The CEO's Temporary Assistant

The CEO

The office halls were filled with anxious employees as the sound of Olivia's heels echoed on the tiled floor. Each step seemed to heighten the tension, and the employees sat in their chairs, their lips tightly pursed, exchanging meaningful glances with one another. As Olivia entered the hall, she keenly observed the nervousness in her employees' eyes.

"Good morning, Miss CEO," came the collective greeting. Olivia rarely acknowledged such greetings, but occasionally, a lucky few would receive a cordial bow or a polite smile.

Olivia had a penchant for organization. Even her office colors were black and white, embracing the minimalist idea that added sophistication to her company.

"Miss Olivia, the files for today are already on your desk," said Pamela de la Cruz, whom Olivia glanced at. Pamela had been with the company for almost twenty years, serving both the old Fabien couple—her father—and now Olivia. This 43-year-old lady had earned great respect from the Fabien family.

"Okay. Thank you, Pamela," Olivia replied, her gaze fixed on her. She stepped into the elevator that would take her to the 42nd floor, her main office, with Pamela following behind. As they ascended, Pamela quickly briefed Olivia about the clients she would have to meet that day.

"Are we still meeting with the Castros?" Pamela asked, standing alongside the CEO and scanning her MacBook. Her lips were stained with red lipstick, and her wrinkles were skillfully hidden behind heavy makeup. Despite that, it was undeniable that Pamela was a beautiful lady. "I'm just making sure you'll approve. Especially after how things ended between them and you last week."

"Of course," Olivia replied swiftly. "I'll close the deal today so I won't have to see his secretary's ugly face."

Pamela chuckled at Olivia's bluntness. "What's your issue with secretaries, Miss Fabien?"

"Nothing. I just don't like Mr. Castro's secretary. She incessantly flirted with her boss during our meetings. I pretended not to notice, but I did."

"Yeah, and you almost kicked that secretary out of your office. Tell you what, if you wanted to reprimand them, you should have told Mr. Castro's wife," Pamela replied, chuckling.

Groaning, Olivia leaned against the wall, her right hand hanging loosely, the other one in her pocket. "It's not my thing, you know. They should take care of their own mess."

"Well, fair enough."

When the elevator doors finally opened, they quickly entered Olivia's office. "Thanks for your hard work, Pamela. Kindly tell Violet to bring a cup of coffee to my office."

Pamela flashed a polite smile as she carefully placed the papers on Olivia's desk. "Okay, Miss Fabien. I'll see you later."

With a sigh, Olivia watched Pamela trot away until she disappeared from sight. Glancing down at her desk, she saw a stack of papers waiting for her attention. Proposals from her employees and business partners filled her workload. But a blue file immediately caught her eye. As she picked it up, her eyebrows furrowed in a frown. The file read "Elise Cortez. Confidential." Olivia clicked her tongue, imagining her grandmother's insistence on hiring this girl for the company.

"She really wants to make sure that I hire this girl in my company," Olivia murmured, cupping her chin. Opening the file with a bored expression, she started reading Elise's confidential information and was taken aback by her discoveries. Gasping, she immediately dialed her grandmother's phone number, and after three rings, her grandmother answered.

"I assume you've already read the file, Olivia," her grandmother said in her usual raspy voice.

"Is this true?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, you have the DNA result."

"Is this the reason you invited them to the mansion and rewarded Auntie Milda so generously for raising her?" Olivia asked again, her voice weak as shock made her stammer.

"The reward was nothing compared to the great sacrifice the Cortez couple made for us," Mrs. Fabien replied, her voice quivering as Olivia listened, her chest filled with rising tension.

"I know, Gran," Olivia replied, her voice tired and resigned.

"Do this for me, Olivia. Protect Elise, no matter what."

***

Elise woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. Accompanying the food was a note left by Olivia. The note was written on a small scented paper with neatly scribbled cursive letters.

"Even her writing looked sexy and flawless," she grumbled to herself. The sweet smell of the paper lingered in her nose as she opened it. Smiling, she read the note: "My driver is waiting for you in the lounge. I cooked these meals, so eat up and don't complain. I'll see you later."

