"In fact we''ve only just known each other. How can you suddenly be attracted to me. I''m not that attractive woman. I''m not beautiful, nor fashionable like most women out there. You certainly wouldn''t deserve to be side by side with me, Richard," retorted Ellena seemed confused about what answer to give.


    "You''re wrong, Patricia. It''s not women like that that appeal to me, but women like you. Simple, hardworking and never looks at other people physically or materially," said Richard ignoring Ellena''s words.


    "How do you know all that? I don''t look at a person''s physical or material, I think it''s just your guess and not necessarily true," replied Ellena not believing that Richard really knew who she really was.


    Ellena looked away, then slowly shook her head repeatedly, as if to deny Richard''s words.


    "Yeah, maybe you''re right. But I feel that my guess wasn''t wrong and now it''s been proven," replied Richard, bing more convinced of his suspicions on Ellena.


    "What do you mean?" Ellena turned her head, peering at Richard''s face.


    "It''s proven that you are not someone who likes to judge other people based on physical and material things. The proof is that you don''t want to ept me, who clearly has a handsome face. Isn''t that enough to prove it?" Richard exined confidently.


    Instead of answering, Ellena actuallyughed out loud at Richard''s statement. ''Ah, what''s this joke again?'' She thought.


    It is undeniable that Richard is a man who has a handsome face, even though he has not defeated Lucas''s good looks. However, should the man be overconfident in front of Ellena? It really seemed like a joke to the woman.


    "Are youughing at my good looks?" Richard asked innocently. "Ah, you''re going too far, Patricia. You evenughed at me when I was seriously expressing my feelings for you." He added with a frustrated sigh.


    He didn''t know how to convince Ellena of his feelings for the past few days.


    "Are you always that easy to judge other people?" asked Elena curiously. How could Richard judge her for such a trivial matter.


    "Not!" Richard shook his head slowly, not confirming Ellena''s question.


    "Then why do you judge me so easily?" Ellena looked curiously at Richard''s face while trying not tough.


    "Who said that I easily judged you?" Instead of answering, Richard asked Ellena back.


    "I. I judge you like that. You judge me too quickly, when you don''t even know who I really am." Ellena answered seriously, as soon as she stoppedughing.


    "You see? You''re the one who judged me so quickly," replied Richard not wanting to lose by reversing Ellena''s previous statement.


    "Oh my God ... I''m dizzy. It''s so hard to talk to you, Sir." Ellena seemed to massage her forehead which didn''t feel dizzy at all.


    Looks like she gave the wrong answer. She should have given a more reasonable answer. However, everything is already done. Rice that has be porridge, will not be able to turn into whole rice again.


    "So, who is easy to judge? You or me?" asked Richard, grinning triumphantly.


    "We. Yes, we are too quick to judge each other," replied Ellena. Apart from giving up, she also wanted to awaken Richard, who had also judged her too quickly.


    "Honestly, I''m not worth your judgement, Richard. You think I''m too perfect. You think of me as a good person, hardworking, not physically and emotionally. I think that''s too cliché for me, because the truth is I''m not that perfect woman." Ellena begins to give Richard an understanding of who he really is.


    "I''m not a good person," added Ellenater in a low voice.


    ''The proof I left my husband who was in aa. Do I still deserve to be called a kind person? I even abandoned my own husband,'' Ellena muttered to herself, again bemoaning her fate.


    "I''m not a hard worker either," said Ellena again, not wanting to give Richard a chance to respond.


    ''If I was a hard worker, I might have made a lot of money to support my family, but the proof is that until now I haven''t been able to make them happy from the results of my hard work. The hardest work I''ve ever done in my life was marrying Lucas. The toughest thing I''ve ever done,'' Ellena muttered to herself, staring at Richard''s sad face.


    "Your own judgment with others, will definitely be different. I have reasons why I judge you like that. Please give me a reason for your own judgment," asked Richard in response. He really didn''t understand why Ellena judged herself like that.


    "And you''re also wrong for judging me as a woman who doesn''t look at other people physically and materially. In fact, I''ve been in a position where I took advantage of someone''s property." Ellena exined without any hesitation at all.


    ''And that person is Lucas. Yes, I once took advantage of the situation by taking advantage of Lucas for the benefit of myself and my own family.'' Ellena hissed still in her heart and wasn''t ready to convey all those excuses in front of Richard.


