorting through project materials to notice anything happening.

When Lana saw the email, she gasped in surprise and immediately rushed to Kylie's desk.

"Kylie, congratulations!"

Kylie was completely confused and asked, "Congratulations? What for?"

Lana snatched the files from Kylie's hands, pushing her to look at her inbox.

"You've been appointed as the CEO's executive assistant! Look at the email!"

Kylie blinked in shock as she refreshed her inbox and saw the personnel change notice.

Executive assistant to the CEO? That title alone sparked all sorts of thoughts.

Kylie felt a strong resistance inside her. She didn't understand why Jonathan was acting this way—she didn't want to see him every day.

Her mind was spinning, but Lana spoke up from beside her with envy, "I never would've guessed that looking like the CEO's future wife would have such perks! The salary for an executive assistant is way higher than what we make in the finance department!"

Just then, the phone on the desk rang—it was Michael calling.

"Ms. Cooper, please come to the CEO's office."

"Huh?"

"Mr. Sinclair is waiting for you."

Kylie was reluctant, but she obediently made her way to the elevator and headed up to Jonathan's office.

Michael was already waiting at the door. When he saw Kylie, he gave her a nod and gestured for her to go inside.

Every time Kylie had seen Michael before, it was either when he was taking her to the villa or dropping her off at home. This was the first time they had met so formally at the office.

She felt uneasy, but after nodding to Michael, she quickly walked into Jonathan's office.

Once she entered, Michael turned and closed the door behind her.

The room was quiet, with only Jonathan and Kylie present. Jonathan said nothing, and Kylie didn't dare make a sound. The silence was suffocating.

Behind his glasses, Jonathan's cold, detached gaze lingered on Kylie for a long moment. It was a while before he spoke.

"Not happy with your new position?"

His teasing tone made Kylie uncomfortable.

"Mr. Sinclair, I don't think I'm suited for this job. I'd like to request that you reconsider the transfer."

Jonathan's expression darkened, his displeasure evident.

"You don't want to be my executive assistant?"

"I just don't think I'm the right fit."

"I think you are."

Jonathan's voice was firm as he stood. Then, he walked around his large desk and moved to stand beside Kylie. He raised a hand and gently gripped her chin, speaking each word with emphasis.

"You've done well for the past three years. Being my executive assistant will be a piece of cake for you."