The Billionaire's Gaze

MITCHELL POV

I paced around the corridor and bit my lips while waiting for the manager to call me in. Cassandra leaned on the wall facing the office room for the interview. She was free with her office duties for the moment.

"I don't want to miss this shot," I muttered as I paced around, my gaze flit.

"Relax, Mitchell. It's just an interview, you won't do well if you keep worrying yourself like this."

I stopped moving and quickly turned to Cassandra, my eyebrows were drawn together. "Don't say that! Do you know how much I planned for this?!"

"I know, and I am rooting for you, but worrying won't make you get it."

I moved closer to Cassandra, "This is a new CEO and I don't know anything about him. Do you think he will pick me?"

"Mitchell," Cassandra called my name softly and held my hands. "You are a hardworking, down-to-earth lady who always pays attention to details of things in her workspace, you'd be his choice. I know you wanted this badly, I mean..." she chucked, "...the secretary to the CEO of Mart Groups is three times higher than your present office, and your income will increase by..." She jerked her head and said, "Let's say five hundred percent."

My eyes bulged, and my jaw dropped for a couple of seconds. "Five hundred percent?! A-Are you sure?" I knew being the secretary to the CEO would be a good position to go after, but I wasn't expecting a five hundred percent increase in my present earnings.

The door to the interview room opened, and the employee who was being interviewed walked from the door with a sullen face pointing down, his shoulders dropped and he walked away like a ghost to his surroundings. The General Manager stepped out. "Miss. Mitchell Lawson."

"Yes Sir, I'm here."

"You can come in now."

I stepped in and stood inches away from the door. For the few seconds I stood, my eyes quickly glanced around the room, but I kept my head straight so they wouldn't know I was looking around. There were three men seated at the table. The General Manager, the Director of Staff, and someone I had not seen before. I heard the new CEO will be in the interview, and I'm yet to see him.

Or is he this strange, handsome-looking guy?

He had short, pitch-dark hair, straight and clean, lying to the side of his head. He sat in the middle, and his back rested on his chair, his right leg crossed over his other leg. From a glance, I gazed at him and forgot that I had been staring for long. He had black, small eyes that looked still and cold, and his body was perfected sharped in the fitted blazer he wore.

Is this the new CEO?

"Miss Lawson!"

The General Manager's voice shook me off the absentmindedness; my eyes widened in a blink speed, I faked a smile for a second and cleared my throat. The General Manager and the Director kept their austerity gaze on me, I tried all I could to hide my fears and also to avoid the cold eyes of the man seated in the middle.

"Have your seat," the Director of staff said. "You are almost losing yourself before the interview. For your information, the Chief Executive Officer decided to surprise us to be in this interview, Mr. Anthony Martins." He turned his face to the man seated at the middle, I gave a weak bow and tried to avoid my eyes meeting it but that was quite impossible.

"Good day Sir," I said, the CEO didn't give a reply or act as though he heard me, yet his eyes were fixated on me.

The Director of staff opened my folder and looked at my CV, he adjusted his glasses and drew his eyebrows together.

"You don't have just one degree. Have you worked as a secretary in any firm?"

I slowly answered in a low tone, "No Sir."

"Have you worked in an unlimited liability company before Mart Groups?"

"No sir."

The General Manager smirked. "I can see you believed in your lucky charm when applying," he chuckled, but when he saw the CEO's stern eyes fixated on him he swallowed and kept a serious face.

"Mitchell Lawson," the CEO called out my name. "What makes you think you are fit for this job?"

I straightened my spine and kept my head up high. "I am diligent at tasks I'm asked to do. I can also work under pressure, and... I am good at keeping track of things around me."

After giving my answers, the CEO kept quiet and the Director of staff gave me a look, expecting him to say a word. The CEO waved his hand at the Director of staff, "Carry on."

"Are you okay with her, Sir?"

"You went through her CV, right? I am not here to settle for the less, I need a professional, not a desperate peasant."

The Director of Staff cleared his throat and turned to me. "That will all, Miss Lawson. We will get back to you. You can leave now, thank you."

I walked out of the room with a cold feeling inside me. I was unconscious of my surroundings and walked straight to my office without saying a word to anyone. I dropped my butt on my chair, dropped my elbow on my desk, and rest my cheek on my knuckles.

"Hey, Mitchell! Welcome back, how was it?" Cassandra said walking up to me from behind.

