BILLONAIRE CEO: LOVE BEHIND DESK

The alarm blared to life for the third time, jolting Mikaela out of her slumber. She groggily reached for her phone, knocking over a glass of water.

The wetness on her hand jolted her awake, and she sat up. Her eyes flew wide when she saw the time. "Oh no, it's 7 a.m. already!" she exclaimed, throwing off the blanket and rushing to the bathroom.

It was her first day at work, and she had already overslept and might even be late!

Within ten minutes, she was already done with showering and putting on her business suit. She stole a glance at herself in the mirror, applying a red lipstick to complete her professional look.

The girl in the mirror had long brunette hair that reached her waist, but was now tied into a high ponytail. She didn't apply much makeup, but she still managed to look capable.

Satisfied, Mikaela slipped on her heels and dashed out.

The scent of breakfast wafted to her nose. Scrambled eggs and toast. Her favorite. Her stomach growled.

Unfortunately, she was running late and could only take a bite.

"Sister, wouldn't you eat some more?" Seeing Mikaela about to scramble away, Adrian asked.

Mikaela reached out to ruffle his hair. "I'm sorry, honey. Dinner, okay?"

Leaning his head into her palm, Adrian finally nodded. "Fighting."

"Fighting!" And with that, Mikaela slipped away. She hailed a taxi and climbed in. Her heart pounded during the ride. She was nervous.

This was her first job after graduating, and surprisingly enough, it was at a prestigious company, one she never dared to believe she could work in.

And not only that, she was given the position of a secretary. Right now, she was determined to make a good impression.

"Damn, 7:57," Mikaela cursed as she got out of the cab.

In three minutes and she would officially be late.

Biting her lip, she hurried inside the towering glass building.

HARMONY GROUP.

Swallowing, she approached the reception desk, trying not to show how flustered she felt.

"Good morning. I'm Mikaela Grey. Today's my first day," she said, forcing a smile despite the nervous fluttering in her stomach.

The receptionist, a woman in a crisp white blouse and flawless French twist, gave her a quick once-over and nodded. "You're with the executive office, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're one minute late."

Mikaela's smile faltered. "I-yes. I'm sorry."

The receptionist didn't respond. Instead, she picked up the phone. "Jason? She's here."

Moments later, a tall man in a slate-gray suit stepped into the lobby, scrolling on his phone as he walked.

"You must be Mikaela," he said, not looking up.

"Yes. Good morning," she replied quickly, falling into step beside him as he turned and began walking.

"I'm Jason Kim. Assistant to the CEO. I'll be your point of contact for most tasks, unless Mr. Williams assigns you something directly." She nodded, trying to keep up with his pace.

"He's waiting for you," Jason added without looking at her.

Mikaela's stomach tightened.

They stopped at the end of a long hallway, in front of a frosted glass door marked CEO – Raymond Williams.

Jason turned to her then, finally making eye contact. "You only get one first impression."

Before she could respond, he knocked once and opened the door.

"Come in," came a deep baritone voice from inside. Jason stepped aside, and Mikaela walked in.

Raymond Williams looked up from a folder on his desk. He was younger than she expected, maybe mid-thirties, with sharp cheekbones, piercing blue eyes, and a poised expression. Just sitting here, he reeked of power and wealth.

She swallowed again.

"You're late," he said flatly.

"I apologize, sir. It won't happen again."

He didn't respond immediately. He simply leaned back in his chair and studied her.

"You graduated top of your class from Zinnia University. Mr. Miller spoke highly of you," he said, flipping through a page. "But I don't care about recommendations. I care about results."

Mikaela stood straighter. "Understood."

"You'll assist Jason and report directly to me when necessary. You'll answer calls, schedule meetings, and ensure I'm not bothered unless it's urgent. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

He looked at her for another long second, then finally nodded. "Jason will show you to your desk."

Mikaela turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"And Miss Grey."

She looked back.

"Don't be late again."

Her face flushed. "Yes, sir."

She stepped out and exhaled, her heart finally relaxing and her shoulders slackening as the door shut behind her.

"Well," Jason said, arms crossed, "he didn't fire you. That's a good sign."

Mikaela let out a nervous laugh.

"This way," he said, gesturing.

As they walked, she took in the gleaming marble floors, minimalist décor, and the luxurious look and capabilities that filled the executive floor.

Jason gave her a brisk tour, stopping briefly at a glass-walled conference room. "That's the strategy team. You won't deal with them directly unless Mr. Williams says so."

At each stop, he nodded at someone but didn't introduce them by name.

Mikaela forced a smile at passing glances. No one looked at her.

By the time they reached the kitchenette, Jason was already scrolling through emails again. "Coffee here. Printers in the hallway. If you need something, figure it out."

So much for onboarding.