    "I don''t care, Patricia. What I know and what I see, you are not that kind of person. I''m sure you were forced to take advantage of the situation, not on purpose because of your crazy desire for someone''s property." Richard replied still convinced by what he saw.


    "No matter how hard you nder yourself in front of me, I still believe what my heart says." He added, which managed to make Ellena shake her head.


    She''d better just give up. It''s useless trying to defend herself, if in the end Richard doesn''t believe it.


    "All right, Richard. Whatever. It''s useless for me to talk at length.—Come on, let''s go home. It''s almost night, I''m afraid my mother is worried," said Ellena again trying to change the subject.


    "You still haven''t answered my question, Patricia." Richard chimed in, still not giving up.


    "Sorry Richard, right now I just want to focus on work. Don''t want to think about anything else." Ellena''s statement, which meant a rejection, certainly didn''t dampen Richard''s enthusiasm at all.


    "Fine, because you have dared to refuse me. Starting tomorrow, I will change your work!" Richard said firmly as if he did not ept Ellena''s refusal.


    "What do you mean?" Ellena looked at the man beside her with wide eyes.


    "Starting tomorrow you work as my secretary!" Richard replied arbitrarily making up his mind as he started the engine of his car.


    "What?" Ellena was wide-eyed, not expecting that Richard would make a unteral decision just because of a heart problem.


    "No! I''mfortable with this job!" refused Ellena firmly.


    "The boss is me, so you can''t refuse orders from me. Whatever it is!" Richard replied emphatically, after he had driven the car back through the already dark street. Only dim lights and vehicle lights that seemed to decorate their journey.


    "You''re unprofessional, Richard. How can you rte your heart to work?" Ellena protested, still not willing to ept Richard''s decision.


    "This is an order, Patricia. So just do what I say!" Richard insisted, still chuckling at his decision, not caring about Ellena''s constant refusal.


    "No! You just fire me!" replied Ellena not wanting to lose. This time she had to defend her argument. However Richard couldn''t do that just because she had rejected the man as her lover.


    "No! I won''t fire you. I will never do that," said Richard again, refusing Ellena''s request, while his gaze seemed to focus on the future.


    "I came to yourpany to find work, not to find love. Moreover, I intend to make you my lover. How could I do that."


    "Didn''t I give you a job? By asking you to be my secretary, isn''t that a job?" Richard nced at Ellena for a moment with a look full of emotion, then focused back on the front.


    Only this time there was a woman who dared to reject it outright. Ah, really Ellena made him even more curious. He believed that the woman beside him was not a cheap woman that other men could easily approach. Instead, he likes rare women like Ellena even more.


    "Remember, you''re my boss, Richard." Ellena still hasn''t given up on exining various reasons, for her rejection of the man.


    "Therefore, follow my orders, if you still think of me as a superior and don''t even think about running away, because you are already bound by a work contract with me!"


    "You''re threatening me?" asked Ellena with a furious expression.


    "Ohe on, Patricia ... I didn''t mean to threaten you, but you forced me to do it yourself. It doesn''t matter if you reject my love. I just want you to follow my rules. That''s all, nothing more," exined Richard starting to lower back to his voice.


    "But you can''t just move my position in thepany," protested Ellena, still struggling to maintain her current job.


    "Who said that? I am the leader of thepany, even I am also the owner of thepany, so I have the authority and have the right to decide anything, including making you my secretary!" Richard argued that he didn''t want to lose. Of course what he said was true, suddenly made Ellena unable to move.


    "If you really don''t want to be my lover, it''s okay. But please, do what Imand now," added Richard hopefully.


    Of course not without reason he made that decision. He just wanted more time with Ellena. When Ellena managed to be his secretary, of course they would go out and do work together more often. He took that as an opportunity to approach, hoping that one day Ellena would have the same feelings and be willing to ept his love.


    "But you made this decision because—"


    "I have some reasons for making this decision. So, please don''tin too much about me!" concluded Richard firmly.


    "That''s up to you, Mr Richard. You are free to do whatever you want!" annoyed Elena, gave up. In fact she could not defend her argument. Yes, it seems she must be self-aware that she is a subordinate in thepany.


    "I''ll just get off here!" Ellena chirps that suddenly made Richard stop the car with a reflex.


    "Why are you here? Where is your house anyway?" asked Richard curiously.