Just an ex secretary

The humid air hung heavy, thick with unspoken threats. "Don't let her in, Samuel!" The voice, sharp and laced with venom, sliced through the morning calm. "I know her. She's just an ex-secretary of Mr. Boyd's. If you value finding work in this city, in this *country*, don't let her pass!"

I pivoted, my hand instinctively tightening around the strap of my bag. The source of the outburst materialized: Stephanie Smith. Jessy's older sister. Her perfectly coiffed hair and designer suit seemed out of place against the backdrop of the Golden Estate's wrought-iron gates. Her eyes, however, were perfectly in place – cold, calculating, and fixed on me with undisguised animosity.

She stalked towards me, her heels clicking like a metronome counting down to a confrontation. "So, you're the scapegoat who dared to lay a hand on my sister." The words dripped with disdain, each syllable a carefully aimed barb. She circled me slowly, her gaze raking me from head to toe as if assessing my worth – or rather, my lack thereof. "After all the help we, the Smith family, gave you..."

My jaw tightened. "Sorry, do I *look* like I wanted your help?" I countered, my voice deliberately even. "And what help, exactly, did your family render to me, Stephanie?" I took a step forward, closing the distance between us. The air crackled with tension.

She stopped, her face inches from mine. I could smell the sickly sweet scent of her perfume, a cloying aroma that did little to mask the bitterness radiating from her. "You're just an ordinary girl from the countryside," she spat. "I guess poor pumpkins also have poor mentalities. You think you can probably escape after what you did to Jessy, but you're wrong, Olivia. This time, it's not only the Smiths and the Boyds who are after you, but also the Deev family. Let's see how you escape *that*."

I fought the urge to flinch. The Deev family. That *was* a complication. But I refused to let her see my fear. "Your mouth stinks, Stephanie," I said, deliberately casual. "I bet you didn't brush your teeth this morning before stepping out." I glanced pointedly at Clinton, who stood a few feet away, his expression unreadable. "Besides, the Deev family can do no harm to me."

"Why is the manager taking so long to fire this fool?" I asked, turning my attention to Clinton. He avoided my gaze for a moment, then met my eyes, a flicker of something – amusement? – in their depths.

"Calm down, Miss Deeva," he said, his voice smooth and professional. He pulled out his phone and redialed. "There's no network connection," he announced after a moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

Stephanie erupted in a harsh, triumphant laugh. "Isn't this Clinton Belton, the assistant of Olivia Deev?" she sneered, her eyes glittering with malicious glee. "Oh, so it turns out Olivia has the opportunity to book a rent here due to your power." She let the words hang in the air, thick with sarcasm. "How convenient."

Clinton remained impassive, his silence only fueling Stephanie's rage. "You're not afraid to go against the Deev family, Clinton? Seems like you're now going against the Deev family for siding with Olivia. Or are you one of the men she's been sleeping with? Is that what's giving her the head to go against the Boyds?"

The accusation hung in the air, a palpable insult. I felt a surge of anger, but I suppressed it, a slow smile spreading across my face. I met Clinton's gaze, and a shared understanding passed between us. We both burst out laughing, the sound echoing in the sudden silence.

Stephanie's face contorted with fury. "How dare you!" she shrieked, her voice cracking. "How dare you laugh at me!"

Just then, a figure hurried towards us, his face etched with anxiety. It was Mr. Chin, the manager of the Golden Estate. He was a portly man, usually impeccably dressed, but today his tie was askew, and his forehead glistened with sweat.

"So sorry, Mr. Belton," he stammered, bowing slightly. He turned to me, his eyes widening in surprise. I could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to reconcile the "ordinary girl from the countryside" with the reality before him. *Another problem again he might just reveal my identity to this fool called Stephanie.*

"Oh my God, young Miss Deev! It's a pleasure to meet you again!" He thrust out his hand, his smile strained but eager.

I took his hand, my grip firm. "It's Miss Deeva," I corrected gently, emphasizing the subtle difference. "You can't call me Miss Deev. There is a difference between the two names." I smiled softly, letting my eyes convey a silent warning.

He paled slightly, understanding dawning in his eyes. He dropped my hand as if it had burned him and turned to the security guard, Samuel, who stood frozen, his face a mask of confusion and fear.

"You're fired!" Mr. Chin barked, his voice suddenly regaining its authority. "From today onward, you no longer have to apply for a job vacancy anywhere near the Livia Group property."

The security guard's face crumpled. He looked from me to Mr. Chin, his eyes pleading. "What did I do wrong? You probably got it wrong. This girl is a nobody and was given order by Mr. Boyd to not let her into the estate I did nothing wrong," he said, his voice cracking with desperation.

Mr. Chin rounded on him, his face flushed with anger. "When did this estate become the property of the Boyd family that they would tell the Livia Group what to do?" he demanded. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

The security guard stared at him, speechless, lost in a sea of confusion.

Stephanie, however, remained defiant. "You probably is one of those men that she's sleeping with," she spat at Mr. Chin, her voice dripping with venom. "You now have the guts to go against the rule of the Boyd family? Seems like you are looking for a death sentence."