POV of Grace
My eyes squinted in the sunlight. My stomach was twisting with fear, and the cool water relieved all the stress that was aching inside of me.
I was hoping that this interview would ensure that I had reliable employment. I only had casual clothing in my closet, but the straightforward white dress I had hidden felt appropriate for the situation. I ran my hand down the walls' peeling paint, knowing that soon enough I'd be able to purchase new paint.
Before leaving, I slipped on some heels, my knuckles turning white, and I gripped my bag hard. When the bus finally came to a stop, a few passengers got off. I rushed inside in an effort to find a seat amidst this crazed throng. When I finally came to a stop, the wind was bitterly cold against my bare arms, and I breathed heavily. I looked at my phone, and I was an hour early.
Fortunately, I was dumped off in front of the structure where I was meant to work. As I entered, the chilly air prickled my skin, and I wished I had brought a jacket. The interior was enormous, with walls that reached the painted-gold ceiling and flawless matte porcelain tiles on the floor. I walked up to the reception desk with a friendly smile.
"Pardon, where will the interview be held?" When she heard me, the woman, who had been staring blankly at the computer in front of her, smiled. How does she know my name? "Yes, Ms. Morgan, it takes place on the top floor." I played around with my fingers; what was the highest floor? Her hands were stroking the skirt she was wearing as she smiled, so she must have observed my terrified expression. My smile was broad as I curtly replied, "I'll show you the way."
The elevator doors glided open as we arrived, and the corridors were quiet as we said, "Thank you." I attempted to contain the trembling in my voice as I introduced myself as Sofia and tried to hide the terror that was whirling inside of me. I laughed as I saw her lips curve into a smile. I think I like her. She said, "I'm sure you know who I am since you spoke my name a while ago."
"Yeah, sure, I'm not a stalker. They provided me with a list of everyone who was coming in for the job today. Since I assumed I was the only applicant, the likelihood of my finding stable work was now significantly reduced. " Please pick a seat and make yourself comfortable. I have to go back now. It will take some time before you are called in because you arrived fairly early.
She gave me a curt nod and a thumbs up. "Best of luck." The others soon followed, all of them ecstatic and excited. Why were most of us female? There were a few men seated near us, but not as many as there were women. Sofia said, "We'll start with an alphabetical order. Enter once your name is called." People began to enter and exit with varying expressions.
Some people were upset, while others were in tears. Some of them, whose eyes were red and swollen as they left, I was certain were angry, but the majority of them were angry, muttering to themselves and glaring as they did so. That horrible, really? When a hand wrapped around my shoulders and felt chilly against my flesh, I jumped.
Sofia walked me to the door and cautiously opened it, saying, "You're up, Grace." The question "Are you ready?" I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and then nodded. Before stepping aside to allow me to enter, she grinned at me and tilted her head to the side. As soon as the door shut behind me, I shuddered since the atmosphere was tense and silent. The space lacked any color punch and was a combination of white porcelain tiles and black walls. I said, "Good evening," as I approached his desk gently.
His lips formed a thin line as he ignored me, his gaze never leaving the documents he was reading. He motioned for me to take the seat in front of him. As I sat down, holding my breath, the velvety chair began to squeak from my weight. You are unusually quiet. Well, that was a first for me when my eyes narrowed elsewhere.
As I talked, I struggled with a lump in my throat. "Pardon me?" He set the papers down while rubbing his temples and his eyes. "But I like the quiet ones; usually they're screaming inside their heads," he said, turning his attention directly to me. "The people before you never kept their mouths shut once they entered my office."
Well, he got that right; my mind was a chaotic void of my conscience hollering at me right now. Although he was grinning, it was impossible to tell that he was happy because his smile lacked warmth. "Ms. Morgan, was I right? I might as well reciprocate the gesture because he was grating on my nerves. "Sir, I don't believe you've introduced yourself properly."
