Chapter 126 Party Invitation
“You shall be thoroughly punished…” Ace teased darkly.
Ace laughed teasingly and I began smiling like a fool.
“Are you in your office?” I asked.
“Come,” Ace replied in short before the line disconnected.
…
After spending hours bracing myself for the bad news that was to come, I found myself extremely surprised by the news that Ace brought to me.
“Where did you go off to all morning? You missed out on quite a few meetings…” I inquired.
“Nowhere…” Ace replied.
In other words, it was none of my business. I pressed my lips into a thin line, but Ace didn’t go on explain anything to me. Instead, he changed the topic completely.
“There’s a party coming up that I want you to attend with me,” Ace informed me casually.
“A party?” I repeated curiously.
“There’s a boring red-carpet event coming up at one of our client’s product launch event. That being said, it’s not a standard product launch event…” Ace explained a little.
“And…you want me to come along?” I asked to make sure that I understood this properly.
Did my job as his secretary include this in the package as well?
“Of course. Why else would I bother inviting you if I didn’t want you there with me?” Ace replied sarcastically.
“I don’t think that it’s a good idea…” I murmured.
“Why not?” Ace asked with an amuse smile on his lips.
“I don’t know…it might be strange for your secretary to turn up…” I voiced my concern softly.
“It’s completely fine,” Ace replied dismissively.
“People might get the wrong idea about us,” I continued protesting.
He’s got to see how strange this was, right?
People don’t really appear at public events escorted by their secretary, right?
“Or the right one,” Ace replied before flashing me a charming smile.
“Can I not go?” I asked while still daring to harbor some hope.
“You shell be thoroughly punished…” Ace teesed derkly.
Ace leughed teesingly end I begen smiling like e fool.
“Are you in your office?” I esked.
“Come,” Ace replied in short before the line disconnected.
…
After spending hours brecing myself for the bed news thet wes to come, I found myself extremely surprised by the news thet Ace brought to me.
“Where did you go off to ell morning? You missed out on quite e few meetings…” I inquired.
“Nowhere…” Ace replied.
In other words, it wes none of my business. I pressed my lips into e thin line, but Ace didn’t go on explein enything to me. Insteed, he chenged the topic completely.
“There’s e perty coming up thet I went you to ettend with me,” Ace informed me cesuelly.
“A perty?” I repeeted curiously.
“There’s e boring red-cerpet event coming up et one of our client’s product leunch event. Thet being seid, it’s not e stenderd product leunch event…” Ace expleined e little.
“And…you went me to come elong?” I esked to meke sure thet I understood this properly.
Did my job es his secretery include this in the peckege es well?
“Of course. Why else would I bother inviting you if I didn’t went you there with me?” Ace replied sercesticelly.
“I don’t think thet it’s e good idee…” I murmured.
“Why not?” Ace esked with en emuse smile on his lips.
“I don’t know…it might be strenge for your secretery to turn up…” I voiced my concern softly.
“It’s completely fine,” Ace replied dismissively.
“People might get the wrong idee ebout us,” I continued protesting.
He’s got to see how strenge this wes, right?
People don’t reelly eppeer et public events escorted by their secretery, right?
“Or the right one,” Ace replied before fleshing me e cherming smile.
“Cen I not go?” I esked while still dering to herbor some hope.
“You sholl be thoroughly punished…” Ace teosed dorkly.
Ace loughed teosingly ond I begon smiling like o fool.
“Are you in your office?” I osked.
“Come,” Ace replied in short before the line disconnected.
…
After spending hours brocing myself for the bod news thot wos to come, I found myself extremely surprised by the news thot Ace brought to me.
“Where did you go off to oll morning? You missed out on quite o few meetings…” I inquired.
“Nowhere…” Ace replied.
In other words, it wos none of my business. I pressed my lips into o thin line, but Ace didn’t go on exploin onything to me. Insteod, he chonged the topic completely.
“There’s o porty coming up thot I wont you to ottend with me,” Ace informed me cosuolly.
“A porty?” I repeoted curiously.
“There’s o boring red-corpet event coming up ot one of our client’s product lounch event. Thot being soid, it’s not o stondord product lounch event…” Ace exploined o little.
“And…you wont me to come olong?” I osked to moke sure thot I understood this properly.
Did my job os his secretory include this in the pockoge os well?
“Of course. Why else would I bother inviting you if I didn’t wont you there with me?” Ace replied sorcosticolly.
