The Devil's assistant
1681 Words
AVA'S POV
I had officially survived with two hours of sleep. Two.
My laptop had stayed open until nearly four in the morning as I struggled through the mountain of reports Kael Blackwood had dumped on me. By the time I'd crawled into bed, my eyes were burning, my wrists ached, and I was pretty sure I'd started seeing double.
The alarm went off at six. I seriously considered throwing it out the window. Instead, I dragged myself out of bed. "You need this job," I mumbled to myself while brushing my teeth. "You like having food. You like paying hospital bills. You definitely like keeping your mother alive."
My reflection looked unconvinced.
My hair refused to cooperate, sticking out in every direction. I tied it into a neat ponytail before changing my mind and letting it fall over my shoulders instead.
A little concealer.
A little mascara.
Enough to hide the fact that I looked like I'd been hit by a truck. After checking that my mother had everything she needed for the day and texting the nurse on duty, I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door.
Today was my first official day working directly under Kael Blackwood.
Lucky me.
---
By the time I reached Blackwood Enterprises, my stomach was already tied in knots. The building was intimidating enough.
Working for the man inside was another story entirely.
The receptionist smiled politely. "Good morning, Miss Monroe."
I forced a smile back. "Morning."
As I stepped onto the executive floor, every employee seemed unusually quiet. No one chatted and no one laughed.
Everyone worked.
Apparently, Kael Blackwood had managed to suck the joy out of an entire floor. His assistant led me to my new desk. It sat directly outside his office.
Great.
So now he could watch me suffer in real time and spy on me
I hadn't even switched on my laptop before his office door opened.
He stepped out in another perfectly tailored black suit, looking as though he'd stepped off the cover of a business magazine. And not a single strand of dark hair was out of place.
Why tf am I noticing these thingsssss and on another note how is that fair?
I looked like I had fought my pillow all night.
And he looked like he'd just come out of a shampoo ad or something
His gray eyes settled on me. "Miss Monroe."
"Mr. Blackwood."
"Did you complete the assignments?"
"Yes."
"Bring them." I swallowed. This was either going to go very well… Or very badly.
Judging by my luck lately most probably the second option.
---
He flipped through the first report in complete silence.
Page after page. The only sound in the office was the turning of paper.
I stood in front of his desk, trying not to fidget.
Finally… He stopped.
Without looking at me, he circled an entire paragraph with his pen. "Formatting error."
He turned another page. "This figure is incorrect."
Another page. "You repeated this sentence."
Another. "You missed a reference."
Another. "Spelling mistake."
Another. "This chart should be placed before the analysis."
By the time he finished… Nearly every page contained red ink. I stared at the report in horror. "I...I worked all night." The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His expression didn't change. "I can tell."
Ouch. That actually hurt.
He placed the file neatly on his desk. "You sacrificed accuracy for speed and I expected better."
My cheeks burned. "I'll fix it."
"You'll redo the entire report."
My eyes widened. "The whole thing?"
"Yes."
"And the other two?"
"Those as well."
I blinked. Surely I had misheard him.
"Today." He returned his attention to his computer. Conversation over.
I walked out of his office in stunned silence.
The moment the door closed behind me, I whispered, "I should just kill him now."
---
The morning only got worse. Every email I sent came back with corrections. Every proposal had notes. Every presentation had something wrong with it.
By noon, I was convinced Kael Blackwood had a personal mission to destroy my sanity. Just as I finally finished correcting one report, his office phone buzzed.
"Miss Monroe."
I picked up the receiver. "Yes, sir?"
"My coffee."
I sighed in relief. Finally, something easy. "I'll have someone from the café downstairs bring—"
"I don't drink office coffee."
"...Oh."
"There's a café across the street. Go."
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone. Then at the closed office door. Then back at the phone. "Seriously?"
One of the senior assistants chuckled. "First week?"
I sighed dramatically. "Is it that obvious?"
She nodded sympathetically. "Mr. Blackwood only drinks coffee from Maple Bean Café."
"Rain or shine, every single day."
Of course he did. Because walking twenty minutes for coffee made perfect sense when your assistant already had enough work to last until next year.
Muttering under my breath, I grabbed my purse and hurried toward the elevator. "If this coffee isn't brewed by angels...I'm quitting."
Outside, the morning breeze hit my face as I crossed the busy street toward the café. The line stretched almost to the door.
