Grand Secretary

--[WSA 2025 Entry]-- Betrayed by his sister. Betrayed by chosen one's humanity. Betrayed by the Gods. That was how the life of Leonard, the Defier of Fate and the world’s greatest heretic, came to an end. When demons invaded human lands, he received a revelation from the Goddess. She commanded him to act as a spy, to infiltrate the enemy ranks and expose their secrets for humanity’s sake. To fulfill this mission, he had to sacrifice a part of his soul. He accepted a demonic contract, surrendered his soul, and became a demonic human. Risking everything, he provided critical information to the humans and helped them turn the tide of battle. But then, he had a shocking discovery. The war was nothing but a gambit between various gods and before he could act, the war was stopped out of nowhere. In an unexpected turn, humans and demons put aside their hatred and signed a peace treaty. Before Leonard could make sense of it, he was betrayed. Both demons and humans joined hands to kill him. "Fuck! If there is a next life, I swear I will tear you gods apart!" With this scream, he thought his suffering was finally over. But… When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the body of Karl Veydrin, the son of the Grand Duke of the Heizen Empire. But this new life was no different from the last. His sister wanted to get rid of him. Born with clogged vessels and no talent, he was nothing but a disappointment. A subject of fun and ridicule among the fellow nobles. Despite rebirth, nothing seems to change. The cursed fate. The distorted history smearing his name. A world that was against him. Leonard, now assuming the identity of Karl, let out a low chuckle. "Don’t worry, Karl. I will have revenge for both of us." "They called me heretic right? I will show them how a true fucking heretic acts.” Follow Kael's journey, as he fights against the fates and injustices to drag the ones ruling above.

Max a toujours voulu une vie plus palpitante, et après avoir été réincarné dans un futur lointain et une Galaxie en guerre perpétuelle, son vœu fut exaucé. Reconnu pour sa haute compatibilité avec le Système Technologique de son nouveau monde, il fut recruté enfant pour s'entraîner à devenir l'un de leurs Pilotes de Mecha d'élite, les héros du Royaume qui affrontent les plus grandes menaces à bord de Mechas géants, maniant les armes les plus puissantes connues de l'humanité. Tout ce qu'il doit faire, c'est se prouver digne. https://discord.gg/hxTpqZQtKN

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be known that this book wouldn't have made it this far without the support my dear writing buddy Rachel E. Canton who is a great writer of SINS OF THE SERAPHIM - https://www.webnovel.com/book/sins-of-the-seraphim_26438336605116805 and Derek J. Perna To Rachel & Derek, Thank you for everything! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the last heir of Ardel lost everything, fate would bring her to her rightful protector. Anna Adhemar, the forgotten princess, found herself betrayed by the Regent. Hunted by the Bargesians and the ruthless slave traders, she desperately fled for her life. Rescued by a mysterious man, her newfound safety was short-lived as she succumbed to a potent aphrodisiac. Then, she awoke in the arms of the fearsome Knight Commander of Gerhard, stripped bare, in a foreign kingdom. Fear, confusion, and a sense of profound devastation enveloped her. But the man before her declared, "I am your husband. I married you last night." Then, with unwavering determination, he vowed, " You're my woman now. No one can hurt my woman." --- Kyren Raychard, the Crown Prince who had chosen to forsake the throne and became celibate, led the Knights of Gerhard to safeguard his kingdom’s border from slave trading activities. Outside his camp, he found Anna poisoned and delirious. The healer informed him of the only cure, of which he must race against time to give and honour her. For the first time, he felt an overwhelming instinct to protect and claim her as his own. Unaware of his deepening affection, he belatedly realised his feelings as he stood on the brink of losing her. Bound by a soul-binding spell, their fates intertwined…

“In misfortune awaits fortune.” In a universe where Gods dwell on the highest floors of the Tower, an Arcana Card for immense good luck was created. To balance this, a devastating misfortune card was also born. Unbeknownst to the Gods, both cards slipped out of the Tower and went unnoticed. Julien, cursed by the card of immense bad luck, lived a life where death shadowed his every move, and the Grim Reaper’s blade seemed ever-present. His first life ended in despair, but at the height of his misfortune, a glimmer of hope emerged when a mysterious entity offered him a deal. The deal: conquer the Tower and fulfill her request, in exchange for a chance at a better life after reincarnation.  With the Eternal•Lust System granted by this enigmatic entity, Julien embarks on a perilous journey to ascend the Tower and become the one and only—Grand Lust Sovereign. ***** Discord: https://discord.gg/RBhAbVAvnN [Warning: Mature Content. Discretion is advised.]

