4. An Absurd Idea

Alger stared at Lily's biodata, occasionally glancing out the glass window where Lily was busy with her work.

His fingers tapped the table with his pen.

"There's nothing strange," Alger murmured softly. "But why does it seem like she's pretending not to recognize me? Is this her way of avoiding that dark past?"

He quickly closed the document and put it in the drawer when he saw Lily standing up and heading to his office. He pretended to be busy with his laptop as Lily knocked on his door.

"Come in."

As usual, Lily smiled and slightly bowed.

"Sorry, sir. The meeting is in fifteen minutes. Can we leave now?"

"Get the car ready."

Lily nodded with a faint smile. "I've already prepared the car for you, even with a driver, so..."

"I want you to drive."

Lily gaped in disbelief, pointing at herself. "Me, sir?"

"Why? I'm your boss here, so I can order you however I want. Don't tell me you can't drive? Or have you not managed to get a man out there to buy you a car yet?"

Lily closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. "I can drive, so I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Bring everything I need. Don't forget anything," Alger said as he stood up and left the office.

Lily clenched her teeth in frustration at Alger's attitude. She glanced at his slightly messy desk.

"Ugh, Mr. Daniel is old, but he's not this spoiled. What kind of young man can't even carry his own stuff? Does he think I'm some kind of errand girl?" she grumbled while tidying up Alger's documents roughly.

Her eyes landed on a tie lying on the table, then shifted to Alger, who was walking outside her office.

"So dramatic. Forgetting his tie before a meeting? And he calls himself disciplined and organized?"

As she was busy complaining, her phone suddenly rang. It was obvious who the caller was, making Lily press the phone to her ear.

"Yes, I'm—"

"Are you sleeping in my office? We're already late, and instead of hurrying, you're taking your time. I don't like undisciplined people. If you don't meet me in five minutes, I'll deduct your salary!"

"I'm on my way..."

Beep.

The call was abruptly disconnected. Lily clicked her tongue in annoyance and jogged toward her workplace. She quickly grabbed her belongings along with some documents needed for the meeting.

The elevator doors were about to close, but Lily managed to stop them with her foot and rushed inside, panting for breath.

Did Alger care? The answer was no. The man remained indifferent as Lily struggled to carry both her belongings and his. He was too busy with his phone.

Lily held out his tie toward him. "As a good secretary, I'd like to remind you that you left your tie on your desk earlier."

Alger glanced at the tie and took it from her hand.

"Don't expect me to ask for your help putting it on."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Lily replied casually while scrolling through her phone.

She stole a glance at Alger, who was struggling to put on his tie. For some reason, she wanted to laugh. This so-called disciplined boss, a foreign university graduate, couldn't even wear a tie properly. It wasn't that he couldn't do it—it was just an absolute mess.

Placing the documents on the floor, Lily walked over to Alger, intending to fix his tie.

"Don't look for an excuse to get close," Alger snapped, harshly swatting her hand away.

"I accepted you as my future wife, not out of love or attraction. But—"

"I understand, and I remember exactly what you said yesterday, so there's no need for a repeat broadcast, sir. I was only trying to fix your tie. It doesn't look good if you attend a meeting with it crooked like this."

Lily ignored his protests and adjusted his tie. There was no smile on her lips—she was simply focused on fixing it.

"If you can't tie it properly next time, I can—"

"I don't need you to do it for me," Alger interrupted coldly.

Lily didn't get angry. Instead, she chuckled while picking up the documents from the floor.

"I wasn't offering to tie it for you, sir. I meant I could make you a ready-to-wear tie. If you want. If not, then whatever," she said nonchalantly.

"Are you mocking me for not being able to tie my own tie?"

Lily shook her head firmly. "I wouldn't dare mock you for something like that, sir."

"Then what?"

Lily didn't answer because the elevator doors opened. She stepped aside and gestured for Alger to go first.

"Arguing won't get us to the meeting, sir. Please, after you."

Alger shot her a sharp glare before striding toward the office lobby. Instead of getting into the car, he stood in front of his driver.

"Starting today, you don't need to be my driver anymore."

"Huh? S-sir, am I fired? I didn't make any mistakes, so why are you suddenly firing me? Sir, I know the company is going through some policy changes, but I don't have much money to survive in this city. Please, sir, don't fire me," the driver pleaded, pressing his hands together. His eyes were already misty, holding back tears.

Alger shook his head. "I'm transferring you to another position. Because from now on, she will accompany me and be my driver," he said, pointing at Lily, who stood behind him.

