Noah entered RTA that morning with a heated temper. From the car, he was already talking to his cousin, Raffy, who was in Hong Kong.

  Frustrated since the night before, he didn’t bother to carefully select what to wear that day. He just grabbed a body-hugging dark maroon long-sleeve shirt and dark denims.

  He forgot to grab his sports coat from the car because he hastily got out after reaching the building's parking space.

  He only realized something was off with his outfit when two women who shared the elevator with him stared intently. His upper garment was too tight, making his physique stand out.

  He didn’t even return the smile of Ingrid, who greeted him with a "Good morning." He saw the puzzled expression on the beautiful face of his executive assistant. She was probably wondering what he and his cousin were discussing on the phone and also why he had been arriving late at the office recently, coming in only about three times a week.

  The organization at RTA was well-structured, and each department had excellent managers. Technically, even if Noah came to the office only once a week, everything would still run smoothly because of his staff. Besides, Raffy was the one practically running the agency, while Noah’s role was mainly final decision-making. But he had grown used to coming in early and daily, a routine that only changed because of the growing desire he felt for his oblivious executive assistant.

  “You’re just like our grandpa!” Raffy exclaimed over the phone. “We’re in showbiz, Noah. RTA isn’t a school or a church!”

  “We still have an image to maintain, Raffy. You know that’s the reason RTA has lasted this long in the industry. Since Uncle Mark’s management, we’ve never allowed our talents to go astray,” Noah said, massaging his temples after setting his black leather briefcase on the console table behind his desk.

  Raffy remained firm and defended the two actresses involved in the current controversy. “The thing is, Janine admitted that she offered herself to Edmund. Edmund was already separated from his wife when it happened, and he and Janine eventually got into a relationship. Mara also admitted to doing the same. So Edmund didn’t solicit sexual favors; there was no coercion or blackmail involved. Those two women were just desperate to get projects, so they thought of selling themselves.

  I’m a woman, Noah. You know I’d fight for women’s rights if I believed we were being wronged. But it’s clear that’s not the case here. If Edmund had been the one to make the offer or coerce them, I would personally have him jailed for sexual harassment.”

  He clenched his jaw. "He could've said no for ethical reasons. And I won’t allow this kind of behavior to continue at RTA! I don’t care how long he’s been with the company or how many talents he’s discovered."

  "You’re only saying that because the issue has leaked to the media. You know we’ve been hearing about things like this in the industry for years; it’s not just happening at RTA. It’s even worse in other places where harassment, rape, and pedophilia are involved. None of that happens in our company, and you know it. We even hire private investigators to monitor any suspicious activity among our staff."

  Raffy had him cornered. She was right—Noah had heard whispers about the talent scout, Edmund, for a long time. He had chosen to ignore them because no one had complained, though in truth, it secretly annoyed him. Last night, news broke on social media about a rookie actress allegedly offering herself to Edmund in exchange for becoming an RTA talent. This scandal had dragged Janine and Mara's names into the spotlight. Showbiz reporters had already called him, asking for statements, but he chose to stay silent.

  "I want this to stop. I don’t want others in RTA to follow this example. When you get back, we’re having a meeting and creating new rules. I’m firing Edmund, and that’s final."

  His cousin tried to appeal. "Can’t we just let him retire instead? He’s already planning to next year."

  "Fine. But you’ll handle the reporters. Do it well."

  "Duh! Of course! Since when did you even deal with the media?"

  "I have to go now. I’m already at the office."

  "Hmp. Whatever! See you when I see you. Bye!"

  After sitting down in his swivel chair, Noah called Ingrid on the intercom. "Can you get Cadencio from his studio? Tell him to come here."

  "Okay, Sir."

  He rolled up his sleeves. "And, Ingrid… tell him that if he doesn’t come with you, I’ll go to the studio myself and drag him out."

  "Got it, Sir."

  Minutes later, Cade finally complied. Grinning as he entered Noah’s office, it was clear he already knew why Noah wanted to talk.

  Noah asked Ingrid to come in as well, instructing her to take notes of their conversation. He pulled a chair for her to sit in, and her grateful smile instantly warmed something deep inside him, calming him slightly. He knew the feeling wasn’t sexual—it wasn’t the time for such thoughts—but he realized he missed her beautiful smiles whenever he wasn’t at work.

  "So you gave Ingrid your cactus," Cade teased with a grin. He turned to Noah’s assistant. "Do you water it, Ingrid?"

  "Sit down, Cadencio," Noah said firmly, pointing to the vacant chair as he moved to his desk.

  "You’re such a gossip," Cade laughed as Noah opened the discussion.

  Rumors had spread in the office that Cade had slept with a model he recently photographed during a shoot.

  "You know our rules. Those of us who own and work at RTA are prohibited from having any kind of relationship with our staff or talents."

  "Relationship? There was no relationship with Neri. We just had sex, once. And it was consensual, mind you. No drugs, no alcohol. It happened at the studio and—"

  "I don’t want details!" Noah interrupted, clearly annoyed.

  "I asked her on a date, but she refused. What can I do if she was only after my body? I felt used, Noelani! Your cousin was the victim here."

  "How long has this been going on? You’d better tell me the truth, or I’ll have you investigated."

  "Just this once, I swear. And hey, like I said, I didn’t break any rules." Cade turned to Ingrid, who was sitting across from him. "Let’s ask Ingrid. Tell me, sweetheart, from your point of view, did I break any rules by engaging in sexual activity with Neri?"

  Ingrid looked at Noah, as if asking for permission. But there was a determination in her eyes that showed she’d give her opinion even if he refused.

  "Sir, does the rule specifically prohibit sexual relationships?" she asked when Noah nodded at her.

  "Yes," Noah replied.

  The woman turned to Cade. "Sir Cade, if it only happened once and you had no prior relationship, and she refused to date you afterward, then it wasn’t a relationship. What happened was just a one-night stand with no strings attached. If that’s not explicitly prohibited by RTA’s rules, then you didn’t technically break any."

  Noah looked at his executive assistant, slightly amused.

  "There you go!" Cade said, standing up. "Case closed."

  Noah shook his head. "We need to revise the rules."

  "Why fix it if it’s not broken?" Cade argued.

  "Because someone like you is likely to abuse it!"

  "It wasn’t a sexual favor, okay?" Cade laughed. "I never asked anyone at the company to sleep with me, and you know that. I even avoid those who flirt with me at RTA. But Neri was an exception, alright? We couldn’t help it—it just happened." He turned to leave but glanced at Ingrid and winked. "Thanks, babe!" he said before heading out the door.

  Noah let out a deep sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.

  Ingrid hesitated before speaking. "Sir, I’m not siding with Sir Cade, but—"

  "No, no. It’s alright. You have a point."

  "Do I need to document your conversation?"

  "No need."

  She fell silent, not moving from her seat. Until he caught her staring at his arms. Was she checking him out?

  She blushed when she realized he had caught her seemingly examining his arms. And was she also staring at his chest and shoulders?

  When their eyes met, Noah fought the urge to swallow as his throat suddenly felt dry. Her pretty mouth was slightly open, and her chest rose and fell as she appeared utterly embarrassed. Or was it just embarrassment? He thought he could see something else in her expression. Was it too much to assume—maybe, just maybe—she was feeling hot and bothered?

  He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Is there a problem, Miss Delgado?" he asked her formally.

  A problem? He was the one with a monumental problem because, right now, all he could think about was taking his executive assistant on his office table.

  "I was just thinking—do you need anything else, Sir?" she quickly asked in return.

  Yeah, you.

"Just get me some coffee, please. Thank you."