The grand tournament of mages to become will take place in the world of AinVeil. 250 contestants chosen from earth will participate in this competition for the ultimate prize- the strength of a god and a wish granted by the grand wizard himself. No chapters on Sunday :) (Maybe)

``` A ex-grande senhora, Ying Zijin, acordou um dia como a filha perdida da família Ying, que estava desaparecida por quinze anos. A família Ying prontamente adotou outra criança para substituí-la. Ao retornar à família abastada, todos a ridicularizaram por não ser tão inteligente, capaz, sensata e elegante quanto uma falsa herdeira. Seus pais a consideraram uma mancha na família e a advertiram para não alimentar ilusões de ser uma dama da família. Eles disseram que ela deveria ser grata por ser uma filha adotiva, ou senão a mandariam embora. Ying Zijin: "Então eu vou embora. Não precisam me acompanhar." Enquanto a família Ying celebrava com alegria e outros esperavam para ver a verdadeira herdeira fazer papel de boba, figuras influentes de várias áreas entraram em ação. O ídolo mais bem cotado com os fãs mais influentes disse, "Senhorita Ying, é só me avisar se precisar de algo." O herdeiro de um monopólio econômico global disse, "Família Ying? O que é isso? Chefe, devemos simplesmente acabar com eles?" O número um artista marcial no país perguntou, "Quem ousa intimidar minha mestra?" O gênio garoto adolescente com um QI de 228 disse, "Essa é minha irmã." Um homem com uma aparência incrivelmente sedutora sorriu preguiçosamente e casualmente, dizendo, "Certo, então me chame de cunhado." As figuras influentes ficaram confusas. Quando a verdadeira identidade da herdeira foi restaurada, isso causou uma sensação na internet. A família Ying enlouqueceu e se ajoelhou, chorando e implorando para que ela voltasse. A família poderosa internacional disse, "Desculpem, deixem-me apresentá-la. Esta é a nossa verdadeira herdeira." Renascido como um rei, fazendo um forte retorno e lançando um contra-ataque! ```

``` "Marido, eu não quero mais, estou me sentindo péssima..." "Amor, seja boazinha, termine de tomar este remédio." O homem bonito abraça a mulher em seus braços, acariciando-a ternamente enquanto lhe dá o remédio. Qiao Mianmian se depara com Mo Yesi, o mais estimado herdeiro de toda a Cidade de Yuncheng, e acaba dormindo com ele por uma noite. Depois que ele oferece benefícios em troca do casamento deles, a recém-nomeada Sra. Mo de repente tem o poder de ter tudo o que sempre desejou. "Marido, eu dei um tapa na Rainha do Cinema Cheng Feifei hoje, fui muito longe?" "Amor, sua mão está doendo? Deixa eu fazer uma massagem para você." "Marido, eu estourei seu cartão de crédito, você está bravo?" "Amor, você ficou feliz com a sua compra? Me avise quando precisar de mais." "Marido, estou cansada hoje, não quero me mexer..." ```

