The Intern Who Won The Boss' Heart

The place Dayana feared the most was Mr. Aleman's office. Rumor had it that every trainee assigned to him gave up within a few days because they could not handle his cold attitude and constant humiliation.

"He may have his attitude, but I've got mine too, and I won't let him treat me however he wants," she kept telling herself during the taxi ride to the well-known "Aleman Consortium," a family business known for offering excellent opportunities to young professionals.

It did not take long for her to understand that working with him would be difficult. As soon as she introduced herself, the confidence she had worked so hard to build disappeared. He ignored her greeting completely and examined her from head to toe with clear contempt.

"That outfit isn't appropriate for working at my company," he said with an arrogant tone, openly criticizing her simple knee-length skirt. She had chosen that outfit on purpose because she did not want to look provocative on her first day. Never had she expected her own boss to mock her and make her so uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, sir. I should've learned the company's rules beforehand. If you could provide them, I'd really appreciate it."

"Go to Human Resources. They'll give you a basic orientation," he replied without the slightest interest.

A burning sensation rose behind Dayana's eyes, but she refused to cry. She had made a promise to herself to stay strong, and she had no intention of breaking it. Even after being humiliated by her boss, she was determined not to let the experience push her into quitting her internship.

As the day went on, his behavior made it obvious that he had disliked her from the very beginning. Every instruction came with a harsh and commanding tone. He constantly criticized her for not knowing certain things, yet he never seemed to remember that she was only an intern. She was a newcomer who had just started working as his assistant.

"Miss, get me a coffee," Carlenton instructed.

"A coffee? At this hour?" she asked without thinking.

"What was that?"

"I said I'll get it right away."

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted speaking out of turn.

Once she arrived at the break room, a new problem came up. She had forgotten to ask how he wanted his coffee prepared.

"Most rich people probably drink it black anyway," she told herself.

In the end, her boss sent her back several times, insisting that every cup she brought was wrong.

"Sir, could you please let it slide just for today? The elevator isn't working, and I really can't keep climbing all those stairs anymore," she said, trying to reason with him.

Without warning, Carlenton rose from his chair and slammed a hand against the desk before firing back with harsh words.

"Am I your employee now? Or are you my wife that you think you can ask me for special treatment?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry. Please forgive me," she replied in a shaky voice.

"Forget the coffee. The moment for that is gone. Since I didn't get my damn coffee, you're going to deal with the consequences," he warned.

The last thing Dayana expected was to find her boss waiting for her after work. He asked her to come with him on a business-related errand. Since he explained that the time would count as overtime for her professional internship, she agreed without much hesitation. To her surprise, he took her to a clothing store. At first, she assumed he wanted help choosing clothes for a girlfriend or perhaps a wife, even though nobody had ever mentioned that he was married.

Instead, he picked out several office suits and told her to try them on in the fitting room.

"I don't get it," she said with a frown.

"I already told you that my company follows a different dress code. Starting tomorrow, you'll wear these. The cost will be deducted from your salary."

Dayana pressed her lips into a thin line. Inside, she was cursing her arrogant and controlling boss. How could he drag her into a store and spend her money without even asking if she agreed? She had not even received her first paycheck yet.

By the time they left, she was carrying four suits in different colors.

"I'll take you home," he said, still speaking in that same condescending tone.

"That's not necessary, sir," she replied.

"I wasn't asking. Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."

The moment he walked toward the cashier to pay, Dayana took the chance to slip away. She quickly flagged down a taxi and returned to her apartment with a nervous feeling in her chest.

"I just hope he doesn't give me a hard time tomorrow for leaving without him," she told herself, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

Carlenton's POV:

I knew it was time to welcome a new group of interns, but I never expected one of them to turn my life upside down. She had every quality I'd ever wanted in a woman. Yes, I flirted shamelessly, but none of that mattered once the right person finally came into my life. Somehow, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was the one who had just walked into it.

