Upon noticing him, the woman immediately played the victim. "Mr. Harris!" Her voice oozed distress.

“What's going on here?" Gerard's inquiry cut through the tension, icy and terse.

Flushed with the mistaken belief that Gerard was coming to her rescue, the woman couldn't suppress a flicker of smugness. She launched into her tale. "This secretary-she was here, utterly disrespecting your office. Just look at the mess! When I asked for just a simple coffee, she gave me this... this bitter concoction. And then, in a fit of insolence, she doused me with it!"

Lilah, upon hearing this brazen lie, felt her jaw drop. Not even Adaline could reach such heights of audacity.

Gerard's frosty stare settled on Lilah, and the woman, confident of her impending triumph, feigned magnanimity. “Mr. Harris, please, let's not fuss over this. Ambition runs rampant among secretaries, doesn't it? Just send her away."

Gerard broke his silence, his voice carrying a wintry edge. “You're saying she poured coffee on you?"

“Yes," the woman affirmed, though doubt began to cloud her certainty.

"Sweetie, return the favor," Gerard said to Lilah, his voice now surprisingly soft.

Without missing a beat, Lilah reached for her water bottle and upended it over the woman's head.

The woman's shriek pierced the air, a mix of indignation and shock.

Lilah's voice was cool as ice. “Seems your mouth could use a good rinse."

The woman's face contorted with fury. "How dare you?" Her eyes flicked between Gerard and Lilah, incredulous. "Mr. Harris, you see this, right? She attacked me first! How can you side with someone like her?"

Gerard's reply was unyielding. "She's the one person you're not allowed to cross."

Feeling the sting of humiliation, the woman lashed out. "Fine! I'll have my father reevaluate our partnership."

"There's no need," Gerard cut in, his voice frigid. "I've already declined your father's offer."

Disbelief washed over her face.

He was sacrificing a business deal for... a secretary?

But then Gerard's arm was around Lilah, his declaration leaving no room for doubt. "She's not my secretary. She's my girlfriend."

"Huh?" The woman felt her world tilt.

She'd had designs on Gerard herself, a partnership of convenience at the least. But he was already taken? She glanced at Lilah, judging her unworthy.

In her eyes, Gerard's choice was a poor one.

"I'd think twice about that decision. If my father chooses another partner, you'll suffer losses," she said, regaining her composure, and stalked off.

Lilah, aware of the weight such collaborations held, turned to Gerard with uncertainty. "Are you sure it's alright to turn down such an important deal... because of me?"

“It's mo issue," Gerard assured her, his fingers Lightly brushing through her hair in a comforting gesture. “Their proposal wasn't up to scratch. Besides, if we pass on this one, it won't make a dent in us."