Regina looked closely at every pattern in the file. She was stuck with just one page labeled with a flower pattern. When she opened it there was nothing inside.

She called the manager of the design team and she was told that Emma had canceled all the flower patterns from the collection and moved to another design instead. So it was now empty.

"Why cancel?" Regina frowned.

"Emma hates flowers. Ever since the company has been launched there was never ever a flower collection in the swan company! Can you believe it? I mean flowers are basic and beautiful. It's such a shame."

She snapped the file shut and sighed. She had been going on remembering the design ever since she got back from work which was like an hour ago. As Emma always went off late and she had to stay.

How could she ever remember all the details in just one night. She had to if she wanted to survive in the company.

She stood up and went to Henry's bedroom, tucked him in, kissed his forehead and inhaled his scent before going to freshen up herself.

She was about to open the next page when she noticed a missed call on her screen. She picked the phone up from the bed and called Gideon.

"Sorry I didn't have time to call you back."

"Why do you have to work so harddd? You can come work with me, it's much easier and stress free!"

"Thanks but I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want your sisters to go against me. They already hate my gut."

It's true she hated to have more people hating on her simply because of her marriage to Gold.

"Talking about my sisters, they wanted me to ask you something. But I don't want to talk to you over the phone. Are you free tomorrow?"

"My lunch break? Is that okay with you?"

"Perfect."

She hesitated to add this. She didn't want to be seen as a picky person.

"But the restaurant must be near my workplace."

A chuckle followed.

"Yes, alright! Just text me, okay?"

"Thanks again. Bye."

"Goodnight, Regina." He sounded longing.

She didn't want to add more trouble to him. He was busy nowaday with being the son of the gold bank.

She turned a page more to study and found herself slowly slid lower to read on the bed and with all the energy she spent all day. She drifted off with a file in her lap.

snoozee snoozee

An alarm from her phone pulled her out of the slumber. Regina sat up on the bed, frowned at the file on her laps, she flipped the last two pages over.

"Fuck."

Brushing her hair back from her face and cursing. She still had two whole pages left. How could she sleep over her work like this? She groaned.

Looking at the time and her eyes went wide again.

She's late.

She quickly got in the shower and dressed for the day. Not forgetting to hurry over to her son's bedroom to kiss his forehead and hurried out of the house. Carrying all the files, bags and phone in her arms to the car with her.

She's finally made it to the meeting in time. Emma was at the front, firing away her question to everyone in the room as Regina sat there and watched. Her heart beated, not really looking for this.

It's like the meeting was near its end when Regina hadn't got a question from Emma even once.

She frowned.

Emma asked everyone in the room but not her. She tried so hard to remember everything from the files last night.

She looked at Emma and saw the tiniest smirk on that face. She tilted her head to the side with a still confused look on her face.

"All for now. The meeting is over, thank you everyone." Emma announced.

Her blood ran cold. Regina watched as everyone stood up and slowly made their way out of the room.

"Wait! The meeting is over?" She asked out loud.

"Yes. Do you have any problems?" Emma said.

But she could see that glimpse of glee in those green eyes for making fun out of her misery.

Everyone that was still in the room was looking at her now. She felt so small and embarrassed, for sitting there, probably looking stupid. She couldn't do anything but watched Emma leave her out cold.

She shook her head as the blonde acted like child.

"If you're sleepy, why don't you just quit?"

Emma's voice boomed before her, making Regina shut her mouth immediately and looked up to find the smug blonde standing in front of her desk.

She glared at Emma who seemed to be bothering her all day today.

"Sorry, I had a long night remembering those files."

Was it too much that she wanted to hear an apology from her boss.

"You used to fool people around, right? Now you know how it feels to put all your effort into something for the other person but that other person takes it all for granted."

Regina went still, shook her head and continued her work. Not minding the provoking blonde in front of her.

She reached over to pick up a pen from the desk. She paused with a breath when Emma gripped her hand tightly and yanked her hand up.

"Emma!"