His smile evolved into a ferocious, predatory grin. "Oh? Grace, you're currently keeping me entertained. His smile was fading as he reclined in his chair. I said, "I like that," disregarding the informal way he addressed me. Instead, I focused on the subject at hand. So, how about we conduct an interview? His lips curled downward as he arched an unperturbed brow.
Why do you say that? This interview is over," he said, taking the paperwork and starting back to read. What was he implying? Is it true I was not hired? If you can call that joking, all he did the entire time was smile and make jokes with me. "Am I ineligible? You haven't even properly asked me; you just "You are qualified, but only momentarily. Consider yourself my trainee, as I need to see if you can keep up with my assistance. He looked at the door and me while shrugging.
"Work starts at 7:30, and I don't like it when my employees are late, okay?" I kept my unusual mix of elation and dread for this job hidden as I fixed my attention on him. "Thank you, sir." By the way," I paused and looked at him, thinking, "How am I meant to work for a man like this?" You can address me as Mr. Cooper or Aiden, as you please. I nodded at him. I prefer addressing him formally rather than by his first name. He scowled when he realized I was calling him Mr. Cooper.
I cocked my head, hesitant to inquire. With the darkest shade of brown for eyes, the palest of white skin, slender muscles hidden beneath the sharp suit he wore, and fixed black hair as dark as charcoal, he had a good advantage in terms of both appearance and body. I was aware of him as the notorious Cooper Corporation's heir.
The most cruel and deranged suitor, despite his good looks, is the hated son of a wealthy father. "Is there a problem, Grace?" He had been gazing at me with a curious expression on his face, but I hadn't noticed. I scurried to the door, slipping awkwardly. I shouldn't have worn these shoes. "Nothing; I'm sorry; I should go now." As shadows blocked my vision, my head erupted and began to ache and pound in anguish.
I tried to stand while laying my palms flat on the ground and wiping the sweat off my brow. Only I mistook the sweat running from my chin and the tiny flight of stairs I hit my head on for blood. The chair scraped, and I could hear approaching footsteps. "You are awkward," When I turned to face him, he paused, which made the throbbing in my head worse as shadows invaded my field of vision. Grace, stay here with me. I awoke to Aiden calling for security.
My head felt like it would explode at any minute, so there was no point. His arm around my waist was squeezed tighter, while his face in front of me was reduced to a cloud. Grace, I'll ruin your life if you pass out in front of me." I laughed, feeling sleep coming on inescapably as I breathed in. I was greeted by the words "Try me" as I entered a barren space.
****
POV of Grace
I was awake, although I had closed my eyes. I had the sensation of someone touching my hair as I slowly came to My eyes slowly open, and I look up to see my boss looking at me.
I got to my feet, closing my eyes in agony due to the intense feeling of dizziness in my head. I spoke while closing my eyes in discomfort. I'm sorry, but this was a really awful impression.
He softly pushed me back to the bed while holding onto my shoulder. "Don't worry, you can rest for the moment." Although the calm surrounding us was soothing, it seemed that his eyes were the thing that bothered me the most.
They were so buried and abandoned, dead and black. He saw me watching them and stopped me in my tracks, looking down and dodging my gaze. He talked firmly, and the mannerisms compelled me to comply. "I want you there at seven thirty tomorrow, please." And then he vanished.
*****
I got up, went through my morning routine, changed into a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and a gray pencil skirt after taking a shower, and then accessorized with white heels and minimal makeup. When the bus arrived, I made the decision to cram inside and stand since it was already crowded with passengers.
The man who kept grabbing my buttocks made me feel uncomfortable and harassed, so I wiped the sweat from my brow. I eventually exited the torturous car after one ill ride and gazed up at my place of employment.
I waved at Sofia at the front desk as the cold air inside pinched my sweaty skin. I hurriedly wiped them off with my hanky. I waved back and grinned at her. What happened to you yesterday, I hear you ask? While leading me to the elevator, she asked while scowling at me.
"There was this tripping accident, and..." I faltered because I didn't want to bring up something so embarrassing in front of her. She could tell I was dizzy by the expression on my face, so she let the topic of our talk lapse.
