A Devil Boss

Chapter 1

Los Angeles. The city of the rich and beautiful in California. For many, it was a dream to find work and live here. Here you met a lot of celebrities and starlets if you just kept your eyes open.

Not only the palm trees moving in the light wind near the coast. Also, the smell of the sea that reached Sera Taylor's nose was a reason to smile. The surrounding people seemed to be in good spirits due to the sunny, hot California weather.

It was an honor to be invited to interview by the most famous lawyer in America. She would do her best to get this job and make her dream come true to become a lawyer herself later.

Cheering herself on in her mind, Sera set foot in the high-rise building where Diabolo Inc. was located. She cursed herself for being late for her job interview. It didn't make a good impression, and it wasn't like her, because she was a punctual person.

With her coffee mug in hand, Sera hurried toward the elevator, whose door was still open. Halfway down, they began to close. The man inside made no effort to stop her.

All the more reason to hurry. If Sera had to climb all those stairs, she would be exhausted and sweaty. Not a good picture for the first encounter.

Sera reached the elevator door just in time and somehow squeezed through, but her bag got stuck. With a courageous jerk, she freed it so that the door could close completely. 

That's when the accident happened. The jerk caused her to spill her coffee mug all over the suit of the man who had been looking at her unconcernedly until then.

Sera's eyes grew wide as she realized what had happened. She raised her eyes to see how the man reacted, expecting to be yelled at. Nothing of the sort happened. "Is there a reason you're in such a hurry to share your drink with other people like this?" he asked in a low voice, seeming to take minor offense at the fact that Sera had just spilled her hot coffee on him. This made the man with the long, black hair seem very casual. Moreover, he radiated calmness and self-assurance that made Sera wonder if this happened to him regularly.

"I-I," she began, wetting her lips, "I have a job interview, and I'm already late." Her voice trembled, showing significant discomfort. "I'm sorry," she brought out hoarsely, opening her bag to at least hand him tissues. "I'll pay you to have it cleaned," Sera promised hurriedly as she took a closer look at the mishap. Ugly brown stains on the bright white shirt, not easily removed, marred his appearance.

The black-haired man eyed her with penetrating, almost black eyes. It made him seem somehow sinister. Moreover, Sera had the feeling of being looked down upon. "A perfect first impression for an interview," he said matter-of-factly. "If you're here for the secretarial job, you should go to the last floor. You'll have better luck there." His voice was calm and somehow unconcerned while she took the tissues and used them to clean up the coffee stains more badly than well. Or at least tried to.

Surprised that he must have known about the place, she nodded gratefully and paused briefly in her purge. She hadn't known which floor Diabolo Inc. was on. That was why she was so rushed since she had wanted to get there earlier to have enough time to find it. 

"Thank you for your information. Will you give me your contact information so I can give you the money?" asked Sera. It was her fault his suit was ruined. From the looks of it, it was also an expensive piece of clothing.

All she received in reply was a waving off of her hand. "That won't be necessary," he assured her. "I don't think you can afford it." There was no judgment in his voice. It was a factual statement that was actually still true, but it always made Sera angry.

She was no stranger to people being arrogant or snobbish. She had grown up in that world but didn't really like it. Besides, she could theoretically pay for it. Still, she was reluctant to ask her parents for money for something like that. 

Here in Los Angeles, she would build her own life. Without her family and her past. Therefore, Sera kept silent and nodded. At the same time, she wondered where this man would get off. Maybe she should go back to him after the interview and apologize again.

The elevator stopped, and the man got off. He even made a gesture with his hand that somehow seemed like a wave. Like he was saying goodbye to her. Then the elevator door closed again, and he continued up.

Sighing, Sera ran her hand over her long blonde hair and became more nervous the higher she went. In her mind, she was already thinking up some arguments to explain her reason for being late. 

Finally, the elevator stopped, and she stepped out. She blinked several times to process the impressions that presented themselves to her.

It was all very bright, and the center of the room was dominated by a sort of roundel, with three counters. Behind it stood several young women, and it reminded Sera of an information desk. Also, there was comfortable seating on the sides, plants, and a glass wall that offered a fantastic view. "Hello and welcome to Diabolo Inc. Do you have an appointment?" one of the women asked politely, addressing Sera directly.