I sighed and moved my head slowly away from my knuckles and laid my back on the chair. "I was rejected."

"Rejected? Like, you were told your application was rejected, or you assumed it to be so?"

I rolled my chair around and pulled my back forward away from the seat. "What does it mean for the CEO himself to say that he doesn't want to settle for the less because he can't find secretarial experience in my CV?"

I relaxed my back to the seat against ND and rolled it around to back Cassandra who was left silent for a couple of seconds trying to assimilate what I had said. "Oh, the new CEO was there! And be said that..."

"And he sounds like..." I paused my words and my eyes glanced around the room. "... A big-time jerk," I said in a whispering voice.

"Don't worry it will all be fine."

"Be fine?" I turned aside and shook my head. I wouldn't want to narrate the problems I have in hand to settle which requires money.

My phone rang and I looked at my screen. Denise Baby Sister. I picked it up and I heard whimpering and vibrating breath.

"Denise! Are you alright?"

I heard loud voices from the background. "Leave me and my daughter alone!"

"Keep quiet! I can come whenever I want, and you don't raise your voice at me, or else I'll send you to the hospital as I always do."

I recognized the two voices. The first was my mom, and the second was someone who wasn't meant to be there.

"Mitchell, please! Please help us, he's here again," Denise said silently in a teary voice.

MITCHELL POV

"Denise!" The line went off. My heart raced, it was like an emergency alarm was blaring in my head. My eyes flit around, the instinct to leave the office and head to my mother's house tempted me strongly.

"Cassandra! Cassandra!" She turned to me quickly from her workbench and pulled down the head seat to her neck.

"Mitchell! What's the matter? Are you okay?"

I rushed out of my seat towards her workbench. "Please cover up for me, I have to leave now."

Cassandra held my shaking hands, and spoke in a low voice, "Calm down. What's the problem? You can't just leave now, we have few minutes left."

"I just received a call from Denise, father is back at the house. I heard my parent's voices in the background. All doesn't seem well, I have to go and check it out."

"Wait a minute. I know you, you have to prepare yourself now and know what to do so that you won't go there and join in the chaos. You have to call the police while going there."

"Call the police? No, no. I don't have to do that. That's my father, I know he is doing bad to us, but I can't call the police on my Dad."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Cassandra discovered her voice was loud. She glanced around, some of the staff were staring at her and she faked a smile and turned back to me. "After all he did to you?" She whispered.

"I know, I know. But, I..."

"Mitchell. You have to stand up to him and face with all you can. He is doing this because he knows no one can withstand him. I don't know why you and your mom are allowing him to treat you guys that way."

"I will go home and see what is going on. If he tries to cause trouble, I will call the police."

"Wait. This is our closing time already, let's go together."

"Cassandra, you don't have to..."

"Ah ah!" Cassandra shunned me shaking her raised index finger. "No objection. We are going together from here. Wait a minute, I have to submit my report for the day."

She turned to her computer and started sending the report to the company emails. After everything she shut down the system and picked up her bag.

A staff who was still struggling to complete his task for the day said aloud to us. "Are you guys leaving already?!"

"No my dear, we want to go say Hi to the CEO.." Cassandra faked a smile. "What's is the time saying? Dummy! Gosh! I'm sick and tired of the silly questions you guys ask in this company." She headed towards the door, "Come on, Mitchell. Let's go."

We boarded a taxi and drove straight to my mother's house, which was about a five-minute drive from the Mart company building. The car stopped and we alighted, the house was a residential six-floor building single building located along an alley. We climbed up the stairs to the third floor and looked for Room 258.

I got close to the door and heard my parent's voice aloud. Cassandra widened her eyes at me and jerked her head, whispering, "Get in. Don't worry, I'll be here waiting, just in case."

I knocked at the door and the room was silent for some seconds. I knocked again and my Dad's loud voice barked from inside the room, "Who is that?!"

"It's me, Dad. Open up!"

"Mitchell? I'm coming."

"Get back here you woman! I'm not done talking to you."

"Take your hands off me!"

"Mom!!!" I shouted from the door. I heard them struggling inside the house, I and Cassandra banged loudly at the door. Cassandra withdrew and picked up her phone dialing a number.

"Am I speaking with the New York Police Department? This is Cassandra Miles, there is a case of physical assault here, a man abusing a woman and a teenage daughter."