Her eyes sparkled with delight as she grinned. I smiled and nodded, "Good luck, Grace," as I watched her go back to her work. After entering the elevator and selecting the top floor, the doors quickly closed. Then a hand stopped it from closing completely.
The blonde sighed, "Close enough," and entered as the doors kept closing. With ash blonde hair, mesmerizing, calm-looking bright blue eyes, and baby pink lips, the man had a decent amount of physical appeal. He saw me staring, and a smile appeared on his handsome face, which caused the burning in my cheeks to spread. He turned to face me and extended his hand. I took hold of his hand and said, "The name's Clifford."
I was struck by how small mine was in comparison to his. He backed off from the introduction and pressed the button below from my floor, saying, "Grace." What will a lovely lady do on the top floor, then? His curious eyes glowed as he teased. I let out a jittery laugh. I could have sworn that when I said, "You know, the secretary of the CEO is here," his eyes grew immediately alert and anxious, but they quickly vanished as I spoke.
He gave me a feeble smile in response, which was a dangerous sign. His eyes were breathtaking because they were so vibrant and alive as he drew closer to my face. His white teeth were visible as he grinned. I'll run into you somewhere, cutie. I let out the breath I had been holding as he stepped outside. I caught the quick wink he gave me before turning away before the doors could even close.
By now, my face must be really red. Before entering the boss' office, I rang the doorbell. I sat on the couch next to Mr. Cooper's desk because he wasn't inside and deliberated what to do before he arrived. Sincerity be damned, I had no notion what my job entailed. I looked it up on my phone after opening it. What exactly do secretaries do?
Search Outcome: A person who aids a specific person with daily professional or personal responsibilities is known as a personal assistant (PA), also known as a personal aide (PA), or a personal secretary (PS). I started reading some more about the work that P.A.s do when I was abruptly stopped by the unexpected opening of the door.
My boss was giving me a testy look as I looked in his direction, so I got to my feet and stuffed my phone in my pocket. I stifled a "good afternoon, Mr. Cooper" as I stared down at the ground, feeling apprehensive all of a sudden. He nodded and sat down at his desk, but as soon as he saw me, he scowled and felt the seat contract alongside me.
I asked, "Where's my coffee?" He demanded it of me while gradually raising his voice. "I... didn't know that you drink coffee." I swallowed the knot that was growing in my throat, but I remained motionless in my position. "God, females are so stupid; this is what you're supposed to do first thing in the morning!" I yelled in fright at his yell and the sudden action of slamming his fists against his desk. I turned away from his eyes and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I'll make you some right now."
Do you want to lose your job? At this moment?" His voice was louder than ever as he yelled. I was absolutely certain that he would have no trouble hauling me out of his office due to his extreme wrath. "Do you?" I thought his question was more of a yell than a question, but I didn't respond since I was frightened of losing this job. "N-no, sir." I spoke softly but loudly enough for him to easily hear, and I answered flimsily. He moaned and furiously combed his hair. "You better get to work here, lady; I don't put up with idiots who don't do anything to get themselves useful!"
Not worth it in this case. I used all of my might to shout it out loud. I shook my head and bolted for the door, thinking, "This is too much for one day." Being a cleaning lady is far simpler and more respectable than working as this idiot's secretary if the goal is to be humiliated and yelled at all day.
My eyes were wandering, and the incorrect way I ran with heels on was extremely risky due to my racing thoughts. And the easiest way for me to trip was to run while wearing heels. The cold floor's hard impact, the way my elbows scraped along the tiles, and the abrupt jerk of my head that would give me a headache were all things I had anticipated.
Instead, he had his hands on my waist, and I was pressed up against him as he avoided another embarrassing tumble that might have occurred due to me. The sudden hush caused by our breaths blending was enough to indicate that this was an intimate moment as his black eyes met mine.
