The Billionaire’s Lover

CHAPTER 5: Behind the Black Mask

IT HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS since I arrived in this city to start a new life with the goal of embracing my freedom from a tight hold. During those days, it still feels weird to wake up in a room with the thought that I don’t have anything to worry about except what I should eat for the day and what I should do. There is no one to scold me and make me pretend to be the perfect daughter I am not and business matters to attend to. It was all so new to me.

The adjustment to my new-found freedom wasn’t enough, but also adjusting to the new city was as well. For the past few days, I have been going in and out of the gym in this building every single day with a day's rest to start my day, then proceed to breakfast back in the unit afterwards. After that, I will end up in a cafe and just sit there for hours while watching the people walking outside with my airpods on and an iPad to use. It has been a daily routine for the past two weeks.

Just like Marley said, she called for her most trusted housekeeper to stay in the unit. She arrived just two days after my stay and her name is Olivia. At one glance, she looks strict and fierce because of the usual serious, blank face she puts on. But as days passed by, I learned that it was just a mask in order to protect whatever is inside this unit, since she is usually the one to entertain whenever there is a doorbell. Nonetheless, she is actually nice and has been helping me a lot since then. The fact that she is about 4 years older makes it an advantage because I get to have a new friend as well.

With my best friend’s permission, I made some changes in the unit since she told me that I could do anything anyway. I turned the average-sized room where all of her previous paintings were stored into Olivia’s room. She was hesitant about the idea but I insisted after seeing the room she stayed in—it was just a small room with a single bed on the corner, a single cabinet, a table with a chair, and a personal bathroom to use. I couldn’t bear staying in the master’s room comfortably while she stayed in that small area of this big unit.

I first had Marley’s paintings shipped to her address in New York so she could store them there instead to not make waste of the room. Using the card that she lent me, I went out with Olivia to buy her a much more comfortable bed to sleep and rest in, as well as a bigger cabinet to put her things in, since she mostly stays with me starting now. The least I can do is give her a comfortable space. I also purchased a television and a study table for her room for personal use and just let her arrange it all with my help, of course.

“Ms. Cruz, is there anything you want for lunch?” Olivia asked upon my entry into the unit.

She stood behind the kitchen island, cutting some ingredients which she usually does. My eyes roamed around the area and saw the clean surroundings again. The dusty feeling in the air had disappeared already. The house cleaning staff that she hired did their job properly because it doesn’t feel that itchy like this morning anymore.

“Do you have anything in mind?” I returned the question, not knowing the answer. “I ate at the cafe just a few hours ago, so I’m still not hungry yet. But if you have anything in mind to cook for today’s lunch, then you can go and eat first. I will eat later once I’m hungry.”

“I was thinking of cooking Hanger Steak for you this lunch. But if you are not hungry yet, I might just cook it later once you are hungry. You can just tell me so I can prepare it right away.” she insisted.

“Won’t you eat? You should go ahead and eat first if you are already hungry. There really is no need to wait for me, Olivia.” I tried convincing her, but she looked so hesitant which made me sigh. “Please make any food you want to eat. I will be fine later.”

In the end, she ended up agreeing with me since she knows she won’t stand a chance to argue with me now anyway. I stayed in my room the whole time, lying on the bed after taking a short shower since I went out. I felt so drowsy and tired because of my workout this morning and after eating in the cafe that I ended up taking a nap. When I woke up, it was already mid-afternoon, so I assume I slept for hours, that I had even skipped lunch already.

When I came out of the room, Olivia was coming out of the utility room at the same time with my clothes in her arms already. She probably had it laundry since she usually does it twice a week with the amount of clothes I wear coming out frequently. I sat on the high chair in front of the island counter to see a prepared plate of Hanger Steak in it. How did she even know that I would wake up at the right time?

“Ms. Cruz,” I looked up to her after eating the steak deliciously as I replied with a hum alone. “I wanna inform you about the groceries. We are short of groceries now since you only purchased a few the last time.”

“Already? I thought it would last for about three weeks though.” I tsk-ed and gave her a nod instead. “You can list down everything you need here in the kitchen, then I will go to the supermarket later to buy it.”

“Instead, do you want me to buy it myself? So it wouldn’t bother you either, Ms. Cruz.” I immediately shook my head in response.

“I can handle it, Olivia. I need to buy some things as well anyway, so I might as well just do the groceries at the same time.” I insisted.

I finished my late lunch and went to get changed to new simple clothes once again to head out. Olivia handed me the paper where the list of groceries needed was before I left. I drove the car that Marley let me use for now to the mall to run some errands. I’m actually lucky because I got my license processed faster than expected, so I can manage to drive anywhere in the city now. I just choose to do it less because the traffic annoys me.

I parked the car smoothly before turning off the engine. I reached for my phone to check the bank balance for now so I could know how much I should withdraw already without needing to check the balance later. But it was like I was struck by lightning.

“Shit.”

