Chapter2
961 Words
The double doors shut behind me with a heavy thud that made me flinch. The office was massive, so massive that it was floor-to-ceiling windows spilling sunlight over sleek black furniture and sharp glass tables. A city skyline spread beyond the glass, almost blinding. And everything was too perfect, too polished, like a world I didn't belong in.
And... him. Alexander Grant. He stood by his desk, with his jacket off, his shirt sleeves rolled neatly at his forearms, his tie loosened just enough to look carelessly powerful. He didn't glance up right away, he only flipped through a thick file in his hand. But the silence was suffocating, like he had designed it to squeeze me into submission.
And suddenly, his eyes lifted up to me. They were grey, cold, and piercing.
The breath caught in my throat. I had seen powerful men before, but nothing prepared me for the weight of his gaze. It wasn't just intimidating, it was dissecting, as if he could see every weakness I tried to hide.
"You're late," he said flatly.
My lips parted. "I... I came straight up after you called me..."
"Excuses." His voice was razor-sharp. "Sit."
I slid into the chair across from his desk, clutching my bag on my lap like armor.
He didn't waste time. "Emily Hayes. Secretary." He tossed the file aside. Do you think you can survive here?"
"I believe I can." My voice shook, but I forced the words out.
He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "Belief is useless here. This office doesn't run on dreams. It runs on precision."
Before I could proceed to answer, the phone on his desk rang. He pressed the speaker.
"Mr. Grant," a frantic voice cracked through. "The Tokyo investors are demanding a new schedule. They refuse to wait another week."
Alexander's jaw tightened, his eyes flickered to me, then back to the phone. "Tell them they'll get a meeting today. Move the rest of my calendar around."
"But sir–"
"Now," he snapped, then hung up.
His gaze returned to me. "You heard me. Do it."
My stomach dropped. "Me?"
"You're my secretary, aren't you? Or do you plan on warming the chair all day?"
I scrambled for the desk phone, hands shaking. I didn't even know the extension list yet. But the screen swam in front of my eyes.
Alexander watched, as he sat silent while judging.
I swallowed hard. "Sir, I–"
"Unless," he muttered, already reaching for the phone.
Something inside me snapped. No, not like this.
"Wait," I said quickly. My fingers moved faster than my brain. I grabbed the intercom list pinned to the side of the desk, scanned names, and called the scheduling team. My voice wavered at first, but I steadied it. "This is Emily Hayes, Mr. Grant's secretary. Clear his afternoon. Priority: Tokyo investors. Reschedule all other meetings for next week. Non-negotiable."
There was hesitation on the other end, then a reluctant, "Understood."
I exhaled, shoulders trembling. Alexander's brows lifted, just barely. But he said nothing. The silence broke with the door bursting open. A man stormed in, his face was red, and his tie was loose.
"Grant!" he replied. "You cancelled my presentation? Do you have any idea–"
But Alexander didn't flinch. He tilted his head toward me. "Handle it."
My eyes widened. What? The man's fury turned on me. "Who the hell are you?"
My pulse thundered, but I stood. "Mr. Grant's secretary," I said firmly, though my hands shook at my sides. "Your presentation is being rescheduled. The Tokyo investors are a priority. I'll personally coordinate a new time that gives your team a full slot."
The man's glare burned holes in me. "This is outrageous."
"Outrageous would be losing Tokyo's partnership," I countered, surprising even myself. "You'll have your presentation. But not today."
His nostrils flared, but he didn't argue further. He shot Alexander one last look, then stormed out, slamming the door.
The silence that followed was deafening. My knees felt weak, but I forced myself not to collapse. I turned back toward Alexander. He was leaning back in his chair, studying me with an unreadable expression.
"Interesting," he said finally.
I swallowed. "I was just–doing my job."
He didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the phone again. "Get me James in finance. Now."
I thought that was it, I'd passed one test.
But no. The day spiraled into chaos.
Calls came in one after the other. Angry clients, last-minutes schedule changes. A missing contract. And through it all, Alexander threw every fire in my direction.
"Find the file."
"Fix the numbers."
"Calm them down."
Each command was curt, sharp, and relentless. My head spun. At one point, I nearly dropped the phone, my hands slick with sweat. Another time, I confused two extensions and almost sent the wrong figures to a client.
But every time I stumbled, I forced myself to push harder. I cracked jokes to lighten tense calls. I bluffed confidence I didn't feel. I learned faster than I thought possible.
Hours blurred, and at a point, I caught Alexander watching me, his lips twitching almost like he was... amused?
By late afternoon, I sat slumped in the chair, exhausted, his hair sticking to my forehead. But somehow, everything was done. Meetings rescheduled. Clients calmed, the missing contract retrieved.
I hadn't collapsed, I'd survived. Alexander finally stood, gathering the last of his files. He walked around the desk, stopping in froid me. I looked up, my heart hammering.
His eyes lingered on me, it was colder than ice, but something flickered behind them.
Then... He smirked, the first trace of anything human all day. "Maybe you're not useless after all," he muttered, almost to himself.
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