Despite Olivia's bossy tone, Elise still found it sweet. For the first time since she had stepped into the mansion, she felt delighted with the CEO.

Thirty minutes later, Elise had already climbed the steps toward the mansion. Milda and Mrs. Fabien were already waiting for her, and Xander had also joined the party.

"Good morning!" she greeted them happily as she kissed her aunt and the other old lady. The young man, looking sharp in his blue office suit, extended his cheek for her to kiss. Elise rolled her eyes and obliged.

"What happened to your arm, Elise?" Mrs. Fabien asked, noticing the bandage. "And your aunt told me you went to Olivia last night."

Letting out a sigh, Elise glanced back at them before answering. "It's a long story, ma'am, Aunt Milda, but you don't have to worry anymore. Olivia is already at work."

Cupping his cheek with his palm, Xander playfully said, "Don't worry, we like long stories. Why don't you tell us about it!"

Elise's cheeks flushed red as she recalled the incident from the previous night and the things Olivia had done for her.

"Hello, Elise? Don't start spacing out in front of us," Xander teased, interrupting her thoughts.

"Sorry," she giggled, feeling the heat on her cheeks once again. "I was harassed, but Olivia saved me."

"Harassed by whom?" Aunt Milda exclaimed, clasping her chest. "What do you mean?"

"Just some ugly guy from the bar, Auntie. Don't worry. Olivia took good care of that man."

Elise recounted Olivia's heroic gestures, leaving out the part where she had planted a bullet in the man's flesh. However, she couldn't stop herself from wondering if Xander had any idea about Olivia's expertise with guns. No matter how much she tried to stop herself from thinking about the violence in Olivia's demeanor, she couldn't deny it.

"When she was a kid, she always loved to play swords with Xander. Unfortunately, Xander was always the loser," Mrs. Fabien remarked, causing Xander to groan. "When she reached high school, she joined a Judo class and even won tons of awards."

"Well, what can I say? She was violent even as a kid," Xander sympathetically said. "I love my cousin, but sometimes she's a bit too much. But I understand her since we pretty much grew up together. Her life has always been an open book to me."

"That's why I hope that you and Olivia will get along well," Mrs. Fabien said, reaching for Elise's hand. "I believe she needs that feminine soul to connect with her, and you're the only one suitable for the job. Olivia can be tough most of the time. Even Xander doesn't know how to penetrate her, but you, Elise, are exactly like your Aunt Milda. You have the skill to touch people's hearts."

Olivia was indeed cold and distant towards other people around her, and she always annoyed Elise every day. The realization only made matters worse.

"But how do I get close to her? We're completely different women," Elise sadly asked. "Olivia may have vulnerabilities, but she doesn't show it."

"I'm going to tell her to bring you into the office one of these days," Mrs. Fabien said again. "You can start working in the company by then."

"Are you sure about this, Mrs. Fabien? I'm not sure if I can pull this through considering the standards that Olivia sets for her employees."

"There you go again with your insecurities, Miss Elise. In case no one in this mansion has told you, I want to tell you that you are pretty," Xander interjected, smiling. Elise could feel herself warming up even more. "I also looked into your credentials. You are quite impressive."

"What?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "How did you—"

"Don't worry, dear," Aunt Milda said. "It was Mrs. Fabien's idea to run a background check on you."

"By this time, Olivia is surely reading it in her office," the old woman replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, I have a present for you."

Elise looked up, eyeing the old woman. She had already experienced enough surprises that morning and wasn't sure if she was ready for another.

"Oh, don't look at me like I've got a gun in my hand, dear," the old lady replied, chuckling as she took a bite of her toasted bread. "It's in your room."

"Run along now, child," Aunt Milda suggested as she rose to her feet, preparing medicine for the old Fabien lady. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Elise excused herself immediately, fully aware of her excitement. Moments like this were what she lived for. She couldn't help but giggle as she entered her room. Everyone around her had treated her well that day. What could possibly go wrong?