Then again, what was I even thinking? I'd made myself a promise a long time ago that I'd never fall in love again. Even so, there I was, letting myself think about something that was never going to become reality.

The truth was, Dayana was smart. Once I explained something to her, she could handle the rest on her own. That irritated me. I'd spent years intimidating interns and making them nervous, yet she didn't seem bothered by my temper or the remarks I made about the way she dressed. Honestly, what was I thinking when I told her to wear skirts so short they might as well be miniskirts?

Seriously, something must be wrong with me!

I had to stay one step ahead of her. Otherwise, this young woman might outsmart me and stop taking me seriously.

I couldn't let that happen!

The following morning, Dayana put on one of the outfits Carleton had made her buy. The skirt was so uncomfortable that she had to keep pulling it down every few seconds. If she didn't, there was a real chance her underwear would end up on display.

"Good morning, sir," she said as she rushed into the elevator and joined a man wearing dark sunglasses who had entered before her.

At that moment, her phone started vibrating.

"Excuse me, could you hold this box for a second?"

Without looking up, she placed it in his hands. Her attention was focused on digging through her purse for her phone.

The call was from one of her college friends, who wanted to know how her internship was going.

"You have no idea what I'm dealing with. My boss is a complete tyrant. Honestly, if I'd been given a choice, I would've picked a different company. Because of that man, I spent all day yesterday running around nonstop," she complained. "Let's talk tonight, okay? I just got to my floor, and I don't want to be late. If I am, that tyrant will probably have me executed."

She hung up while her friend burst out laughing on the other side of the call.

"So your boss is a cannibal who's planning to make you his first taste of human meat?"

the man asked as he returned the box to her.

Dayana quickly took it back and apologized in a flustered tone. Until he mentioned it, she had completely forgotten that she had handed him the box.

"You clearly don't know Mr. Aleman," she shot back. "By the way, why are we going to the same place?"

"Welcome back to my office, Miss Dayana!"

The man took off his sunglasses and exposed a face she knew all too well.

"Relax. I have no plans to eat human flesh. At least not yours. Not for now," he added with a smug grin.

"Boss!"

Dayana stopped cold. She had spent the entire elevator ride complaining about him without realizing he had been standing right behind her the whole time.

There was no way she could have recognized him. Dressed in a black hoodie, a cap, and sunglasses, he looked more like a food delivery driver than the boss she knew from the office.

"I'm really sorry, sir. Everything you heard was just a joke."

"Why is this man dressed like this today? Every time I've seen him before, he's been wearing a suit," she thought to herself as she silently cursed herself for failing to recognize him sooner.

"You're fired. Effective immediately!"

"What? No, sir, please don't do that! Give me one more chance! I swear nothing like this will ever happen again."

"Fine. You still have a job, but since you were disrespectful, you'll be staying for overtime."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

"What's inside that box?" he asked while pointing toward it. "It's a premium coffee machine.

I thought it would be useful to keep it in your office so you could make coffee whenever you wanted."

"Take that thing out of my office immediately! Do you think I hired you so you could sit around and do nothing? Making my coffee is part of your job as my secretary."

"You're absolutely right, sir. I'm sorry for bringing it up." She apologized and hurried out of the office. The entire exchange left her feeling completely overwhelmed.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" she wondered as she mourned the disastrous start to her day. From the moment she got out of bed, everything had gone wrong.

"Miss Dayana," Carleton called out after her. "In exactly one minute, I expect you in my office to go over today's schedule."

She had barely recovered from the last task when the tyrant was already calling for her again.

"Yes, Mr. Aleman," she answered and hurried back to her desk. She knew better than to keep him waiting. Even being a second late could set him off.

Dropping her purse onto the desk, she grabbed her tablet and rushed to his office. She made it there before the minute was over.

"I'm here, sir," she announced.

"Give me a minute. I'm busy," he replied without lifting his eyes from his work.