"But, sir..."

Alger raised an eyebrow at the driver. "Do you want to be fired or transferred?"

"Uh, I-I'll wait for your next instructions, sir."

"Good," Alger replied swiftly. "Give her the keys. I'm in a hurry."

The driver didn't respond but immediately handed the car keys to Lily, who was standing there.

"Be patient with your new boss, Ly. He seems a little cruel."

"Not just a little, he really is cruel."

"Lily! I don't have time to wait for you to chat. Get in the car now!"

Lily didn't answer, choosing to stay silent as she got into the driver's seat.

Without another word, she started the car. Maybe time was really running short, so she took a shortcut to reach a café quickly.

Lily's gaze was fixed on the road ahead, but honestly, her mind was battling with a question—why did Alger hate her so much? Could it be that Alger's parents knew about her past and his? Was this a trap for her because she had ruined Alger's life in the past?

Thinking about something this complicated, especially something she didn't even remember, left Lily completely confused about what she should do now.

She glanced at the car's rearview mirror, looking at Alger, who was still the same—busy with his phone. Gathering her courage, she finally spoke up.

"Why did you agree to this arranged marriage if you hate me so much?" Lily asked.

Alger, who had been focused on his phone, immediately lifted his gaze with a smirk. "The answer is obvious, and I don't need to repeat it."

"Is it about revenge? Tell me, sir—just how badly did I wrong you for you to make my life this complicated now?"

"Your little act is quite unique," Alger sneered. "Still pretending to be innocent and forgetting everything you've done?"

Lily shook her head firmly. "Believe it or not, but I really lost my memory, and I don't remember who you are or what role you played in my past. Every problem can be resolved peacefully."

"But not this one," Alger said firmly. "I will make you feel the same pain you inflicted on me, Lily. So, remember my words well." His voice was cold as he opened the car door.

"And now you want to make me suffer, Alger? You want to make your own wife the object of your revenge?" Lily whispered, wiping away her tears.

"Maybe I should ask Aunt Hellena. There's no way she knows nothing. Was my father's so-called help just a trap? Were they actually holding a grudge against me?"

Questions flooded Lily's mind, but who could answer them? Everything felt blurry, uncertain. Even she couldn't remember anything about her past. The severe accident three years ago had erased all her memories—both bitter and sweet. She didn't even remember when or how her mother had died.

"Alger!" a girl's voice called out, waving her hand.

Lily, who was about to close the car door, turned her gaze toward the source of the voice. She saw a beautiful woman approaching—her client, the one she was supposed to have a meeting with. But apparently, she knew Alger too.

Alger's lips curled into a meaningful smile, his mind already brimming with crazy ideas.

"Genifer?"

"Wow, so you came back without telling me? You know I've been looking for you here, right? And now you're already a vice director? So, this meeting is with you?"

"You still remember me?" Alger asked, playing along.

"Of course! You made a promise before you left, remember? And I'm here to collect it now." Genifer whispered, wrapping her arm around his.

Lily, standing behind them, narrowed her eyes in displeasure, especially at the sight of her client clinging onto Alger's arm.

"What the hell? He claims to be cold and untouchable by women, yet here he is, all affectionate right in front of me."

Alger glanced briefly at Lily's sulking face—he knew exactly what he was going to do next.

"The game is about to begin, Lily. You'll feel exactly what you made me feel back then."

"So, SM Century is your company? Why didn't I know that you're now in charge?" Genifer asked as she sat beside Alger, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Don't tell me you've been in this city for a while and were just avoiding me and our promise?"

Alger shook his head and casually tucked Genifer's hair behind her ear—right in front of Lily.

"I just arrived at SM Century today. But don't worry, I remember that promise. For now, let's get straight to the meeting."

"But—"

"Excuse me, sir," Lily cut in. "We're on a tight schedule. After this, we have to visit a media company to check on the preparations for our annual event."

Genifer shot Lily a sharp glare before turning back to Alger. "Your secretary is so bossy. Aren't you the boss? Why is she the one acting in charge?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Lily replied firmly. "I follow company policies. I'm here to assist with business, not to watch you two reminisce about old times. This is working hours, so let's focus on the job."

Just as Alger suspected, Lily was holding back her jealousy.

"Are you jealous?" he whispered.

Lily immediately stepped back, shaking her head. "Why would I be? If you and she want to be lovey-dovey, then meet up privately tonight. Right now, I'm only here for business, not to witness you two flirting."

"I do whatever I want," Alger smirked. "This is my company, my office. You have no right to tell me what to do."