Elise entered her room and her eyes were immediately drawn to the package laid out on her study table. "Oh my," she whispered as she approached the package. She fumbled excitedly, carefully unwrapping the peach-colored gift wrap. Slowly, a canvas and a complete set of paintbrushes and acrylic paints came into view, and she couldn't help but cry.

It was already evening when Elise left her room. She had freshened up after finishing a portrait of a woman. She planned to give it to Mrs. Fabien as a token of gratitude for the painting materials she had received.

Her limbs felt stiff as she walked, stopping only to chat a little with the elderly and thank Mrs. Fabien repeatedly. Thirty minutes later, she found herself sitting at the edge of the pool, with her legs dipped in the lukewarm blue water.

"Hi!" Elise looked up to see Xander approaching.

"Hi," she replied casually. "What are you doing here?" The blue light reflecting from the pool danced on her face.

"How was your day?" Xander asked instead of answering her question. His bedroom voice sounded pleasant in her ears.

"Nothing much. I received a painting set from your grandmother, and I started working on a portrait, but don't ask me to show it to you. Not yet."

"Yeah, I heard," Xander replied, chuckling. "Don't worry, I won't pry. But I know it will turn out great. Anyway, are you ready for tomorrow?"

Elise looked directly into his eyes and replied in a tired voice. Suddenly, reality and the inevitable started to consume her mind again. "I'm not sure."

"Elise!" Xander said, clasping her cold hand. She almost felt uncomfortable with that gesture, but she figured he was just trying to make her feel better. So she let him. His warmth immediately traveled through her skin, easing her own coldness.

"You can do it, Elise. This is the life you will have. Embrace it."

Elise felt her breath hitch as Xander stared at her intensely. "T-thanks, Xander," she stammered.

She had never been this close to a guy before. Even in the province, all the guys were too shy to approach her or make their intentions clear. She simply wasn't the kind of girl boys found easy to approach.

Xander must have sensed her discomfort because he released her hand and moved a little farther away. "I'm sorry, Miss Elise. I tend to be a little clingy sometimes."

Elise only smiled at him, and then an awkward silence ensued.

"H-how does it feel to work with Olivia?" Elise asked after a while.

"Things are tough at work, Elise. She isn't the boss we see on television. She is tough and frank and never afraid to speak her mind. When she doesn't like your work, she tells you straight to your face."

"She seems scary," Elise replied, feeling even more jittery.

"She is. But she is also dynamic and magnetic, a leader who will teach you and guide you along the way. No one leaves Olivia Fabien because, apart from the tremendous amount of money they earn, she never fails to meet their expectations."

"Yeah, I could see that."

"But there's one thing I can assure you, Miss Elise. You'll never regret it," Xander said, as his hands once again reached for hers.

"Regret what?"

They both jumped in surprise when they heard Olivia's voice. Elise automatically pulled her hand back, afraid of letting Olivia make assumptions.

"Are you courting my employee now, dear cousin?"

Elise didn't want to assume, but the ice in Olivia's voice was clear, making the hairs on her skin stand.

"So, this chick here is already your employee? I thought you didn't want her in your company. Well, just so you know, mine is always open. Anyway, think about what I said, Elise," Xander said as he left the two of them, winking.

"I-I've got to go."

"Wait, Elise. Can we talk for a sec?"

With a shaky breath, Elise smiled and sat back. "Sure," she squeaked as Xander disappeared. "What is it about?"

Olivia didn't reply. Instead, she started stripping off her office clothes in front of her, causing Elise's heart to panic. She tried to look away, but the way Olivia stripped made her feel strangely mesmerized. "W-what are you doing?"

"Stripping. How about you? What are you doing?"

Elise blushed at the suggestion.

"What? Haven't you seen anyone strip in front of you, Elise?"

"I-I'm going to sleep now," Elise hastily replied, feeling discomfort settling in.

"Why don't you join me?"

Elise was taken aback as she watched Olivia dive into the water. When Olivia resurfaced, she began laughing.

"Seriously, Olive? What's gotten into you?" Elise asked, irritated. But Olivia smirked at her and said in a seductive voice that almost made the provincial girl faint.

"Strip your pajamas and join me."