the billionaire's assistant

Chapter 1 – The Man Made of Ice Eddy Anderson did not believe in luck. He believed in strategy. Precision. Control. From the thirty-eighth floor of Anderson Global’s headquarters, he stood before the glass wall overlooking the restless city below. Traffic moved in neat lines. People hurried along sidewalks like tiny chess pieces. Everything had a pattern. Everything could be predicted. If you were smart enough. At thirty-three, Eddy Anderson had built an empire most men twice his age envied. Anderson Global dominated real estate, tech investments, and international trade. Financial journals compared his rapid rise to titans like Apple Inc. and sss, praising his aggressive acquisitions and fearless negotiations. But the articles always ended the same way. Brilliant. Cold. Untouchable. He preferred it that way. A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. “Enter,” he said without turning. His executive director, Martin Hayes, stepped inside, tablet in hand. “Sir, the board meeting is set for nine. The investors from London are requesting a private discussion afterward.” “Reschedule them to eleven. And tell them I don’t negotiate with ultimatums.” “Yes, sir.” Martin hesitated. Eddy noticed everything. “You have something else to say.” “There’s also the matter of your new personal assistant. HR has narrowed it down to five candidates.” Eddy finally turned. His dark eyes were sharp, unreadable. “Make it three. I don’t have time to interview five.” “Yes, sir.” “And this time,” Eddy added smoothly, “choose someone qualified. Not someone impressed by the size of my bank account.” Martin cleared his throat. “Understood.” When the door closed, silence returned. Eddy walked back to his desk — a sleek black structure imported from Italy — and scanned the reports laid out before him. Numbers made sense. Contracts made sense. Loyalty clauses, penalty fees, percentages. They followed rules. People did not. He had learned that lesson early. His father, Richard Anderson, had built the foundation of the company before handing control to Eddy at twenty-six. Most assumed nepotism had paved his path. They were wrong. Eddy had expanded the company threefold in seven years. He had also buried every weakness that once existed inside him. A buzz from his phone flashed across the desk. His mother. He stared at the name but didn’t answer. Family dinners had become business briefings. Conversations were strategic. Even affection felt calculated. He pressed decline. Emotions complicated power. Power required distance. --- By nine o’clock, the boardroom was filled. Directors sat stiffly around the long glass table. The screen at the front displayed quarterly projections. Millions of dollars hung in the balance. Eddy entered. Every conversation stopped. He took his seat at the head of the table. “Let’s begin.” For two hours, he dismantled weak proposals and approved aggressive expansions. When one director suggested a “safer approach,” Eddy leaned back slightly, fingers steepled. “Safe,” he said calmly, “is another word for stagnant.” No one argued. They never did. When the meeting ended, the directors filed out quietly, murmuring about stock prices and future contracts. Eddy remained seated, staring at the city again. It wasn’t the money that drove him. It was control. The ability to never be vulnerable again. His phone buzzed once more — this time from HR. Final candidates selected. Interviews scheduled tomorrow. He skimmed the attached profiles briefly. Impressive universities. Flawless résumés. Predictable personalities. He closed the file. Assistants came and went. Most lasted six months. Some less. They couldn’t handle his hours. His standards. His detachment. He did not care. Outside his office, employees moved quickly, careful not to linger near his door. Stories about him traveled fast within the company. He once fired a manager for arriving eight minutes late. He canceled a multi-million-dollar contract because the opposing CEO lied about minor figures. He never attended company parties. All true. Reputation was a tool. Fear was efficient. --- That evening, as the city lights flickered on one by one, Eddy remained at his desk. His penthouse apartment waited across town — silent, immaculate, impersonal. A space designed by professionals who chose every detail to reflect power and minimalism. No photographs. No clutter. No memories. Just like his office. A knock came again. Martin stepped inside cautiously. “Sir, tomorrow’s assistant interviews begin at eight sharp.” “Good.” “There’s one more thing,” Martin added carefully. “One of the candidates doesn’t entirely match the… typical profile.” Eddy’s gaze sharpened. “Meaning?” “She doesn’t come from a prestigious background. But her recommendations are strong. Extremely strong.” Eddy considered this. Interesting. “Add her to the list,” he said finally. Martin blinked in surprise. “You’d like to meet her?” “If she survived the screening process, she deserves five minutes.” “And if she doesn’t impress you?” Eddy’s expression remained cool. “Then she won’t survive the interview.” Martin nodded and left. Alone again, Eddy stared at the city — at the glowing windows of thousands of buildings, each holding lives full of noise and emotion. He felt none of it. Love was unpredictable. Trust was dangerous. Attachment was weakness. He had built walls high enough that nothing could reach him. Tomorrow would be routine. Another interview. Another employee. Another forgettable face. He did not know that among those candidates would be a woman who would challenge every rule he lived by. A woman who would look at him without fear. A woman who would make the man made of ice begin, slowly, to crack. And Eddy Anderson had no idea his perfectly controlled world was about to change.