Dear CEO, I'm not a man

Chapter 4

I stood in front of Mr. Vale’s house, staring at the enormous building and seriously considering turning around.

I was exhausted. Terrified. And one mildly inconvenient moment away from completely losing my mind.

What on earth had I signed up for?

Workers were supposed to sleep. It was a basic human need. Even machines needed to be switched off sometimes.

But apparently, my new employer had never heard of that concept.

“Corporate Satan,” I muttered. “That’s what he is. Definitely not human.”

When I accepted this job, I thought the worst thing I'd have to deal with was an intimidating boss and a ridiculous list of rules.

Apparently, I had forgotten to include being summoned to his house at 1:47 a.m.

I turned around.

I would send Ken my resignation letter first thing in the morning. Or better yet, the second I got home. I needed sleep before I completely lost my mind.

My phone buzzed.

$120,000 received.

I froze.

I blinked twice before opening the notification.

Under the transaction was a message:

Sorry for the inconvenience.

I slowly looked back at the house.

My resignation could wait.

Who needed sleep when you had $120,000?

I straightened my clothes.

“Well,” I whispered, smiling, “I can definitely sell a little sleep.”

A little?

Fine. A lot.

For this amount, I could forgive him for disturbing my sleep, my peace, my dreams, and possibly my future grandchildren's sleep.

I practically danced my way toward the front door.

Corporate Satan or not, Mr. Vale had just bought himself another day of my loyalty.

The moment I stepped inside, I realised Ben hadn't been exaggerating.

There were no women anywhere.

Every member of the household staff was male.

Not a single female face.

Oh God. I really hoped I would survive this place.

“We leave for the airport immediately. The meeting has been rescheduled to five a.m.”

Mr. Vale's voice came from behind me.

I turned just in time to see him walking down the stairs, looking completely composed for a man who had apparently decided sleep was an unnecessary human invention.

He walked straight to the waiting car and got in.

I stood there, staring at the car.

Then at him.

Then at the second car parked behind it.

Which one was I supposed to enter?

I looked around for a manual titled How To Be a Secretary Without Looking Completely Useless.

Nothing.

“Is this the mess that's supposed to accompany me on this trip?”

I looked at Mr. Vale.

He was rubbing his forehead.

Mess?

Excuse me?

I had never done this before. What did he expect? A built-in AI?

If he wanted one, he should have hired a robot.

Unfortunately, he'd already paid me enough to purchase my temporary loyalty, so I swallowed every insult forming in my mouth.

The driver waved me toward the front seat.

My personal God-sent angel.

I practically sprinted over.

“Thank you,” I whispered as I climbed in.

Mr. Vale looked at me through the rearview mirror.

“Contact the hotel. Tell them we're almost there.”

I wanted to disconnect that head from his shoulders with my fist.

But I couldn't.

He paid.

“Alright, sir.”

“And make sure the meeting documents are with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The driver started the engine.

I exhaled.

One instruction at a time.

I could do this.

I had to.

The journey to the airport was a blur.

By the time we landed in London, I was convinced I'd embarrassed myself at least twelve times.

I had fallen asleep in the car.

Then on the plane.

Then apparently while holding my phone.

Professionalism had left my body somewhere over the Atlantic.

We arrived at the hotel later that morning.

I climbed out of the car and proudly announced, “The Meridian Clarke Quay.”

The driver stared at me.

“What?”

He said nothing. He simply entered the address into the navigation system.

We pulled up in front of the hotel.

It gave off a luxurious vibe

But it wasn't Luxurious either.

Considering I'd been told to work within a budget, I suppose i did an excellent job.

“Sir, we're here.”

Mr. Vale had been working on his iPad throughout the journey.

He slowly looked up.

His face changed.

“What on earth is this?”

“Sir?”

“Is this the hotel Ken told you to book? Don't you know we don't use less than a five-star hotel?”

So that's why the driver looked confused.

I take back what I said about him being an angel.

“Sir, Mr. Ken told me I was allowed to work within a certain budget. That's why I got this.”

“That was for your upkeep. Not the entire trip.”

I froze.

So I had been given that much money just for myself?

Ken.

You wicked snake.

How could you leave out information this important?

“But sir, it has four-point-two stars.”

“From who? Their cousins?”

I had no comeback.

None.

I simply stood there holding two bags like a confused donkey while Mr. Vale stared at the hotel as though it had personally insulted his entire family.

Fortunately, we didn't have time to argue.

The meeting had been rescheduled again to some ridiculous hour that apparently existed only inside Mr. Vale's phone.

So I handed him his room key, grabbed both my bags and his, and headed for my room.

I could give him his things later.

We couldn't be late.

The meeting lasted two hours.

It was mostly men in suits saying words like leverage and runway while I nodded like I hadn't spent the flight drooling on my own shoulder.

Mr. Vale, meanwhile, became an entirely different person.

Sharp.

Calm.

Terrifying.

The kind of man who could make billionaires sit up straighter without raising his voice.

At one point, one of the executives tried to shift blame onto a junior employee.

Sebastian stopped him.

“Don’t.”

The room went quiet.

“The mistake happened under your department.”

The man swallowed.

“Yes, but…”

“You don’t protect your position by sacrificing someone beneath you.”

Sebastian’s tone remained calm.

“Fix the problem.”

I stared at him.

That wasn’t what I expected.

