The Billionaire's Secretary

CHAPTER ONE

BEE’S POV

Nothing prepared me for the reception I got.

I was ready to resume my role as secretary to the renowned CEO of Klint &Sons Company. I wanted to make it memorable, so I handed everyone I met a handcrafted greeting card to brighten their day. Everyone who received it right, from the well-dressed gateman to the ever-smiling receptionist got it at first with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, but right after their eyes caught the first line, their grim faces broke into a sunset radiance.

It pleased me to see that my petty act of kindness could bring warmth to the sad faces of these soon-to-be-acquaintances.

But the moment was short-lived. At the very instant, billionaire CEO Richard Page alighted from his posh Bentley. Everyone around me either bowed or knelt as he strolled past them. I just stood there, drinking in every detail of this fine work of art. Summing him up, from his slicked chestnut hair, to his taut skin hidden beneath a three-piece shimmering cream suit, to his swift powerful strides and to his back to his face. One look at his face struck a chord inside of me. He looked familiar. I wondered if we'd met somewhere.

Obviously, Richard Page always had his pictures splashed across glossy magazines. Even the blind could trace him in print. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that our parts had crossed in a not-so-distant place.

If he recognized me, he wouldn’t show up. I regained composure, curtsied and said.

“Good morning, sir,” in my most charming voice as he walked past me. But he didn’t notice me. So I turned to leave, still confused at the stark resemblance he shared with someone I presumed I knew, but his voice sliced through my thoughts, pinning me to the spot.

“Who the hell are you?”

I turned around to be sure I wasn’t mistaken.

“Are you deaf?”

“Me?” I tapped my chest, stealing a quick glance at the receptionist, who nodded in my direction.

“Who else do you see standing there in a low-budget peach rag?”

I looked at the peach silky dress Gina had given me to wear on my first day at this multimillionaire tech company as the secretary. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I bet thrusting a knife through my chest would have been less painful than his razor-sharp words, which slashed my heart into two.

The tears stung my eyelids, but I blinked them away and flashed him my brightest smile. Deep inside, my self-esteem was in shreds. This wasn’t the reception I had expected.

As I struggled to form the words, Ms. Bella, the PRO who interviewed me, stepped out of the elevator behind him. Her timely intervention spared me further embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry sir, I just dropped her documents on your desk for a final review. However, in the end, she shone through the interview excellently and emerged as a better choice for the position of your personal secretary.” Ms. Bella beamed at me.

Her words seemed to take the rough edge off his temper, he looked me over, nodded and disappeared through the elevator door without another word.

I was still awestruck when Ms. Bella touched my shoulders. I stirred.

“Poor child, did he hurt you, dear?” Concern shone in her dull green eyes.

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact with her.

“Don’t take that to heart alright?” I nodded again, trying really hard to keep a firm grip on my emotions. “He is usually a sweet soul, I am sure something must have upset him.” She chimed.

Sweet soul indeed. The word made my inside turn.

“He would come around. Now here’s what your duties are…” She pointed out my daily routine and helped me get started at my duties. Her kindness made it a lot easier to forget the horrible encounter with Mr. Richard Page for only a few minutes.

A few minutes later, I was already settling in just fine after successfully kicking the awful encounter with Mr. Page off my mind, when the shrill sound of the telephone on my desk shattered the silence with its weird ringtone. I picked it up with shaky sweaty hands. My heart drummed a wild beat when the voice I had begun to dread filtered through the line.

“Get my coffee ready in 5 minutes with a plate of scrambled eggs too.” The line went dead before l even got a chance to say a word. I began to wonder if Gina wasn’t mistaken. She must have gotten the wrong Mr. Page. Because this stranger didn’t come close to what the tabloids had fanned out in their headlines: philanthropist, generous, kindhearted. Those words tasted like vinegar on my tongue. The person I met this morning didn’t come close to any of them.

I had only 5 minutes to prove to him that I was fit to be his personal assistant/secretary. I quickly raced to the kitchen section of the building. There I found Ms. Bella.

“Hey Sweetie, are you hungry?” She asked in her rich British accent, helping herself to a cup of coffee.

A light blush creased my cheeks. Her kindness shone through her words as well as her smiles. She sure knew how to soothe a hurting soul.

“No ma’am, Mr. Page asked for a cup of coffee and some scrambled eggs.”

“Holy s**t! How in God’s name did I forget to mention that to you? You must get along real quick before his temper turns into an inferno.”

I managed a smile.

With her help, I made a cup of coffee and scrambled eggs just the way he likes it.

Everything was going smoothly until it was time to use the elevator. As I stepped into it, the tray swayed back and forth as I struggled to maintain my balance. I had a phobia of heights, but to stay on this job, I had to pocket my fears and endure it. I had had a tough time landing any meaningful job after painstakingly going through college with my meager earnings from menial jobs. After securing this opportunity, I was determined to do everything within my capacity to keep this one, even if it meant dining with a tongue-lashing devil or riding elevators to the hundredth floor.

When the elevator door swung open, I stepped out in haste, afraid if I didn’t I would be trapped inside it. In my haste, I bumped into an older employee who was also in a hurry to catch the elevator. The contents of the tray shook violently, hot coffee spilled on my wrist. I winced in pain but gingerly gripped the tray.

My job depended on it even though the burning sensation hurt like hell. The man who almost caused the accident muttered an inaudible apology before vanishing into the elevator. I sighed and made my way to Mr. Page office.

I didn’t know what awaited me behind those closed doors. I didn’t want to find out, but how would I avoid being fired on my first day at work if I didn’t ring the doorbell? Balancing the tray on my hip, I took a deep breath, took my hand to the door and was about to ring it when the door swung open, leaving my hand hanging in midair. The stranger who stepped outside of Mr. Page’s office nodded at me, signaling me to go inside.

My heart stopped beating the moment I stepped in.