The Accidental Assistant

Chapter4

AYANA.

Another day, another fruitless job search. My feet ached as I trudged home, my shoulders heavy with disappointment. Every establishment I walked into seemed to turn me away for a different reason—too little experience, no college degree, or just plain bad timing. As the rejections piled up, so did my worry. My pitiful savings had nearly dwindled to nothing, and my landlord, Old Bruno, was growing impatient, banging on my door more frequently with pointed remarks about rent being “long overdue.”

My phone had buzzed twice that day with messages from Kiera, Ollie’s mother, inviting me to lunch as thanks for saving her daughter. I'd politely declined each time, claiming I was busy, though the truth was more complicated. I didn’t want to come off as desperate, especially around someone like Kiera, who seemed well-off and self-assured. Besides, lunch with Kiera meant risking another encounter with her handsome “Uncle Pie,” and I didn’t want to indulge in any more daydreams about a man who was clearly way out of my league.

For now, my only solace—and my only job—was at Matata, a dingy little pub downtown. It was a last-resort kind of place, the kind of establishment that reeked of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and the faint hint of regret. I'd been working the late shift there for months, mixing drinks, serving them with practiced ease, and dodging the wandering hands of drunken patrons as best I could. The pay wasn’t much, but it kept a roof over my head—at least for now.

The place was packed tonight, the usual crowd of regulars mixed with the occasional newcomer looking to drink away their troubles. I was behind the bar, expertly mixing a drink, when I felt the unmistakable gaze of a sleazy-looking man in a leather jacket eyeing me from across the counter. He leaned forward, his breath smelling of cheap whiskey, flashing me a grin that made my stomach twist.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” he drawled, his voice thick and slurred. “You’re too pretty to be workin’ in a dump like this. How ’bout I take ya somewhere nicer?”

I kept my face blank, replying without looking up. “Just here to serve drinks, not conversation.”

“Aw, come on, don’t be like that.” He leaned closer, trying to get a good look at me, oblivious to my clear disinterest. “Bet you’re a heartbreaker, aren’t ya?”

I bit back a sigh, placing his drink on the counter with forced patience. I'd been through this routine too many times to count, and I knew better than to encourage it. “Here’s your drink. Enjoy.”

Ignoring the leering gaze, I turned to grab a tray of drinks for the next table. Just as I was about to walk away, he called me a slur and laughter erupted from him and his friends. My face burned in anger and I tightened my grip on the tray, telling myself to just ignore it and walk away.

But the man wasn’t finished. He stood up, swaying slightly, and invaded my space, blocking my path. “Aw, come on, don’t be like that, honey. We’re just having a bit of fun.”

I glared at him with murder in my eyes, my voice tight as I told my myself to calm down. “Step back, please. I’m working.”

“Or what?” He smirked, leaning even closer, his breath reeking of stale beer and cigarettes. “What’s a pretty thing like you gonna do?”

Before I could even react, he was suddenly yanked backward with a force so sudden it made me stumble. The man flew back, slamming into the wall behind him, and my eyes widened as I turned to see who had intervened.

Standing before me, his icy blue eyes ablaze with a furious intensity, was “Uncle Pie.” Dressed impeccably in a thousand-dollar suit, complete with sleek cufflinks and polished shoes, he looked painfully out of place in the dingy bar, like a predator dropped into a pit of scavengers.

The bar had gone silent, the patrons staring as he adjusted his sleeves and glared at the man sprawled on the floor. His presence commanded the room, filling it with an electric charge that made my skin prickle.

Pierce’s voice was cold, each word measured and controlled. “Touch her again, and you won’t be leaving here on two feet.”

The man on the floor gaped at Pierce, momentarily cowed by his sheer presence, but then his face twisted in defiance. “What the actual f**k?” he spat, struggling to his feet.

Pierce’s expression didn’t waver. He took a step forward, his gaze slicing through the man like a knife. “If you value what little dignity you have left, I suggest you leave. Now.” His voice was calm and had a dangerous edge to it.

The man’s bravado faltered, and with a few muttered curses, he staggered out of the bar, his friends trailing behind him. The silence lingered for a beat before the bar’s usual clamor resumed. My face was aflame as I struggled with what to say.

"Y-You..." I faltered. "Uncle Pie." I said ridiculously, my cheeks heating. Seriously? Uncle Pie? His lips twitched a bit though his eyes still held some leftover icy rage. "Call me Pierce." He supplied smoothly, much to my relief. I couldn’t keep calling him Uncle Pie.

"Pierce." I repeated and his eyes lasered on my mouth, eyes heating as I rolled over his name. His name suited him. He was dangerous and lethal. And those icy blues that had haunted me these past few days. My cheeks heated further. "I'm..."

"Ayana. I know. " He cut in and I titled my head in surprise and confusion. "How-?" I paused. "Oh, your wife." Of course, Kiera may have told him her name.

Pierce’s brows went up. "Wife?" He repeated just as a nearby table of drunk men erupted in loud,raucous laughter. I winced at the noise and Pierce sighed. "Can I speak with you for a moment, Ayana? Outside, most preferably."

I hesitated for a second and Pierce's sharp edges soften a bit for a moment. "Please?" He adds and my knees go weak for a second. There's just something about a powerful man saying please. I relented. "Okay, sure." I signaled to my co-worker, grumpy Hans, to cover for me for a few minutes and his lips twist in a scowl before he nods petulantly. I led Pierce out through the back door.

The door closed behind him, casting a dark glow to the alleyway behind the bar. I nervously rubbed my palms together. "Okay. So...?"

Pierce dips his hand into his suit pocket and produces a sleek black card that he tips in my direction. "Here." He said. Confused, I took it, reading the 'Grant Global' etched in it in elegant gold. Grant Global? Like the Grant Global? My head snaps up. "You're Pierce Grant?" I shrieked and his lips twitched. He inclines his head. "Well, yes."

I looked at the card like it was an explosive. "Okayy...What does that have to do with anything? Why are you here?"

Pierce tucks his hands in his pockets, looking every bit like the business tycoon he is. "Kiera informed me of your...inability to join her for her gratitude lunch. She mentioned you saying you had a lot in mind." My lips curl a bit and he goes on. "It's not tattle telling as much as it is sharing. Kiera and I share a lot with each other."

"Of course. She's your wife."

He frowns. "My what?" He shakes his head. "No. She's my late brother's wife. Olivia is my niece." I mouth 'Oh' as the realisation hits me. Pierce goes on. "Anyways, from viewing your CV the other day, I gathered you were job hunting and that it wouldn't be easy for you..." My cheeks heat up in embarrassment and he curses. "I don't mean to be insulting. It's just..." He takes a deep breath. "I'd like to employ you as my personal assistant. My previous one just resigned yesterday. "

My brows furrow. "Your personal assistant?"

"It comes with a multitude of benefits. You'll receive a new apartment within a good distance to the office. A visa, travel and health benefits, insurance and a monthly salary of ten thousand dollars, amongst many others." My mouth drops further.

“Hold on. Did you say ten thousand dollars monthly?!”

“Yes. It's a demanding job but it's worth it.” He smoothly replies. I stared at him stupidly. He takes a deep breath and looks at me with his piercing blue eyes. “I saw the way you saved Ollie, Ayana. You are resilient, resourceful and most importantly, gracious and kind in a way I haven't seen in a long time. Sometimes, I don't see things the way others do, and I believe someone like you would complement my shortcomings well. Please say yes.”

My brain seemed to short circuiting, my mind still circling the exorbitant amount he'd called and my mouth opened before I could stop it. “Yes.” I blurted out, sealing my fate.