I was frozen in place as I peered back into those threatening eyes of his out of sheer terror at being this close to someone so strong and dangerous. It seemed improbable that I could be the one to uncover all the mysteries concealed in them because they were so mysterious and gloomy. Perhaps I can.
POV of Grace
He bore his chocolate-brown eyes into mine as he looked at me. He was still clinging to me and refusing to let go.
I was aware that neither he nor I had any plans to relocate, but someone had to do it. "Sir?" I tried to gently pull him off while whispering and pushing him away, but he only tightened his hold on me. I'm sorry, but this is how I always treat my employees, and I'm simply not used to it.
My limbs were frozen, immobile in the heated position, and strangely cozy. Has he always been this way? How about those who came before? Have they gone through anything worse than I have? He raised me and supported my elbow so I could stand.
Without saying a word, he turned aside and went back to his work. Get files A, D, and E from the file room; I need them to be nicely organized and alphabetized. After saying that, he returned to using his laptop.
I hurriedly exited, but I was stopped in my tracks when I overheard him speaking. Before saying anything sincere, he sighed. I curtly nodded in response to the request, "Let me treat you to lunch to make up for my terrible actions, and then hurry out of the room."
*****
After searching all five stories, I still haven't located the room where the files were. I should have questioned him right away before I hurriedly departed, but I was simply too surprised to even ask the appropriate questions to him.
Eventually, my foolish instincts took over and instructed me to approach nearby individuals. I noticed the blonde dude next to the filling station. He undoubtedly heard my footsteps as I crept up on him and turned to face me.
Clifford grinned, the lights above enhancing the color of his stunning face. He gave me a lovely and cheeky grin as he gazed at me, appearing even more adorable. Do you mind pointing out where the file room is? I don't really know where it is.
He messed up his hair by combing it with his hand, yet he still had a stunning appearance. The question "What for?" I resisted the desire to scowl. He doesn't reply, instead taking my hand and guiding me to the room where the files were supposed to be.
He made a sign pointing to the paper stacks in front of us. Would you like me to assist you in finding the files? On my face, the biggest smile appeared. I'm glad to hear that. I can't search through all of this paperwork without getting yelled at by my employer.
*****
The papers were placed on the table in front of us as we sat down in one of the cafe's booths inside the structure. I carefully massaged my sore shoulders as I rubbed them. I find it hard to believe we located them so soon.
In an effort to lessen the agony in his shoulders, Clifford rolled them. I laughed, concentrating on my sore shoulders. "Yeah, but it did take a lot of work to find them." Then Clifford gave me a tap on the arm, drawing my focus to him.
He gave me a playful brow cock. It's time for lunch; perhaps we can get something to eat together. I reminded myself of something by tapping on my chin. "Well?" Clifford kept repeating it, jolting me out of my reverie. Sorry, but my employer asked to have lunch with me today since we had something important to discuss. I couldn't tell him the real reason my employer wanted to have lunch with me, so the last bit was undoubtedly a lie.
But to refuse him was so impolite; he even assisted me in locating those files. So why did I reject his offer to assist me if he did? My mind suddenly had a fantastic notion. Consider tomorrow. I'll make sure I can attend. His smile broadened, signaling that he was pleased to concur with me. Yes, that will be fantastic. I rose and picked up the papers from the table.
Clifford, I appreciate you helping me. I'll be leaving now. Before we parted ways, we both said our goodbyes while observing his little wink at me. I was too lost in my thoughts to notice my direction of travel. I fell backwards, stumbling into someone's chest as I gripped the folders I was holding.
Falling down was far simpler than getting shouted at for dropping the documents I was holding. Two large hands immediately grabbed hold of my arms, saving me from the horrible fall I was about to experience. When I turned to face the ceiling, I noticed that my boss was staring down on me with a hint of dismay. He spoke, his countenance austere and his voice as icy as ice. It took you long enough, I said, my voice trembling once more from terror.
