MY TWO FACED BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER 3

Chloe POV

The email arrived at exactly nine seventeen the next morning.

I had just finished making myself a cup of instant coffee when my phone vibrated against the kitchen counter. At first, I ignored it, assuming it was another promotional message from my bank. But when I glanced at the sender, my heart skipped so violently that the mug nearly slipped from my hand.

From: Human Resources – Lockwood Corporation

Subject: Employment Offer

For several long seconds, I simply stared at the screen. Yesterday's interview replayed itself inside my mind.

"We'll contact you."

That was all Rowan Lockwood had said before I left his office. His expression hadn't changed. His voice had remained as calm and unreadable as ever. There had been nothing to suggest whether I had impressed him or completely wasted his time.

I slowly tapped the screen.

Position: Executive Assistant to the CEO.

Employment Status: Permanent.

No probation period. I blinked. My eyes immediately returned to that sentence.

Permanent.

I frowned. Maybe I had misunderstood. I read it again. Still the same.

A permanent position. No probation.

Every company I had worked for required at least three months before confirming employment. Lockwood Corporation... didn't.

A strange warmth spread through my chest before my eyes drifted lower. Monthly salary.

...

I froze. That couldn't be right.

I leaned closer to the screen.

Then I reached for my laptop and downloaded the attachment, convinced the formatting on my phone had somehow gone wrong.

It hadn't. The number remained exactly the same.

My previous salary... had almost doubled. I counted the digits twice. Three times.

Surely Human Resources had sent me somebody else's offer letter. There had to be a mistake.

My phone rang before I could finish convincing myself.

"Good morning, Miss Mercer." The cheerful female voice immediately identified herself.

"Yes, Ms. Marissa… I believe there might be a mistake." I looked back at the offer letter.

"A mistake?"

"My salary."

There was a brief pause. Then Marissa laughed softly. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

I frowned. "So... there isn't a mistake?"

"No."

"Then why..."

Another gentle laugh came through the speaker. "Mr. Lockwood doesn't decide salaries based on what people used to earn."

I remained silent.

"He decides them based on what he believes the position is worth."

The words settled quietly inside my mind.

"I still think it's too much."

I looked back at the number one more time. It was enough to pay my rent without worrying every month. Enough to save. Enough to finally stop calculating whether groceries or electricity should come first. Enough... to breathe.

"Miss Mercer?"

"...Yes?"

"We hope you'll accept."

I looked around my tiny apartment. The peeling wallpaper. The second-hand dining table. The old refrigerator that rattled every few minutes.

Then, almost in a whisper, I said, "I accept."

"Wonderful." She chimed happily.

"You'll need to come in tomorrow afternoon to complete the paperwork and collect your employee badge."

"I'll be there."

The call ended. For a long moment, I remained exactly where I was.

Then I slowly walked toward the photograph on the windowsill. Mom was smiling in it.

The picture had been taken years ago, before the depression hollowed the brightness from her eyes.

I gently touched the edge of the frame.

"I got the job." My voice cracked despite my efforts.

"They actually hired me."

Silence answered me.

The apartment remained painfully quiet. My phone vibrated again.

Unknown Number.

The warmth inside me disappeared almost instantly.

"...Hello."

"Congratulations."

Victor Blackwood.

He sounded exactly the same as yesterday. Calm. Measured. As though he'd expected this outcome all along.

"I heard you accepted the offer."

“You want me to…” I said quietly, sighing.

I leaned against the kitchen counter. "...What should I do now?"

"Nothing." His answer surprised me. “For now, just stay close to Rowan Lockwood.”

_______________________________

Chloe POV

My first alarm rang at five-thirty.

Today wasn't simply my first day at Lockwood Corporation.

It was the beginning of a lie I wasn't sure I knew how to live.

After checking my reflection one last time, I grabbed my laptop bag and employee badge before leaving my apartment. The city was only beginning to wake as I stepped onto the subway. Office workers clutched steaming cups of coffee while students leaned sleepily against train windows. I found myself checking the time every few minutes.

Six twenty-five.

Plenty of time.

Or so I thought.

But when I stepped into Lockwood Corporation's lobby, the receptionist greeted me with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, Miss Mercer."

"Good morning."

"You may head upstairs. Mr. Lockwood is already in."

I stopped walking.

"...Already?"

She nodded as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "Have a wonderful first day."

Of course he was already here.

By the time the elevator reached the executive floor, I had already abandoned the idea that arriving early would impress Rowan Lockwood.

Marissa looked up from her desk the moment I stepped out. "There she is."

She smiled warmly. "I was wondering whether you'd beat him today."

"I came thirty-five minutes early."

"I know."

She laughed. "So did the assistant before you."

I couldn't help laughing. "So... does Mr. Lockwood ever sleep?"

Before she could answer, Rowan's office door opened. He stepped out wearing another impeccably tailored navy suit, a tablet already in one hand.

"Miss Mercer."

I straightened instinctively. "Good morning, Mr. Lockwood."

He acknowledged my greeting with a slight nod before handing me another tablet. "Synchronize my calendar."

I stared at the screen. Rows upon rows of appointments filled the entire day.

Investment Committee.

Portfolio Review.

Conference Call — London.

Meeting with Legal.

Lunch Negotiation.

Acquisition Review.

Private Investors.

"I've shared access with your account," he continued. "If anything changes, you'll update both calendars immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"You'll no longer need your notebook after this week."

I looked up. "...Excuse me?"

"You'll memorize the schedule."

For a moment, I wasn't sure whether he was joking. His expression suggested otherwise.

Then he turned toward the conference room.

"The Investment Committee meeting starts in three minutes."

Three? I hurried after him.

Apparently... my first day had already begun.