He noticed me looking.

Our eyes met.

I immediately looked away.

By the time we returned to the hotel, I was ready to collapse face-first onto a bed.

I unlocked my room and was about to step inside when I heard Mr. Vale clear his throat behind me.

I closed my eyes.

Just what on earth did Corporate Santa want from my life again?

Hadn't he drained enough?

“Keys,” he said.

I turned around slowly.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

“Which keys, sir?”

“Sir, don’t you have your keys? I gave them to you earlier, before the meeting.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Why would I be carrying My keys?”

“Umm… sir, you said you needed to check the room yourself, which you ended up doing.”

I reminded him, already exhausted and in no mood for another argument.

His eyes flashed as the memory finally returned. He had, in fact, taken the key.

For a second, I thought he might apologise.

Instead, he straightened his shoulders, regained whatever was left of his pride, and said, “Go ask for the master key.”

And just like that, my hopes of an apology died.

So much for admitting he was wrong.

He couldn’t even swallow his pride long enough to say sorry, despite being the one who had taken the key in the first place. Did he think he was the main character in some ridiculous fantasy romance drama?

I was exhausted. Completely exhausted. And this man was acting like a maniac.

“Umm… excuse me,” I said to the receptionist. “Can I get the master key to our room? We seem to have misplaced our key.”

“Alright, sir. Let me get it for you.”

A few minutes later, the receptionist returned looking nervous.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am. The key to that room is missing, so we had no option but to give you the master key. Unfortunately…”

She hesitated.

“…the master key is missing too.”

Damn it.

I was so getting chewed out.

Mr. Vale was definitely going to lose it. Honestly, I would lose it too.

I slowly walked back to him.

“So, where’s the key?” he asked the moment he saw me.

“The key we lost…” I swallowed hard. “Was the master key.”

Silence.

I lowered my head, already preparing myself for the explosion.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

There it was.

“What kind of hotel makes a stupid mistake like this?” he snapped. “Are you out of your mind? Leaving me in a hotel like this?”

He turned around, clearly furious.

“Get your phone. This instant. Book another hotel. We are leaving.”

I stared after him.

It was the middle of the night.

I was exhausted.

And now I was supposed to find another hotel because we had somehow managed to lose the master key to an entire hotel?

At this point, I couldn't take it anymore.

I wanted to go home.

I missed Zara. I missed Ben.

I missed my normal life.

This was hell.

Luckily, after what felt like an eternity of searching, I managed to find a hotel that still had a room available.

We arrived not long after.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the receptionist said apologetically. “You requested a room, but you didn’t specify that you needed two rooms. We only have one room left.”

“Ha!”

I slowly turned toward Mr. Vale.

Oh, no.

What was I going to do?

At this point, I was going to lose my mind.

Then suddenly…

“Ahhh!”

A woman screamed from across the lobby.

I turned just in time to see Mr. Vale practically jump away from her as though she were some kind of dangerous creature.

The woman looked confused.

What on earth was wrong with this man?

I knew he was allergic to women, but according to Ken, it was only physical contact that triggered his condition.

Apparently, that information had been incomplete.

Because now he looked like he was allergic to women breathing the same air as him.

The woman, still startled, reached out a hand asking for help.

He immediately moved away.

Poor woman.

She was actually quite beautiful, but Mr. Vale was clearly having none of it.

And then, as if things couldn't possibly get worse, more women started flooding into the hotel lobby. They were probably coming from the pool area, laughing and chatting among themselves.

Mr. Vale froze.

His eyes widened.

Then he turned to me.

“We’re taking the room.”

He didn't wait for my response.

He practically sprinted toward the elevator.

I followed.

We had no other choice. This was the only room available.

Still, I couldn't help feeling nervous.

If anyone discovered the truth about me, especially now, it would be the end of everything.

“Eli!”

Mr. Vale's panicked scream snapped me out of my thoughts.

I ran toward him.

And stopped.

He was cornered by an elderly woman who was looking at him with far too much interest.

Oh, God.

According to Ken, if a woman touched him, he could have a full-blown crisis.

I rushed over.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, quickly stepping between them. “He’s not feeling very well. Could you please step away from him?”

I was careful not to touch Mr. Vale.

I really didn't need my cover blown tonight.

The woman looked him up and down, then shook her head.

“What a weak man.”

She sighed.

“I was actually considering keeping him for my grandchild.”

Then she walked away.

I stared after her.

I heard Mr. Vale breathing heavily behind me, trying to calm himself down.

He must have been genuinely terrified.

At this rate, he was going to request a hotel exclusively for men.

How was I supposed to shield him from women all night?

And what exactly had happened to make him this terrified of them?

I was still wondering when I heard a familiar voice.

“Elena?”

My entire body stiffened.

I turned instinctively.

“I was right.”

The voice was unmistakable.

“It really is you, Elena.”

Victor.

He stood a few feet away, a huge grin spreading across his face as he walked toward me.

My heart dropped.

Not here.

Not now.

Not tonight.

And then I heard it.

A loud gasp.

I looked behind me.

Mr. Vale was on the floor.

A woman stood frozen beside him, staring down in shock.

My eyes widened.

Victor stopped walking.

The entire lobby seemed to go silent.

I stared at Mr. Vale.

Then at the woman.

Then back at Victor.

Fuck.

What the hell was this mess?