Since he wasn't paying attention to her, Dayana let out a quiet sigh and rolled her eyes. "Why call me in such a rush if you're not even ready to talk to me?"

The thought irritated her. She sat down in the chair across from his desk while he continued his phone conversation. An open window let in a strong gust of wind that swept several papers off his desk and scattered them across the floor. Not wanting to be blamed for the mess, Dayana quickly bent down to gather them. The moment she leaned forward, a loud ripping sound broke the silence.

Almost immediately, her boss turned around. Dayana grabbed the back of her skirt right where the fabric had torn. The skirt was so tight that it gave way the second she bent over. Panic washed over her, and her face turned bright red. The embarrassment only grew worse when she looked up and found her boss staring at her with clear amusement.

Her knees threatened to give out as she kept one hand pressed firmly over the tear, doing her best to keep it hidden.

"What happened?" Carleton asked as though he had no idea.

"Do you really need to ask? Can't you see what your ridiculous fixation on tight skirts above the knee has done to me?" she snapped, unable to hold back her frustration any longer.

Carleton laughed out loud. Even so, something changed in the way he looked at her.

Because of the style of underwear Dayana had chosen that day, the torn skirt exposed far more than she wanted. No matter how hard she tried, one hand was not enough to cover everything.

"Could you at least turn around and give me some privacy?" she demanded.

To her surprise, he did as she asked. Without wasting a second, she removed her blazer and tied it around her waist to hide the damage.

Now dressed only in her white top, she felt even more self-conscious.

"What exactly are you doing? Don't tell me you're planning to get changed right here," he asked with a teasing smile. "If this is your way of trying to tempt me, I have to admit it's getting results."

His comment earned him a furious glare, but she kept her mouth shut.

Arguing with him was not an option. One wrong word and he could fire her immediately. That would end her internship and force her to wait until the following year before she could continue it.

"Here, put this on," Carleton said as he walked over and handed her his jacket. "You can stay in here if you want. I'll have the driver buy you something more suitable. Unless you'd rather I go myself?"

Dayana hesitated.

Walking out of his office wrapped in a man's jacket was out of the question. Everyone would jump to the wrong conclusion and assume something inappropriate had happened between them.

The driver was not a good option either. If he found out what happened, the gossip would spread through the company in no time.

Feeling embarrassed, she asked Carleton to go instead.

Luckily, there was a clothing store nearby.

A short while later, Carleton came back carrying a new outfit. This time, he had chosen a larger size to make sure the same problem would not happen again. Dayana changed as quickly as she could. The entire situation left her embarrassed, but she was also grateful for his help.

After that awkward incident, something between them felt a little different. A strange sense of closeness remained where there had once been only tension. "If the rest of those outfits fit like that or make you uncomfortable, you don't have to wear them anymore. I promise I won't deduct the money from your paycheck," he offered.

"Thank you very much, sir," she replied quietly.

At last, she went over the schedule for the day with him.

"You're dismissed," he said.

She had already reached for the door when his voice stopped her once again. "Oh, and one more thing. Nice backside," Carleton called after her with a playful grin.

Dayana rushed out of the office, her face burning with embarrassment. The entire day had been exhausting, and all she wanted was to get as far away from him as possible. Yet no matter how much he irritated her, she could not deny that she found him incredibly attractive. Even so, she quickly pushed the thought aside. There was no reason to dream about something impossible. A man like him would never pay special attention to a woman like her.

Things gradually changed after that incident. Carleton stopped butting heads with Dayana, and compared to the way he treated her at the start, he showed far more patience now. Sometimes he even bought her lunch. Out of nowhere, a delivery person would arrive and hand her a meal.

Once she learned that the orders were coming from her boss, she went to thank him personally. At the same time, she asked him not to do it anymore because she was worried people around the office would start talking.

According to Carleton, it was simply his way of making up for how badly he had treated her during the first week of her internship. He insisted there was nothing personal behind it. Part of her felt disappointed by that explanation, yet another part felt relieved.