Regina was surprised at the sudden gasp. Seeing Emma's thin lips and hard eyes were making her confused as hell. Emma must have seen the purple flower ring she wore on her finger.

"I hate people that are faking things." Emma put more pressure on her hand, the fingers that were being crushed by her making her winced softly.

Emma suddenly pulled out of her hate and let her go.

"I'll fire you for sure." Then she left.

Regina sighed, rubbing her hands together, relieving the ache.

She decided to go see Snow and put Oliver's files on her desk.

"About the rest of the job's details you have to ask Emma herself because I don't know." She said.

Snow frowned but confusingly took the files in hands and looked through them.

"Oh? Normally her secretary will look after Emma's vip customer and coordinate further. Why me?" Snow asked.

"She- "

A phone rang in her hand. She looked down and her heart suddenly went to the ground at the message from her dad.

Henry's in hospital, he has a fever.

Her face went pale thinking about her poor baby. This morning he was still fine. She was busy all day. How could she go and take care of him? Her obstacle was Emma who loved to find any excuses to fire her over.

"Regina?"

Snow called her and she looked up.

"Yes?"

"Why did you look like that? Are you okay, honey?"

"I…uh, sorry." She cleared her throat. "My son is in the hospital right now, can I go see him on my lunch break?" She bit her lips worryingly.

"Oh, that is terrible! Of course! You can go. Don't worry, you can leave everything to me."

"Thanks."

She nodded and left, gathering her purse at her desk corner and running down the stairs, not wasting more time on the lift. While calling Gideon along the way.

"I can't meet you today."

"I know. Sir Henry called and told me about Henry. See you at the hospital, okay?"

"Okay."

She put it back in her purse and ran.

"The hospital?" Emma asked with surprise on her face. She came to see Regina and found someone else at the desk instead. She yelled for Snow to come out here and asked Regina's whereabouts.

"She went to see her son, but she'll be back in time, Emma! Don't worry, I let Marie replace her before she makes it back." Snow smiled.

Emma frowned, couldn't admit it to herself that deep down inside she cared. She was worried but more curious anyway.

"What's wrong with her son?"

"Oh, I don't know? I can call Regina and ask?"

"No,no, no! It's fine. I was just asking around, not being serious." She stammered and patted Snow's shoulder and went to lunch with her girl.

She was lost in thought over lunch. Her mind was not in it or hearing what Driz was saying.

Was she too hard on Regina? No, she deserved it. And she didn't regret a damn thing for what she made Regina go through.

She looked to the side and her eyes hardened at the similar sight of the brunette at the table, at the patio area.

Regina.

She was sitting, eating lunch with a man to be exact.

She frowned, wasn't she supposed to be at the hospital? With her son of all people?

Her blood ran cold. It tugged at the bottom of her heart. The hatred she had for Regina. She hated people that lied.

"Emma, your food is getting cold."

Emma snapped her gaze back at her girlfriend at the opposite chair and smiled.

"Well, if it's not for you my food would've been cold, thanks." She put roasted beef in her mouth and chewed.

"What would you do without me? Hmm?" Driz reached out to touch her hand on the table, she squeezed it back.

Suddenly she had an idea.

"Babe, are you still on with what you used to ask me?"

"No way!" Her brown eyes sparkled up.

"Really! Are you still interested in working with me?" She smirked.

"That would be great! Emma, so I can spend time with you at work too." She winked.

"Monday. Come be my secretary."

"Don't be too strict on me then, I'll quit if you happen to yell at me or something!" The brunette chuckled.

"I could never yell at a pretty face of yours." Emma pulled the hand up and kissed the back of it before letting go completely, leaning back against her chair.

"What about your current secretary?"

"Her? I just have to move or fire her. It's fine." Emma said with a shrug as Driz's eyes went wide at the complication.

"If you say so."

Emma grinned. As she turned to see a glimpse of her said problem again her smile disappeared.

Seeing Regina, smiling with the man she came with. They seemed to look at the phone together, head almost touching and it made her heart ache for no reason except rage.