Zhouzhou nasceu sem sorte e, depois de levar um templo taoista à falência ao comer tudo que havia lá, ela finalmente foi expulsa da montanha para pedir comida. Mas, por acaso, ela encontrou uma fonte sustentável de longo prazo. Depois de adotar a pequena Zhou Zhou, Madame Qin imediatamente mandou uma mensagem para o seu filho mais novo, 'Olha, você tem uma filha!' Qin Lie, que deveria estar feliz por se tornar pai, permaneceu inexpressivo e disse, 'Mande-a embora.' Os jovens tiranos da família Qin, que deveriam estar felizes por ter uma irmãzinha, olharam com desdém e disseram, 'Nós não a queremos. Ela só sabe chorar, não tem graça nenhuma.' Até mesmo os inimigos declarados da família Qin estavam ansiosos para ver Zhouzhou levá-los à falência. No entanto, Qin Lie assinava contratos todos os dias até suas mãos doerem, e a família Qin prosperou, mantendo sua posição como a família mais rica. Até mesmo o sétimo irmão, que era aleijado, passou a correr e saltar. Numa festa, os jovens tiranos da família Qin cercaram Zhouzhou, tentando agradá-la. 'Irmã, nós te daremos toda a comida gostosa!' 'Irmã, que tipo de história você quer ouvir hoje? O irmão vai contar!' Qin Lie caminhou diretamente para a menina, pegou-a no colo e olhou friamente para seus sobrinhos, declarando posse, 'Ela é minha filha!'

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.” Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?” The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?” Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!” “Oh!!!!” The audience erupted into thunderous applause. “Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately. The applause grew even more fervent... (The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)

"Vem aqui, pequena!" "De jeito nenhum!" O que fazer quando a esposa está brava? O poderoso CEO é podre de rico, cobrindo-a de demonstrações extravagantes de amor todos os dias! Hoje um carro de luxo, amanhã uma mansão, depois um jato particular... Em uma entrevista para a mídia: "Qual foi o presente mais caro que você deu para sua esposa?" "Até agora, nosso filho!" "Você trata sua esposa tão bem, ela com certeza deve te amar!" CEO ri confiante, "Sem dúvida!" Ao chegar em casa, sua delicada esposa joga um contrato de divórcio nele, "Dongfang Yu, assine isto!" "Hai Xiaotang, tudo que você pensa é em divórcio. Não pense que não sei lidar com você!" O CEO, cheio de fúria, estala os nós dos dedos, "Uma tábua de lavar, um ábaco, um teclado, um durian... escolha um!" "Durian!" O CEO acaba ajoelhando-se sobre o durian com um baque!

After centuries of ruling the underworld with terrifying power, Lilith dies in an epic battle, only to be reborn in the human world. But instead of a grand rebirth as a queen of darkness, she's reincarnated as something far more mundane—a secretary. Rather than despair, Lilith finds this new life amusing. After all, who would suspect the devil herself to be working a 9-to-5? Settling into her new reality, Lilith embraces her role, living in a luxurious apartment and working diligently in her office. Though her devilish instincts are hard to suppress, she's determined to be the perfect secretary. But when people push her too far, the devil within still comes out to play. When a creep in the office dares to look at her the wrong way, she calmly fixes her gaze on him. "You keep staring like that, and I'll show you what a broken wrist feels like." The man quickly scurries away, leaving Lilith with a satisfied smirk. Even the rich, entitled girl from accounting isn't safe from her wrath. "You think you can push me around just because you've got money? I've burned entire kingdoms for less. Don't test me." She says this with a calm smile, her eyes glinting dangerously. The day continued like that—stopping creeps in their tracks, putting rude heiresses in their place, and being the flawless secretary she intended to be. But, of course, her boss—the CEO—had his eyes on her, more curious than ever. And while the entire office might fear her or wonder about her, she remained blissfully indifferent. This was fun. And she wasn't here to impress anyone but herself. Who knew being a secretary could be so... interesting?

