Chapter 4: The Proposal
2094 Words
Eliana arrived at the company the following morning with one question repeating itself in her head.
Why me?
She had barely slept.
After her shift at the restaurant, she had gone home and tried to convince herself that Mr. Eliot’s request was probably nothing serious.
It hadn’t worked.
Then she’d remembered the file.
Scott Eliot.
His photograph.
His reputation.
The complaints.
The women.
The careless decisions.
The way his own father had looked when he spoke about him.
Eliana had read enough to know that whatever Mr. Eliot wanted from her, it wasn’t going to be ordinary.
She stepped through the glass doors of the company and immediately felt out of place.
Everything looked expensive.
Polished floors.
High ceilings.
People moving quickly with phones pressed to their ears and folders tucked beneath their arms.
Nobody looked lost.
Except her.
A receptionist looked up.
“Can I help you?”
“Mr. Eliot asked me to come.”
The woman’s expression changed slightly.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“I believe so.”
She gave her name.
The receptionist checked the computer.
“Yes. He’s expecting you.”
Eliana nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Take the elevator to the top floor. His assistant will meet you there.”
Eliana turned toward the elevators.
Her stomach tightened.
She wasn’t sure why.
Perhaps because this building belonged to the world she had only ever watched from a distance.
Or perhaps because somewhere above her was a man she has met but only knew much about him from afar.
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped inside.
The doors closed.
As the numbers climbed, Eliana stared at her reflection.
She looked exactly as she always did.
Simple blouse.
Black trousers.
Low heels.
Hair neatly tied back.
Nothing about her suggested that she was walking into a conversation that could change her life.
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
A woman waiting outside smiled politely.
“Eliana?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Mr. Eliot’s assistant. This way.”
She followed her down the corridor.
A large set of double doors stood at the end.
The assistant knocked once.
“Come in,” Mr. Eliot called.
Eliana entered.
He was standing beside the window with his hands behind his back.
He turned when he saw her.
“Thank you for coming.”
“You asked me to.”
“I did.”
He gestured toward the chair.
“Please sit.”
Eliana sat.
Mr. Eliot took the seat opposite her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he said, “Before I say anything, I want you to understand something.”
Eliana waited.
“You are free to say no.”
That wasn’t what she expected.
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Say no?”
“To everything I’m about to ask.”
She nodded slowly.
“All right.”
“I won’t be offended. I won’t hold it against you. And you will continue working at the restaurant exactly as you have been.”
Eliana studied him.
“Then why do I feel like you’re about to ask me something terrible?”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Because you are intelligent.”
That made her smile despite herself.
He reached for a folder.
Eliana recognized it immediately.
Scott’s file.
She had already seen the contents.
Mr. Eliot placed it on the desk but didn’t open it.
“You’ve read this.”
“Yes.”
“You understand the situation.”
“I understand that your son has a problem.”
“He does.”
“And you want me to help.”
“I want to give him a chance.”
Eliana leaned back.
“By doing what?”
Mr. Eliot was quiet for a moment.
“Working for him.”
She blinked.
“As what?”
“His secretary.”
Eliana stared at him.
Then she laughed.
It wasn’t because she found it funny.
It was the only reaction her mind could produce.
“His secretary?”
“Yes.”
“At the company?”
“Yes.”
She looked at him as though waiting for the punchline.
There wasn’t one.
“You want me to leave the restaurant and work here?”
“Temporarily, if that is what you prefer.”
Eliana shook her head.
“Mr. Eliot, I’m a waitress.”
“You’re more than that.”
“You’ve known me for two years.”
“Exactly.”
“And you think I can handle your son?”
“I think you’re one of the few people who might.”
Eliana looked down.
She didn’t know whether to feel complimented or terrified.
“Why?”
“Because you don’t tolerate foolishness.”
She almost laughed.
“You haven’t seen me around your son.”
“I’ve seen you deal with difficult customers.”
“Customers are not your son.”
“No.”
His expression became serious.
“Scott is considerably worse.”
That got a reluctant smile from her.
At least he was honest.
Mr. Eliot continued.
“I am not asking you to change him overnight.”
“Then what are you asking?”
“Make him slow down.”
Eliana frowned.
“Slow down?”
“Make him think before he acts. Make him understand that other people exist outside his own world.”
“That’s a lot to ask from a secretary.”
“I know.”
“Especially one who doesn’t know him.”
“That’s why I chose you.”
She looked at him.
“How?”
“Because you have something my son has forgotten how to recognize.”
“What?”
“Boundaries.”
The word settled between them.
Eliana looked toward the window.
“What happens if he finds out?”
“He won’t.”
“And if he does?”
Mr. Eliot’s answer came without hesitation.
“I will handle it.”
She looked back at him.
“I don’t want trouble.”
“You won’t have it.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
“I can guarantee this.”
His voice softened.
“No harm will come to you because of this arrangement.”