Her voice snapped Sera out of her stupor, and she hurried toward the nice woman. "Yes, I have an appointment with Mister Diabolus for the secretarial position," she declared confidently. As if no mishap had happened to her before that, which had actually thrown her off track.

In her pink suit and light brown hair tied in a tight braid, the young lady tapped her tray for a moment and then nodded. "I will notify Mister Diabolus in a moment," she said, "Please take a seat for a moment."

Sera didn't need to be told twice, and she settled down on one of the comfortable stools. Her legs were shaking from shock but also from excitement. Typically, Sera was rarely excited, but the commitment depended on whether she lived here or had to go back to Phoenix. 

As long as she waited, she eyed the facility a bit more closely. This was how she envisioned a cozy office that would provide for its guests and employees' comfort.

It took quite a while before the woman spoke again loud enough for Sera to hear. "Mister Diabolus is here for you now. Please get back on the elevator and go to floor thirteen," the woman informed Sera.

Hastily, the latter stood up and nodded to her gratefully. "Thank you very much for your information. Have a nice day," Sera wished and headed for the elevator. She pressed the button for floor thirteen and then rocked back and forth excitedly. In a moment, it would be time to face what might be her future boss.

Once again, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. The smell of fresh coffee mixed with the scent of flowers wafted around her nose.

Astonished, she took a step out onto a soft carpet. So she landed in a small anteroom that had something tropical about it. Many plants and small statues made it very cozy. Also, comfortable sofas and a small table.

Very inviting, as Sera noticed at first glance. Only, unfortunately, it didn't diminish her excitement. Where did she have to go now? 

Sera listened for the sounds coming from an office. It sounded like typing on the keyboard.

Then she noticed the door, which was entirely hidden among the plants. It was made of glass, and behind it, one could make out a hallway. This had to be it.

Sera took a deep breath and opened the door. It still smelled as good here, too, but it wasn't quite as cluttered and more open. There was also a lot of light coming in through all the glass.

Her first thought was how hot it would be here. But the soft hum of the air conditioner told her it wasn't a problem. 

Sera straightened her shoulders, smoothed out her suit, and walked confidently down the hall. Straight toward a dark brown door. Next to it was a sign that read "Astarot Mephisto Diabolus." What a strange name.

So this was the office of Mister Diabolus. 

The excitement inside her got worse as she pushed down the blade with sweaty hands and stepped into the room.

Behind a dark, noble wooden desk, a man with long, black hair and almost black eyes looked at her. His face looked very young and very familiar.

This couldn't be true! It was the man from the elevator. But now in a clean suit.

As if rooted to the spot, Sera stopped and eyed him intently. Her throat grew even drier and scratchy as she asked if she was in the right place. It was possible that this man she had spilled her coffee all over was not the boss himself. At least, that's what she hoped.

The man pointed to the armchair in front of his desk. "I am Astarot Mephisto Diabolus. And you must be Miss Sera Taylor, I presume. I hope you found your way here all right," he said in a calm voice, but she noticed amusement in his gaze.

Instead of bowing to the silent command, Sera crossed her arms in front of her and fixed Mister Diabolus with narrowed eyes. "Haha," she said sarcastically. "You sent me to the wrong floor on purpose!" she stated indignantly. Yet she had been late anyway.

"Yes, of course. After all, I had to change after you shared your drink with me," he said, and again it seemed as if he had no emotion in his voice. But his eyes seemed to betray something else. Even if it was hard to look into them.

Sera snorted and shook her head. "I would have liked you more if you hadn't done that. There's no reason to judge you by whether or not you're wearing a clean shirt," she said in a firm voice. Her eyes showed will as she ran her hand over her hair. "I disagree with your manner. You could have solved it differently."

"It may not have made a different impression on you, but I feel much more comfortable greeting guests in a clean shirt and not having to feel wet spots all the time," he explained, pointing to the chair again. "Besides, you were way too early anyway. I had some organizational things to do myself."

Without moving, Sera glanced at him and loosened her hands to straighten her bag. Her watch had definitely indicated that she was late, which was why she even believed that Mister Diabolus was looking for an excuse. "No, thank you. I don't want to work with a boss like you who deliberately gives false information to others. Good day," she said in a firm voice and left his office without even getting to the interview.