Chapter 1 Deliver Documents

"Attention, dear residents of the community, please be advised. In light of a confirmed case of infectious disease within our community, we are implementing community-wide isolation measures. There is no need for alarm; property management will soon dispatch personnel for inspections. I repeat..."

I found myself standing before my boss, Osborn Borne’s door, hesitating briefly before finally summoning the courage to ring the doorbell.

The door swung open, and there stood Osborn, dressed in his bathrobe, looking quite impressive but with a hint of impatience. "What is it again?"

I had just interrupted his bath earlier to deliver documents, and now, I was intruding on his bathing time for the second occasion.

Casting a subtle glance at the hint of chest muscle peeking out from Osborn’s bathrobe, I stammered, "Um, the property management has informed us that the community is under isolation, and no one is permitted to enter or leave."

Osborn raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your point?"

I forced a smile. "Well, Mr. Borne, I was wondering if... I could perhaps seek shelter at your place for a few days?"

The property management of this high-end community was notably unscrupulous, insisting that during the isolation period, outsiders had no choice but to stay at the community's hotel which had a fixed rate of eight hundred and eighty-eight per night, with no room for bargaining.

Although Osborn was quite unpleasant to be with, when compared to the hefty eight hundred and eighty-eight fee, he oddly became more charming.

“No.”

Osborn coldly rejected my request and swiftly moved to shut the door.

I gripped the doorknob tightly, my voice strained as I pleaded, "You can't do this! I've given my all for you and the company. You can't just abandon me like this—"

Just then, a middle-aged woman walking her dog happened to pass by and couldn't help but comment, "Young man, you have to take responsibility! Don't act like a scoundrel!"

Through the narrow gap I was desperately holding, I could clearly see Osborn's handsome face, which appeared extremely displeased.

Perhaps unable to bear the moral scolding from our neighbor, Osborn eventually let me in.

I sat on the living room sofa. Osborn had changed into casual attire and sat across from me, exuding an air of sulk.

"You can stay here." Osborn’s expression was still not quite pleasant. "But it won't be for free.

"I used to have a housekeeper who came by daily to handle cleaning and cooking duties. However, due to the community's quarantine measures, she can no longer enter.

"Those responsibilities will be yours starting today."

I nodded eagerly. "Alright, no problem, consider it done!"

Finally, Osborn began to look somewhat better.

I wasn't particularly skilled in household chores, but fortunately, Osborn's home was well-equipped with convenient tools, so thankfully, nothing major went wrong.

That was until I stepped into the kitchen.

I had just graduated not long ago, and I typically dined in the company cafeteria, so I hadn't ventured into cooking yet. However, I was feeling self-assured – I mean, when it came to stir-frying, wasn't it simply a matter of adding a little of this, a little of that, flipping it, and frying it again? It couldn't be that difficult, right?

I spent two hours watching cooking videos online, pulled out a dozen ingredients from the fridge, and was ready to showcase my culinary skills.

However, from the moment flames shot up from the stove, things spiraled out of control.

In my panic, I accidentally turned up the heat too high, and the oil in the pan burst into flames.

As I stood there, unsure of how to handle the flaming pan, Osborn wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me behind him.

I stared at his broad shoulders, feeling somewhat dazed.

Swiftly, Osborn turned off the stove, then grabbed a pot lid from the side and covered the flaming pan before finally turning to look at me.

I thought to myself, "I’m done for."

Previously, Desmond Brown, who worked as a secretary in the office, got fired simply because he held the coffee cup with his left hand when serving it to Osborn.

After that incident, the entire office kept their distance from Osborn, fearing they might get fired for even a minor mistake.

This time, no one wanted to deliver the documents, and they all passed the responsibility around until it landed on me.

Now, I almost set Osborn's house on fire, and I was sure I'd be in hot water for this!

Just when I was feeling anxious, Osborn finally spoke.

"Are you injured?"

I shook my head, looking somewhat dejected.

Osborn sighed. "Forget it, just make sure such things don’t happen again."

I lifted my head in astonishment.

Did he just tell me not to let such matters happen again?

Osborn was surprisingly lenient! Nothing like what my colleagues had described as heartless!

I was both touched and guilty. "I'm sorry, Mr. Borne, I'm just not used to cooking yet. Please let me try again!" He didn't listen and, with a stern face, chased me out of the kitchen, deciding to cook himself.

The way he adjusted his cuffs was filled with allure, and I couldn't help but sneak a few more glances.

Indeed, Osborn was impressive, looking handsome even in a Hello Kitty apron.

I thanked Osborn. After enduring so much of me, he still graciously let me eat the meal he prepared.

Osborn's culinary skills were impressive. I couldn't resist having an extra bowl of rice, and I praised him with a thumbs-up while eating.

Osborn finally looks a little bit happy, though his tone still carried some disdain. "Eat slower; no one is going to compete with you for food."

After that, the kitchen became Osborn's territory.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today was the monthly staff meeting, where each department head had to give a summary of their work.

Since I couldn't go to the office because of quarantine restrictions, I had to ask to join a video conference with the supervisor.

While listening to the opening remarks of the vice president, I found myself getting drowsy, resting my chin on my hand. Normally, these kinds of meetings were for the top executives and didn't concern me.

To my surprise, when our supervisor, Anne Jones, started speaking, I was called out!

Anne’s tone was sharp as she spoke, "Recently, I received a report about employees falsely claiming that their neighborhood is under quarantine and requesting to work from home.

“Such behavior is profoundly unethical and has had a negative impact on our employees. Annabelle Ford, I request that you provide an explanation to everyone right now!”

I lifted my head in confusion, seeing my drowsy face on the conference screen.

I suddenly snapped to attention and said, "Miss Jones, I, I didn't lie. The residential area I'm in is indeed under quarantine..."

"Don't try to defend yourself," Anne sternly interrupted.

"I've double-checked! The only place under quarantine in recent days is Walford Estate! Do you happen to reside in Walford Estate?

"Mr. Borne resides in Walford Estate. Are you a neighbor of Mr. Borne?"

I was left speechless and flustered, unable to respond.

I was just an ordinary worker, and Walford Estate was a famous upscale residential area. If I were the supervisor, I probably wouldn't believe that one of my underlings lived in such a high-end community.

Anne chuckled sarcastically, as if she was about to make a judgment, but then abruptly, she fell silent, as though someone had strangled her.

I was equally stunned, staring blankly at the man who had suddenly appeared on the screen.

Osborn was wearing his bathrobe, lazily leaning against my door.

"Annabelle, where’s my underwear that I left in the bathroom?"