The Billionaire CEO’s Secret

Chapter Four: New Secretary

The following morning, the entire forty-fourth floor of Villafuerte Corporation seemed unusually tense.

Everyone knew what that meant.

Damien Villafuerte was already in the building.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Laura stepped out, clutching the folder containing her employment documents against her chest. She took a deep breath before walking toward the reception area.

This was it.

Her first day as the new secretary.

"Good morning," she greeted the receptionist with a nervous smile.

The woman looked at her from head to toe before returning her smile.

"You're Laura, right?"

"Yes."

"You're the new secretary?"

Laura nodded.

The receptionist suddenly lowered her voice.

"Good luck."

Laura frowned.

"Why?"

Before the woman could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

One by one, the employees straightened in their seats and returned their attention to their computers.

Laura slowly turned around.

A tall man in a perfectly fitted black suit walked down the hallway, his expression cold and unreadable.

Damien Villafuerte.

His presence alone was enough to make the entire floor feel smaller.

Laura's heart suddenly began beating faster.

"What is this man doing here?"

She whispered under her breath, so quietly that only she could hear herself.

She stared at him in disbelief, wondering how he could possibly be there.

Damien stopped in front of her.

His sharp eyes settled on her face.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then his brows slightly furrowed.

"You."

Laura swallowed hard.

Damien's gaze remained fixed on her.

"What's your name?" he asked coldly.

She tried to ignore it, pretending as though she hadn't heard anything. But before she could move, Damien spoke again.

"Don't make me repeat myself again," he said coldly.

His tone was firm enough to make the entire room fall silent.

"What do you care?" Laura snapped.

Her voice was low but firm, but loud enough for the employees behind them to hear clearly.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed the employees behind them suddenly exchanging glances. The shock was clearly written all over their faces.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her again. She silently cursed herself for letting her irritation get the better of her.

Why did she have to run into him again?

The man took a slow step toward her.

Then another.

Laura instinctively stepped back, her eyes narrowing as he stopped in front of her.

A sly smile slowly curved across his lips.

"Still as feisty as ever," he murmured.

Laura's eyes widened.

She had a terrible feeling that this encounter was about to become much worse.

"I don't think you realize who you're going to be working for," Damien said coldly, his eyes fixed on her.

He paused for a moment, then added in a low, warning tone,

"And I don't think you're ready."

She was completely confused by everything that was happening. But before she could say a word, Damien spoke again.

"I want my coffee in five minutes," Damien told her, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Hot. Dark. And aromatic."

His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned closer, his words brushing against her ear.

He emphasized the word "dark," as though deliberately reminding her of something only the two of them understood.

Laura stiffened.

The warmth of his breath sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.

Damien slowly pulled away, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"Don't keep me waiting."

And with that, Damien quickly turned around and walked into his office.

Laura stood frozen in place.

As soon as Damien disappeared into his office, one of the employees turned toward Laura.

"Why did you talk to our boss like that?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "Don't you know that no one dares to talk back to him?"

"Boss?" Laura repeated, as if she needed to make sure she had heard the woman correctly.

Her eyes instinctively drifted toward Damien's office.

Wait... he's the boss?

Her eyes widened when she finally noticed the nameplate outside his office.

CEO

The word was written in bold letters.

And beneath it was a name that made her heart stop for a moment.

DAMIEN VILLAFUERTE

She stared at it in disbelief.

No way.

The man she had just been arguing with...

The arrogant man from the elevator...

The man from her past....

Was actually the CEO of Villafuerte Corporation.

It felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over her.

She stood there, staring at the name on the door as reality slowly sank in.

She was going to be the secretary of this man?

Her stomach twisted at the thought.

"Yes. Our boss. You didn't know that he was the boss?"

She shook her head in disbelief before turning back to her desk and returning to work.

Laura remained standing there, staring at Damien's office.

She couldn't believe it.

The man she had been arguing with moments ago was actually her boss.

Every part of her wanted to turn around, walk straight to the elevator, and leave this place before things could get any worse.

But she couldn't.

She needed this job.

Desperately.

Laura took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

I can do this.

At least, she hoped she could.

"Hi, Laura. Good morning."

A man greeted her with a warm smile.

It was Luke.

"I'm sorry. I kept you waiting.," he said, slightly breathless. "I'll introduce you now to our boss he must be in his office now."

Laura forced a smile, still trying to process what had just happened.

She glanced nervously toward Damien's office.

If only Luke knew that she had already met him.

She could hear the other employees whispering behind her, their hushed voices filled with curiosity as they glanced in her direction.

One of them whispered,

"She's the fifth secretary."

Another quickly replied,

"Let's see how long she lasts."

"Our boss doesn't like people gossiping during work hours, remember?" Luke playfully reminded them.

The employees immediately fell silent.

"And be nice to Laura, guys. It's her first day."

A few of them exchanged awkward glances before turning back to their computers.

Laura couldn't help but smile faintly.

