the silent ashford heir

*Chapter 1: The Silent CEO* *Emma Carter* Standing in front of the towering *Logan Empire* building, I admired its sophisticated grandeur and smiled. But I quickly reminded myself of the early reporting requirement for this interview, so I took a deep breath and walked briskly inside. Two receptionists sat at the front desk. I asked for directions and was told to take the elevator to the 9th floor of the admin building. I was shocked by the number of people waiting to be interviewed. Did none of these people sleep? Either way, I sat down and calmly reassured myself that I was still an hour early. Though, these people weren’t as disciplined as I’d thought. They were whispering about the CEO in low voices. I turned slightly to catch what they were saying. The woman behind me murmured, “I heard the CEO is mute. He doesn’t talk and he’s known to be coldhearted. I even read online that he never shows any emotion.” I wasn’t interested in gossip at first, but her words piqued my curiosity about this silent CEO. Still, I kept my composure and didn’t join in. Others chimed in with rumors they’d read online while I just listened, my mind full of questions. The opening of the door cut through the whispers. A young man in a crisp suit stepped out and decisively pointed at everyone who’d been gossiping. “You. You. And you. Leave. The rest of you, follow me.” That’s when it hit me — this wasn’t just any company. This was *Logan Empire*. I was actually grateful. The number of applicants had dropped significantly. Now there were only about twenty of us left. Inside the office, the young man stood beside a chair with its occupant facing away from us. We all stood in a line, waiting for our turn as the man, who I assumed was the secretary, began calling names one by one. Then the man in the chair swiveled around. His cold gaze landed on the first applicant, who immediately started stammering. Others shrank back in fear. I didn’t find him scary, though. If anything, he was… handsome. The kind of aloof handsomeness that made people uncomfortable. I studied every detail of his sharp features while everyone else stared at the floor. Weird. One by one, applicants were sent out after failing the question displayed on the big screen: _“Our company lost 15% market share to a new competitor last quarter. If you were in charge, what’s the first thing you’d cut?”_ The CEO didn’t speak. He simply used hand gestures, which the secretary interpreted as _not hired_. Hmm. So the rumors were true — he really didn’t talk. Soon it was almost my turn. The woman in front of me stepped forward with a confident smile. “I’d cut the marketing budget first, sir. It’s the easiest way to reduce overhead quickly and immediately save costs.” The cold CEO just waved his hand. She was ushered out. The applicant before me stepped up next. “I think we should invest more in employee training. If our team is better equipped, we’ll naturally outperform the competitor.” He was sent out too. I took a steadying breath and stepped forward. “Sir, I wouldn’t change anything yet, Mr. Logan. I’d ask why we’re losing to a company that barely existed two years ago. The real problem isn’t budget. We need to stop listening to our ego and start listening to our customers.” The cold CEO stared at me in a way that made me feel like he could see straight through me. But I didn’t flinch. I continued, gesturing toward the screen. “Sir, if I may, there’s one other issue. The tracking button on your app is red on white. It looks minimal, but for colorblind users it’s almost invisible. They can’t tell when their delivery is out. That’s about 8% of your customers you’ve shut out without realizing it." The secretary frowned at me. “Our design team cleared this.” I smiled calmly. “Designers see what they expect to see. Real users don’t. Change it to high-contrast dark blue with a bold white icon and it will meet accessibility standards.” The CEO leaned forward, picked up the tablet, and studied the screen intently, as if verifying my claim. The room was silent for ten long seconds. Then he gave a single nod. The secretary turned to me. “You’re hired, Miss Carter.” I wanted to jump for joy, but I kept my expression neutral while the remaining applicants left dejectedly. I was handed a slip containing Logan Empire’s rules and my resumption date. As I turned to leave, I felt it — a cold, sharp stare on my back. I didn’t turn around. If it was Logan, I wasn’t ready to meet his gaze yet. If it was the secretary… I’d deal with him later. _____stay tuned________