He swallowed, his voice hesitant. "Mindy, you... you didn''t stop her downstairs,

did you?"

Mindy looked confused. "Huh? Why? Didn''t you say to block any weird women who show up without an appointment? She didn''t have one, and she asked for the CEO by name, so I did what you told me."

John pped his thigh in frustration. "Mindy, seriously? Why would you stop her? Let her up—no, wait, I''ll go get her myself!"

Mindy stared at him, wide-eyed. "What''s going on, cousin? Does she really know the boss?"

"Know him? It''s way more than that!" John rushed out of his office, heading straight for the elevators. "She''s the CEO''s wife!"

He barely made it a few steps before almost crashing into someone.

The first thing he saw was a pair of sleek, custom-made ck shoes and tailored suit pants.

Crap.

John looked up-and found himself face-to-face with Joshua.

"C-CEO..." John stammered.

Joshua nced down at him, eyes narrowed, his whole vibe suddenly cold and dangerous. "CEO''s wife? Who?"

John blurted out, "Ms. Allison!"

The icy look in Joshua''s eyes thawed instantly, the tension in the air fading.

A small, satisfied smile touched Joshua''s lips. "She''s here?"

John quickly ended his call and nodded. "Yes, sir. She''s downstairs. The new receptionist didn''t recognize her, so she stopped her since there was no appointment..."

His voice faded. After all, that receptionist was his cousin.

Last time Mindy let in some random troublemaker, the boss almost fired her on the spot. John had begged and pleaded to keep her from getting sacked.

He and Joshua had been friends since college. They''d been tight ever since. After graduation, John went abroad for a while, and when he came back, he applied to Fisher Corporation just like everyone else.

Now, dread washed over him. He''d

worked his tail off for years, always reliable a always

aboyal Was it

to go up smoke

seof

Mindy''s screw-up?

Please, God, save me.

But the disaster he expected didn''t happen.

Instead, Joshua just smiled. "I like that ''CEO''s wife.'' Let''s stick with it."

"Come on, let''s go greet her," Joshua said, turning toward the elevators.

John froze for a second.

Wait-so he wasn''t getting fired?

Realizing this, John felt a wave of relief and hurried after him.

Downstairs.

Mindy looked at Allison, her nerves all over her face.

She''s really the CEO''s wife?

Mindy twisted her fingers, flustered. "Um... I''m really, really sorry. I had no idea

you were the CEO''s wife. I just thought—"

"CEO''s wife?" Allison frowned. "That''s not me."

Mindy panicked. "Please don''t joke with me. My cousin already told me-you''re the CEO''s wife. I''m so sorry for not recognizing you. Please don''t hold it against me!"

Allison''s frown deepened. "I told you, I''m not your CEO''s wife..."

Mindy thought Allison was just mad about what she''d said earlier about the CEO having Ms. Witt, so now she was pretending pet to be the CEO''s wife to mess with her.

Mindy let out a long sigh. This was bad-she''d totally offended the CEO''s wife. If

thedy wanted her fired, not even her cousin could save her.

Seriously, why is my life so hard?