From having six zeros in my account, I ended up with just two hundred thousand left in my account. That amount is still big enough, but not enough to cover all the bills I will have for this month. I handle the electricity and water bill as well as the wifi connection bill. Though Marley was the one paying for Olivia, I also tried to hand her some pocket money to use so she could save it for later. I also handle the groceries and other necessities in the unit so that remaining money won’t last long.

“It’s time to make some money,” I whispered to myself.

A sigh escapes my lips, thinking about all of my purchases in just a span of two weeks in this country. I bought a lot more than expected—the things inside Olivia’s room cost thousands and I didn’t even notice them because I just kept on using the card. My spending for my everyday visit to a coffee shop as well as my shopping bags probably cost more than a hundred thousand already, adding the groceries as well as some more daily necessities. It was indeed a lot.

Never in my life have I ever expected that I would come to this point when I have to worry about my money, my spending and where it's all going. One can call me a hypocrite for thinking badly of the fact that I am privileged, which some are not. But, come to think of it, I never really worry about anything except for my freedom and my vicious mother. Those days and nights that I am out buying every expensive thing that I can buy without minding the price, and those countless evenings at the clubs and expensive restaurants, I just realized how hypocritical I really am.

From the beginning, I was already aware of the consequences of wanting this freedom. It comes with the ability to learn how to be independent as much as possible. There is a need to learn how to survive on their own—that includes earning their own money to provide payment for the bills and daily necessities as well as surviving in a city that is full of different kinds of people. I always thought it would be easy with just a few adjustments at the beginning, but I was wrong.

“Let’s not spend lavishly today, Ashley.” I whispered to myself while staring at the glass wall of a branded shop.

A sigh escapes my lips as a war of nerves within myself begins. It was between entering that shop and getting what I want, then ending up losing thousands of money and learning the act of ignoring it, then ending up spending less for the day. I had to stay inches away from the wall while looking down like a crazy woman before I managed to leave with a few attempts of looking back and just admiring that dress.

I walked inside the supermarket and took a big shopping cart for me to bring. I started off with finding the things that Olivia needs in the kitchen, since she handles that area most of the time. It is better to trust her to be in there if I don’t want to burn down the whole building with my own hands—my cooking ability is not as great as hers to begin with.

From fruits, vegetables, and seasonings, I got it all first before proceeding with the things I need for myself and also buying some for Olivia’s daily necessities. I put several shampoos, conditioners, soaps, toiletries, and many more on the cart as well as some snacks to store in the storage. Before I could even notice, my cart was already full that I had a hard time finding a spot for the others already.

With the help of the staff, I managed to bring all those boxes inside my car and drove them back to the unit. The staff in the building had to help me as well, because I would end up going up and down several times if I did it alone. There were so many things to unpack when all the boxes arrived at the unit, so Olivia and I had to join hands to clean it all up as soon as possible. She was quick while I was left clueless, since my own housekeepers back in New York used to do it themselves.

“Olivia, what kind of job do you think suits me? Like a position should I apply for?” I asked while sitting on the high chair next to the island counter with my laptop on. “Manager? Supervisor?”

“Do you think you should consider what you are good at first? Let’s say if you are good at marketing, you could try to apply for any position under the marketing department.” she suggested while putting the remaining groceries into the shelves properly.

What am I good at?

“Well… if there is something I am good at, then maybe business? I am the General Manager of our company and I have a business management degree as well.” I clicked my tongue, shaking my head right away. “But it would be impossible to get that kind of position right away despite my background.”

There is one more thing I fear about this job application. Many Philippine companies know our family business, but only some have met me personally whenever I accompany my sister on her appointments. With the knowledge of being in a high position in our business, they might not accept me in fear of having conflicts with our company. Things could even go wrong once my possible boss mentions to my parents about my presence. But I have no other option but to look for a decent job.

“I am stuck,” I whispered, staring at the thin air helplessly.

Not even a single position can come into my head. Surely making my resume was easy as well as passing it to the company I will apply for, but choosing a company when I don’t have full knowledge of every business in this country and a position is hard. I don’t even know if I might even really land a job after this hunt.

“Do you mind if I help you look for one?” Olivia offered, which made my face brighter. I didn’t hesitate to nod at her offer.

I lend her my laptop, letting her take control and look for the site herself. She probably has more experience with job hunting since I heard she had worked in several companies before Marley found her and asked her to be the housekeeper of this unit. Everyone knows that working under that girl is a big deal with her family background and name in the public. Olivia probably thinks she hit the jackpot when my best friend hired her—she is getting paid more than the amount she gets from her previous work when the only thing she does is keep the house at its pace.

“Do you think you can handle working as a secretary?” I was brought back to my senses when she talked. “There is an opening for the secretary position for the CEO of a big company.”

“Which company is it?”

“Valle Enterprises Holdings.” she looks up to me with an assured smile. “It’s a multi-billionaire company in this country. I also used to work for them back then in their financial department before Ms. Kelly hired me. It will be a good win if you get the job.”