The conference room was larger than my previous apartment.

Around a dozen executives were already seated when Rowan entered. The conversations stopped almost immediately.

No dramatic entrance. No intimidating glare. His presence alone somehow shifted the atmosphere.

I quietly took the empty chair beside Marissa while Rowan walked to the head of the table.

The meeting began.

Numbers flew across giant presentation screens.

Market trends. Risk analysis. Acquisition forecasts.

The discussion moved so quickly that my fingers barely kept pace across the keyboard.

Every now and then, Rowan asked a question.

And somehow... everyone around the table immediately reconsidered their own conclusions.

Nearly two hours passed before I realized something.

I hadn't eaten breakfast. In my nervousness that morning, I'd forgotten entirely.

As though my body had suddenly remembered for me, my stomach let out the softest growl imaginable.

Heat rushed into my cheeks. Please... don’t let anyone hear that.

The presentation continued uninterrupted. I lowered my eyes back to the screen, pretending nothing had happened.

Five minutes later. Something gently bumped against my notebook.

I frowned. A protein bar. I slowly looked up.

Rowan was already discussing projected market growth with the Chief Financial Officer. He never looked in my direction. Never acknowledged the chocolate protein bar now resting beside my laptop.

It was almost as though it had appeared by itself.

For several seconds, I simply stared at it.

Then, quietly, I slipped it beneath the table and unwrapped it as discreetly as possible. No one noticed me eating during the important meeting.

Another few hours passed, and the meeting finally ended close to noon.

People gathered their documents while conversations gradually resumed.

I remained seated, finishing the last bite of the protein bar before slipping the empty wrapper into my pocket.

The moment everyone left, my phone vibrated.

Unknown Number.

Victor.

I glanced around before quietly excusing myself and heading toward the restroom. Only after making sure I was alone did I answer.

"...Hello."

"Has he begun trusting you?"

There wasn't even a greeting. I leaned against the sink. "It's only my first day."

I searched for the right words. "I'm still trying to fit in."

"Good." His voice remained as calm as ever. "I'll give you some time."

Silence.

"Stay close to Rowan Lockwood."

"Observe."

Another pause.

"Listen."

"Report every unusual movement."

"What exactly do you mean by—"

The line disconnected. Again.

I stared at my phone before shaking my head.

"Unbelievable..."

I muttered to myself while slipping it back into my pocket.

"So..."

I looked at my own reflection in the mirror.

"Mr. Lockwood gave me a protein bar because my stomach was growling."

"So suspicious."

"I should definitely report that."

"Oh..."

A familiar voice behind me made me jump. "...He did?"

I spun around. Marissa stood beside the sink, drying her hands with a paper towel.

My face immediately warmed. "I..."

"I didn't know you were here."

She smiled kindly. "He gave you one?"

"The protein bar."

I nodded. "I thought maybe he'd accidentally..."

"No."

She chuckled softly. "He always keeps three protein bars in his jacket."

"He does?"

"Someone always forgets lunch."

She tossed the paper towel into the bin. "Looks like today... that someone was you."

I couldn't help smiling. "Does he always notice things like that?"

Marissa laughed quietly. "Mr. Lockwood notices everything."

I suddenly felt nervous. What if he knew my real intention for coming here?

The afternoon passed even faster.

Conference calls blended into financial presentations before giving way to a coffee meeting outside with the founders of a biotechnology company Lockwood Corporation intended to acquire.

The negotiation stretched far longer than anyone had expected.

Lawyers debated contract clauses. Investors questioned valuations.

The founders requested additional guarantees.

Through it all... Rowan remained composed.

Yet for the first time that day... I noticed something different.

His eyes. Every few minutes, they drifted toward the watch beneath his sleeve.

He did not look impatient. Just... anxious.

After five minutes, he checked again. Then quietly closed the folder before him.

"I'm afraid we'll have to continue tomorrow."

One of the founders smiled apologetically. "We're not finished."

"I'm aware."

"Ten more minutes?"

Rowan glanced at his watch once more. "I'm sorry."

His tone remained polite. "But I have another commitment."

Reluctantly, everyone agreed to continue negotiations the following day.

By the time we left the building, the city was glowing beneath thousands of evening lights.

Daniel was already waiting beside the company sedan. I climbed into the back seat beside Rowan.

The silence between us felt comfortable. Neither of us seemed particularly interested in filling it.

The car had only traveled a few blocks when Rowan looked at his watch again.

6:11 p.m.

Something shifted in his expression. Only for a second.

"Daniel. Pull over right there."

"Yes, sir?"

The sedan slowed before stopping beside the curb.

Without another word, Rowan opened the door. I looked at him, confused.

"Mr. Lockwood?"

He leaned down slightly. "Daniel will take you home."

"...What about you?"

"I have somewhere else to be."

I frowned. "There isn't another car waiting."

"I'll manage."

"But—"

"Good night, Miss Mercer."

Before I could ask another question, he gently closed the door.

Then... he turned. And walked away.

Not toward another vehicle. Not toward another building. Simply... into the crowd.

I twisted around in my seat, watching through the rear window until his figure disappeared among hundreds of strangers. Only then did Daniel pull back into traffic.

I continued staring at the empty street long after Rowan was gone.

Finally... I looked toward the driver.

"Does he..." I hesitated. "...always do that?"

Daniel remained focused on the road. After several seconds, he finally answered.

"...Sometimes."

"Where does he go?"

Another silence. "I'm afraid..." He smiled apologetically through the rearview mirror.

"...I can't answer that, Miss Mercer."

I slowly leaned back against my seat.

Outside, New York rushed past in a blur of lights and hurried strangers. Only one question echoed inside my mind.

Who are you... Rowan Lockwood?