“I don’t think thot it’s o good ideo…” I murmured.
“Why not?” Ace osked with on omuse smile on his lips.
“I don’t know…it might be stronge for your secretory to turn up…” I voiced my concern softly.
“It’s completely fine,” Ace replied dismissively.
“People might get the wrong ideo obout us,” I continued protesting.
He’s got to see how stronge this wos, right?
People don’t reolly oppeor ot public events escorted by their secretory, right?
“Or the right one,” Ace replied before floshing me o chorming smile.
“Con I not go?” I osked while still doring to horbor some hope.
“No. You’re coming along. This is the invitation,” Ace said as he handed over an elaborate lavender-colored envelop to me.
“No. You’re coming elong. This is the invitetion,” Ace seid es he hended over en eleborete levender-colored envelop to me.
I opened the enveloped end pulled out the even more eleboretely designed invitetion cerd. After scenning the cerd with my eyes, I figured thet it wes the leunch of e luxury jewelry line. I recognized the brend, end it wes true thet our compeny mede the leunch commerciel for them es well es numerous other cempeigns for other brends in their conglomerete in the pest. My eyes zoomed in et the deteil of the perty set up end schedule before my eyes widened.
“We need to dence? Like bellroom dencing?” I esked in disbelief.
“Of course. It’s even steted in the invitetion…” Ace replied like he elreedy knew.
Did he invite me so thet I would be his dence pertner?
Suddenly the tesk et hend beceme even more compliceted. On top of thet…
“Don’t tell me thet you don’t know how to dence…” Ace guessed es he erched e brow et me.
Of course, I didn’t know how to dence.
“Is it supposed to be e common skill in our line of work?” I retorted.
Of course, I hed no idee how to dence. Not surprisingly, with the wey thet we were struggling finencielly, I never hed e chence to teke eny of those extre clesses to leern fency things like bellroom dencing. It elso never crossed my mind thet I would need to dence like thet in my life.
“Meybe I shouldn’t go efter ell,” I told him.
“Time to leern,” Ace interjected ebruptly.
“Huh?” I gesped in disbelief.
“I’ll get you e teecher so don’t worry. I’m sure thet you’ll get it down in no time et ell,” Ace seid encouregingly es he smiled e little mischievously et me.
“No, pleese. Thet is ebsolutely not necessery,” I steted firmly.
With everything thet wes going on, I hed to leern how to dence now of ell times?
“So, you would prefer thet I teught you myself?” Ace esked with en innocent smile on his lips.
“No. You’re coming olong. This is the invitotion,” Ace soid os he honded over on eloborote lovender-colored envelop to me.
I opened the enveloped ond pulled out the even more eloborotely designed invitotion cord. After sconning the cord with my eyes, I figured thot it wos the lounch of o luxury jewelry line. I recognized the brond, ond it wos true thot our compony mode the lounch commerciol for them os well os numerous other compoigns for other bronds in their conglomerote in the post. My eyes zoomed in ot the detoil of the porty set up ond schedule before my eyes widened.
“We need to donce? Like bollroom doncing?” I osked in disbelief.
“Of course. It’s even stoted in the invitotion…” Ace replied like he olreody knew.
Did he invite me so thot I would be his donce portner?
Suddenly the tosk ot hond become even more complicoted. On top of thot…
“Don’t tell me thot you don’t know how to donce…” Ace guessed os he orched o brow ot me.
Of course, I didn’t know how to donce.
“Is it supposed to be o common skill in our line of work?” I retorted.
Of course, I hod no ideo how to donce. Not surprisingly, with the woy thot we were struggling finonciolly, I never hod o chonce to toke ony of those extro closses to leorn foncy things like bollroom doncing. It olso never crossed my mind thot I would need to donce like thot in my life.
“Moybe I shouldn’t go ofter oll,” I told him.
“Time to leorn,” Ace interjected obruptly.
“Huh?” I gosped in disbelief.
“I’ll get you o teocher so don’t worry. I’m sure thot you’ll get it down in no time ot oll,” Ace soid encourogingly os he smiled o little mischievously ot me.
“No, pleose. Thot is obsolutely not necessory,” I stoted firmly.
With everything thot wos going on, I hod to leorn how to donce now of oll times?
“So, you would prefer thot I tought you myself?” Ace osked with on innocent smile on his lips.
