CHAPTER:2 THE COLD BOSS
921 Words
Lina barely slept that night.
She kept turning on the thin mattress in the small apartment she shared with her brother. Every time she closed her eyes, the same face appeared in her mind.
Cold gray eyes.
Sharp voice.
Adrian Cole.
She had heard his name before—everyone in the city had. But seeing him in person was different. There was something about him that made people automatically straighten their backs and choose their words carefully.
Even in the interview room, no one had dared question his decision.
She’ll work under me.
Just like that.
Lina stared at the ceiling.
Working under the CEO of Cole Industries should feel like an opportunity.
But the whispers she heard afterward told a different story.
“People don’t last long in his department.”
“He fires assistants every month.”
“He hates mistakes.”
She turned to the side and sighed quietly.
Still…
A job was a job.
And she needed it.
Morning came too quickly.
By 7:30 a.m., Lina was already standing outside the huge glass building again.
Cole Industries looked even more intimidating in the daylight. Employees walked in confidently, chatting about meetings and reports.
Lina smoothed her skirt and walked inside.
The receptionist from yesterday glanced at her briefly.
“New assistant?” she asked.
Lina nodded.
“Twenty-fifth floor. Executive department.”
Her stomach tightened.
Executive department.
That meant Adrian Cole’s office.
The elevator ride felt longer than yesterday.
When the doors opened, the atmosphere was noticeably different from the lower floors.
The hallway was quieter.
More serious.
Employees walked quickly but spoke in low voices.
A woman sitting behind a large desk looked up.
She was probably in her early thirties, with perfectly styled hair and sharp eyes.
“You must be Lina.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Carla,” the woman said. “Mr. Cole’s executive secretary.”
She looked Lina up and down—not rudely, but carefully.
“You’re early.”
“I didn’t want to be late.”
Carla nodded slightly.
“That’s good. He hates late people.”
She pointed toward a desk near the large office doors.
“That will be your workspace.”
Lina walked over and placed her bag down.
The desk was simple but neat. A computer, some files, a phone.
Her hands rested on the edge for a moment as she took a breath.
This was real.
She actually worked here now.
Carla suddenly spoke again.
“Just a small warning.”
Lina looked up.
“Mr. Cole is not… easy to work with.”
Lina gave a small, careful smile.
“I heard.”
Carla leaned back slightly in her chair.
“Yesterday’s assistant cried on her third day.”
Lina blinked.
Carla shrugged.
“Before that, one lasted two weeks.”
Lina didn’t know what to say.
Carla studied her expression.
“You look calm.”
“I’ve handled difficult bosses before.”
Carla chuckled quietly.
“That’s what they all say.”
The office doors suddenly opened.
The entire floor seemed to freeze.
Adrian Cole stepped out.
He was already in a dark suit, his tie perfectly straight. His expression looked the same as yesterday—cold and unreadable.
Carla stood immediately.
“Good morning, sir.”
He nodded slightly.
Then his gaze shifted.
And landed on Lina.
She instantly straightened.
For a moment, he just looked at her, like he was trying to remember something.
Then he walked toward her desk.
His footsteps were slow but confident.
Lina felt her heartbeat speeding up.
He stopped in front of her.
“You’re the interview candidate.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, sir.”
His eyes briefly moved over her desk.
“You’re early.”
“I prefer arriving before my supervisor.”
A faint pause followed.
Then he placed a thick folder on her desk.
“Good.”
The folder landed with a heavy thud.
“Organize these files. Cross-check the financial data and prepare a summary.”
Lina carefully opened the folder.
Her eyes widened slightly.
There were dozens of documents inside.
“This… all of them?”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
“Before lunch.”
Lina looked up quickly.
Before lunch?
That was impossible.
But she swallowed the protest before it could leave her mouth.
“Yes, sir.”
Adrian studied her face for a moment.
Perhaps he expected hesitation.
Or complaints.
But Lina simply closed the folder and turned on the computer.
He turned and walked back toward his office.
The glass door closed behind him.
The moment he disappeared, someone from a nearby desk leaned toward Lina.
A young man with curly hair whispered,
“Are you okay?”
Lina nodded slightly.
“He just gave you the quarterly reports, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
The man winced.
“That usually takes two days.”
Lina looked at the folder again.
Two days.
He wanted it done in three hours.
The man shook his head.
“I’m Daniel, by the way.”
“Lina.”
“Well, Lina… welcome to the survival zone.”
Despite the situation, she almost smiled.
Inside his office, Adrian Cole stood near the window.
From there, he could see the entire executive floor.
His eyes briefly moved toward Lina’s desk.
She was already working.
Focused.
No complaints.
No dramatic reactions like the others.
Just quiet determination.
Interesting.
He turned away from the window.
For the first time that morning, a faint thought crossed his mind.
Let’s see how long you last.
- Writer
