CHAPTER-9

LENA

Katherine is Alarik's second secretary. She was on leave when I joined the Andressano group. His first secretary, Ryan, is not so friendly, while Katherine is a warm-hearted woman who passionately fulfils her tasks. Her laser-like focus on her work makes it clear why Alarik hired someone as sweet and dedicated as her.

"How long have you known Mr. Andressano?" Katherine asks with a mouth full of pancakes. We are currently having breakfast at a nearby café.

"Not long, actually. I just recently moved to New York. I was working for someone else before until I met Mr. Andressano by chance one evening. He offered me a wage plan, so I joined the group," I say, purposely omitting the more dramatic details of our encounter.

"Are you saying you slept with him?" Katherine asks suddenly, making me splutter my coffee.

"What? No! I did not sleep with him."

"But everyone in the office is saying you got this job through sleeping with him," Katherine says, her eyes wide with surprise. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

I gape at her. "Who is spreading those rumors?" One name pops into my mind.

"I'm sorry, it's just that everyone mentions you in the group chat. I just wanted to make sure. If I offended you, I am sorry." Katherine's voice is barely audible now.

Her apology is sincere, and I can see the concern in her eyes. Despite the awkwardness of the conversation, I appreciate her honesty and willingness to address the rumours directly. It's not easy to confront such sensitive topics, but her straightforward approach shows her integrity. I nod, trying to ease the tension and assure her that I understand her intentions were not malicious.

"There's a group chat? I'm not in it." I'm surprised.

"Why are you so worried about it? I'm sure I've offended quite a few people since joining suddenly, so I can understand the distaste they have for me. You don't have to apologize," I reassure her, though I suspect Gina might be behind these rumours.

Katherine gives me an assuring smile. She appears sweet and easy going, but she's observant and doesn't hesitate to question me about my morals during our first meeting.

"Well, truth be told, Sir has only hired five people directly, including you: me, Ryan, his driver Harvey, and a woman named Stella," Katherine says, fiddling with her fingers and looking down at her plate.

"I also had a hard time being accepted by others, but Sir helped me the most. He saw my real potential before I was even aware of it. He was the one who extended his hand when I was in need. I just feel you shouldn't have to go through what I went through. Some women here are just jealous. You can tell me or Sir if they're playing tricks on you," Katherine explains.

I frown. What is this high school drama?

"Do you like him? I mean, Mr. Andressano?"

She chuckles. "No, I only think of him as my older brother. After all, I spend most of my time working for him. I've never felt more than gratitude toward him."

Her honesty is refreshing, and her loyalty to Allah is evident. I'm beginning to understand why he values her so much. Katherine's straightforwardness and kindness make her a valuable ally in navigating the complexities of the workplace.

"What about Sebastian?" I ask, noticing her face sour at the mention of his name.

"Nope. He's a bastard," she replies bluntly.

This time, it's my turn to giggle. "What about that woman, Stella? Isn't she your friend?"

"Huh... well, no," she says, hesitating. "She's no more."

My hand freezes mid-air. "She's been dead for more than five months now. Even if she were alive, we wouldn't have been friends. We hardly met. Sir hired her just two months before her demise. She was a fresh graduate, but she was given a senior manager position in the marketing department. She was different from everyone else Mr. Andressano hired. She didn't have talent or experience. She did all her work so badly that Ryan always had to cover her mistakes."

Despite her usually reserved personality, Katherine has a lot to say about this deceased person. "Why was she hired if she was that bad? Why would he do that?"

"A lot of people think she was sleeping with Mr. Andressano, but Sir wouldn't hire someone just because of that. Despite her mistakes, he always turned a blind eye, so people thought it might be true."

"Why didn't you like her?"

Katherine looks anywhere but at me. "She glared at me every time we met. She tripped me once in Sir's office. One time, she even questioned me about working late with him, but I wasn't working with him. Not only that, she also became friends with some women who don't like me. They talked behind my back, spreading rumours that I was sleeping with most of the men in the office."

Wow, she sounds awful.

Katherine gestures for me to come closer. "One time, I was working late. Since my office is directly beside Sir's, I heard something. She was complaining about me and talking to Sir, trying to get me fired. That's when I heard she was his fiancée. They were going to be married."

What?

"No one in the office knew. I thought I was going to be fired, so I never said anything. Mr. Andressano might have liked her," she continues, trailing off. The girl in the photographs must have been Stella.

"How did she die?" I ask.

Katherine sighs deeply. "It was a car accident. She was driving home late one night and lost control of her car. The police said she was speeding and might have been drinking. It was tragic, but... well, it was complicated. There were whispers that it might not have been an accident, given the tension in her life."

I nod, taking in all this information. It's a lot to process. The office dynamics are more tangled than I thought. Katherine's candor is refreshing, though. She's not afraid to share her thoughts, even if they paint a darker picture.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've been through a lot," I say.

Katherine gives me a small, sad smile. "We all have our battles. Just know, if you ever need someone to talk to or if things get tough, you can come to me. I've been there. And I'm here to help."

"Thank you, Katherine. I appreciate that," I reply sincerely.

Katherine's eyes show no emotion as she talks about Stella's death. "She was a very beautiful woman, with sparkling blonde hair and blue eyes. I really believe any man could fall in love with her at first sight. However, Mr. Andressano never attended her funeral. He didn't seem affected by her death at all. He continued his life as if she never existed."

I realize I have to learn more about Alarik's life. It's a lot more complicated than I thought, especially since Stella isn't the woman in the photograph I have.

The woman in the photo has brown hair and brown eyes, with a slender figure. She's posing with a warm smile while sitting on the porch of a house in the background. The photograph is half-ripped, a piece of a larger picture. She has her hands linked with the arm of a man, whose part of the photo is missing. The photo is also old, appearing to be thirty to forty years old.

Thinking over these words, I feel more pressure from the mystery connected with Alarik and the people that surround him. Perhaps Stella's beauty associated with the terrible fate of the character demonstrates the author's desire to suggest more sinister events behind the picture of the woman in the photograph. Katherine telling the details of Stella's death in such a calm demeanour adds another dimension to the mystery; hence, I begin to wonder about Alarik Andressano's past and the things he hides.

As I sip my coffee, I realize I need to navigate carefully, gathering pieces of the puzzle and fitting them together to see the whole picture. There must be a reason why Alarik married me. His first fiancée died in an accident, and he married me in haste without even introducing himself. Our wedding was just signing a certificate, with no ceremony or reception. If her accident wasn't a coincidence but a murder, then what?

When I first met Alarik, his life was also in danger. What if those people come after me, knowing I'm his wife? My life would be in danger if they found out. Someone who is after Alarik must also be a powerful person with the means to find out about me.

My heart pounds as these thoughts race through my mind. The more I learn, the more tangled the web becomes. Alarik's indifference to Stella's death, the mysterious woman in the old photograph, and the rushed, secretive nature of our marriage all point to something far more sinister than I initially realized.

The lack of a wedding ceremony, the absence of any public acknowledgment—it all feels like a move to keep me hidden, to shield me from prying eyes. But whose eyes? And why?

The possibility that Stella's death wasn't an accident but a murder sends chills down my spine. The danger seems serious and approaching. I need to be cautious and alert. Every step I take could bring me closer to the truth or closer to danger.

I take a long breath, hoping to calm my worries. I need to find out why Alarik chose me and what he is hiding. My life could be on the line.