Falling For Him: Mr. Arrogant

CHAPTER 3: Project VID

His impeccable suit probably cost more than everything I owned. His expensive wristwatch said enough about his wealth without him having to say a word. His unmistakable deep blue eyes met mine, and his sharp jawline made him look even more intimidating.

I stood there like a statue, holding my breath.

It was Ragel Luis.

I knew him to be a strict and intelligent robotics engineer, but I never knew he was the man behind Ragel Robotics. In my opinion, he looked too young to occupy the position of CEO. He couldn't be more than his late twenties.

How had I missed that little detail?

I had spent years admiring the company, yet I had never bothered to find out who owned it. Now, I was standing in his office, wondering how I had managed to get myself into this situation.

He took a sip of his coffee and walked toward me slowly, his free hand still in his pocket.

His gaze moved from my face to my shoes and back again.

My hands trembled slightly as I held my folder tightly against my chest.

“You're five minutes late, Miss Bella,” he said in a deep voice.

I lowered my head.

“I'm... sorry, sir,” I stammered.

Then I looked up and pointed a finger at him, completely forgetting my professional composure. The memory of yesterday's encounter resurfaced again, along with the fact that I hadn't given him a piece of my mind.

“You... You're the arrogant man who bumped into me yesterday.”

His expression hardened.

I lowered my hand immediately.

“I'm really sorry, sir. You're the CEO?”

He stared at me without answering.

I wished I could take back my words and pretend I had never said them.

Of all the people I could have insulted, why did it have to be the man who had the power to decide whether I got this job?

He walked behind his desk, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sat in his leather chair.

“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing toward the chair opposite him.

My legs trembled as I sat down.

“Miss Bella, I will overlook your behavior this time. But keep in mind that no one points a finger at me while speaking to me in this company.”

“I'm very sorry, sir. It won't happen again. But why am I here? Your recruiter rejected me yesterday.”

Silence lingered for a few seconds.

“Wait... Did you bring me here to humiliate me, sir?”

He leaned back in his chair.

“Really? If I wanted to humiliate you, I wouldn't have needed to override my HR department to give you another opportunity in the first place. I thought you were smarter.”

There he went again. He still had a way of making me feel like I had failed an examination.

I bowed my head, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

“I've reviewed your academic records and final-year project again. Your results are excellent, but there's one concern.”

I looked up.

“Your company requires industry experience.”

“Exactly. Why should I choose you over someone who has already worked on commercial robotics systems?”

I had expected the question, but hearing it from him still made my stomach tighten.

“Because I understand the difference between academic knowledge and commercial responsibility,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “I won't pretend that my university projects are the same as working on a product that people depend on. But I know how to research a problem, test an idea, interpret results, and improve a design.”

He watched me without interrupting.

“And I know when I need help,” I continued. “I don't consider asking questions a weakness. I'd rather admit what I don't know than make a decision that could compromise a project.”

He rested his hands on the desk.

“You still have that stubborn streak.”

I frowned slightly.

“Sir?”

“Your final year. You were always ready to defend your design choices, even when I pointed out flaws in your calculations.”

I pressed my lips together.

Of course, he remembered.

“I was only trying to explain my reasoning,” I said, my voice dropping low.

“And I was trying to make you understand that a design isn't correct simply because you believe in it,” he pressed, his hands crossed over his chest.

“I understood that, sir.”

“Did you?”

“With all due respect, I did. I also understood that you weren't going to approve anything until I could justify every point.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“You make it sound like I was unreasonable.”

I looked down at my folder quickly.

“I didn't say that, sir.”

“But you were thinking about it.”

I remained silent.

He gave a shake of his head before opening a file on his desk.

“You were stubborn, Miss Bella. Sometimes unnecessarily so. But you were willing to go back, check your work, and correct your mistakes. That was worth noting.”

I looked at him, surprised by the comment.

For a moment, I wasn't sure whether he was praising me or finding another polite way to criticize me.

With Ragel Luis, one could never be too sure.

“Have you heard of Project VID?” he asked, turning his monitor slightly toward me.

“I've read about some of Ragel Robotics' surgical automation research.”

“Then take a look at this.”

He brought up a technical summary showing a robotic surgical arm and its motion-control system.

I leaned closer.

The design was impressive. The system was developed to support precise movement during surgical procedures, and the information on the screen gave me an overview of its control system and performance.

As I studied the figures, something in the performance data caught my attention.

“May I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Have you investigated the tracking errors during joint transitions?”

His eyes sharpened.

“What makes you think there's a problem?”

I pointed to the recorded measurements.

“The error increases when the arm changes direction. It could be related to friction, mechanical backlash, or the way the controller compensates during transitions. I'd need the raw data and system specifications before identifying the cause.”

He studied the screen.

“You're not going to guess?”

“Not when the data hasn't given me enough information.”

He leaned back.

“So you won't give me an answer?”

“I'd rather give you a correct answer than tell you what I think you want to hear.”

His gaze remained fixed on me.

I suddenly wondered whether I had said too much.

But I wasn't going to pretend to know something I hadn't confirmed. That was one of the things my university supervisor had drilled into me, whether I liked it or not.

Ragel turned the monitor away from me.

“I'd like you to complete a technical assessment. You'll receive the relevant information, review the problem, and present your recommendations.”

I nodded.

“Okay, sir.”

“When would you like me to begin?”

“Today. You have two hours to complete it in Office Two.”

My heart gave a little jump.

Two hours?

I had expected another interview, perhaps a few questions about my academic background. I hadn't expected to be given an actual technical assessment.

Still, this was exactly the opportunity I had been hoping for.

“Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”

“Don't thank me yet. The assignment will determine whether you're suitable for the position.”

I nodded again.

“I understand.”

I stood and gathered my folder. At least I had something to work on now. All I needed was to focus, understand the problem, and come up with a reasonable solution.

As I reached the door, his voice stopped me.

“Miss Bella.”

I turned to face him quickly.

“Try to watch where you're walking this time.”

I stared at him as his statement caught me off guard.

“Try not to stand in people's way, sir.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

I walked out before he could respond.

I wasn't sure whether I'd impressed him or irritated him.

Perhaps both.

Either way, I had two hours to prove I deserved a place at Ragel Robotics.

And I wasn't about to waste a second.