She waited for Cris to leave before entering. Cris's curiosity was so intense that she wasn’t willing to go without prying some detail from Aileen about the mysterious owner of the company.

"Are you going to tell me now?" Cris asked, barging into the room with an insistent gleam in her eyes.

"Cut it out, Cris. Seriously, I’m not in the mood," Aileen replied, hoping she would just drop it.

"Come on! You can’t leave without giving me something." Cris’s voice had that borderline-annoying tone. "You saw him, right? What’s he like? Is it true he looks like a monster? Come on, tell me. How bad is he?"

"Enough, Cris. First of all, he’s not a monster," Aileen answered firmly. "He’s a normal person, like you or me. Well… with a lot more money than both of us combined, of course. Second, I’ve already told you it’s not okay to talk about someone like that, especially based on baseless rumors. And third, let me remind you that Mr. Dominic is still your boss. A little respect wouldn’t hurt."

"But he fired you. Doesn’t it burn that he kicked you out?" Cris pressed, trying to stir the fire.

"Of course I’m upset, but I know it was my fault. I made a mistake, and now I have to face the consequences. End of story."

"Then why doesn’t he show his face?" Cris insisted, still intrigued.

"It’s simple—because he’s an early riser. You said it yourself." Aileen raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Mr. Dominic is the first to arrive and the last to leave. That’s why you’ve never seen him. There’s no mystery—he’s just a hardworking and dedicated man. That’s all."

"But that girl said—"

"That girl was hurt because she got fired," Aileen interrupted calmly. "Of course she was going to say anything to vent. But you know what? Spreading gossip isn’t okay. Words can hurt, Cris. Think about that before you repeat things like that. Now go back to work."

"You’re right. Thanks for the advice, Aileen. I’m going to miss you," Cris said, hugging her warmly. "See you tonight?"

"Of course, Cris. See you tonight," Aileen replied with a smile.

Once alone in the office, Aileen found herself gazing at the walls. There were magazine covers and newspaper clippings about the company, but one image in particular caught her eye. It was a photograph of Dominic—happy, smiling, surrounded by others. Cris hadn’t been entirely wrong. The boss had once been attractive, and in Aileen’s eyes, he still was. There was something captivating about his eyes, though his gaze held a coldness that was hard to ignore. The mask covering half of his face gave him an irresistible air of mystery—the kind of allure straight out of a romance novel. Without a doubt, Dominic could be the perfect fantasy for any reader.

**DOMINIC**

From his hidden spot, Dominic had heard every word of the conversation between the two women. Was that really how they saw him? A monster? He hated that word. *Malenka*, his ex-fiancée, had used it the day she canceled their wedding. That woman had abandoned him when he needed her the most—and worse still, she married the man he once considered his best friend. For months, he had gotten used to spying on them, clinging to the absurd hope that their relationship would fail and she’d come back to him. But that never happened.

Eventually, he stopped caring. Now, as he listened to Aileen, something caught his attention—she hadn’t done what he expected. She hadn’t fueled the rumors or tried to get revenge. She had shown maturity—even respect. Maybe, if he thought about it... Aileen had something special. She just might make a good assistant after all.