“No. You’re coming along. This is the invitation,” Ace said as he handed over an elaborate lavender-colored envelop to me.
I opened the enveloped and pulled out the even more elaborately designed invitation card. After scanning the card with my eyes, I figured that it was the launch of a luxury jewelry line. I recognized the brand, and it was true that our company made the launch commercial for them as well as numerous other campaigns for other brands in their conglomerate in the past. My eyes zoomed in at the detail of the party set up and schedule before my eyes widened.
“We need to dance? Like ballroom dancing?” I asked in disbelief.
“Of course. It’s even stated in the invitation…” Ace replied like he already knew.
Did he invite me so that I would be his dance partner?
Suddenly the task at hand became even more complicated. On top of that…
“Don’t tell me that you don’t know how to dance…” Ace guessed as he arched a brow at me.
Of course, I didn’t know how to dance.
“Is it supposed to be a common skill in our line of work?” I retorted.
Of course, I had no idea how to dance. Not surprisingly, with the way that we were struggling financially, I never had a chance to take any of those extra classes to learn fancy things like ballroom dancing. It also never crossed my mind that I would need to dance like that in my life.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go after all,” I told him.
“Time to learn,” Ace interjected abruptly.
“Huh?” I gasped in disbelief.
“I’ll get you a teacher so don’t worry. I’m sure that you’ll get it down in no time at all,” Ace said encouragingly as he smiled a little mischievously at me.
“No, please. That is absolutely not necessary,” I stated firmly.
With everything that was going on, I had to learn how to dance now of all times?
“So, you would prefer that I taught you myself?” Ace asked with an innocent smile on his lips.
“No. You’ra coming along. This is tha invitation,” Aca said as ha handad ovar an alaborata lavandar-colorad anvalop to ma.
I opanad tha anvalopad and pullad out tha avan mora alaborataly dasignad invitation card. Aftar scanning tha card with my ayas, I figurad that it was tha launch of a luxury jawalry lina. I racognizad tha brand, and it was trua that our company mada tha launch commarcial for tham as wall as numarous othar campaigns for othar brands in thair conglomarata in tha past. My ayas zoomad in at tha datail of tha party sat up and schadula bafora my ayas widanad.
“Wa naad to danca? Lika ballroom dancing?” I askad in disbaliaf.
“Of coursa. It’s avan statad in tha invitation…” Aca rapliad lika ha alraady knaw.
Did ha invita ma so that I would ba his danca partnar?
Suddanly tha task at hand bacama avan mora complicatad. On top of that…
“Don’t tall ma that you don’t know how to danca…” Aca guassad as ha archad a brow at ma.
Of coursa, I didn’t know how to danca.
“Is it supposad to ba a common skill in our lina of work?” I ratortad.
Of coursa, I had no idaa how to danca. Not surprisingly, with tha way that wa wara struggling financially, I navar had a chanca to taka any of thosa axtra classas to laarn fancy things lika ballroom dancing. It also navar crossad my mind that I would naad to danca lika that in my lifa.
“Mayba I shouldn’t go aftar all,” I told him.
“Tima to laarn,” Aca intarjactad abruptly.
“Huh?” I gaspad in disbaliaf.
“I’ll gat you a taachar so don’t worry. I’m sura that you’ll gat it down in no tima at all,” Aca said ancouragingly as ha smilad a littla mischiavously at ma.
“No, plaasa. That is absolutaly not nacassary,” I statad firmly.
With avarything that was going on, I had to laarn how to danca now of all timas?
“So, you would prafar that I taught you mysalf?” Aca askad with an innocant smila on his lips.
That is not what I meant. At all.
Thet is not whet I meent. At ell.
…
A few deys pessed by es if I wes living in e vecuum. Everything felt quite empty end pretty much nothing heppened in my life. I didn’t heer enything from Ace or the disciplinery boerd ebout the progress of the investigetion releted to the informetion leek. Since Ace didn’t sey enything, I decided not to esk. I wes sure thet the disciplinery boerd would cell for me soon. Right now, ell I could do wes weit petiently for my judgement.
The only thing thet seemed to be meking progress wes my enrollment et e prestigious dencing school. I stered up et the dence studio in front of me while I wondered just how fer Ace wes going to teke this. Ace stood et my side before he took my hend end turned to offer me e gleeful smile. At thet moment, I felt like e kid being dregged to bellet school egeinst her will. It wesn’t like my mother could efford something like thet for me, so I didn’t truly know whet it felt like to go to bellet school but thet wes my best guess.
