"Would you come to me?" Donovan asked nervously.
"Wait.. what?" Milane widened her eyes and replied. It can't be that after a year, he still wants to patch up with me, right?
"I mean… I heard from others that you were unhappy working at Leedon Corporation," he hastily tried to explain himself. "Now that I have my own company, you can come work with me."
"I can pay you as much," Donovan added. "No no, I can even pay you higher."
Milane hesitated. Yes, she really wanted to leave Leedon Corporation, but she couldn't be sure if Donovan wanted to employ her out of revenge.
She bit her lips and pondered hard whether to jump on this opportunity.
Before she could come to a conclusion, Lucas's voice intruded.
"Haha, Mr. Luthers, are you trying to poach my secretary right in front of me?" Lucas asked.
"Mr. Leedon, sorry, I didn't know you were here," Donovan apologized.
"Are you trying to explain that you didn't try to poach in front of me but behind my back? That's rather sneaky," Lucas replied, raising an eyebrow.
Undeterred, Donovan pressed on, "I'm sorry, but I really hope to have Milane at my company. It's hard to find someone as capable as her. Mr. Leedon, is it possible for you to hand Milane over to me? I'm willing to give more profits to Leedon in our upcoming collaboration."
"More profits? I guess Lucas, the money-minded boss, will definitely exchange me for extra profits. Does it mean I don't need to pay the employment bond fine?" Milane thought to herself, feeling a glimmer of hope.
Lucas, gazing at Milane with contemplative eyes, spoke up, "Like you said, Milane is a precious employee, and no matter how much the profits are, it will be my loss if I hand her over to you."
"Unless… Milane is willing to leave Leedon for MiFuture?" Lucas glanced at Milane, his eyes sending a silent message.
With his back facing Donovan, Lucas mouthed, "EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT FINE, 150K!" causing Milane to stifle a laugh. She never knew Lucas had this childish side to him.
With all parties in silence, the tension in the room thickened. Milane could feel herself caught in the middle of a corporate tug-of-war. Donovan's nervous expression betrayed his true intentions, and she couldn't help but wonder if he still harbored feelings for her after all this time. On the other hand, Lucas, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, seemed to be enjoying the awkwardness of the moment.
"I appreciate both of your offers," Milane finally spoke up, breaking the tension in the room. "But I need some time to consider my options. My decision involves more than just profits or salary. It's about finding a workplace where I can truly thrive and be valued for my abilities."
Both men nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response. Donovan's nervousness had subsided, replaced by a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Lucas, too, seemed contemplative, realizing that perhaps he had to treat his staffs nicer.
"Well then, take all the time you need," Donovan said with a smile, trying to hide his excitement.
"My number is still the same," Donovan added. "If anytime you feel like you need a better working environment or perhaps just someone to talk to, you can contact me."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his competitive spirit reignited. "Her current work environment is great although a little challenging…"
"He had absolutely no idea how demanding a boss he is," Milane thought to herself.
"And if she needs someone to talk to, I'll…" Lucas added, hesitating for a moment.
"He will what? Listen to my troubles?" Milane chuckled at her absurd thought.
"I'll assign a psychologist for her. I think sometimes it's better to allow professionals to do their job," Lucas finally clarified.
Milane couldn't help but burst out into laughter when she saw Donovan's awkward expression after hearing what he said. She felt like patting him on the shoulders and telling him to expect more of Lucas's weird replies if they were to collaborate in the future.
"Mr. Leedon, I'll make a move now. I'll send you details about the collaboration. I hope we can work together," Donovan ended the conversation.
"And Milane, I'll be waiting for your texts," Donovan said with a blush, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary before he walked away.
----
"Hmph, I didn't know my secretary is so popular," Lucas said, trying to hide his slight annoyance.
I hope to remind you again that you have an employment contract with me, and it would be a hefty sum to pay if you want to quit before your bond ends. I don't think it would be wise to do that," Lucas said with a stern voice.
"Who knows? Maybe Mr. Luthers is willing to pay for my bond?" Milane finally plucked up her courage to say that.
"You..!" Lucas was left momentarily speechless, not expecting her to turn his own words against him.
"And he offered a pay raise for me," Milane added, relishing the opportunity to tease Lucas further.
"Fine, I'll increase your pay as well. 20%," Lucas acquiesced.
"20%? But maybe MiFuture has a better work-life balance… Hmmm… I guess I would need to contact Mr. Luthers to find out more about…" Milane teased, enjoying the banter with her boss.
"Milane!!" Lucas said, trying to hide the annoyance he felt. "Fine, 50% increase in pay."
"And I'll employ another secretary to lighten your workload," he added with a hint of defeat.
"Thank you, Mr. Leedon. I'll definitely continue to work hard at Leedon Corporation," Milane said happily, secretly pleased that she had managed to secure a better deal for herself.
"So.. you won't leave now?" Lucas asked carefully, hoping for a definitive answer.
"Yes, for the moment," Milane replied.
"Thank you, you're an exceptional staff member at Leedon Corporation," Lucas said genuinely.
"And... I've gotten used to your coffee. It's hard to find someone else," he murmured softly, surprising himself with his candidness.
"Did you say anything?" Milane asked, sure that she had heard him saying something about coffee.
"Nothing, and for the second time, go check your ears if you keep hearing things! Or see a psychiatrist if you're imagining things!" Lucas flustered, trying to regain his composure.
"I knew it! Although with the pay raise and promise to lighten my workload, he's still the irritating boss!" Milane shouted internally.