I looked at my watch. Then at the line. Then back at my watch.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."
Somewhere in the office, Kael Blackwood was probably checking the time.
And somehow… I already knew he'd blame me if the coffee wasn't hot enough.
By the time I reached the front of the line, I was silently questioning every decision that had led me here.
"One large black coffee," I said, reading from the note the receptionist had handed me. "No sugar. Double espresso. One pump of vanilla. Extra hot."
The barista smiled knowingly. "Mr. Blackwood's order?"
I blinked. "You know him?"
She laughed. "He comes here every morning."
Of course he did. Why was I not surprised?
Five minutes later, I hurried back across the street, clutching the coffee like it contained the cure for every disease known to mankind.
The elevator was definitely slower than normal,i know this is not just in my mind
Every second that passed made my imaginary anxiety disorder worse.
The moment I stepped onto the executive floor, I walked straight into Kael's office. "Your coffee, sir."
Without looking up from the documents in front of him, he took a sip. For one hopeful second… Nothing happened, then he frowned.
"It's warm."
I stared at him. Warm? I'd nearly gotten hit by a taxi trying to bring it back before it cooled.
"It's still hot."
His eyes finally lifted to meet mine. "I said... I prefer it extra hot."
He placed the cup on his desk. "Buy another one."
I actually looked around the office to see if hidden cameras were filming this. Maybe it's a skit or something…. But it's not! "Sir...i was gone almost twenty minutes."
"And?"
"I still have three reports to finish."
His expression remained stupidly and annoyingly calm. "Then perhaps you should stop wasting time arguing."
I bit the inside of my cheek so hard it hurt. "Yes, sir."
As I turned to leave, I heard him speak again. "Oh... and Miss Monroe?"
I looked back.
"The revised market analysis is due before lunch." Before lunch? It was already eleven forty-five.
I forced a smile. "I'll... make it happen."
"See that you do." The door closed behind me.
The smile vanished immediately. "I'm going to prison one day."
The receptionist looked up from her desk. "What?"
"For murder." She wisely chose not to ask.
---
The rest of the day became a blur. Coffee runs.
Corrections.
Meetings.
Spreadsheets.
Emails.
Presentations.
Every time I thought I was finally finished, another task landed on my desk.
Every. Single. Time.
At one point, I looked up to find a man leaning casually against my desk, watching me with an amused grin.
"So..." He said. "You're the famous Miss Monroe."
I looked up from my laptop. "I don't think 'famous' is the right word."
"Oh, trust me." He laughed. "You've become very popular upstairs."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Because you're still here."
I blinked.
"What does that mean? And who are you"
Before he could answer, another man stepped beside him. “That's Caleb”
Unlike Caleb, he carried himself with quiet confidence.
Dark hair. Sharp features. Calm green eyes hidden behind thin-framed glasses.
"Ignore him." He extended a hand. "I'm Azriel."
"Ava."
He smiled politely. "It's nice to finally meet the woman who called Kael a coward."
My face burned. "Oh my God...He told people?"
Caleb burst into laughter. "He didn't have to. Half the company witnessed it."
I covered my face with both hands. “I am never living that down."
"No." Caleb admitted cheerfully. "Probably not."
Before the conversation could continue, Kael's office door opened.
One glance from him was enough.
Caleb raised both hands. "We're leaving."
Azriel nodded once before following him.
As they walked away, Caleb whispered loudly enough for me to hear, "Try not to kill her before Friday."
Kael didn't answer.
Somehow… That worried me even more.
---
By the time the office clock struck seven in the evening, my shoulders ached, my eyes burned, my fingers were cramped from typing.
I looked at the stack of completed reports beside me. I had actually done it. Barely.
I stood, stretching carefully, when Kael walked out of his office. His gaze swept over my desk.
"Finished?"
"Yes."
He picked up the files and flipped through them. Silence. Again.
Then— "Acceptable."
That was it. One word.
Not "good job."
Not "well done."
Just… Acceptable. I should have been annoyed instead, I almost cried from relief.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Miss Monroe."
I forced a tired smile. "Bright and early."
He nodded once before disappearing back into his office.
I grabbed my bag and practically staggered toward the elevators.
The second the doors closed, I leaned against the wall. I'm exhausted. I've never been this tired in my entireeeee life
If he gives me one more report tomorrow.....I'm going to replace his coffee with decaf.
Or wolfsbane
---
- Writer
