Page 46 of Neptune

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CASSIE

I turn the recorder off after finishing the latest arrangement of my new song. Still sitting at the piano, I text Oscar to let him know that I've worked on his suggestions and that I'll send him the new recording soon.

I smile, remembering his excitement when he first heard the song—he loves it. I guess this song will indeed be the perfect one for my comeback, not to mention that I have another one that I wrote with Cal Jackson.

It feels so different now that Morgan isn't dictating my every move. I feel like I can show my real potential without having the burden of adjusting everything to her demand.

I remember again how I love music, how I love to be lost in my own world while I'm working on a song. Luke was right when he said that most of my latest songs lack emotions.

I'm about to put my phone back on top of my piano when it buzzes. My heart flutters as I see a text from Luke.

Luke : I miss you.

A smile instantly creeps on my lips. Isn't he supposed to be busy at work? How can he still have time to think about me?

I reply to his message with a kiss emoji.

Luke : Not that one. I want the real one.

A chuckle leaves my lips. Mr. CEO needs some affection right now. I shower him with many more smooch and kiss emojis .

Luke : Cassie, your lips on mine. Now.

I laugh. Does he think that I can teleport?

A great idea suddenly pops up in my head, and while I'm pondering on it, I don't reply to his text.

Luke : Sorry. I'm in a meeting and I can't stop thinking about you.

I shoot him a reply, unable to stop the smile on my face.

Me : I miss you too.

Luke : I can't wait to get home.

???

Even though Luke has told me that he will meet me later at home, I just can't help but give him a surprise visit.

What can I say? I've already spent a productive morning in the music room, and I don't have anything else to do.

Aiden hasn't come back from school, and Luke misses me. A quick lunch together would be perfect, wouldn't it?

I stare up at the majestic building of Klein Enterprise in front of me, stepping out of the car. This is the first time that I’ve come to his headquarters office in New York—it's indeed much bigger than his branch office in LA.

Once I step into the lobby, all eyes are on me, but being a superstar, I'm used to it. However, it makes me wonder whether I'm dressed appropriately or not.

I'm pretty sure that I am. I'm aware that I'm entering a formal work environment, so I'm wearing a formal knee-length black dress and heels, my wavy chestnut hair falling loosely on my shoulders, my lips covered in red lipstick.

Still, I seem to attract more attention than I should, because people stop in their tracks when they see me.

A man wearing a suit behind the reception counter startles when he notices me.

He immediately strides toward me. "Mrs. Klein, are you meeting your husband? I will escort you to his office."

Had I told Luke about this visit, he would have sent one of his bodyguards upstairs to escort me, but since this is a surprise, he has no idea about this.

"Yes. I want to surprise him for lunch." I smile, following the man, who seems to be the manager of the building.

"That's wonderful." He throws me an equally warm smile and leads me to a separate elevator.

Just like his office in LA, Luke stays at the top of the building. Once the elevator reaches his floor, I step out after the man.

He leads me along the corridor, and just like in LA, I can't help but wonder why his office feels so cold. It's so different from our home.

One of the bodyguards guarding the door to Luke's office abruptly opens it when he sees me.

The man who just escorted me says, "He's inside. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Klein." He smiles again.

"Thank you." I return his smile before stepping inside. Apparently, the door isn't immediately connected to his office but his secretary's desk first.

And my eyes widen in surprise.

There before my eyes, I see a female secretary. She looks young, probably younger than me, around 22 or 23, perhaps.

She hasn't noticed me because she's too busy putting bright red lipstick on her lips—it's brighter than the red lipstick I'm wearing.

My eyes scan her V-neck top which exposes her slender collarbones. A smile forms on her lips as she finishes putting on her lipstick, closing her compact mirror, her dirty blonde hair tossed to one side.

My mouth drops open. What the hell? What is she doing here? I didn’t think Luke had a female secretary—and a steaming hot one at that.

Where the hell is Ashton?

And why is she giggling like she just put her lipstick on for someone to see?

For Luke to see?

I feel a sudden restlessness inside my heart. I might be thinking too much, but I just can't help it.

The girl is taken aback when she finally notices me. She stands up and steps from her desk to approach me, and my blood boils even more, because I can now see how short her skirt is.