I wasn't expecting her to place a call quickly. She ignored my look and continued on the phone call. "457 Marquis Street, Room 258... Thank you, sir. Please be quick." She hung up the call and turned to me staring at her with a hint of amazement. She spread her arms and bulged her eyes at me, "What?! I have to do that because you don't have the guts to do it."

"Get back here!" My father shouted, immediately the door opened, Denise was standing at the door as my father rushed at her.

"Take your hands off her!" In a quick response, I found myself grabbing my father's shirt we both landed on the ground. I paused, shocked at my reactions, I had never attacked or tried to be defensive against anyone before.

Father also was shocked at first. Suddenly his shocked expression changed into anger and he pushed me away from his body. I rose slowly from the ground and heard a shout around me.

"No!"

I lifted my face and a hard substance slammed my head and everything went black. I felt movement around me, my head felt light, but my body was heavy. My head hurt, the excruciating pain I felt was like a hammer slamming my skull incessantly. I opened my eyes, everything seemed hazy, and the light slowly penetrated my pupils.

"Where am I?" I said drowsily.

"She's awake! Mitchell."

My sight became clear, my eyes gazed at my lying body in the hospital bed. I groaned as I felt pain in every single move I tried to make. Cassandra drew closer and sat by my right. I turned to my left and saw a doctor, I looked around and saw my mother and my sister a bit away from the bed I laid.

The doctor came closer and touched my forehead. He held a small torchlight and pointed it directly to my eyes.

"Can you please sit up, Miss?"

I raised my head and gave a low moan, Cassandra placed her hand on my back and helped me sit up. The pain wasn't as intense as it was when I woke up. The doctor touched my head, massaging my skull. Some areas he touched made me hissed and cringed.

He wrote down some things on paper. "You are fine and free to go now..." He pulled out a paper and gave it to Cassandra. "Take that to the pharmacist and get the necessary medicines for her."

He turned to me, "Next time be careful of the men you keep around you. I lost my mom in a situation like this. You are lucky to be alive, my advice to you is to place a restraining order on him. Men like that will come back. Have a nice day."

He left and I sighed, slowly lying down on the bed. My mother and my sister came close and sat around me.

"I'm sorry Mitchell. This is all my fault," my mother said trying to avoid seeing my face.

I held her hand, "It's okay, Mom. It was never your fault, you are a nice mom who was married to him."

Mother drew closer and hugged me. "I promise, I won't let him do that to you again."

"He definitely won't," Denise said.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"His behind bars right now. The police came on time to pick him up," Cassandra added.

My phone rang, and I turned to find it in Denise's arm. "Who is it, Denise?"

"Now is not the right time, Mitchell. You have to rest."

"General Manager Costa."

"Give me phone..." Cassandra reached out to Denise and snatched the phone from her. She picked up the call immediately and gazed at the roof her lips pressed forward and her other arm rested on her hip. "Good day, Sir."

After some seconds, Cassandra's eyes bulged and her mouth was wide. "Yes Sir..." She nodded vigorously. She slowly brought down her hand from her ears, our eyes were fixed on her with anticipation.

"The CEO changed his mind." Cassandra smiled broadly, "Congratulations! You are now the secretary to the CEO of Mart Groups!"

MITCHELL POV

"He changed his mind? I don't think you heard right. He said to my face that I don't need someone like me."

"I know what I heard. But the major concern right now should be your health," Cassandra said.

"Yeah, she can't go like this, we need to be sure she's fully recovered," Mom said.

"The doctor said I'm fine. So I don't see anything stopping me from going to work tomorrow."

"How about the pain? Are you sure you're not feeling it anymore?" Cassandra asked.

"Not as before. Let's just go to the pharmacy and get the drugs," I said as I sat up and moved down from the bed. They tried to hold me but I moved without a need for their support.

"You can see, I'm strong and fully recovered. Let's go get the drugs and leave at once. I have to prepare and rest for my new job tomorrow."

I got back home around Ten in the night. I shut my door and laid my back to the door, I screamed loudly so loud that a distant voice shouted back at me from the next door. "Shut the hell up!" And I covered my mouth. I grinned threw my clenched arms into the air and whispered, "Yes!"

