Beneath the Billionaire’s Mask

"You can't tell anyone about this." The cheerful woman who was walking into Jones's Enterprises at noon was given a warning by Noah Jones, who had her hand slung over his.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise." First, Zara made her announcement loudly enough that everyone could hear it, and then, as Noah sighed, she gave him an utterly innocent grin. After walking her to her desk, Noah walked her to the other two secretaries, who gathered their belongings and prepared to leave for lunch. "Hey, it is lunchtime." She mockingly spoke the phrase after her partners had walked around the desk.

"Now, this is not a sight Abby would like to see." While she was standing in front of Noah and Zara, one of the secretaries made such a statement.

Everyone knew Zara and Noah were close and accustomed to seeing each other. On the upper floor, everyone expected her to work alongside him; she even had her own office and a desk outside his office door. On the other hand, Zara preferred to work with the other secretaries on the ground floor, as she felt that working upstairs was too solitary and quiet. Despite April being his assistant, Zara took on the majority of the work because he trusted her more than anyone else in the building.

"All right, Chloe, how are you? Thank you for coming to visit! While Noah stood there observing, Zara responded with a cheeky smile. He was aware that Chloe was a nosy person and that she had a difficult time with Zara and Elowen at the office. However, he did not want to intervene because he feared everyone would accuse him of favoritism. This held particularly true given that he employed Ryan's wife, David's girlfriend, Theo's wife, and Zara. I thought you would say, 'Good afternoon, Zara, how are you?' because you hadn't entered when Mr. Jones and I left. Chloe's face flushed red with embarrassment due to Zara's caustic statement delivery. While Zara was roasting the unfortunate woman, Noah stood back and observed from a distance, his hands tucked into his pockets.

Despite her beauty, Chloe had a deep-seated bitterness. She was tall, just like Zara, but she was more attractive. She had a wonderful chest and long, tanned legs. She possessed lovely greenish-brownish eyes and long blonde-brown hair that reached below her shoulders. She had blonde and brown hair. Out of the office, she worked as a model on a part-time basis, and she was the perfect example of what a cover page model might look like. She wore a beautiful green dress that reached her ankles, paired with tall black heels that tapered at the top. To conceal her naked shoulders, she wore a long, thin jersey with half sleeves. She pulled her long hair into a tight ponytail and wore those sleeves. She wore very little makeup, even though she did not need it, and she graced her tiny, pale lips with a shade of lip gloss that was completely nude. She exemplified perfection in every way; she was stunning and well aware-of her beauty. Unfortunately, her demeanor wasn't as lovely as it could have been.

Additionally, while you are at it, let your Queen Bee, Abby, know that Noah took me out to lunch, and then we went on an ice cream date early in the morning. Remember to tell her that we strolled into the office hand in hand, that he proposed to me in front of the entire staff, and that I accepted his proposal. Zara continued to babble on and on while crossing her arms over her chest. Noah was making a concerted effort to suppress his laughter, but all he could muster was a smirk.

Elowen, the secretary, arrived and pulled Chloe away before Zara could continue. However, before she could proceed, Elowen instructed Zara to join her at the café, as she would be present there. When Chloe yelled at Elowen to leave her alone and withdrew her hand from her grasp, Noah and Zara watched as they walked away. They did not miss the incident.

"Don't even think about leaving this office; you just had your lunch break," Noah warned Zara in a serious tone as they stood side-by-side, watching people walk around. "You just had your lunch break last week."

"If you think I'm going to miss my lunch break, then you are deluded," Zara stated as she laughed out loud. "It's not even close to being true." Is it okay if I say this is the only opportunity for the ladies and me to catch up? Put another way, I am not missing it for the world, you, or anyone else. She let out a sigh when she finished.

Noah did nothing more than smile and shake his head. "I missed this, you know?" Noah solemnly uttered the words as he turned his attention to her.

She turned her head to look at him and smiled warmly at him. "Me too." She made the admission timidly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Simultaneously, Noah smacked her fingers away, causing her hair to fall back down. "Noah." She stated it in a grating manner while attempting to remove his hand, and he laughed.

"Listen, I sincerely apologize for my recent poor behavior as a friend. I have been swamped." As Noah spoke, Zara nodded in agreement. She knew what he meant when he said he was "busy," but she refrained from bringing up the subject.

"Let me just check my messages before I leave." A sigh escaped her lips as she went around the reception desk, where her voicemail box was located, and listened to the messages she had received. The monotony of hearing the same voice repeatedly caused her to frown. While listening to the voicemails, Zara remarked, "Noah, it appears that Ryan Hall has been trying to reach you all day. He claims it is urgent, and you are not taking his calls." "Is everything okay?" She asked.

The mere mention of Ryan's name brought about a complete and utter transformation in Noah's demeanor. He presumably called to bother him about bailing out his brother; he wished he could go another day without mentioning his brother's name. He was trying to nag him about anything. "Enjoy your lunch, Zara," he said with a stern smile. And remember, do not tell anyone." He brought up their conversation from earlier in the day.

"I promise I won't," Zara stated with a pained expression. She knew something was wrong with Noah but would not force him to discuss it if he did not want to address it. Her face suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree as she recalled something and smiled broadly. "But I will let Elowen know that an attorney represents April." I can't wait to see the expression on her face when I inform her! At that moment, Noah was thankful for her cheery personality since it prevented her from pondering what was bothering him. She beamed, and Noah was grateful for her bubbly personality.

Noah let out an exasperated sigh and said, "She's not a lawyer." His eyes were rolled back.

"But Elowen does not need to know that!" Zara's face glowed as she approached the desk to offer him a side hug.

"Have fun!" He said it as she hurried away from him. After looking at the voicemail box on the desk, he tightened his jaw and approached his elevator.