She gripped the glass tightly and took a zip out of it. She truly was not happy to see Regina being happy with someone else that was not her.

"Drizella is going to be my new secretary next Monday."

"What?!" Both Snow and Graham exclaimed, their faces were at a loss and confused.

"Yep, you heard it right!" Emma grinned, stood up, and walked around her desk, hands in her pocket.

"What about…?" Snow whispered and pointed her finger to where Regina was sitting, far from sight as she had instructed.

Emma smirked. She called her team here for a prompt meeting about her new secretary.

"If you don't want her to get fired just send her to another team or send her to work at the factory? Just get her away from my sight. Because I hate working with lying people." She looked straight at Regina who looked innocent, although a bit perplexed at being called out.

"Lying? What do you mean, Emma?" Snow asked

She stepped up to where Regina was sitting.

"You should ask her. You seem to pity her and want me to accept her to work with me. Just ask her if her son was sick or if it was just an excuse to go out and meet with a man over lunch!"

Regina snapped her gaze up at her so fast then turned to Snow.

"If you want to hear the truth you can ask me, Snow."

She would not let Regina make any more excuses.

"The truth might not be real. Some people do have a lying habit and they will always do. If you can't follow them fast enough, you'll become their prey." Emma interrupted, not letting Snow say anything first. She was so tired of seeing Regina play the good victim.

She stared at those brown orbs with something that was not pure hate or love either. It was bitter.

Snow and Graham looked at each other in alarm. What happened to their boss to get Emma all work up like this?

Emma walked back to sit behind her desk.

"If you want her, fine. But if anyone doesn't want her then fire her." Emma announced.

Her employee's faces were priceless, lips parted in shock.

"Leave."

Everyone stood up.

"Not you, Regina."

Regina sighed and sat down again. She opened her notebook, picked up her pen, and faced her, ready to do as she said.

"I'm ready, boss."

Emma rolled her eyes. Did Regina really think that staying meant work?

Why was Regina so eager to work with her, too pleased to do everything she asked of her?

She didn't understand at all what her motion was for coming here.

What would it do to her to be such a good secretary? Why now?

"That man. Who you used your son as an excuse to see at lunch. Who is he?" Emma couldn't help but ask.

"He's a family."

"Is that so?" Emma stood up and stepped closer to Regina's chair, staring her down. "Your new husband?"

The corner of Regina's lips curled up slightly at her assumption. Emma pulled away finally.

"I asked because I'm worried about the safety of my company." She narrowed her eyes when caught sight of disbelief mixed with slight amusement on Regina's face. She walked to the back of her chair, not really wanting to see her face any longer.

"Are you so short of money then? That you have to use your son as an excuse to see a stranger? To play the part of a pity widow? Maybe you want to sell this company's secret for money?"

Emma made a turn back to her desk, her back resting against the edge, eying Regina who looked down and not at her.

"Tell me who that man was?" She asked again. She was serious, damn it.

What Regina did surprised her. Regina snorted outright with a small laugh through her nose. She swore she almost forgot how bright that sound was.

"What was that?" Emma tightened her lips in displeasure at being laughed at.

Regina finally looked up at her and grinned.

"Don't worry. The man I met has nothing to do with this company."

"Then what was it about?!" She raised her voice. She was getting annoyed by the sideline answer Regina gave her. It was not enough.

"It's private." Then a small smile.

"What- "

"I'd rather not tell."

Emma just wanted to make that pretty smile stop. She hated that reaction when she was scolding Regina for heaven's sake.

Why was Regina looking at her with so much…warm in her eyes, like she knew her?

It was strange that Regina could provoke these feelings out of her when she was being around Regina again.

"Just leave."

Regina was about to turn around when she forgot one little thing to taunt her.

"Oh, wait! Tomorrow Drizella will come to take a survey here. Make sure to have everything ready and perfect. And remember that Driz is the most important person in my life. You have to take good care of her. Not even a mistake could occur, understood?"

"Yes." With that Regina hurried out of the room.