Sam shrugged and closed the door, took the food bags to the dining table, saw the brother still standing right where he was, his thick eyebrows frowned like never before.

“Hey, bro, come to eat. the food’s smelling like heaven.” Sam shouted cheerfully.

“What’s her name again?”

The low voice asked, no interested in the heavenly smell of the food as his brother tried to convince. Stefan walked to sit at the table with his eyebrows knotted together still.

“Who?” Sam did not get his brother.

“Your girlfriend. What do you call her?”

“Oh, Wine. Her first name is Wirata. Why were you two acting so strange? It’s kind of weird. Have you known her before?”

Sam asked out the doubt in his mind. Wirata asked him to lie to Stefan, wanted his brother to think she was his girlfriend. Why? Something was going on, but Sam did not know what.

Stefan’s brain was still not quite operating properly. Her name was Wine, Wirata? But why Pichani said that it’s Violet? Nothing sound like Violet! Stefan clenched his fist.

Pichani dared to mess about with him! She would pay for that! All this time he had been wasted to find a woman named Violet. Pichani would get expensive lessons for lying to him. She cost his precious time unforgivably. He would make sure of it! Fucking Violet! Fucking Pichani!

“So? What’s going on?”

Sam’s voice pulled him back as his thoughts were boiling his mood to the angry point, but on the surface, Stefan showed nothing to his brother, only his smooth and cool character as Sam knew and respected. he shrugged a little.

“Nothing. She used to stay at the apartment, my woman’s place.”

Stefan replied. Sam nodded, got a bit of understanding.

“Aha, that’s how you knew Wirata.”

Sam concluded.

“Well, not really knew her, just saw her, once or twice, but not really important.”

The ‘not interested’ voice said.

Sam unpacked the food, put it in nice proper plates. Sometimes when he felt lazy he just ate it from the box. But this time the place was fully equipped, nice kitchen in the big suite room. Sam put the big plate in front of his brother then sat down on the opposite chair, they started eating.

The food was called Pad Thai, it’s Thai noodle stir-fried, there were lots of king prawns in it as Sam asked for the special one.

“Is she studying at the same university as you?”

Stefan asked after both were eating quietly. Sam was thinking that tonight his brother behaved a little strange. Sam thought Stefan wasn’t interested in Wirata’s story, but now he’s asking. So weird!

“No. Not now, my uni just next to hers. We’ve been together since high school. She’d moved to study in Boston since 16. Now she and Sophia are in the same class.”

Sam explained in more detail. He was studying to be a doctor, so he went to a medical school not far from their university.

“So, you’ve been lovers for a long time?”

The next question made Sam quiet and thinking carefully before giving the answer.

“Um, we’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend since ah, yep… quite a long time.”

Sam said, using the words ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ instead of ‘lovers’ so he didn’t feel much guilt about lying to his big brother. In his heart still wondered about the strange behaviors between his brother and Wirata. But Wirata pleaded like never before, so there must be a good reason for that.

Sam was very close to Stefan, he loved and worshipped his brother like a superhero. Stefan was a big CEO of this branch in Las Vegas, he had been doing his job excellently and took his responsibilities seriously. Everything under Stefan’s wings was secured and successful always. Their father, Michael Mackenzie, had put all his trust in his eldest son.

“So, you come to pick her up?” The low voice of Stefan spoke after sipping some whiskey during the meal. Sam shook his head.

“Not really, just came to surprise her oh, and you, too.”

Sam replied, almost forgot to make his brother felt important. Sam smiled at his thought.

“Ah, and also want to talk to her about a new place she is looking for.”

Sam continued. Sam used to drive Wirata to where she lived but never went into the building, so Sam had never met that woman, it was quite a surprise to know that Wirata was living in the same apartment as his brother’s woman. What a small world!

Sam knew that Stefan had a reputation for women, which he saw nothing strange or wrong about that. As far as the world knew, his brother was a man who had everything women wanted, they who were introduced to Stefan Mackenzie would try their best to get him, at least get into his bed first.

Stefan finished his Pad Thai. washed it down with the rest of the whiskey. Inside his mind, he felt a little frustrated that the woman turned to be Sam’s girlfriend. What could he do now? She belonged to his little brother. The plans of teaching that girl lessons had been stopped unwillingly.

Stefan sighed, tried to control his frustration at its base. He kissed her, twice, he still had her sweet scent stuck in his head and he also offered her to go to bed with him. Stefan sighed heavily again without realizing. Brother’s girlfriend, this word was making him feel so itchy, so unsatisfied, so unsettled, so unhappy, so frustrated, and so on…

“Well, if she’s looking for a place to live. That apartment is available still. She can stay there. It’s free of charge if she wants. You’ll tell her that, will you?”

