My possessive actor husband

WAKING UP

Vivienne "b***h, wake up right now! Wake up! We are officially under attack!" Vivienne shot straight up from the depths of a profound sleep with a startled, violent gasp, her survival instincts overriding her exhaustion as she grabbed the very first solid object her hand brushed against and jumped completely off the mattress in one fluid, chaotic motion. "What is happening?" she shouted at the top of her lungs, her heart racing frantically against her ribs as she scanned the dim bedroom for immediate danger. Kiara immediately doubled over, clutching her stomach as she burst into loud, unstoppable fits of laughter. "What the absolute hell are you holding in your hand right now, Viv?" Vivienne blinked rapidly, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes, and then looked down at her tightly clenched fist to inspect her chosen weapon. "My digital alarm clock," she said, breathless and utterly bewildered, her voice still raspy from sleep. "Which, by the exact way, does not actually work when it is supposed to." "Oh, it works perfectly fine," Kiara replied, wiping a tear of amusement from her eye as she continued laughing at her friend's defensive stance. "You just happen to sleep like an actual corpse." Vivienne dropped heavily back onto the edge of the unmade bed, her elevated pulse slowly settling as she glared at her roommate. "You seriously just scared the absolute life right out of me, Kiara." "Well, Greg from next door has been aggressively banging on the shared drywall for the past hour because your backup alarm has been buzzing," Kiara said, crossing her arms. "I am telling you, you have a serious, medically concerning sleeping problem." "I do not have a sleeping problem," Vivienne protested weakly, though her defensive voice lacked any real conviction as she rubbed her aching temples. Kiara folded her arms tightly over her chest, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Would you honestly rather stand here and argue the logistics of your sleep cycle with me and be completely late on your very first day of actual corporate work, or would you rather get ready right now and arrive early enough to make a good impression?" Vivienne groaned loudly, burying her face in her hands. "I genuinely hate you so much sometimes." Without waiting for a response, she snatched a clean towel from her dresser and rushed directly into the cramped bathroom before she could talk herself out of going. "You have exactly ten minutes to pull yourself together!" Kiara called out loudly after her, the bathroom door slamming shut to muffle the voice. "It is already seven-fifty in the morning, Vivienne!" "Jesus Christ!" Vivienne shouted from inside the bathroom over the sudden rush of running water. "Why on earth didn't you wake me up earlier than this? I have to somehow find a way to beat the morning rush-hour traffic!" Fifteen minutes later, Vivienne was clutching the fraying passenger-side door handle with a white-knuckled grip as Kiara aggressively weaved her beat-up car through the dense, unforgiving morning highway traffic. "Kia, seriously," she said, her voice shaking as she gripped the fabric of the seat for dear life, "are you actively trying to kill me on my very first day of employment?" "I am trying to aggressively get you to your destination on time, aren't I?" Kiara shot back without blinking, her eyes locked onto the bumper of the car ahead of them as she slammed on the gas. "I would highly prefer to arrive at my new job alive and in one piece," Vivienne replied, staring wide-eyed at a delivery truck they had just narrowly missed. "Please, I am begging you, just slow down the vehicle." "I cannot make any legal promises regarding speed limits today," Kiara said, executing another terrifying lane change. Vivienne squeezed her eyes tightly shut, whispering a silent prayer to the universe. "I am literally begging you." Exactly thirty minutes of absolute terror later, they finally pulled up to a screeching halt in front of a massive, modern glass skyscraper that seemed to pierce the morning clouds. Vivienne didn't even wait for the loud engine to fully stop idling before her hand reached desperately for the door handle, eager to touch solid ground. "Easy there, speed racer," Kiara said, laughing softly at her friend's palpable desperation to escape the vehicle. "You were completely convinced that this entire job offer was an elaborate internet scam yesterday afternoon, and now look at you, practically breaking my door down to get inside." Vivienne stepped out onto the concrete sidewalk, smoothing down her clothing and adjusting her shirt with incredibly nervous fingers. "Just please wish me some luck." Kiara leaned back comfortably