Chapter 3: The CEO's Decision
972 Words
Silence.
The office felt suffocating.
Sofia couldn't even bring herself to blink.
The shattered coffee cup lay scattered across the polished floor while dark coffee stained Adrian Montenegro's perfectly tailored black suit.
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
This is it...
I'm getting fired on my first day.
Outside the CEO's office, several employees had already stopped pretending to work.
Jenny slowly peeked over the reception desk.
"Did you hear that?"
Mark nodded.
"The cup broke."
Mia covered her face.
"I liked her..."
Noah sighed.
"She lasted longer than I expected."
----------
Inside the office...
Adrian stared at the stain on his suit before calmly removing his expensive wristwatch.
He placed it on the desk without saying a word.
Sofia immediately bowed.
"I'm so sorry, sir!"
"It was an accident!"
"I'll pay for the dry cleaning!"
"I—"
"Enough."
His deep voice instantly silenced her.
Adrian looked at her with the same unreadable expression.
"What happens when someone makes a mistake?"
Sofia lowered her head.
"They... accept responsibility."
"Good."
"I do."
"I really do."
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"You can fire me."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
She had worked so hard to earn this job.
Now...
She had lost it within hours.
A few seconds passed.
Then...
Adrian walked past her.
He removed his suit jacket and handed it to her.
Sofia blinked.
"...Sir?"
"Take it."
"W-What?"
"My jacket."
She hesitated before carefully accepting it.
It was surprisingly heavy.
"And..."
Adrian loosened his tie.
"...bring me another coffee."
"...Excuse me?"
"I don't repeat myself."
Sofia stared at him.
"So..."
"I'm..."
"You're not fired."
Her eyes widened.
"I'm not?"
"For now."
She let out the breath she had been holding.
"...Thank goodness."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"Don't celebrate yet."
"If this becomes a habit..."
"There won't be a second chance."
"Yes, sir!"
She bowed so quickly that she almost lost her balance.
Again.
Adrian watched her stumble before silently looking away.
----------
Outside the office...
The door finally opened.
Every employee secretly looked up.
Sofia stepped out carrying Adrian's suit jacket.
Everyone gasped.
"She stole his jacket!"
"No..."
"He gave it to her!"
"Wait..."
"She's smiling."
Jenny hurried over.
"Are you okay?"
Sofia nodded excitedly.
"He didn't fire me!"
The entire executive floor froze.
"...What?"
Mark blinked repeatedly.
"The CEO..."
"...didn't fire someone after spilling coffee on him?"
Mia looked ready to faint.
"This is impossible."
Noah folded his arms.
"Interesting."
------------
A few minutes later...
Sofia returned with another cup of coffee.
This time...
She held it with both hands.
Very carefully.
She knocked.
"Come in."
She slowly entered.
Adrian was already wearing another suit.
Not a single strand of hair was out of place.
"Does he keep spare suits in the office?" she wondered.
She carefully placed the coffee on his desk.
"There."
"No spills."
Adrian looked at the cup.
Then at her.
"I noticed."
Sofia laughed awkwardly.
"I'll be extra careful from now on."
"You should."
She expected him to dismiss her immediately.
Instead...
He handed her a thick stack of folders.
"Read these."
She stared at the pile.
"There are..."
"...a lot."
"Those are today's reports."
"Before five o'clock..."
"I want summaries of every file."
Her smile slowly disappeared.
"...All of them?"
"Is there a problem?"
"...No, sir."
"Good."
As she carried the heavy stack toward the door, Adrian spoke again.
"Miss Reyes."
She turned around.
"Yes, sir?"
"Don't smile at everyone."
She blinked in confusion.
"...Sir?"
"It makes people think you're not taking your job seriously."
For a moment, Sofia simply looked at him.
Then a gentle smile spread across her face.
"With all due respect, sir..."
"I smile because I like making people feel comfortable."
"If someone is having a bad day, maybe a smile can make it a little better."
"I don't think kindness makes a person less professional."
The room fell silent.
No one had ever spoken to Adrian like that before.
He studied her quietly.
Finally, he said,
"You'll learn."
Sofia smiled once more.
"I hope not."
She gave a polite bow before leaving the office.
The soft click of the closing door echoed through the room.
-------------
For the first time in years...
Adrian found himself staring at a closed office door.
His office suddenly felt... quieter than usual.
His gaze shifted to the untouched cup of coffee on his desk.
Then he remembered the way Sofia smiled despite believing she had lost everything.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
One he couldn't explain.
He frowned.
Annoyed.
He returned to his paperwork, trying to ignore it.
--------
Outside the office...
Ethan Cruz had watched the entire exchange through the glass wall.
He leaned against the corridor with his arms crossed, a teasing grin spreading across his face.
"So..."
"The great Adrian Montenegro didn't fire his assistant."
Interesting."
Adrian didn't even look up.
"She made a mistake."
"And?"
"She admitted it."
Ethan chuckled.
"You're getting soft."
Adrian finally lifted his eyes.
"Get out."
Ethan laughed as he walked away.
"Oh, this is going to be entertaining."
---------
That evening...
Most employees had already gone home.
Only a few lights remained on.
Sofia rubbed her tired eyes as she finished organizing the mountain of reports Adrian had assigned.
She stretched before reaching for the last folder.
"Huh?"
A thick black envelope was tucked between the files.
There was no sender's name.
Only bold red letters stamped across the front.
CONFIDENTIAL
CEO ADRIAN MONTENEGRO
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Sofia frowned.
"How did this get in here?"
She looked toward Adrian's closed office.
Should she return it immediately...
...or leave it on his desk tomorrow morning?
As she turned the envelope over in her hands—
The door to Adrian's office suddenly opened.
"Miss Reyes."
Sofia froze.
The confidential envelope was still in her hands.
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