"Mrs. Klein," she abruptly says. "He's currently occupied right now. Have you set an appointment with him?"

What? An appointment? I'm his wife, so I can see him any time I want to, can't I? Why should I make an appointment like seeing my own husband is some kind of business meeting?

"I don’t believe I need to book his time for us to meet," I speak through gritted teeth. "In fact, he's waiting for me."

For God's sake. I'm just going to have lunch with my husband. Is that forbidden here?

Ignoring her complaints, I barge into the room and abruptly halt when I see that Luke is having a meeting. He and four other men sit on the couches, their discussion stopping short as they see me storming in.

Luke stands up as soon as he notices me. I gulp.

Oops . I haven't thought of this kind of situation.

The female secretary totters inside, looking bloody nervous. "I'm sorry, sir," she stutters. "I tried to warn her—"

I angrily snap my head toward her. No matter what happens, this girl annoys me. Warn me , she said? Oh, God, I think that I'm going crazy.

"It's okay, Summer," Luke says. "She can see me whenever she wants to."

He stares at me, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes .

Turning to the other men in the room, he says, "I believe that we've come up with the conclusion just now. Tell our shareholders that we won't be making a counter-proposal, and I want the agreement on my desk tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

The men nod, and one of them says, "We will do that as soon as possible, Luke."

With that, they get up from the chairs. They slightly smile and nod at me before walking off.

I watch as Summer walks out of the room behind them before Luke pulls me closer to him, startling me. He circles his arms around my waist, and I'm staring at his captivating hazel eyes.

"What a surprise." He smirks.

I purse my lips. "Who's that girl?"

"She's the temporary replacement," Luke says, studying me, still looking amused. "Ashton is taking a leave because his son is in the hospital."

I bite my lower lip.

"What made you hire her?" I ask, unable to hide the fear that Luke might have hired her because she's hot. "I mean, she doesn't seem professional enough," I say, telling the truth.

Luke chuckles. "Why? I didn't think much about that. She's just temporary, and the HR division told me that she has a good track record and the ability to learn fast. I was too busy with other business priorities that I didn't focus on the hiring."

Noticing that I'm still not satisfied with his answer, Luke smiles.

"Cassie," he whispers. "Are you jealous?"

My cheeks heat up. Indeed, I am. The thought of Luke having a bombshell as a secretary in his office, where he spends most of his time during the day, bothers me.

It's not that I don't trust him—it's just irritating that another woman is busy drooling over him and trying to get his attention while I'm not around.

"I can opt for another temporary replacement if you want," Luke says .

I grin. "That's better."

He laughs, showcasing his dimple that I like so much. "What brought you here? I feel flattered that you came all the way here just to check on my female secretary."

I roll my eyes. "You said that you missed me."

Luke pulls me closer to him so my face hits his chest. He kisses my forehead.

"I did. I missed you so bad." His words sound honest even though we just saw each other this morning.

We stay silent for a while before I speak again, "Was I being too clingy just now?" I can't believe that I just blurted that out.

"I like it when you're being possessive," Luke jokes.

I pout. "I'm not possessive. I'm just here to have lunch with you because you said that you missed me."

"Now that I think about it, seeing you again apparently makes me want to postpone my lunch."

I pull away from him, raising my eyebrows. "Why? Aren't you hungry?"

A mischievous smirk touches Luke's lips. "I am. But not for food."

My brows furrow.

"I'm hungry for you." With that said, Luke captures my lips in a fierce kiss.

I welcome his tongue as he shoves it into my mouth. Our kiss is bold and passionate, both of us cupping each other's face, but then it stops when a voice suddenly interrupts.

"Sir, you have another appointment with your consultants—"

We snap our heads toward the door, only to find annoying Summer stopped short in the doorway.

Now the same irritation crosses Luke's expression, like he hates being disturbed when he's with me.

"Tell them to come back after lunch," he commands in a firm tone before capturing my lips again, not caring about making out in front of the poor girl .

"But, sir," Summer insists, and I feel even more annoyed. Does this girl not know the word privacy? "They've been waiting in the lobby."

Luke pulls away from me, his jaw clenched. He strides toward Summer. "I told you to tell them to wait until after lunchtime."

I watch Luke turning into the ruthless one again—Summer doesn't have any idea what she has gotten herself into.