Venus and her grandmother were still talking and getting ready to go to bed when her phone rang.
Her phone rang.
She froze.
Katherine, her grandmother, had just left the room with a teasing remark about hiding the famous pencil skirt from her last time she had an interview.
Venus laughed, heading to her nightstand to set her alarm for the next day, when the soft vibration and ringtone from her phone interrupted the calm.
"Unknown Caller."
Her brows lifted.
She hesitated. Her thumb hovered over the screen. Something told her it wasn't just an ordinary call or a wrong number.
She finally answered.
"Hello?"
A familiar, calm baritone voice came through the line.
"Good evening, Venus."
Her spine straightened.
"Mr. Copeland?" she asked, half in disbelief.
He chuckled softly, the sound warm and clear.
"You sound surprised."
Venus relaxed, sat at the edge of her bed, and grinned. "I must be a special employee for the CEO to personally call."
Raymond laughed—genuinely.
"Are you always like this?" he asked.
"Like what?" she teased.
"Sharp tongue. Fast wit. Confidence at full volume."
She giggled. "Only on days that someone from the top called me."
He laughed again, this time deeper. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Venus. I just wanted to know how your first day went."
Venus smiled and leaned back on her pillow. "In that case, thank you for checking in. It was a good day. Busy, exciting... and surprisingly fun."
"Fun? That's not a word people use for their first day at Copeland & Co," he said.
"Maybe they just don't have my kind of team," she replied.
Raymond raised a brow on the other end. "Tell me about them."
She sat up again, warming to the topic. "Alright. There's Lucia Parker. Smart, stylish, and way too charming. I made her my personal assistant."
"On your first day?"
"We had a laughter competition. She won fair and square."
Raymond chuckled. "A laughter competition? In the conference room?"
"Yea, I thought your assistance, Rose Williams would have reported to you
He laughed again. "I watched the footage. You definitely shook things up."
Venus gasped. "You were watching? You spy!"
"Security footage. Perfectly legal. And entertaining." He paused. "You handled Rose well, by the way."
"Thank you. She needed a little reminder about knocking."
"I liked that," Raymond admitted. "You dealt with it well and showed that you are both classy and sassy."
Venus stretched out on her bed, comfortable now. "I try."
"Tell me about the others," he asked.
"Sure. Davis, short guy, dreadlocks, analyst. Talks numbers like they're poetry and jokes like a stand-up comic."
Raymond smiled to himself, listening.
"Melanie, the quiet one with glasses. Research expert. She probably reads company files for fun. But mention cats and she lights up like Christmas."
"And the fourth?"
"Franklin. Logistics guy. Tall, always tapping his pen like he's in a band. He's got this calm but cool vibe."
"Sounds like a solid crew."
"They are. And I told them today that we all drink from the same Copeland juice—so they better work for it."
Raymond burst out laughing.
"You said that?"
"I did."
"You're ridiculous," he said, still laughing.
"But lovable," she added quickly.
There was a soft pause on the line.
"Yes," he said, his voice quieter. "Yes, you are."
Venus felt her heart skip for a brief second.
"Don't go catching feelings, Mr. CEO," she joked, trying to lighten the air.
"Too late," he replied, still with a teasing tone, but something about it felt... honest.
She cleared her throat. "Well, if I'm late to work tomorrow, I have a solid excuse. The CEO kept me on the phone all night."
He chuckled. "Fair enough."
In his penthouse, Raymond leaned back in his leather chair, looking over the skyline. Mira and Sade, the two maids, had brought him tea earlier to keep him awake.
But it was this voice on the phone that was keeping him awake. This new energy in his company. This spark named Venus.
"Get some rest, Venus," he said finally.
"Yes, boss."
"And thank you," he added.
"For what?" she asked
"For being yourself," he replied.
Venus smiled as the call ended. She looked at her screen for a moment longer before setting her phone down and pulling the sheets over her.
In the next room, her grandmother peeked in. "Was that a man on the phone?"
"Yes, Grandma," Venus sighed dramatically. "My boss."
"Hmm," she winked. "A boss who calls late at night? Sounds like a love story brewing."
Venus tossed a pillow at her, laughing. "Go to sleep, you old romantic!"
But as the lights dimmed, and quiet settled in, Venus lie on her bed, staring at the ceilings...smiling.
Meanwhile, Raymond set his phone gently on the desk after he ended his call, a lingering smile dancing on his lips.
Knock, knock.
The study door opened before he could respond. Pa Alfred, cream pyjamas stepped in with the calm confidence of someone who had watched Raymond grow from a boy into a man.
He paused a few steps in, his sharp eyes noticing the soft curve of a smile on Raymond's face.
"Well, well," Pa Alfred said with a raised brow. "That smile... it's been long. Who was that on the phone?"
Raymond leaned back in his chair, his fingers locked behind his head. "Venus."
"Venus?" Pa Alfred repeated, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You like her, don't you?"
Raymond didn't answer immediately. He sighed and glanced toward the tall window, the city lights flickering like stars below. "From the moment I saw her at the gas station... I knew she was different. Now she's my employee, and I don't want to scare her off."
"Smart move," Pa Alfred nodded. "But your eyes say something else entirely."
Raymond chuckled softly, then his expression turned serious. "It's not just attraction. It's her spirit. She lights up a room without even trying. The way she handled Rose today… that's a woman who knows who she is."
Pa Alfred moved closer, resting a hand on the back of a nearby chair. "So, is it really over between you and Miss Arrogant?"
Raymond laughed—loud and genuine. "Miss Arrogant?" he repeated with amusement. "I haven't heard you say that in months."
"Well, that's what she was, and still is," Pa Alfred replied with a smirk. "Tasha never deserved your heart."
There was a moment of silence between them. The laughter faded, and Raymond's smile turned wistful.
Then, almost in a whisper, Raymond said, "Let's just say... the final chapter with Tasha has just been written."
Pa Alfred narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like suspense."
Raymond stood and poured himself a glass of sparkling water. He turned, his gaze thoughtful.
"She thinks she still has power," he said quietly. "But not this time. Not with Venus around. I won't let her cause harm again."
Pa Alfred nodded slowly. "Then protect the light you've found."
Raymond sipped his drink, his thoughts swirling. "I intend to. But I have to be careful. One wrong move, and I could lose Venus before I even get the chance to know her..."
Three months later