Fame. Money. Love. All of this, Joe had for eighteen years, of his life. Until a tragic accident happened before the peak of his football career. Which destroyed it in only a few seconds. When everyone loved him, they left him alone, broken in a hospital bed. Before he could come back, he lost the last members of his family. Then his former club comes with allegations, of a broken contract from his fault, and he lost all the earned money. He was left, with nothing. For eight years, he lived from day to day studying, working, having rehabilitation for his injured knee. As they say, what one time is taken, is given back. As he accidentally becomes secretary of Megan Clark by everyone called Empress. His life changed drastically after it. He found love in his boss, who first say these words to him. ‘Secretary of the Empress’ is a story about love, which slowly grows in the main characters. Because of many things which they will meet in their journey of revenge and protecting each other. -------------------- While now great view on sky and city below show up, boss turned to me, and when she looked at my eyes, she said: “Joe, I have something to tell you.” “Yes, boss,” I said while looking at her eyes, and when she walked closer to me, we looked at each other eyes. She said, “I like you.” While hearing her words, I had no answer for this, and while I looked at her, I asked, “excuse me?” “I love you, I want you to be my boyfriend,” she said, and while I looked at her, I couldn’t believe that this has happened, and while my mind still processed her words, she looked at me, and then she said, “so what is your answer?” ------------------------- Daily upload at 8:30 and 18:00(server time) The cover is not mine.

Ancienne grande figure, Ying Zijin s'est réveillée un jour en tant que fille perdue de la famille Ying, disparue depuis quinze ans. La famille Ying avait promptement adopté un autre enfant pour la remplacer. Lors de son retour dans la famille aisée, tout le monde se moquait d'elle car elle n'était pas aussi intelligente, capable, sage et élégante que la fausse héritière. Ses parents la considéraient comme une tache sur l'honneur de la famille et l'avertirent de ne pas nourrir d'illusions de devenir une dame de la famille. Ils disaient qu'elle devrait être reconnaissante d'être une fille adoptive, sinon ils la renverraient. Ying Zijin : "Alors je pars. Pas besoin de me raccompagner." Tandis que la famille Ying célébrait joyeusement et que d'autres attendaient de voir l'héritière réelle se ridiculiser, des personnalités influentes de divers domaines passaient à l'action. L'idole la mieux cotée avec les fans les plus influents a dit, "Mlle Ying, faites-moi signe si vous avez besoin de quoi que ce soit." L'héritier d'un monopole économique mondial a dit, "La famille Ying ? C'est quoi ça ? Chef, on devrait peut-être les éliminer ?" Le meilleur artiste martial du pays a demandé, "Qui ose embêter ma maître ?" Le génie adolescent avec un QI de 228 a dit, "C'est ma sœur." Un homme à l'apparence incroyablement séductrice a souri avec nonchalance et désinvolture, en disant, "D'accord, alors appelle-moi beau-frère." Les personnalités influentes étaient perplexes. Quand l'identité véritable de l'héritière a été restaurée, cela a causé une sensation sur internet. La famille Ying est devenue folle et s'est mise à genoux, pleurant et la suppliant de revenir. La famille puissante internationale a dit, "Désolé, laisseez-moi vous la présenter. Voici notre véritable héritière." Renaître en tant que roi, effectuer un retour fracassant et lancer une contre-attaque !

Xue Xi est contrainte de tomber amoureuse au premier regard de cet homme dangereux lors de leur première rencontre. La mort étant la seule autre option, elle fait le premier pas : « Je suis riche et je sais me battre. » « Sois mon petit ami et je te protégerai. » Dès lors, la nouvelle que la fille aînée de la famille Xue et première étudiante entretenait un gigolo commence lentement à se répandre. Hélas, c'est quelqu'un qui protège férocement les personnes qu'elle considère comme siennes, jusqu'à ce jour fatidique—protégeant l'homme derrière elle des voyous présumés, elle proclame froidement : « Mon petit ami est timide, donc si vous avez un problème, venez plutôt à moi. » Les voyous frissonnent de peur en regardant vers un certain grand patron qui est protégé. Ainsi, le fameux « Yama Noir » a en fait ce genre de passe-temps ?

A story about Chen Fan becoming a grand master of martial arts.Reincarnated as a teenager in an ordinary family, he achieves a martial arts legend of his own.

