A Marriage of convenience

Prologue

Prologue
Wearing a brown trench coat over my white turtleneck top and beige pencil-cut skirt, I held my phone tightly in one hand and my handbag in the other. I kept my chin up and faced forward without any hint of intimidation from the massive crowd right in front of us.

There was a sea of reporters waiting at the arrival section, which I had fully expected. I put on my Wayfarers beforehand to block the flashes of light coming from their cameras. They looked like wild hyenas trying to surround and pounce on their prey. Everyone was scrambling to get close, hoping to get an immediate answer without having to book an exclusive interview.

But of course, the woman they wanted to catch was the queen of the Pride Lands. A human barricade of bodyguards worked to protect her in the middle. The only person allowed to walk right next to her was me—her personal secretary.

"Ms. Manoban, what can you say about the deal you secured with AveMed?"

"What are your plans?"

"Why did you decide to venture into pharmaceuticals?"

"How does it feel to win the International Young Entrepreneur award?"

Even though I could hear the questions being hurled at us, not a single reporter managed to get close due to the tight security. The person they wanted to talk to didn't hesitate to head straight toward the waiting vehicle at the driveway. As we approached a black SUV, I rushed ahead to reach it first.

I quickly opened the passenger door for her to enter. Once she got inside, I took a deep breath to compose myself before following her. I carefully sat beside her and maintained a proper posture, placing my bag on my lap while keeping a firm grip on my phone.

Silence settled inside the vehicle. The only sound was the low hum of the engine as the car sped away from the airport.

The woman beside me was so quiet that I didn't dare speak, afraid of getting caught up in her irritation. Having worked as her personal secretary for three years, I had already memorized her moods and daily life. I knew almost everything about her.

I knew her likes and dislikes, along with her weekday and weekend routines. I knew when she was irritated or angry, and I could tell whenever she was pleased and satisfied. Although she looked uptight and aloof most of the time, she was like an open book to me after doing my best to adapt and become the most fitting personal secretary for her.

With her forehead slightly creased beneath her sunglasses, I could tell she was annoyed by the media mob. Despite being one of the top businessmen and entrepreneurs in the country, she surprisingly disliked being in the spotlight, preferring to work away from the public eye. However, because the company needed public exposure, she had no choice but to endure it.

Wanting to perform my duties well, I turned away and unlocked my phone, quickly opening my messaging app. I texted the head of security at Manoban Holdings to ensure our building would be clear of media. Since the reporters didn't hear anything from her earlier, I was certain they would move to the corporate office to try their luck again. Even with a high chance of being turned away, they were persistent. They would do anything to get their job done.