I thought I was dreaming, but I felt him tense up as he said, "I got help from a friend." He snatched the folders out of my hands and seized them. "Let's go," he said, and I silently followed behind him, keeping a reasonable distance and speed. The driver of a black limousine met him as it waited in front of the lobby. He entered the room, and I followed him.
No one spoke or even cared to look each other in the eyes during the quiet ride. It was very uncomfortable. We arrived at a restaurant a few minutes later. We got out of the car, and I went inside the opulent restaurant after him. At the front was a waitress. "Welcome to Dream Petite," she said, smiling largely at my boss, who was distracted by his phone and unaware that she was flirting with him.
In "For Two," "VIP?" In "Aiden Cooper," She directed us to a booth next to a picturesque window, saying, "Right this way." We took seats across from one another since I was worried I could damage the costly food and upscale seating. She briefly left before coming back with two menu booklets for us. Confusion set in as I read the menu; the words were difficult for me to even say in my head, so I just gestured for the waitress to take my order.
Considering how much I enjoy chicken, I chose the Poulet à la Provençale. The woman took our orders and left the restaurant. I also ordered a Soupe à l'Oignon and a Crevettes Sauce Boursin, while Mr. Cooper ordered a Magret de Canard Sauce Cerise, Champignon Portabella aux Quatre Fromages, Carre d'Agneau, and a bottle of Swiss white wine for us.
My boss' uncomfortable glare caused me to sit there and turn away. Was there a problem with my face? Unconsciously, I met his stare with the questions that had been drowning in my mind. As he passed, the waiter handed us our appetizers. I made a self-promise to myself that I would tip him later because I was so happy he came.
The server gave us our appetizers while winking and grinning flirtatiously at me. I noticed my boss looking at the waiter as he was busy checking me out and turned to face him. My boss abruptly cleared his throat while glaring at the man, making me momentarily believe he was ill. I poked at my dish and took a small bite as soon as the waiter left. The shrimp was flavor-packed and skinless, and biting into one felt like the flavors were melting in your mouth.
My boss was leisurely devouring his meal as I turned to face him. I didn't heed him and carried on eating despite the fact that I was getting hungrier and my manners were slipping a little bit, because I always ate with etiquette. I took a drink of the wine and observed the clear liquid within the cup. It was fizzing, and the aftertaste of citrus fruits lingered in my mouth.
After finishing my meal, I set the fork down on the table. My food smelled delicious when the main course arrived, but it didn't seem to satisfy my need after the previous meal. I nearly choked on the sentence because of how abruptly he spoke.
"How's it going with your parents?" They weren't truly my parents, but they passed away when I was sixteen, which made my stomach turn and the meal lose its appeal. You know, it's difficult to live independently for nine years; I worked at a mini-store before getting this job; college was awful for me; I was ridiculed for being adopted; I had injuries from high school; and my parents tragically died, leaving me damaged. I fought back tears as I remembered perfectly the day my mother first told me she was ill.
A few months later, she passed away, and my father soon after, a year later. They abandoned me and the money they had left me, which was useless without them. He spoke with just a tad of sympathy in his voice. I said, "I see, I'm sorry for your loss." I didn't say anything.
I handed him fifty dollars after finishing the main course since I didn't want to owe him anything. His eyes shot to me in astonishment as he stared at the bill on the table. He handed me the bill back, obviously uninterested in it. I said, "I'm going to pay," while keeping the cash in my handbag, and glanced over at my employer as he removed $200 from his pocket.
He gave the waiter a call and paid for our meal. "Granted, thank you for dining here today," the waiter said, "but keep the change and don't give it to that waiter who served our appetizer." I was stuffed with the pricey dinner as we left the restaurant. I gave my boss a real grin as a token of appreciation for the lunch and turned to face him. I followed him from behind as he nodded in answer and got into the car.
As soon as we entered his office, he fired me and advised me to rest up for the following day. I walked away when I heard him yell my name as I was leaving. I gave him a stern nod and smiled as I left, saying, "Tomorrow is your first day as my official secretary; be early and ready as I am expecting you to be."
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