“Oh, really, bro. But she moved out, I don’t know why, maybe, she had an argument with her roommate. So she might not want to go back there.”

Sam pointed out. Wirata didn’t tell him the reason why she moved out.

“It’s empty now. Nobody lives there anymore.”

Stefan said. Sam understood straight away that his brother ‘finished’ with his woman.

“Great. I’ll let her know about this, thanks, bro.”

After eating, they were talking and watching a good film together, Sam gave their mother a call and Stefan gave their father one. Their parents had been separated for a long time since Sam was three years old.

When getting late they said goodnight and Stefan went up to the penthouse, went straight to the bar, poured whiskey into the glass. His sharp blue eyes turned dark, the thick glass flew out of his hand, hit the wall fast and hard.

“Fuck!” He cursed but did not know to what… and for whom. Never once in his life that a man like him got frustrated but did not know what to do with it. And how to make it go. The frustration because of being humiliated by a girl, not a man, a girl! And turned out she was his brother’s lover! Stefan’s thoughts swam around this story, and he could not get it out of his head.

Later on, Wirata gave Sam a call and he told her that she could stay at the same apartment for free, his brother gave permission that she could live there if she wanted. But she said NO. Wirata did not want to go back to that room again.

However, Wirata just told Sam that she wanted a change, that room was too big for one person, she only wanted a small one. Sam asked if there was anything between her and his brother, she just said there was nothing at all. And Wirata hoped from now on, he would not bother her ever again, since he thought Wirata was Sam’s girlfriend.

Her thoughts and wish had become true. Wirata hadn’t seen nor heard about the mafia named Stefan Mackenzie again. Her life once again was at peace and the happiness was easy to find.

She enjoyed the time during the university with Sophia and with Sam came round to join them as often as he could. They had been so happy and fun and successful. Wirata never met the bad mafia until the fourth year at the university had finished!

*************************

Time had gone by so quickly until graduation.

Sam decided to continue his studies at a famous medical school in England. Sophia went with him to continue her master’s degree.

For Wirata, she decided to have a break from studying, thought that she would find a job first and maybe continue her study later when she felt ready again.

Sam suggested that Wirata should apply for a job at his father’s company in Boston. At first, she refused because she did not want to use special rights over others it was unfair. But Sam sent an application with a copy of her Graduate Transcript and Wirata got a phone call asking her to go for an interview.

Wirata was not happy with Sam but he said he would not be happy either if he did not help. Sam assured that he did not tell anybody that she was his close friend. The reason she was called, it was the manager’s decision, and he considered it from Wirata’s excellent academic performance himself.

Because Sam knew Wirata had her pride and didn’t like taking advantage of other human beings, she always respected to stand in the queues! But However, After a week, Sam was successful in trying to convince Wirata to work at the company. Sam said to give it a try. If she didn’t like it, she could quit any time she wanted.

So here it went. Wirata started working as a financial and accounting officer at The Mackenzie Enterprise. There were a lot of small businesses under the MC Group, where Wirata had the responsibility, it’s finance and credit sector.

She enjoyed working there very much. People were friendly to her and they were professional. That was the things Wirata expected to see from the giant company like the MC Group. Working with experienced people made her learn a lot. She had learned some useful skills and knowledge for her career in the future.

Wirata worked in Boston for six months. Then one day, the manager asked her to his room, Wirata was thinking that she might have done some mistakes with numbers or something about her latest report.

“Did I do anything wrong, sir?”

Wirata asked. The manager looked up at her and smiled, shook his head.

“What made you think that way? For six months, you’ve always been excellent, no words to describe your work performance than that word, excellent.”

He said with kindness in his eyes. Wirata felt relief and smiled back at him gratefully. He had been a nice and kind manager to her.

“Well, what it is. Do you know, Mr. Daglus Lee, he’s the financial manager in Las Vegas? He’s looking for a secretary. As we know it is your hometown. I’m wondering if you would be interested in. I recalled we used to talk and you told me that you wanted to be with your mother. The salary is also much more than what you’re on at the moment.”

The kind manager managed to say the whole story, made it clear and understandable once listened, as he’s a good communicator as well. Wirata was quite excited about this opportunity. It was not easy to get transferred to the place you wanted, and now Wirata really missed her mother.

Wirata considered and saw that it was a move that she could get better money and be able to live with her mother. So after one week of thinking, she agreed to sign the contract.

Even though deep in her heart, Wirata was a bit worried about the big boss of the branch there, Stefan Mackenzie. She did not think of him much all this time. And every time when the Boston Head Quarter office had meetings, Wirata always managed not to come face to face with him. She also opened her ears to the people’s talks to hear when he visited the Head Quarter, but when he came here, he only went up to the top floor to see his father, and he did not even know she was working here.