Lin Mu was an orphan living in a country town. Having no knowledge of cultivation, he was a common peasant. This was until he discovered a mysterious ring stuck in a tree. Wearing it, a new world opened up to Lin Mu. The world of cultivation! The ring bestowed Lin Mu with the ability to cultivate while also giving him the ability to manipulate space. Snatching treasures, exploring unknown realms, looting secret grottos, everything was possible with the ring. Witness Lin Mu as he learns his purpose in life, finds his destiny, meets impeccable experts and beings. Watch him as he learns the truth of the cosmos, and becomes its saviour! P.S: Rise of the Worm Sovereign is a prequel to this book. Tags: #weak to strong #Beast taming #Beast companions #Monster Master #World Exploration #NO YOUNG MASTERS #NO HAREM ----- Old Synopsis: Lin Mu was a common boy living in a small town, ostracized by the townsmen because of a mistake he made during the harvest, his house seized to compensate for it. Forced to fend for himself in the outskirts, he finds a rusty ring embedded in the tree where he always used to play as a child. Witness his story as the mysterious rusty ring changes his destiny forever, opening him up to a world he would never have experienced, people he would have never met, and powers he would have never had. Instagram: grand_void_daoist -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Join the discord-https://discord.gg/VfJFxXnbAE

A Sky God’s Spiritual Foundation. It was the greatest natural treasure in all of existence, but the sacrifices one must make to gain the approval of such an entity was unimaginable. Ryu is a genius amongst geniuses. He was born with the four Grand Ancestral Bloodlines. The Lightning Qilin. The Fire Dragon. The Ice Phoenix. The Fire Phoenix… He was blessed with an Ancestral Grade Bone Structure and Ancestral Grade Meridians. The Ice Jade Crystal Bones. The Chaotic Silk Meridians… He was bestowed the First Ranked Heavenly Pupils. The Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils… However, none of it mattered. Born with a False Spiritual Foundation, it seemed that all of his talent would go to waste. Unless… Unless he was willing to grasp his Fate in his own hands. ==== **This novel once went by another name 'Rise. Rising. Risen.' So, the wiki is still under this name https://rise-rising-risen.fandom.com/wiki/Ryu_Tatsuya

TAGS : Aventure ; Action ; Combat ; Cruel ; Cultivation ; Faible à Fort ; Fantastique ; Guerre ; Magie ; Non-humain ; Racisme ; Réincarnation ; Torture ; Vengeance ; Violent ; Xianxia Autrefois humain dans un monde technologiquement développé, Asgorath mourut dans un accident et se réincarna en tant que membre d'une race non-humaine appelée Kzhan'La. Malheureusement, sa nouvelle race est haïe par les humains, tout comme d'autres, et il nait dans un de leur camps de concentration. Un camp où les non-humains sont enfermés et forcés de travailler comme des esclaves. Un monde empli de magie et de cultivation. Un monde où humains et non-humains se font la guerre. Un monde où seul la loi du plus fort règne.

Lin Wu was a university student that died after having one too many energy drinks and then reincarnated into the body of a worm. He awakens to find out that he now has a system, but even it doesn't have a clear idea of where they are. He comes out of the ground and discoverers that he’s no longer in his previous world but rather in a cultivation world. Witness Lin Wu’s journey as he worms his way to the heavens from a tiny worm crawling in the ground. Credits to: Eijirou Daishin for the art Join the discord- https://discord.gg/fkTbUfBRsH

"Have the President fall in love with you or die." The last thing Ariel expected after a weekend of binge reading was to be transmigrated into the same novel as the evil secretary who was bound to be eliminated. "It's okay, I can just disappear from the main story line and live a peaceful life." However her hopes were shattered when a system barged into her mind and pushed her to fulfil the dead secretary wishes. The top one, capture the male lead. As she saw the formidable man sitting in his office chair with leisure, the full time student Ariel who never had an experience wirh boys thought with dismay. 'This is going to be a difficult task.' However, it was this or death So she plunged into the journey of seducing the male lead, unaware that once she gained his attention no one would be able to save her from his clutches. ..... Transmigration. System. Multiple Love Interests with a focus on the alpha lead. Possessive, alpha Male Lead and lots of face slapping. Fast-paced.

