Chapter 1 New Qualifications

What is that fucking noise?

Luca Vanthross groaned as he opened his eyes in annoyance. The blaring sound assaulted his ears when his senses came alive. It was from the alarm clock on the table by his bed. With one more groan, he stretched his arm from under the bed covers and turned it off by smashing it against the floor.

He grabbed his phone to check the time. It read 8:00 am. Clare, his secretary was supposed to be here by 7:30 am to prepare his outfit for work. She was also meant to prepare breakfast, run him a bath, and have his car warmed up, waiting at the front of his esteemed mansion.

"Where is she?" He asked himself, angry. Luca thought about firing her but decided against it when he realized Clare had never missed any of her tasks and always showed up on time. But he was Luca Vanthross and he detested mistakes and incompetence. Clare was going to be reprimanded. With that decision, he climbed off his bed and walked to the bathroom.

After having his bath, Luca grabbed his iPhone and called for his housekeeper who lived in a little rack he'd built for her. It was right behind his mansion and only took about two minutes, going and coming.

"Maria. I want you here, now." He ended the call without waiting for a response. Although it was a command, Luca's tone was soft. Maria was a sixty-year-old cleaner that used to look after him when his parents were too busy trying to maintain their rich lives.

When he finally made it and built his own company from the ground up, he took her in as his housekeeper. To others, it was Luca being a cold-hearted CEO who didn't care about an older woman. But Luca had his reasons for taking her in as his housekeeper and he didn't give a shit if anybody misinterpreted it.

In less than three minutes, Maria made it into the mansion. He could tell she was in the kitchen when he heard pots and utensils clanking in the kitchen.

Satisfied that his breakfast was being prepared, he walked into his closet on the left side of his massive bedroom. It was like being inside the dedicated section of a department store and it was as wide as his bedroom.

Luca had all kinds of men's wear from luxury fashion brands but he mostly wore suits because of his busy schedule as a CEO.

Luca went straight for the suit section in his closet and grabbed a navy blue set. He put it on and reached for coffee brown oxford shoes then complemented his suit with a Chanel men's black tie.

Clare always put his outfit together and doing it himself irritated him but he was pleased with the outcome of his outfit choice as he looked in the mirror.

He headed straight for the kitchen after dressing up. The aroma of the soup Maria prepared almost made him salivate but he wasn't going to show any emotions. An image of his father telling him emotions were for babies flashed through his mind causing him to grimace.

"Is anything wrong?" Maria asked him when she saw that he looked frustrated.

"No. I'm fine." He took out a chair at the kitchen island, sitting down, he reached for a plate of soup Maria had prepared for him.

Not saying much to Maria, he scooped the soup as he went through the latest news articles on his phone. As always, his company was still number one on the Forbes list. He was also listed as one of the best young CEOs to watch out for. At just thirty-two years old, Luca had managed to do what many men could only accomplish in their forties.

His mind was deep into the article about a competitor company that he didn't hear Maria speaking until she cleared her throat. Luca looked up from his phone and eyed the small woman. From where he was seated, she seemed fragile and weak but Luca knew she was one of the strongest women in his life.

"I said Clare quit being your secretary this morning. She didn't have the courage to inform you so she told me to relay the message to you." Maria repeated her earlier statement to Luca.

Out of all the reasons for Clare being late that went through Luca's mind, he didn't expect her to quit her job without any notice.

It didn't matter if he were a CEO or not but it was normal corporate ethics to report to your superior with a two weeks' notice if you wanted to quit your job. What Clare had done was unprofessional and if Luca was feeling petty, he'd have told every other CEO he knew not to hire her if she showed up in their companies.

"I see," Luca told Maria, much too calmly for someone that was on the verge of a violent outburst.

He finished his soup, shifting the plate away from him, he stood up from the chair and made his way back to his bedroom when he remembered he hadn't come down with his keys. When he returned downstairs, he made a mental note of hiring a good programmer who can hack into people's personal accounts.

He was going to teach Clare a lesson for causing a mishap in his routine. How dare she quit her job without informing him?

Maria had already cleared the kitchen by the time he was out of the door and in his 2021 Audi 2.0. The engine roared to life as he inserted the key and matched the pedals, getting the car to warm. Two minutes later, the automatic door to his garage lifted when he put the car in drive. With that, he sped off his driveway, leaving a cloud of smoke in his wake.

Luca was not fond of music but his mind was filled with hunting down Clare and torturing her with her worst fears until she begged for mercy so he turned on his radio and dialed it to the music station. Soft music filled the space within the car, drowning out his distasteful thoughts and making him feel relaxed.

When he got to his office complex in downtown San Francisco, he became even more annoyed when he glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was nine-thirty a.m. He was an hour late. He hoped Clare was suffering wherever she was.

When he parked his car in the spot reserved for the CEO, he climbed off and went inside the building. Walking through the open reception area, he was greeted by his employees.

They all looked happy and content to say "good morning," as he walked past them but deep inside, they feared him and his demands for perfection in the workplace. He was already angry because of what his secretary had done that morning and his employees could see it on his face.

They knew not to get on his nerves, lest he'd fire anyone who tried.

When he got into the elevator, he took out his phone and called his assistant who was also his best friend.

"Calvin, I want you to put out hiring for a secretary. You already know the qualifications I look out for. This time, include must not quit the position unless I say so. Don't ask any questions, just do as I say." He spoke into his phone, not bothering to say hi to Calvin.

"Well, good morning to you, Mr. CEO." Calvin deadpans from his end of the phone. Luca couldn't see him but he knew he was rolling his eyes at him.

"Luca, for once, can you just take it down a notch with all the commands? I work for you doesn't mean you get to treat me like your wife." Calvin jokes and Luca made a face of throwing up.

"Shut up, Calvin. Imagining you being my wife nearly gave me a heart attack," Luca said, wearily, already drained by Clavin's jokes.

"What do you need a new secretary for anyway?" Calvin asked, getting all serious.

"I said no questions. Just put out a notice and include the latest qualifications." The elevator got to the thirtieth floor and opened up to a lobby decorated with potted plants. Luca stepped out and headed straight for his office which was just down the hall. The secretary's desk was empty.

"I need that new secretary before I clock out of the office. Get her to my office when you find her." Luca finished and ended the call. He did not wait for Calvin to respond in protest or agreement.

When he got into his office, he slumped into his chair and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He hoped whoever Calvin found was sensible enough to know that if she didn't meet that last qualification, she was going to be in deep trouble.

And Luca Vanthross was going to make sure that nobody was going to be able to save her from him.