As far as the rumors went, at the Las Vegas branch, Wirata had heard about his working style that Stefan Mackenzie would sit on the top floor of the building, which was not the same floor as the ordinary office workers. And the rumors also said that he hardly came to the office at all, he worked from his penthouse!

So Wirata gathered her courage and good reasons to make the decision. To be with her mother was the most important thing and Wirata should not let anybody ( any bad crazy mafia) to stop her doing so. And if the worst came to the worst, she only quit, and that was it! Nothing complicated!

So the following month Wirata had moved to work in Las Vegas. Her mother was very happy and cried with happy tears that the daughter had returned home. Even Wirata did not come to stay at home yet.

She had rented an apartment near the office for convenience, but at least it was near home and whenever she had free time, she could just jump into a taxi to visit her mother. She also could go to help her at the restaurant as well.

Wirata quite liked it here, the office in Las Vegas. People were not bad at all. But time would tell more as it was only one month working here yet.

However, Mr. Daglus Lee, her manager, was as kind as the one in Boston. Wirata considered herself lucky in this case.

So far so good. Wirata hadn’t seen the President of the branch yet! The rumor was true that Stefan Mackenzie worked from home! But there was a schedule of the monthly meeting coming soon. And that made Wirata feel uneasy a little.

However, this company had a lot of staff working here and Wirata thought she was only a secretary, last time at the meeting, she did not have to sit near Mr. Lee at all, so if this was the case, she could hide among the staff.

Stefan walked into the meeting room, sat on a chair at the head of the table as the president. Stefan was lucky to have trustworthy and responsible managers working for him, they were trained by his father when they were younger, in other words, they were his dad’s men whose previously bodyguards. Now turned managers, looking after Mackenzie’s business like their own. The Mackenzie always knew how to treat people under their wings, made them feel like members of the family, and nothing was better than that.

People sat at their places and positions as usual. Although Stefan did not come to the office every day as he worked from home. The technology made life easier, he could see the whole building, every office floor if he wanted, through the monitors in his office in the penthouse. But he did not normally watch every second of it of course, he was not that crazy. He had more important things to do than sitting and watching what’s going on in the building. If things went wrong or important things happened that needed his attention, his people would report it to him right away.

The reason why he worked at the penthouse. Because this way he could also look after the hotel, too. So, that was how the big powerful CEO of the new generation of the Mackenzie could manage to control everything in his hands.

The meeting started as the schedule said, at 9.30 a.m. All managers took a turn to read reports of their work projects, or whatever was going on in their responsibilities. These reports would be sent to him again later.

Stefan looked around. There were office workers who joined the meeting as well. The ones who involved with the projects and included the managers’ secretaries as usual.

Then his eyes were stopped right there at the back, far at the other end of the table. There was a woman sitting there with a laptop in front of her, and it looked like she tried to hide behind it. He should not be surprised at all, because as a powerful CEO, Stefan got used to seeing people shaking or showing frightening feeling when facing him.

But somehow, this one was drawing his attention in a mysterious way. The black long hair tied at the back in a ponytail style, slender body in a gray suit, the company uniform. From where he was sitting, he could see only her forehead which she tried to bend down behind the laptop, reading something that must be very important.

“Ah, this was it, boss.”

Mr. Lee’s voice drew Stefan’s attention but not his eyes. He was still staring at the end of the table.

“Good, Douglas. What about the ongoing project,? The last time I heard it’s two weeks ago.”

The low smooth voice asked. Everybody knew how efficient memory Stefan Mackenzie had got. Under his ‘not care and not paying much attention’ attitude, he knew everything and remembered every detail as far as they had noticed.

“Oh, yes! It’s a bit slow because I had lost my old secretary, she’s got married and moved to the UK. Anyway, I’ve just got the replacement and she is working on it.”

Mr. Lee said loudly. That made Wirata jumped a little, praying that Mr. Lee was not going to turn to her and ask her to show her face.

“Wirata, where are you? She’s my new secretary, from Boston. Ah, Wirata?”

Here came her luck! The pray wasn’t working at all! Wirata slowly sat up and looked up to Mr. Lee without looking at the president’s direction!

“Um, yes, Mr. Lee. The project’s in your email. I’ve sent it a while ago. It’s done.”

Wirata said with a smooth and clear voice. She did not show any sign of fear and did not show any sign of knowing the man sitting at the head of the table.

Stefan froze when seeing clearly, the sweet pretty face, the one that, somehow he still remembered well in his head, like he just saw her yesterday. Sam’s girlfriend!

He had not been interested in her news since last time when he knew she was Sam’s lover. It was almost four years. He did not mean to remember that, but it was because Sam had been in England since then.

Wirata saw him even she did not look straight towards him. He was in a dark suit, different from the picture of the evil mafia wearing a leather jacket and a pair of torn jeans, as she had seen four years ago.

