Mrs. Perry was nearly driven to madness.
What kind of logic was this? Jack and Vivian weren't the same type of assistant at all! Jack could only handle Logan's work, but Vivian? Vivian could take care of his personal life too!
Selina blinked innocently. "Why isn't Aunt Perry saying anything? Could it be… being an assistant is just an excuse, and Miss Perry's real goal is to get close to Logan? But Logan and I are already married. If she still insists on going home with him, what does that mean?"
"You—!" Mrs. Perry scrambled for an explanation. "Vivian is meant to be a personal assistant! Of course, she'd go home with Logan. How else can she take care of his daily needs?"
Vivian's eyes brimmed with tears. "Miss Clark, you don't need to target me like this. I'm just an assistant. I won't threaten your position. Please don't overthink things, Miss Clark."
Selina let out a cold laugh. Oh, a personal assistant, following the male employer home and saying to the wife, 'Don't overthink it.'
She'd seen manipulative women before, but this level of audacity was something new.
Before Selina could retort, Logan suddenly turned and casually said, "Assistant?"
Everyone froze. Mrs. Perry quickly seized the moment. "Logan, Vivian wants to be your assistant. Won't you do your aunt this favor?"
Logan's face remained indifferent, but a glint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "Actually, I do need an assistant."
Selina's eyes widened. What was Logan doing? She had gone out of her way to help him refuse Vivian, and now he was saying he needed an assistant?
Could Logan actually… be interested in Vivian?
A wave of frustration bubbled up in Selina's chest. She didn't even know where this feeling came from. She quickly looked away, refusing to glance in Logan's direction.
Mrs. Perry, oblivious to the sarcasm in Logan's tone, was overjoyed. "Vivian! Did you hear that? Logan agreed!"
She then shot Selina a smug look, her expression brimming with triumph.
"Miss Clark, it seems Logan also thinks Vivian is the better choice. Let me give you some advice—don't be so petty and jealous. You're the one with dirty thoughts, maliciously speculating about our Vivian."
Just a bumpkin trying to compete with Vivian? What a joke.
Mrs. Perry, brimming with excitement, urged, "Vivian, don't be afraid. If Logan falls for you, it's clearly because Selina didn't do her part well. How can anyone blame you? Now, hurry and pack your things to go home with Logan."
Vivian's cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkled. "Brother Logan, I'll get ready right away…"
"Miss Perry," Logan suddenly interjected, his voice calm, "who said I'm taking you home with me?"
The room fell silent.
Mrs. Perry stammered, "Logan, didn't you just agree?"
Logan, unfazed, turned his sharp gaze to Vivian. "Which university abroad did you attend?"
Vivian froze, her expression stiffening.
Logan continued, "What degree did you earn? How many years of work experience do you have?"
Vivian bit her lip, her gaze turning sultry as she looked at Logan. "Brother Logan, I…"
Logan cut her off mercilessly. "How many foreign languages can you speak? What's your connection to Country Y's AS Group? How many academic papers have you published? And what's your assessment of the theories Reid Group released last quarter?"
Vivian's face grew increasingly pale.
Mrs. Perry, panicking, rushed to interject. "Logan, why are you asking all this? Vivian… she's just supposed to be your assistant, to take care of your daily life!"
Logan replied coolly, "These are the minimum qualifications for my assistants. Since you personally recommended Miss Perry, I've lowered the standards compared to what I require of Jack. And yet… she still doesn't meet them?"
Selina: "…Wow, what a burn."
"This… this…"
Mrs. Perry was left scrambling for words. Did Logan even understand what a personal assistant was supposed to mean?
Taking care of him, warming his bed—what did any of that require qualifications for?
Logan's expression remained cold. "Since Miss Perry lacks any useful skills, she should spend more time studying. Selina, let's go."
Selina felt a surge of satisfaction.
She quickly followed Logan, marveling at how he managed to leave Mrs. Perry and Miss Perry utterly speechless with just a few words.
"Logan!"
Mrs. Perry was frantic. She had gone to great lengths to push Vivian toward Logan. If Logan left now, all her efforts would be wasted!
She couldn't understand. "What's wrong with Vivian? She's beautiful and knows how to take care of people—far better than that country bumpkin!"
"Logan, you're the head of Reid Group! Marrying a bumpkin will only invite gossip. Why not let Vivian—"
Vivian, feigning shock, looked at Selina with disdain in her eyes. "What? So Miss Clark is from the countryside?"
Logan suddenly turned to look at her.
Vivian, thinking she had piqued his interest, blushed and tried to emphasize her sophistication.
"Brother Logan, I'm just surprised. Growing up, I was surrounded by noblewomen and socialites. Someone like Miss Clark is just… so unexpected."
Logan interrupted, his tone sharp. "So, Miss Perry considers herself a socialite?"
Vivian, eager to highlight the contrast between herself and Selina, smiled coyly.
"Of course. Before my parents adopted me, my family was one of the most prominent. I've been trained in piano, dance, flower arranging, and tea ceremonies since I was a child. I doubt Miss Clark knows any of those things."
Selina, a bumpkin who once struggled just to make ends meet, couldn't possibly compete with the refined skills of an elite socialite. Vivian was sure she had this in the bag.
But the praise she was expecting never came.
Instead, Logan's cold laughter sent a chill through the room. His icy gaze locked onto her.
"My wife may have grown up in the countryside, but she skipped grades to get into the top university in the country, City A University, with the best marks. She's a dual major, a graduate student, and has participated in numerous national and international competitions."
Vivian's confidence began to crumble, her face frozen in shock.
Logan's voice deepened, his tone cutting: "So why is it that someone from the countryside has achieved all this, while a so-called socialite like Miss Perry doesn't even meet the basic qualifications to be my assistant?"
Silence fell over the room. The crowd turned pale as Logan's words sank in.
Selina stared at Logan, stunned. It finally clicked—he had said all that to defend her.
Vivian's eyes filled with tears. "Brother Logan…"
Mrs. Perry, flustered, tried to salvage the situation.
"Logan! Girls from noble families like Vivian don't need to waste time on those things. What's the point of studying so much? Clark just reads books all day—she could never take care of you like Vivian could. Please reconsider Vivian!"
Selina almost burst out laughing.
Studying is useless? So seduction is the way to go?
Vivian clung to Mrs. Perry, tears streaming down her face as she whimpered, "I'm too simple-minded and don't have the scheming nature that Selina does. She knows how to please a man better than I ever could. Mama, don't push me anymore."
She sniffled dramatically. "Selina manages to study and marry Brother Logan at the same time. I could never do that. If I married Brother Logan, my heart and soul would be entirely his. I wouldn't have room for anything else."
Mrs. Perry wiped her tears and shook her head. "Vivian, it's my fault for raising you to be so naive. I've heard that country girls are the best at seducing men. Clark must have picked up all sorts of bad habits in the countryside—you're no match for her."
Logan's face darkened instantly.
Just as he was about to speak, Selina beat him to it—