The Tycoon's Secret

Chapter 3

After hitting the snooze button twice, Bella woke up at 6:00am feeling very nervous and excited, it was her first day as a secretary in Mars Nexus Enterprise. After several months of applying for a job at the company, it was only 4 days ago she got an appointment letter to start work on this said day,she found it surprising that she was never interviewed and was asked to resume work,she had done proper research about the company.Mars nexus enterprise was a leading player in the toxins and chemical industry, with innovative solutions and a strong market presence. The company was founded in 1995 by James Mars, it was listed as one of the top 10 innovative companies by Forbes(2020) and awarded as the best work place by Glassdoor(2022). The annual revenue was 85 billion dollars, market capitalization was 20 billion dollars, they had various branches in over 20 countries, with over 50 offices.

After a refreshing warm bath, Bella was full of energy and was ready for the big day, she got dressed in a navy blue pantsuit, crisp white blouse and low heels, her long curly hair was straightened and pulled back into a neat bun and then went ahead to apply minimal makeup. Bella stood in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection, she had never really considered herself beautiful, she had always felt she was too skinny to be called beautiful.

She couldn’t stomach eating because of how nervous she was,at 7:30am she grabbed her bag and headed to the subway. The company was located in downtown Manhattan, a 30 minutes subway ride from her apartment. As she got on the train her mind raced with thoughts of her dad, and she was filled with anger instantly

“Dad I’m one step away from getting you justice” she echoed in her mind.

…

After coming to an agreement with his dad to get his own employees and be completely in charge of the company, Jason finally accepted to become the CEO of his father’s company. Interviews where been held for various positions at the company. Alex the head of the HR department walked into Jason’s office with a smile on his face

“Good morning sir”

“Morning Alex”

“This is the file of your personal secretary, you asked to see her file” Alex said as he handed him the file. As he opened her file and saw her passport photograph he just kept staring at it, not saying anything, Alex who was standing there waiting restlessly suddenly broke the silence

“Hmm, Sir is everything ok with the file”

Jason immediately snapping out of his trance closed the file and handed it back to Alex

“Everything is alright” as Alex walked out of the office Jason couldn’t stop thinking about how fragile and tender the picture of his new secretary was, she wasn’t the type of woman that attracts him, but there is something about her that’s caught his attention.

…

As the train pulled into the 23rd street station, Bella joined the stream of passengers flooding out of the train. The bright morning sunlight greeted her as she came out onto the busy streets, a short walk brought her to the beautiful glass tower that housed Mars Nexus Enterprise. The company logo beamed on the building’s frontage, the lobby was buzzing with activity as she walked in, the company floor was made of marble with sophisticated patterns, high ceilings with modern chandeliers, the lobby had a comfortable seating area and stylish furniture, she had to admit this building exudes sophistication,innovation and success, after taking a deep breath she walked to the reception desk, where a friendly face greeted her

“Good morning, you must be Bella, Mr Mar's new secretary”

It wasn’t until 2months ago that the news of Jason Mars taking over his father as the new CEO flooded the internet, and Bella couldn’t believe her luck when she was actually accepted to be his secretary.

“Yes, good morning” Bella replied shyly. She could tell the other woman truly enjoyed her job.

“I’m Katy by the way it’s nice to have you here, and Mr Mars is expecting you” Katy said as she handed her a security badge and led her to the CEO’s office.

Katy was a woman in her late 40’s, she has a warm and inviting smile, with a gentle face and sparkling brown eyes. Her honey-blonde hair frames her heart shaped face, her hair was styled in a loose bob, she was elegantly dressed in a soft pastel tailored skirt suit. She wore simple elegant piece of pearl earrings, a beautiful watch and a diamond neck piece. Bella assessed the other woman as they got into the elevator , even the employees in this company screams luxury, Bella thought as they finally got off the elevator on the 10th floor, Bella felt a mix of emotions swirling inside her, her heart beat slightly faster and her palm grew mildly sweaty, nervousness made her stomach flutter, she took a deep breath, smoothing her outfit and mentally preparing herself for the meeting.

They walked down the smooth corridor, her heels clicking on the polished marble floor, the soft hum of conversation and keyboard tapping filled the air, her eyes scanned the modern artwork hanging beautifully on the wall, they passed rows of glass walled offices, the company logo seemed to glow everywhere, As they approached Mr Mars’s office, Bella’s pulse quickened. Standing right outside the door Katy whispered “ go get’em, Bella”, Bella took a deep breath while rubbing her palms nervously together. Katy opened the door, Bella stepped in and froze. There he was the almighty Jason Mars in real life, the most eligible bachelor, she has read so much about his dealings with the other genders. Articles spoke on how he was a man made with a heart of stone incapable of loving any woman.

…

Jason looked up from his computer as the door to his office opened, the girl in the photo appeared in front of him with Katy his receptionist, he stared at the woman who had captured his attention she wasn’t only thin and petite, she also had a skin so pale and she looked very fragile, he had never seen a woman like this in all his life, there was something about her that fascinates him.

…

As Jason stood up from behind his desk, his piercing blue eyes locking onto Bella’s, her jaws dropped, she hadn’t expected him to be so…stunning, his chiseled features and strong jawline made him even more handsome. He looked at her in a way that seemed like he saw through her, his dark hair was perfectly styled and his tailored suit emphasized his broad shoulders, for a moment Bella forgot to breathe.