A DEAL WITH THE BOSSY BILLIONAIRE

What Was That All About?

Sia's POV

Sia stood by the glass windows of Chandler Enterprises, still reeling from the press conference earlier. The way Mrs. Nana Chandler had leaned in, whispered in her ear, “We’ll be seeing each other soon,” had left her unsettled. What could that possibly mean? Was it a threat, a warning, or something else?

She tried to piece it together, but her thoughts were like shattered glass, impossible to piece back. “Focus,” she muttered to herself, glancing at her reflection in the window. Today was her first day at Chandler Enterprises, and she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes, especially with all the eyes that would be on her. Rowan had made sure of that in the humiliating interview, but she wasn’t here to be liked by him or anyone else. She was here to do her job.

Her first stop was her desk in the research department. She took a deep breath and walked over to her new workstation, hoping to find some semblance of normalcy. As soon as she entered the office space, however, she felt the cold stares of her colleagues. They whispered among themselves as though her very presence disturbed the atmosphere.

Sia pushed past the uncomfortable feeling and settled into her desk, forcing herself to focus on her task. A pile of papers and a presentation request had already been placed on her desk. She decided to get to work, pretending not to notice the side-eyes and muffled snickers from across the room.

"Hey, newbie, fetch me some coffee," a man with glasses said as he strolled by, not bothering to look her way. His voice was laced with contempt.

Sia stiffened. She wasn’t here to be anyone’s coffee-runner, but she didn’t want to make waves either. Without a word, she stood up and headed to the break room. When she returned, balancing the hot cups in her hand, someone 'accidentally' bumped into her. The coffee spilled all over her blouse.

"Oh no, I’m so sorry!" the woman who bumped her said, her tone dripping with fake sincerity. “You really should be more careful.”

Sia’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her blouse soaked and sticky with coffee. She could hear the snickers around the office.

Swallowing her pride, Sia cleaned herself up and continued with the tasks she’d been given. But the day only got worse. No one was willing to help her when she got stuck on some data presentation software. Whenever she asked for guidance, they either ignored her or offered vague, unhelpful answers. As a result, she made mistake after mistake, and her anxiety grew with every passing hour.

By mid-afternoon, her nerves were frayed. Rowan had come by to ‘check on her progress,’ which was really just an excuse to criticize her work. He barely glanced at her reports before shaking his head in disapproval, making loud comments about her lack of competence.

“Honestly, I expected better,” he had said, his tone icy. “This is sloppy, and if this is your best effort, then we need to reconsider why you were hired in the first place.”

Sia had bit her tongue so hard she thought she might taste blood. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not today.

When the workday finally ended, she felt like a shell of herself, emotionally drained and on the verge of tears. As she gathered her things, Rachel appeared in the doorway.

“Rough first day?” Rachel asked, her tone soft but understanding.

Sia forced a smile. “You could say that.”

Rachel studied her for a moment before tilting her head. “How about we grab a bite to eat? My treat.”

Sia hesitated. After everything that had happened, she just wanted to go home and hide under the covers. But something in Rachel’s eyes made her agree. “Okay, sure.”

They made their way to a small, quiet restaurant a few blocks away. As they sat down, Sia finally let out a sigh of exhaustion. Rachel noticed.

“So, how was your first day, really?” Rachel asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Sia glanced down at her hands. “Honestly? It was pretty bad. I don’t think anyone there wants me around, and I’m not sure I can do this.”

Rachel frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know Rowan’s not making things easy, but he’ll come around. As for the others, it’ll take time, but you’ll prove them wrong.”

Before Sia could respond, the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant was shattered by the sudden sound of screeching tires outside. The door flew open, and two masked men burst into the restaurant, brandishing guns.

“Everyone on the ground!” one of the gunmen shouted.

Sia’s heart pounded in her chest as she froze, her eyes wide with shock. Rachel looked equally stunned but kept her cool.

The men moved quickly, and before Sia could fully process what was happening, Rachel was grabbed and dragged toward the door. “Don’t move, or she’s dead!” the man holding Rachel barked, pointing his gun at Sia.

Panic surged through her veins. “Rachel!” she screamed, starting to stand, but the gunman’s threat was enough to stop her.

Sia watched helplessly as Rachel was forced into a black van parked outside. She wanted to move, to do something, but her mind was spinning. What the hell was going on?

As soon as the gunmen sped away with Rachel, the restaurant was in chaos. People were scrambling for their phones, calling the police. But for Sia, everything seemed to move in slow motion. She stumbled outside, clutching her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out, her hands trembling as she looked at the screen. It was Rachel’s phone, and it had somehow ended up in her purse, along with her own phone.

She was trapped in a nightmare. If she called the police, she might be blamed for Rachel’s kidnapping. If she didn’t, Rachel could be in even more danger.

Her pulse raced as she weighed her options. Call 911 and risk being arrested? Or try to fix this on her own?

Before she could make a decision, her phone buzzed again. She looked down, her breath catching in her throat. An unknown number flashed across the screen.

She hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Project verification complete,” a deep voice said on the other end, followed by the faint sound of a motorcycle revving in the background.

Sia's blood ran cold. What the hell was happening? And why did it feel like she was being framed for something much bigger than she could control?

The line went dead, and Sia stood frozen on the street, clutching both phones as if they were her last connection to sanity.

She had no idea who to call next or how she would get out of this mess, but one thing was certain: her first day at Chandler Enterprises had just turned into a nightmare.