Being The CEO's Past

Chapter-1

Present Day

My irritating alarm tone jolted me out of my sleep and into the reality. As I turned it off, I couldn't help but think to myself about how well I had slept last night. 

I sat up on my bed and out of instinct looked at my window. The curtains added an orangish glow to the sunlight that was trying so hard to penetrate through the glass. I smiled to myself. I loved mornings like these. I could hear some birds chirping on the tree right beside my apartment. It was peaceful, something I had never experienced back in Texas.

My heart that was earlier pounding due the shrill alarm had now settled to a calm lub-dub. 

Well, I had a job interview today. Yup. I had been in a dire need of a job for quite some time now. Bussing tables at The Night's Diner wasn't so creative. Even though, I lived in a beautiful apartment, bought by my parents, I still needed to work for my day to day requirements. I think 23 is old enough to get off your parents back and to do something on your own.

My parents were pretty rich, they had their own a Multinational Organization. It was more inclined towards charity but my Dad had several other businesses on the side that kept him fed. I remember my father telling me how my grandfather had started this organisation in his garage. He would often host dinner parties and ask people to donate some amount for nearby orphanages. 

From the garage to meeting halls and auctions, this charitable trust expanded and started catering more than just orphanages. Our funding stopped going to orphanages around the time my dad took charge as the new foster care system had emerged. 

Symphony had acclaimed worldwide fame as one of the most liberal charities. The company began giving college loans to underprivileged children and started paying to take care of old age home that received less funding.

Rest of my Dad's business was limited to import and export of several goods. I'm obviously their heir considering I'm the only child but business isn't really my thing. I have been more of a creative kind of a person who liked books and writing journals or stories.

I had been looking for creative writing jobs for a long time and me being an immigrant in Canada only worsened my case. I had come to Canada four years ago to pursue my Bachelor's Mass Communication. I had moved to Ottawa, Canada's beautiful capital, just two months ago. 

I had finally applied at a famous publishing house for the post of a proof reader considering my lack of experience in the writing field and they had scheduled an interview for me today. 

Dragging my eyes away from the window, I looked at the clock over my T.V. 

7:30 am

'Oh my gosh!' I panicked. I had to report around 8.

I threw the covers off my body and stumbled out of the bed, brushed my teeth and took the quickest shower one could ever take. When I had finished with my morning routine, I saw that I had some time to spare and decided to put some makeup.

Brushing my wavy brown hair to the side, I put on some mascara and light lipstick that complimented my interview attire. It was quarter to eight by then so I didn't bother with the breakfast. The office of the Publishing house was at least twenty minutes away and I had to be there on time. 

I unlocked my car as soon as I walked out of my apartment lift and dive into it. The engine roared just as I turned the key and finally we sped off.

I managed to reach the office but five minutes late. My car was parked in the basement and I punched 11 on the elevator pad to reach the my final destination. 

At the reception, I was asked to wait but not for long. Soon, a woman, maybe in her mid-thirties approached me and and I was escorted to the conference room. I was nervous. I hadn't given an official interview before. For a job at Night's Diner, all I had to do was give them a demo of how I would give out people's order but this was different. And change made me nervous. I could feel beads of sweat sliding down my back but before I had the chance to do something about my nervousness, the doors of the conference room opened.

They revealed two men behind a table with an elaborate arrangement of papers placed in front of them and one seat vacant between them. I was too nervous to get a proper view at either of them.

I was brought back to the actual world by the voice of the same woman who had brought me to the room. She asked me to sit as she took a seat between the two men.

I muttered a polite 'Thank you' and sat down after greeting each of them.

On her right sat a man who had a dark complexion and equally dark brown eyes. He had smiled at me just a Is had entered before. On her left sat someone with piercing blue eyes, the kind that would make you feel like you're staring at an illusion. For a moment, he seemed familiar.

"Your name?" The woman asked. I could feel the eyes of the two men on me as I looked at the woman sat in between them. 

"Euphoria Stance." I replied.