Stefan Mackenzie, thirty-two-year-old, the super-rich and powerful boss as his character announced himself clearly. Although she was ducking her head almost all the time, she still saw his face. The way he was listening to the reports from various managers patiently and seriously. It looked like he was paying attention in every detail. His sharp quiet blue eyes were sharper than a knife when scanned people. They all looked serious in front of him.

His concentration was causing Wirata to feel unbelievable amazed that the bad mafia could also work like other human beings! She had never expected to see him like this. In fact, she had never expected to see him in any case. Never wished to!

The memory of him snatched her into his arms and kissed her flew into her mind and was quickly put away that seconds as it had always been. Oh, and if she could not get rid of that bad picture quick enough, the next scene came, when she was prodding him hard with her sharp knee into his groins and punching his arrogant face! That helped a lot and definitely cleared her mind up to a clean slate!

Wirata felt relieved that the big boss did not pay attention to her at all. After Mr.Lee finished his report, the next one started. The meeting lasted three hours, a very long one, as it was the monthly meeting!.

And then the big boss left the room upstairs to his big office that he hardly sat in. Wirata released her breath she held most of the time in her chest, couldn’t believe she was still alive with such so little air in her lung!

In the afternoon, Wirata was working as usual. She did not hear that the big boss had gone already or still up there in his heavenly room. Soon after that, she had forgotten about him and carried on working as the rest of the day went by.

One month at the Las Vegas office, Wirata made new friends as she was a friendly person, and men seemed to notice her wherever she went. Wirata thought it’s because of the Asian looks that made people recognize her easily.

From that meeting day, James and Ben had noticed that their boss had ordered them to drive to the company office like… every working day. He did not stay for long. The boss had a business to deal with some clients individually, then when drove by the company building, he asked to stop by, that was all.

“Hi, Wirata, this’s for you.”

The exciting voice of a man making Wirata looked up from her laptop. A bouquet of roses was handed to her. Wirata lifted her eyes up to see Roger, a man who was working at the same section standing with a smile on his red face.

“Uh, wow … Thank you! Roger, what’s for? Wirata asked with a surprised tone. Roger’s face got more red. Only one month here, but people seemed to think Roger liked her. Wirata was not deaf to hear the gossips even she did not pay much attention.

Obviously, Sam had kept his promise well, as nobody knew about her friendship with him. The story that she was Sam’s girlfriend was only for Stefan to believe which made her life so peaceful for four years.

“Ah, you seem to forget it’s Valentine’s Day today.”

Roger said. That made Wirata smile sheepishly because she truly forgot about this day. It was not important to her. The love of her life was her mother. For her stepfather, some close relatives in Thailand and close friends like Sam and Sophia she sent her love to them unreservedly all the time. So Valentine’s Day was just like other ordinary days for her.

“Oh, yes. I remember now. Thanks very much, you shouldn’t be bothered to give me this, but thanks anyway.”

Wirata said with a thankful gesture and received the roses from Roger’s hands.

Unfortunately, at the office door, there was a tall figure of the boss standing right there and watching. Stefan came into the office at that right minutes and saw that situation in front of his eyes.

What a coincidence! The handsome face immediately frowned. The scene in front of him was clear and also the ears heard the female staff whispering together.

“Huh … I’m so jealous! She just got some flowers from a guy from the office below us yesterday and now look! Roger was giving her lovely roses, too. Such a lucky girl.”

A woman said to her friend. She did not realize the boss was standing not far.

“Well, look at the beautiful face. She’s so friendly to everyone. Sometimes, men are not smart enough to see the difference between, um, friendly friend, or flirting, if you understand what I mean.”

The other woman whispered back.

Before they could do more gossiping, They had to jump a little and shut their mouths immediately when they saw the boss walked past to the manager’s office.

Later on, in the evening, Stefan was standing in his office looking through the glass wall down at the parking lots. His eyes went dark and his forehead frowned.

Down there, a slender figure that he remembered well, was stepping into Jimmy’s car. Dark eyebrows knotted together. Did Sam know about this?

Seeing his brother’s girlfriend flirt around like a cheap woman, Stefan was not pleased with it. He did not want Sam to look stupid that his woman was behaving badly behind his back!

The next day, Wirata was surprised and shocked by the direct order that came down from the ‘Upstairs’ to her. The letter from the big boss!

Subject: Appointment Ms. Wirata Ratanawan as ‘Personal Secretary Of The President!

Wirata was shocked, at first was thinking that her eyes had gone crazy but after the tenth round of reading, she was still seeing the same messages!

Stefan Mackenzie’s personal secretary?!

It couldn’t be real! No way!

Something must have gone crazily wrong! It must have!