Simione needed to become a mistress. Not just another rich man's mistress, but M Conglomerate's President, Hawk Monsanto's. Truth was, the young billionaire does not interest Simione of any sort nor was his very attractive gorgeous looks concerned her. She just needed him for one thing, his fiancée Feather Han, owed her big time and that ballerina bitch had to pay with the most precious thing Simione desired, her broken heart. Hawk Monsanto rose to the top for one reason; he wanted to be the perfect match for the Han Scintillait's heiress. When he thought it was the right time to get what his heart desired, he willingly bleeds millions just to arrange a wedding engagement. However, whether it was work of fate or work of an evil seductress, he stumbled upon a rare beauty that he cannot set his eyes off. And before his money and rationality could ever warn him, Hawk had fallen into something his billions cannot buy. *** "Who are you?" Hawk managed to ask between his ragged breath. "That depends on who you want me to be," The girl uttered and for the first time, Hawk saw her upturned honey-colored eyes. Looking into it was like drowning yourself into something magical, something hypnotizing and very much irresistible that when the girl tiptoed to meet his lips, he willingly lowered his head to welcome her. And he was right there, opening his mouth for her—warm and wet—giving everything he must give and was kissing her back with equal ardor. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, and he responded by pressing the girl's body closer, the fiancee forgotten. However, when Hawk was at the point of wanting more, the girl pulled away and Hawk opened his eyes bewildered onto her sudden retreat. He was gasping for air and would very much like to pull her back to finish the bliss she had started. But she only smiled at him, feeling very empowered by the fact that the M Conglomerate's President had already fallen into her trap. "What's the matter?" He asked, confused as to what made her stop. "Nothing," Her smile widened a little more, making her face bright and goddess-like and Hawk became more defenseless with that. "It's just that I only want you to have a free taste. The next of course comes with a big price"

With the New VR MMORPG Grand Heavens being released Jake Bailey gets ready for it because he knows what it's true purpose is. Although Fallen Fated stated that it's a real world they didn't talk about its purpose. Because of this they sold out the pods even though the game wasn't released yet. Jake knowing it's purpose got his hands on one the million premium pods. Now all that's left is for the servers to go online. Let's follow Jake on his Journey to the Top

In a realm beyond life and death, these legendary figures from different eras and cultures are given an extraordinary opportunity—a chance to be reborn. Summoned by a mysterious entity known as the Watcher, they must compete in a brutal, multi-layered battlefield filled with monstrous creatures and deadly challenges. As rivalries ignite and alliances form, the ultimate question remains—who will rise, and who will fall?

CEO Azriel Hale Evanders, 33 and a playboy heartthrob in the making. No one would believe that a baby-faced man like him is the current CEO of the world-renowned group of companies that was previously run by his father. Nesryn Aelin Lorcan, 30, Azriel's secretary of 2 years, managed to keep her womanizer boss in check. She also helped in keeping the company afloat, her responsibility is to make sure the CEO does his job right. Follow the story of Nesryn Lorcan as she turn Azriel to a proper ruler.

The humble village healer, with grand dreams, through hard work, led the fellow villagers to prosper together!

A man haunted by regret and self-loathing is granted a second chance at life—and a power that lets him rewrite his choices infinitely. Yet in a world of fantasy and vice, beauty and corruption, he learns that power alone cannot guarantee happiness. To find meaning, he must confront not only the darkness of this new world but the shadows within himself. With infinite possibilities before him, will he become the man he always wanted to be? Or will he lose himself chasing a perfection that may not exist? This is the story of how a broken soul learned that being the best version of yourself is its own reward—even in a world of desire and despair.

During the day, she was his secretary, working very hard with excellent abilities. At night, she was his bedmate, trying her best to please him, and the two of them were very harmonious in bed. One day, this relationship was on the verge of ending. However, both of them had already become deeply involved and had grown accustomed to each other's presence, falling in love with each other. So...

Betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend Vanessa and her lover Richard, Ethan Carter is reborn as a teenager with memories intact. Seizing this second chance, he seeks revenge and builds an entertainment empire. With future knowledge, he overcomes challenges, dismantles Richard’s life, and finds love and fulfillment with his secretary, Emma.