"Hello, Euphoria." She smiled at me. She had long black hair and really pale skin. "I'm Wendy. I'm the Head of the H.R department. He is Peter." She held her hand in front of the guy with the dark complexion. "He works in the editing department."

I nodded in greeting at Peter who smiled back at me. 

"And this is Hoult." She pointed at the blue-eyed specimen, who I noticed had been staring me ever since I entered the room. "He supervises everything at Tales."

A shiver ran down my spine when I looked at him again. Oh! I had seen him somewhere, I couldn't quite place, where.

" I see that you've applied for Proof reading, but I'm afraid Euphoria, you don't have any experience for it." Her lips pressed into an awkward smile. 

My cheeks burned in embarrassment, I should've thought before applying. Of course, I didn't have any official experience in proof reading. 

"Yes, but I've been free lancing for past two years, if that counts as experience." I replied.

"Oh, yes." She flipped pages of my file and looked back at me when she had finally found what she was looking for. "I did see some of your work as a free lancer. Most of your clients had given illustrious feedback about you."

"But, without any official records, we can't hire you as a proof reader." 

My felt my face muscles go lax. Of course, they wouldn't hire a rookie. They were the biggest publishing house in Canada, hey wanted expertise in every field.

"But, we can't sideline your talent." She gave me a bright smile. "So, we will give you another post and if you show improvement, you'll be promoted."

My heart soared in joy. Yes!

"Thank you!" I replied, trying not to jump out of the chair. 

"Do you even know wha post we're offering you?"Hoult suddenly butted in. He and the other guy had been quiet all this while. "Are you sure it's something that you'll accept?"

I had no reply. I had been just so greedy for a job that I actually forgot about my self respect. 

"Assistant." Wendy said. "You'll be assisting him for the next few months on all of his projects." She pointed at Hoult.

I'm sure all blood had drained from my face. Something told me that this would guy was creepy and assisting him would be a pain in the ass.

"You can take a day to decide, Euphoria," Finally, the other guy, Peter spoke up.

"Thank you, Peter." I looked at him and smiled. "But I want this experience and I'm so glad that you guys decide to give me this opportunity. I wouldn't mind assisting Hoult." 

And I gave a curt nod to Hoult, who didn't seem impressed and continued fidgeting with his pen.

Wendy and Peter stood up and congratulated me. Wendy made me sign a contract for the next six-months that binder me to the company. I didn't read the whole thing and just signed. 

"Hoult, I leave this girl under your charge." Wendy said and left the hall. Peter and I exchanged greeting and he left as well. 

I turned around to greet my new boss. "Uh, Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Hoult. I wouldn't disappoint you."

"You know, you need to start work today, right?" He stood up from the desk and walked around it to rest against the front. 

"I'm sorry?" I asked, not sure whether I had heard him right the first time. 

"You have to start work from today, now even."

"But...I..."

Hoult cut me off. "You didn't even read the contract. How careless can you be?"

I opened and closed my mouth but no words came out. Okay. Fine, I did not read the contract but I didn't think it would be a big deal. 

"Sir, I'm sorry..." I did not want to argue with him on the first day.

"After all this, you seriously think you deserve this job?" His blue eyes bore into mine, as he lifted himself away from the desk and closed the distance between us. 

His eyes were sickeningly blue, like Prince Charming kind of blue. Just maintaining the eye contact made me feel as if I was being called to a lake of frozen emotions.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I would try to be more careful." I had lowered my eyes, unable to stare at him longer. 

"Tristian. I'm Tristian Hoult."

My head whipped up so fast that I heard a slight c***k in my neck. When I looked at him again, I didn't just see his eyes, this time I focussed on his entire face and his built. He had pale skin that somehow complimented his blue eyes. They were fringed by black hair. An unusual combination. He was tall, tall enough to tower over me. He had high cheekbones and a really sharp jaw.

It hit me. Flashes of a guy from my memory, not tall enough like the guy who stood in front of me  but the similarity was uncanny. Memories hit me so hard that I stumbled back, yet I did not break eye contact with him.

Seven Years and so much had changed. Things about him had changed too and that is why I did not recognise him the first time. 

He was Tristian. Tristian Hoult.

From Texas

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