For the few moments I was awake I imagined what it would be like working as the secretary for Mr. Anthony Martins. I paced around the room, seeing myself in a suit working on the desktop, arranging and sending files to the CEO's email. I imagined my phone beeping with a message alert to my personal bank account. I smiled seeing my salary of bearing five figures. I slept with a smile all over my face until the noisy alarm got me jumping off the bed by 5:00 am with its noisy blaring.

Although my eyes were still heavy, I moved into the bathroom to take a shower. Never too early in your first day at work, I said to myself in my mind.

I got to the company building before 7 am, and just a few people were present. Mostly the security guards, and cleaners. I was the second office staff to be present, I took a seat and waited for Mr. Anthony Martins to arrive, I did not know when I slept off.

I received a tap on my shoulder and I blinked my eyes open, it was Cassandra. "Hey, Good morning."

"Is it the late night? Your eyes are swollen."

"Yeah, I didn't have a good sleep," I rubbed my eyes and stretched myself. My eyes widened and I froze for a second. "Is Mr. Anthony Martins here?"

"Nope. I think it's too early."

"I don't want to wait for him to come asking for me," I said. I stood up immediately adjusted my tucked shirt and pulled down my skirt properly to rest a little bit below my knees.

I walked out from the staff room 1 with a hardcover book and a pen pinned to my breast pocket. I went up the stairs to the CEO's office and stood by the side of the door. I couldn't hold back my excitement, my face glowed with an uncontrollable.

Then I heard footsteps approaching from my right, I turned and I was magnetized at the sight of the gallant, demurely young man walking towards me. Mr. Anthony Martins donned a gray fitted blazer, his hair was always straight and glittering like it was permed with a rich hair gel. His chiseled face, finely carved in a medium size, and his moderately broad shoulder wouldn't need him to tell anyone that he frequented the gym. His walking steps were gallantry, and when our eyes met I took off my eyes.

"Good-Good day Sir."

He stood inches away from me and eyed me without responding to my greeting, his private security personnel on a black suit and a thick eyeglass kept austere, still look on his face.

Mr. Anthony dipped his hand into his pocket, and suddenly a key was thrown at me. I didn't expect it and the key fell down to the ground.

"Are you okay? On your first day as my secretary you decided to lose your mind," he said sternly.

"I'm so sorry Sir," I bent down and picked the key from the ground and rushed to open the door.

He walked in and I rushed to stand by the desk, I looked around and saw that the entire room was cleaned. The cleaners had the keys to every office and would clean them up when they arrived early and locked up the rooms before those who worked there arrived.

Mr. Anthony loosed up his jacket and sat down on his seat. "What is my schedule for the day?"

I wrapped my fingers together in between my thighs, my pupils flicked around, I bit the side of my lips and tried all I could not make eye contact with him. How in the world do I have to tell him that I don't have an idea of his schedule?

"Didn't you hear me? I am asked what is my schedule for the day?!"

"I-I don't have an idea about that Sir. I'm just resuming this job today, Maybe, you can tell me about it and I will keep track of..."

"You say what?" He leaned forward tried his head aside and gave me a look with narrowed eye. He laughed and sucked his teeth, "You got to be kidding me. Are you for real? You mean, I should tell you my schedule. I should be the one to inform you of what I want to do for the day?!"

"If I have to do that is there a point requesting for a secretary to keep track of things for me?!"

I was confused here. What is making him sound that way? I didn't request to be a personal assistant, and according to what I have known from secretaries, they get information from their boss and keep a record of it.

"Pardon me, but Sir, how can I keep a record of something I don't know."

"You ask questions! And you don't have to ask me. Was I the one who called your line?" His tone was harsh and oppressive.

"Who gave the information that you were appointed for this job?"

"General Manager Costa," I said in a feeble tone.

"Then why didn't you get the whole information from him? Huh?" He picked up the telephone quickly dialed numbers on it and placed it to his ear.

"Mr. Costa! You informed Miss Mitchell Lawson that she'd been appointed as my new secretary, right?"

"Did you send my schedule for the day to her?"

"Are you sure you know your job?! Or should I see you as one of the incompetent people my father allowed to work in this company? I meant those I fired recently. Because if you think you can sit around and waste our time just have at the back of your mind that Mart Groups isn't for you."

"The next time I call again to talk about what you are expected to do, that will be the end of the job here in Mart Groups I give you my word." He hung up immediately.

"Write this down." I picked up my book and took out a pen from my breast pocket, I was shivering. I was already uncomfortable around this man, I had never met such a mean person in my life aside from my father.