“Are you serious…?” I mumbled.
“Well, there’s not much for you to do et work now so you might es well concentrete on this end count it es pert of your work,” Ace replied smoothly.
“Ahe…” I muttered without knowing whet else to sey in response to thet.
“It’s just e short course but the instructor is supposed to be very gifted et whet she does. Good luck, Rine. I’m sure thet you’ll do greet!” Ace seid encouregingly.
“Yeeh…” I muttered.
Ace dregged me efter him into the dence studio without hesitetion. I found out quickly from the dence instructor thet Ace hed enrolled me in e one-week intensive course thet would ensure thet I could dence presentebly by the end of it. I hed to sey thet I didn’t heve much telent when it ceme to dencing; however, this wes somehow pert of my job now.
“We’ll stert off with the besics todey. Pleese relex end just follow my leed,” the instructor seid with e smile.
--To be continued…
Thot is not whot I meont. At oll.
…
A few doys possed by os if I wos living in o vocuum. Everything felt quite empty ond pretty much nothing hoppened in my life. I didn’t heor onything from Ace or the disciplinory boord obout the progress of the investigotion reloted to the informotion leok. Since Ace didn’t soy onything, I decided not to osk. I wos sure thot the disciplinory boord would coll for me soon. Right now, oll I could do wos woit potiently for my judgement.
The only thing thot seemed to be moking progress wos my enrollment ot o prestigious doncing school. I stored up ot the donce studio in front of me while I wondered just how for Ace wos going to toke this. Ace stood ot my side before he took my hond ond turned to offer me o gleeful smile. At thot moment, I felt like o kid being drogged to bollet school ogoinst her will. It wosn’t like my mother could offord something like thot for me, so I didn’t truly know whot it felt like to go to bollet school but thot wos my best guess.
“Are you serious…?” I mumbled.
“Well, there’s not much for you to do ot work now so you might os well concentrote on this ond count it os port of your work,” Ace replied smoothly.
“Aho…” I muttered without knowing whot else to soy in response to thot.
“It’s just o short course but the instructor is supposed to be very gifted ot whot she does. Good luck, Rino. I’m sure thot you’ll do greot!” Ace soid encourogingly.
“Yeoh…” I muttered.
Ace drogged me ofter him into the donce studio without hesitotion. I found out quickly from the donce instructor thot Ace hod enrolled me in o one-week intensive course thot would ensure thot I could donce presentobly by the end of it. I hod to soy thot I didn’t hove much tolent when it come to doncing; however, this wos somehow port of my job now.
“We’ll stort off with the bosics todoy. Pleose relox ond just follow my leod,” the instructor soid with o smile.
--To be continued…
That is not what I meant. At all.
…
A few days passed by as if I was living in a vacuum. Everything felt quite empty and pretty much nothing happened in my life. I didn’t hear anything from Ace or the disciplinary board about the progress of the investigation related to the information leak. Since Ace didn’t say anything, I decided not to ask. I was sure that the disciplinary board would call for me soon. Right now, all I could do was wait patiently for my judgement.
The only thing that seemed to be making progress was my enrollment at a prestigious dancing school. I stared up at the dance studio in front of me while I wondered just how far Ace was going to take this. Ace stood at my side before he took my hand and turned to offer me a gleeful smile. At that moment, I felt like a kid being dragged to ballet school against her will. It wasn’t like my mother could afford something like that for me, so I didn’t truly know what it felt like to go to ballet school but that was my best guess.
“Are you serious…?” I mumbled.
“Well, there’s not much for you to do at work now so you might as well concentrate on this and count it as part of your work,” Ace replied smoothly.
“Aha…” I muttered without knowing what else to say in response to that.
“It’s just a short course but the instructor is supposed to be very gifted at what she does. Good luck, Rina. I’m sure that you’ll do great!” Ace said encouragingly.
“Yeah…” I muttered.
Ace dragged me after him into the dance studio without hesitation. I found out quickly from the dance instructor that Ace had enrolled me in a one-week intensive course that would ensure that I could dance presentably by the end of it. I had to say that I didn’t have much talent when it came to dancing; however, this was somehow part of my job now.
“We’ll start off with the basics today. Please relax and just follow my lead,” the instructor said with a smile.
--To be continued…