Eliana remained silent.
Mr. Eliot leaned forward.
“I will protect your position. If you need transportation, I’ll provide it. If you incur expenses because of the assignment, I’ll cover them. If something happens that requires legal or professional assistance, you will not pay for it.”
Eliana stared at him.
He wasn’t finished.
“And as for your salary, you name the amount.”
Her eyes widened.
“Excuse me?”
“Name your price.”
“Mr. Eliot—”
“I mean it.”
“I can’t just name an amount.”
“You can.”
“Why would you pay me that much?”
“Because this isn’t a normal job.”
He paused.
“You will be walking into my son’s life without telling him why you’re there.”
Eliana swallowed.
“That’s deception.”
“Yes.”
The bluntness of his answer surprised her.
He didn’t try to dress it up.
“You have every right to object.”
She looked at the folder.
“Does Scott know you’re hiring a secretary?”
“He knows he needs one.”
“Does he know it’s me?”
“No.”
“Will he?”
“Not from me.”
Eliana frowned.
“Why?”
“Because if Scott knows I chose you specifically, he’ll resist you before you’ve even had the chance to begin.”
She understood.
That was exactly the sort of thing Scott would do.
“So what does he think?”
“That the company is appointing a new secretary.”
“And that’s all?”
“That’s all.”
Eliana looked at him for a long moment.
“What happens if he asks me why I applied?”
“You applied because you were offered the position.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Then tell him you wanted a better opportunity.”
“Will that be a lie?”
Mr. Eliot sighed.
“Eliana, this entire arrangement depends on him not knowing the truth.”
She didn’t like the sound of that.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how will I know when I’ve succeeded?”
“When Scott no longer needs someone standing behind him to stop him from making foolish decisions.”
Eliana smiled faintly.
“So I’m supposed to babysit a grown man?”
Mr. Eliot actually laughed.
“Put that way, it sounds worse.”
“It is worse.”
“Perhaps.”
She folded her hands in her lap.
“What exactly do you expect me to do?”
“Your job.”
“That sounds too simple.”
“It isn’t.”
He leaned back.
“Manage his schedule. Keep him focused. Make sure he attends meetings. Make sure he understands the consequences of his decisions. Don’t allow him to intimidate you.”
“And if he does?”
“Stand your ground.”
“What if he fires me?”
“He won’t.”
“You sound very sure.”
“He will probably threaten to.”
Eliana sighed.
“And then?”
“Then you remind him that you’re doing your job.”
She shook her head.
“You really think this will work?”
“I don’t know.”
It was the first uncertainty she’d heard from him.
“But I know what I’m doing now isn’t working.”
Eliana looked at him.
There was no anger in his face anymore.
Only exhaustion.
A father who had reached the point where pride was no longer enough to hide his worry.
“He’s your son,” she said quietly.
“Yes.”
“You love him.”
“Very much.”
“Then why not talk to him?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“He hears me.”
Mr. Eliot looked toward the window.
“He simply doesn’t listen.”
Eliana’s chest tightened.
She understood then.
This wasn’t about controlling Scott.
His father was afraid of losing him to the life he had created for himself.
She looked down at her hands.
“If I say yes, what happens?”
“You begin next week.”
“That soon?”
“Yes.”
“And the restaurant?”
“You can remain there whenever you’re not working at the company.”
Eliana nodded.
“And my pay?”
“Tell me what you want.”
She almost laughed.
“You really aren’t going to give me a figure?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you agreeing because you think the amount is generous.”
He met her eyes.
“I want you to decide what your time is worth.”
That silenced her.
Eliana looked at the folder one last time.
Then at Mr. Eliot.
“I need time to think.”
“Take it.”
“How long?”
“Until tomorrow.”
She stood.
Mr. Eliot rose too.
As she reached the door, he called her name.
She turned.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“If you accept this, Scott must never know I arranged it.”
Eliana nodded.
“I understand.”
“And if at any point you feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or unable to continue—”
“I leave.”
“Immediately.”
She studied him.
“You really mean that?”
“Yes.”
Eliana opened the door.
“Then I’ll think about it.”
Mr. Eliot nodded.
“That’s all I ask.”
She walked out.
The elevator doors closed behind her.
Only then did Eliana release the breath she’d been holding.
She stared at the glowing number above the doors as they descended.
She had come to the tenth floor expecting a conversation.
She was leaving with a decision that could change everything.
A secretary’s job.
A salary she could name herself.
Protection from anything that went wrong.
One secret she could never reveal.
And a man she had never met who apparently needed to be saved from himself.
Eliana closed her eyes.
“What am I getting myself into?”
Upstairs, Mr. Eliot returned to his desk.
He opened Scott’s file again.
His eyes settled on his son’s photograph.
For the first time in months, he allowed himself a small smile.
Perhaps this time, his son had finally met his match.
Now he only had to convince Eliana to say yes.
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