"Mr. Aleman, I need to let you know that you have a meeting at the main headquarters overseas tomorrow morning. The board of directors stressed that it's extremely important, and they expect you to attend," Dayana said.

"Fine. Start packing your suitcase," he instructed.

"What?" she blurted out, certain she had heard him wrong.

"That's right. You're my secretary, so you'll be traveling with me."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't go with you."

"Are you really prepared to put your internship at risk over this?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I could take on a different position within the company."

"No. That's not happening. You have two choices. Either you travel with me, or you can start looking for another job. And before you decide, remember that your termination letter will say 'failure to fulfill assigned duties.' That won't look good when you're applying somewhere else. So think carefully. Complete your internship or walk away from it."

"I can't believe you're doing this. I honestly thought we were finally starting to get along," she said with disappointment.

"My dear, you're misunderstanding the situation. Business is business, and it has to be handled properly. I'll give you until seven tomorrow morning to decide whether you're coming with me or leaving the company."

Getting ready for the trip turned into a major headache for Dayana. The preparations took a lot of effort, but eventually she and her boss boarded the plane and left the country.

The entire day was packed with meetings. Neither of them had enough time to properly eat lunch or dinner. By the time they reached the hotel, dawn was approaching and exhaustion had settled into every part of their bodies. They hadn't gotten any rest at all, even during the flight.

"Do you have our room number?" Carleton asked.

"No, sir. I didn't make a hotel reservation," she answered.

"What do you mean you didn't make one? Booking the hotel was part of your responsibility as my secretary."

Carleton was furious.

"I'm sorry, boss. I assumed you had already taken care of the hotel reservations."

"Unbelievable," he muttered with a weary sigh.

He wanted to keep scolding her, but exhaustion was finally starting to catch up with him.

Together, they walked over to the reception desk and asked whether any rooms were available.

"I'm sorry, sir," the receptionist said. "It's currently vacation season, so every room has been booked. The only option left is the presidential suite. It's quite expensive, though, and I'm not sure you'd be interested in paying that much."

"I'll take it," he said without hesitation.

The amount didn't even make him blink. Paying that price was nothing to him. In fact, he could easily afford something far more expensive. What bothered him was the assumption that he might not be able to.

Meanwhile, Dayana stayed quiet.

She knew she was responsible for the situation. As his secretary, booking their accommodations should have been one of her priorities. Now that she knew only one room remained, nervousness started to creep in.

Her boss had spent the entire day irritated with her. At this point, she would not have been surprised if he made her sleep somewhere outside the suite.

"Mr. Aleman, I'll leave you to settle in. I'll go find another hotel," she said.

"There's no need for that. The suite has two beds. Besides, it's the middle of the night. You're not going to find another room anywhere. Miss Dayana, are you worried about staying in the same room as me? Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to you. You're not my type."

Even though his comment irritated her, Dayana had never felt more at ease. Even so, she silently promised herself not to let her guard down.

"If you're going to take a shower, wait until I'm done," her boss instructed.

She sat down on the bed and waited while he disappeared into the bathroom. Several minutes later, the door opened again. He stepped out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Before she could stop herself, her eyes drifted toward him. Droplets of water traced a path down his chest before disappearing beneath the towel.

Dayana swallowed nervously. She had no idea how long she had been staring when his voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Are you going to keep looking at me all night, or are you planning to take your shower? If you want, I can stay right here and give you something to admire," he teased in a flirtatious tone.

He clearly enjoyed the effect he had on women.

"I'm sorry, boss," she said awkwardly, mortified by the situation.

The apology came out in a rush before she hurried into the bathroom. Once inside, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were still red, and there was a brightness in her eyes she could not ignore.

Certain that her boss would be asleep by the time she finished, she finally stepped out of the bathroom.

To her disappointment, he was still awake. Carleton sat on the edge of the bed with a laptop resting on his lap.

How was she supposed to face him now?