At least someone was willing to make her first day a little less terrifying.

Luke gave a few soft knocks on the door before a voice from inside answered.

"Come in."

It was Damien's voice.

Luke turned the doorknob, and the door swung open.

He and Laura stepped inside.

Damien was seated behind his desk in his swivel chair, his attention focused entirely on the documents in front of him. He didn't even bother to look up at them.

The silence inside the office immediately made Laura feel uneasy.

"Boss, the new secretary is here," Luke said.

For a moment, Damien didn't answer. He remained focused on the documents in front of him, completely ignoring their presence.

"Boss..." Luke called again, trying to get his attention.

"I heard you, Luke."

His voice was calm but cold.

"You can go now," Damien finally said.

"Yes, boss."

Luke immediately turned around and left the office, closing the door behind him.

Laura was left standing alone in front of Damien's desk.

She nervously clasped her hands together, waiting for him to say something.

But Damien continued reading the documents as if she wasn't even there.

The longer he remained silent, the more nervous she became, especially as the memory of what had happened earlier came rushing back. She knew she was going to be in serious trouble for talking back to him.

"Where's my coffee?"

Laura flinched as Damien's voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Coffee? Yes. I'll get your coffee now."

The panic was evident in both her voice and her movements as she hurriedly turned toward the door.

"No. Stop," he said.

Laura froze mid-step and slowly turned back to face him.

Damien finally lifted his eyes from the documents, his cold gaze settling on her.

"I told you I wanted my coffee in five minutes."

Damien rose from his chair and slowly walked toward Laura.

With every step he took, Laura's nervousness grew.

She instinctively tightened her grip on the hem of her mini skirt, trying to steady herself as he stopped in front of her.

"Remember this," Damien said coldly. "Whenever you fail to do something I ask of you, there will be consequences."

"What consequences?" Laura asked, a hint of fear evident in her voice.

A faint smile tugged at Damien's lips when he noticed the fear in her eyes.

He leaned slightly closer, his gaze never leaving hers.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Damien returned to his desk and picked up a few documents. He gathered them neatly before handing them to Laura.

"You'll be responsible for my schedule, meetings, correspondence, and everything else that concerns my office."

"Yes, Mr. Villafuerte."

"I don't tolerate mistakes."

Laura nodded.

"I understand."

"And I don't like people who are late."

She froze.

"You were late for your interview yesterday."

Laura lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Villafuerte."

"Don't think you're special just because the company hired you despite being late."

Damien's voice was cold and unwavering.

He held her gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to the documents on his desk.

She was about to open the door to leave the office and go to her desk just outside Damien's office when his voice suddenly stopped her.

"That night..."

She froze.

Damien remained behind his desk, his eyes fixed on her.

"Why did you leave without saying a word?"

This time, Damien was completely serious. There was no trace of his usual cold amusement in his expression, only a deep seriousness that made Laura realize he genuinely wanted an answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Villafuerte."

She lied.

For now, lying was the only thing she could do.

Whatever had happened between her and Damien that night was far too embarrassing to talk about. She had tried so hard to forget it—to bury the memory somewhere deep inside her mind and pretend it had never happened.

But now, standing in front of him, she realized that Damien clearly hadn't forgotten.

Not even close.

Damien took only a few steps toward her closing the distance between himself and Laura.

Only a few inches separated them now.

She slowly lifted her eyes, startled by how close he was. His presence suddenly felt overwhelming, making her heart beat faster.

"You know what I mean, Ms. Ruiz," he said. Again his voice low and serious.

The tinted glass wall slowly faded, becoming clear as Damien switched it to its untinted setting.

Laura's eyes widened as the entire office suddenly became visible from the outside.

"What are you doing, Mr. Villafuerte?"

Her heart pounded nervously as she glanced at the now-transparent glass wall, suddenly aware that anyone outside could see them.

"One wrong move, and they'll see us."

"I'm telling you, I don't care if they see us."

Damien's voice remained calm, almost dangerously composed.

"Now, answer my question."

"I answered your question, Mr. Villafuerte. And I'll say it again."

Laura held his gaze, refusing to look away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She emphasized every word, her voice firm and deliberate, as though daring him to challenge her answer.

"Let me remind you of what you seem to have forgotten," Damien said.

Before Laura could react, he stepped closer, gently but firmly pinning her against the door. He cupped her face with both hands, his gaze locked onto hers.

Then, without another word, he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

Laura froze, her mind suddenly flooded with memories she had tried so desperately to bury.

He continued kissing her, but Laura immediately struggled to pull away.

She pushed against his chest with all her strength, desperately trying to free herself.

But Damien barely moved.

His strength was far greater than hers, leaving Laura frustrated and frightened as she fought to create some distance between them.

"Stop, Damien!" she cried, finally managing to turn her face away.

When Damien saw the tear rolling down her cheek, it was as though he suddenly came to his senses.

A sharp slap landed across Damien's cheek before Laura finally turned and stormed out of his office.