in the driver's seat, rolling down the window to look her up and down with an approving nod. "You don't need an ounce of luck today, Viv. You are currently wearing your absolute best pair of faded designer jeans, your favorite crisp white button-down shirt, and those classic leather loafers that you stubbornly refuse to retire from public service. And let us absolutely not forget about your signature bag." Vivienne glanced down at the worn leather bag slung over her shoulder almost instinctively, a sudden wave of self-consciousness hitting her. "And for the record, you look really good," Kiara added, her tone softening into genuine support. "Just relax your shoulders." Vivienne rolled her eyes playfully, a genuine smile finally breaking through her anxiety despite herself. "These loafers are absolutely not dying anytime soon, thank you very much. I bought them at a very reasonable price, and they have character." "You bought them over two whole years ago," Kiara pointed out with a grin. "And they are still standing, which is more than I can say for your car," Vivienne shot back quickly. "Go inside the building before the private security guards think you are loitering on the property," Kiara said, waving a hand dismissively. Vivienne snorted as she adjusted her bag strap. "You drive a literally broken vehicle with a missing hubcap, Kia. There is absolutely nothing intimidating about your presence here." They both burst into shared laughter, the lingering tension from the chaotic morning commute finally dissipating between them. "Seriously, go," Kiara said softly, her eyes filled with pride. "You have completely got this in the bag." Vivienne nodded, taking a deep, stabilizing breath before turning away from the curb and walking toward the imposing glass entrance of the building. The exact moment her shoes stepped through the heavy revolving doors and into the marble lobby, Vivienne completely froze in her tracks. The interior architecture was absolutely enormous—bright, highly polished, and far too elegant for someone coming from a cramped apartment with paper-thin walls. "Wow," she whispered quietly to herself, her voice swallowed by the sheer scale of the atrium. "Whatever you do, just do not get lost in here." She forced her legs to move forward across the gleaming floors and approached the massive circular front desk, where a perfectly styled brunette woman greeted her with a practiced, polite receptionist smile. "Good morning, how can I help you today?" Vivienne returned the expression as best as she could muster through her nerves. "I have a scheduled appointment with Miss Tessa. My name is Vivienne Shepherd." "Ah, yes, Vivian," the woman said, her long nails typing rapidly across a sleek keyboard. "It is actually Vivienne," she corrected gently, emphasizing the proper pronunciation. The receptionist stopped typing, looking up with a slight frown. "I am sorry, could you please repeat that for me?" "Vivienne," she said again, her voice coming out a little bit quieter this time as she felt the eyes of other professionals in the lobby on her. The receptionist gave a curt nod. "Right. You can head straight up to the very last floor using the executive elevator bank. Turn left the moment you exit the elevator doors, and you will see a large black door at the end of the hall. Please ensure you knock before entering." "Thank you so much." Vivienne stepped into the sleek, metallic elevator cabin and pressed the button for the highest floor. As the doors slid shut, sealing her inside, she leaned her head back against the mirrored wall and let out a long, heavy exhale. "I just really hope she is not still incredibly mad about how the initial interview went," she murmured to herself as the elevator shot upward. The elevator emitted a soft, electronic ding. She stepped out into a plushly carpeted hallway, followed the receptionist's precise directions, and stopped dead in front of the formidable black door. "This is it," she whispered, her hand hovering over the wood for a beat before she finally knocked. "Come in," a voice called out from the other side. Vivienne pushed the heavy door open and carefully stepped inside the pristine executive office. "Good morning," she said, keeping her tone incredibly careful and professional. Tessa did not offer a smile in return. "You are late." Vivienne winced slightly, checking her watch. "It is only by five minutes." "Your new boss does not tolerate delays of any kind," Tessa replied coolly, looking up from her tablet. "Five minutes is more than enough time to lose this position before you even start." "I am truly sorry," Vivienne said quickly, eager to smooth things over. "Sit down." Vivienne obeyed immediately, sinking into the expensive