“I think I have heard of that company before. But, wouldn't there be many applicants who would pass their resume there if it's a big company? After all, many people might see it as a goal to work under them since it will look really good in their records to have that company’s name in it.” I said, being skeptical of the idea.

“But it’s worth a try, Ms. Cruz. Compared to the other applicants, you are probably the only possible applicant who has full knowledge of the business and the CEO actually prefers having a dependable secretary than just simply answering calls for him.” I raised a brow at her.

“You know the CEO?”

She shakes her head right away with a smile. “I was close to his former secretary. She was his last secretary before looking for a new one this year.”

I slowly nodded my head, processing her offer. Working for a big company surely does have its benefits. From a higher pay, comfortable working space and a bigger scope of business, they have it all. What I am even sure of about this Valle Enterprises is, they don’t have any business with ours. I have met all of our business partners and potential ones already but never had a chance to bump into theirs.

“There is nothing to lose anyway.”

After a few days of sending my application, I got an email to go to the company itself for a personal interview with the other applicant. It was faster than expected since I was expecting a response from them after a week or two because of the possible loads of resumes from the applicants who want to work for the CEO.

I fixed the blazer of my pants suit as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. For today, I decided to dress up in a smart formal outfit. It was just almost the same as the ones I wear in New York but I had to notch it down a bit because I am applying for a secretary position, not the CEO one. I wore a burgundy colored pants suit with a white blouse underneath, one button opened so I wouldn’t look like I was choking on my own clothes, and paired it up with black heels.

A deep sigh escapes my lips as I reach for my watch from the table to wear it. My hair is neatly down with a few curls just to style it more. I also put on light makeup to make myself presentable for this interview, which will be in two hours. Luckily, the company is actually close here, so it wouldn’t be that hard to get there.

“You can do this,” I whispered.

I sat at the table alone with the other applicants scattered throughout the room. We are being called one by one, interviewed by a temporary assistant of the CEO based on the previous applicants who had already finished their turn. The look on the people’s faces in this room was so obvious. There were some who were determined. Some are nervous and excited. It was all mixed up as they mumbled words that I barely understood while I… I just remained seated while using my phone to watch.

“Hi! You are also applying, right?” A woman dressed in a gray skirt suit sat next to me with a sweet smile. I nodded my head with a smile in return. “I first thought you were one of the interviewees when you first came into the room. By the way, I’m Hannah.”

“Ashley.” I shook her hands happily. “Is this your first time applying here?”

“It’s already my third time actually. I applied to different departments during the first two. I figured I might not have any luck from those departments so I grabbed the opportunity for this position the moment I saw it.” she lets out a small giggle. “How about you?”

“It’s my first time,” I cleared my throat, looking away. “My first time applying for a job actually.”

She looked shocked when I revealed that. I highly doubt anyone in this room is in the same position as me. I do have work experience but just in a higher position.

“Really? But you look so professional already. You don’t even look nervous at all, compared to all of us here,” she pointed out.

All I could do was give her a smile. It will be too much to inform her of my work experience. If I am not wrong, it might even be too much to handle. It’s better to just keep it silent now and hope she will go away so I can continue watching the movie.

“Ms. Ashley Nicole Cruz?” I turned in the direction of the door right away with the mention of my name. The male employee immediately gave me a smile. “You are up.”

I silently followed him with my bag alone in my hand. It was just a silent and short walk before he opened the door to a room that was all covered in roller-blind curtains, disallowing anyone to see what was happening inside. I was greeted by a man who was in a black suit with three buttons unbuttoned. He looked at me with a knowing smile that made me confused.

“Ms. Cruz?” he said as I nodded to proceed and shake his hand. “I’m Rob Sean Valle, one of the company Lawyers of Valle Enterprises. It’s nice meeting you.”

A Valle? He might be close relative to the CEO.

“It’s nice meeting you as well, Mr. Valle.” I responded.

“I would have loved to be the one to interview you but I got a request directly from the CEO to hand you to him instead.” My eyes blinked and slightly widened with the sudden reveal that made him smile. “Mr. Valle will be the one to interview you himself.”

I wasn’t sure why, but as I followed behind Mr. Rob Valle, I suddenly felt nervous. I was also lost with the sudden events. It is an advantage to receive such a request from the CEO himself, but why all of a sudden? They have been interviewing the previous applicants in that previous room but I am to meet the CEO and get interviewed by him?

“You can enter the room already.” he says after knocking before a small smirk forms his lips, increasing my suspicion. “Good luck, Ms. Cruz.”

With my beating heart, I opened the door of the big office carefully—trying to set aside the thoughts in my head. There, my eyes landed on the back of the man standing in front of the glass window with both of his hands in his pockets. As I approached his table, there was something intimidating around him that made me feel like wanting to run away and speechless. Maybe it was because he is the CEO… but it wasn’t just that.

The moment he turned around, I knew who it was already. The black masked billionaire.