Before she could even say another word, he had already turned around.

She briskly followed as he showed her to her office.

Mikaela held back the "wow" that was about to escape her lips.

Her desk was a sleek glass surface just outside the CEO's office, with dual monitors and a company-issued phone. Everything screamed high standards.

"I'll send you the schedule for today," Jason said.

"You'll want to stay on top of it. Mr. Williams doesn't tolerate disorganization."

"Got it. Thank you."

Jason turned to leave, then paused. "Oh. Coffee."

"Coffee?"

"He likes it black. No sugar. You'll probably be getting a lot of it."

Mikaela gave a small nod, then sat down and took a steadying breath. She was in. The hard part was over.

Now she just had to survive the rest of the day. She picked up her phone and couldn't resist taking several pictures.

She was finally in the space she desired. She posted them on her WhatsApp status, and her friend, Olivia,'s message popped up, the latter asking her how everything was.

Before she could, however, respond, her phone rang.

"CEO's office, Mikaela speaking." Years of training finally came into use.

"Coffee," came Raymond's deep voice, stirring something in her heart.

His voice was just as attractive as his appearance; she had to give him that.

She shook her head to dismiss the sudden thought and stood up immediately. "Yes, sir. On my way."

However, when she was making the black coffee, a strong fruity perfume flitted to her nose, and a frown inexplicably appeared on her face.

Then followed by high heels.

"Newcomer, what are you doing here?" Whipping her head, she saw a blonde approach. Taller with a curvaceous figure, this woman seemed not to be trifled with, especially with that cold aura surrounding her. Her chin was raised, her gaze arrogant.

Mikaela straightened, trying not to spill the nearly full cup in her hand. She offered a polite smile.

"I'm making coffee. For Mr. Williams."

The blonde woman stepped closer, heels clicking like punctuation marks. "And who told you to do that? Jason?"

"No, the boss himself."

Nora's perfectly shaped brow arched. "Interesting. He usually sends me."

That sounded somehow strange... Mikaela blinked. "Oh. I didn't know. I was just following instructions."

Nora's smile-though that smile didn't reach her eyes. "Of course you were."

For a moment, the two women stood in awkward silence, one gripping coffee, the other radiating superiority. Nora took a step toward her.

"Careful with that," she said, eyeing the cup. "Wouldn't want your first day to end with a hot mess."

Her voice was sweet, but the venom in her eyes was unmistakable.

And just like fate had a dark sense of humor, the moment Nora bumped Mikaela's elbow, like an accidental brush, the coffee cup slipped from her hand.

It crashed to the floor, hot liquid splashing across the tiles and partly on Mikaela's palm.

"Agh!" she winced, stepping back, pain shooting up her wrist.

Nora gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with her palm, her eyes wide. "Oh no. Did you burn yourself?" she cooed, tone syrupy with sarcasm.

Mikaela clenched her jaw, cradling her wrist as she resisted the urge to cry. "I'm fine."

No, she wasn't!

Nora tilted her head. "Poor thing. Maybe you're not good for the executive floor. Why don't you go to work somewhere else? What if you dragged the CEO back? Can you afford it?"

Before Mikaela could retort, a low, commanding voice cut through the tension.

"Afford what?"

Both women turned.

Raymond Williams stood at the end of the hallway, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a file. His piercing gaze flicked to the spilled coffee, then to Mikaela's reddened wrist.

Nora quickly recovered. "Mr. Williams, there was a bit of a mishap. The new girl was-"

"I didn't ask you," he said sharply.

Nora flinched.

He walked forward, stopping in front of Mikaela. "Are you hurt?"

"A little," she said, trying to hide her hand behind her back. "I'll clean it up and make another."

Raymond's gaze moved to her wrist again. His eyes darkened slightly, his gaze returning to Nora.

"Don't you have a legal review to be in right now?"

Nora's arrogance was nowhere to be found. She bowed humbly, her voice softer.

"Of course, sir."

Raymond didn't say anything more. He simply stared until she walked off, her heels no longer echoing quite so confidently.

Once she was gone, he turned back to Mikaela.

"You don't have to prove anything to people like her."

"I wasn't trying to," Mikaela muttered, her pride smarting more than her wrist.

Raymond regarded her in silence for a second longer than necessary. Then, unexpectedly, he held out a crisp handkerchief from his suit jacket.

"For the burn," he said.

Caught off guard, she hesitated, then took it gently. Their fingers brushed for half a second, and she felt her stomach flutter.

"Th–Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "Get another cup. Then report to me. And be more careful."

He turned and walked away, leaving behind the clean scent of his cologne and a stunned, flushed Mikaela who was quickly realizing two things:

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She had just survived her first real clash with office politics.

Raymond Williams might be colder than ice, but he wasn't heartless.