leather chair and placing her bag neatly on her lap like a shield. Tessa studied her silently for a moment, her sharp eyes assessing everything. "You don't actually remember me from the Interview, do you?" Vivienne swallowed hard, feeling the pressure. "I think I do remember you. It is just that everything from that interview is a little bit blurry because of the stress." Tessa let out a soft, amused laugh. "Interesting." Then, almost instantly, her professional expression hardened slightly. "I am going to be entirely honest with you, Viv. I do not think you are going to last very long here." Vivienne blinked, taken aback by the bluntness. "Excuse me?" "You attended a high-profile interview earlier this week and completely forgot the details of the interaction." "Well, i do remember you, and you explicitly told me during that interview that I was entirely overqualified for the role," Vivienne replied, her natural spark returning. "I naturally assumed I would not be getting the job anyway." "That still does not excuse your casual attitude." "I already apologized for that," Vivienne said, holding her ground. Tessa leaned back slightly in her ergonomic chair, watching her with a newfound curiosity. "Fill this paperwork out." She slid a heavy contract and a sleek pen across the marble table. "Your starting salary is twenty thousand dollars a month." Vivienne froze mid-motion, the pen hovering inches from the paper as the astronomical number registered in her brain. "I am incredibly sorry. Did you just say twenty thousand dollars?" "It will increase over time based on your performance," Tessa said casually, as if she were discussing the price of a cup of coffee. Vivienne cleared her throat loudly, trying to maintain her composure as she gripped the pen and continued writing. "That number works perfectly fine for me." Tessa handed her a thick leather folder. "This contains your employer's entire daily schedule, his emergency contacts, and basically everything you will need to know to survive." Vivienne took the folder, flipping it open briefly to see pages of tightly packed appointments. Then she looked up at Tessa, a small, confident smirk forming on her lips. "Let us make a little bet right now." Tessa raised a skeptical brow. "A bet?" "If I manage to last three whole months in this position, you owe me a formal apology and exactly one hundred dollars out of your own pocket." Tessa laughed softly, shaking her head. "You won't even last three weeks with him." "Then we have a deal," Vivienne said confidently. Tessa leaned forward slightly over the desk, her voice dropping to a serious whisper. "Do not panic when I tell you this, but your actual boss is Henry Cage." Vivienne blinked blankly. "Who?" Tessa stared at her in absolute silence. "You genuinely do not know who he is?" "Should I know him?" Tessa let out a stunned, breathless laugh. "He is literally a global movie star, Viv." Vivienne paused, the pieces finally coming together in her head. "Oh." Tessa shook her head in utter disbelief. "You know, this lack of celebrity worship might actually make this whole arrangement work." Vivienne frowned slightly as she looked down at the demanding schedule. "So I am going to be expected to work weekends too?" "Yes, absolutely." She let out a soft, defeated sigh. "I foolishly thought I would at least get the weekends off to catch up on sleep." "This is absolutely not that kind of a job," Tessa said firmly. "But I assure you, the financial benefits are well worth the sacrifice." Vivienne nodded slowly, digesting the reality of her new life. "Just do not find a way to ruin this opportunity," Tessa added, her tone turning protective. Vivienne smiled faintly, her confidence returning. "That is a pretty bold warning coming from someone who just bet money that I wouldn't last three weeks." Tessa smirked, leaning back. "I am actually starting to like you, Vivienne." "I am not entirely sure I feel the exact same way about you yet," Vivienne replied honestly. A brief, comfortable silence passed between the two women as the contract lay signed on the desk. "So when exactly do I get to meet him?" Vivienne asked, closing the folder. Tessa leaned all the way back in her chair, a look of profound frustration crossing her features. "That is the current problem," she said. "I have absolutely no idea where he is right now." Vivienne stared at her across the desk, completely dumbfounded. "I am sorry... what do you mean you don't know where he is?" "You are officially his personal assistant now, Viv," Tessa said smoothly, flashing a sharp smile. "Go figure it out." Vivienne let out a very slow, controlled breath, staring at the black folder in her lap. "This job is going to completely ruin my life."