The Billionaire’s Secret Empire

ChapterTwo

Xavier Alexander Johnson, also known as 'Xavi'.

Dressed in an impeccable white suit, tailored to perfection, without a single wrinkle, and with her hair meticulously styled, Taylor's eyes froze in horror when the man who had left her at the altar stood just a few feet away.

Impossible.

It simply can't be.

She felt a throbbing headache. An understatement. She felt like her brain was being crushed at the sight of her fiancé. She shook her head slightly, hoping this was some kind of sick, twisted test invented by the company to prove her worth or something, or perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her and mistaking her boss for someone else.

Her hands immediately rubbed her eyes to clear the morning mist. Then she looked up again at the figure standing directly in front of her, his brow furrowed in a way that clearly indicated he was the one most irritated by her behavior.

It was Javier!!

This wasn't a test, nor a sick game designed to mess with her mind; THE MAN WHO HAD LEFT HER SPEECHLESS WAS CLEARLY STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!

And he was her boss?!

A billionaire?!

"Incredible," she thought.

"Xavi?" His name came out in a squeal, more pathetic than she wanted. She was angry, but even more heartbroken to see him looking so... unperturbed.

He stared at her, his eyes devoid of emotion, unlike the man she knew and had come to love. "Who are you?"

She swallowed hard; the lump in her throat was harder to swallow now that she was taking a few steps back. She was definitely going crazy... was she? Xavier, whom she had loved with every fiber of her being, was asking her who she was.

Didn't he really know her?

Was she mistaking her boss for someone else? Like the man who had single-handedly ruined her life?

Theo Gianni's patience had clearly run out when he saw the woman in front of him...go through multiple levels of delirium. He sighed deeply and reached for the extension phone on his desk, clearly not having time to bother with a crazy being this damn morning.

“Hello,” his words came out with a brutal coldness that she definitely wasn't expecting, “I need security in my office. Do it—

"No!!" Taylor screamed. A serious mistake, he knew when he saw the disturbed look on his boss's face: "I... I'm Taylor Hempstead. "I'm your new secretary."

An awkward silence followed. The tension in the room was enough to make a child scream. Theo's brow arched for a moment and he let out a sigh as he put the phone back into its socket.

The frown returned to his face, "I clearly need to fire everyone in the human resources department for being so incompetent."

"Excuse me."

"There's no apparent reason for them to hire someone as incompetent as you other than to spite me." He murmured, “That said. You're fucking..."

“No!” She screamed, retracting her sudden outburst, took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure, "I... I deeply apologize for my behavior, Mr. Gianni." Swallowing hard, the words felt like a hard brick to chew, "I mistook you for someone...that's all."

Mistake?!

Did she mistake him for someone?!!

Xavier was standing right in front of her, and at the risk of losing the job she had fought so hard for, she had to lie about mistaking him for someone?!

Theo's eyebrow arched, his lips tightly shadowed as he studied her intently. Then he rubbed his temple and let out a deep sigh: “One last chance. I suppose no one has told you, but I'm not one to reward indulgence, miss...

"Hempstead." She corrected, swallowing for the umpteenth time, "The name is Taylor Hempstead...yes...sir."

“Get out of my office.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and she took that instruction carefully, leaving the office of the man who had supposedly ruined her life.

Did Xavier really not remember her?

Was Theo Gianni really Xavier Johnson?

Were they twins? Cousins? Doppelgängers?!

What the hell was happening?!

***********

Six hours of unbearable silence and tension at the desk of being Theo Gianni's new secretary, and Taylor finally came to the conclusion that he could never be the man she was in love with. Rumors that he was a ruthless boss did nothing but justice to Theo Gianni's reputation.

He wasn't just ruthless. He was a monster. And she despised him with the rays of a thousand burning suns. Not only did he criticize every single thing she had done, but he had also dismissed the idea of ​​her being fired every time she made a small mistake, and the worst part was that she followed his instructions exactly.

There was no way he was Xander. Even though the evil bastard had left her at the altar, she was the sweetest person he had ever met. Xander was kind, passionate about helping those in need, and had a smile on his face that made your insides twist with joy every time you saw him.

Teo Gianni? He was a selfish jerk who hated everything. He even complained about the water she had offered him… the same water he specifically asked for!!!

“Miss Hempstead?” His irritating voice really grated on his nerves, and this was only his first day on the job.

"Mister?" He quickly ran into his office.

He was standing next to the windows that gave a wide view of the city skyline from the inside. She swallowed hard, his entire build similar to the man she knew, only muffled in places.

Xander was bulky and soft.

Theo was toned and rigid in every way.

She cleared her throat, "You called me if..."

His words trailed off the moment he saw a certain mark on the back of his boss's neck. His face lost all color and his legs became weak the moment he knew the meaning of what it meant.

Xander's birthmark. It was unique, he remembered very well how he once joked that it looked like the map of Europe. Theo Gianni had the same brand.

Oh God.

"You're horrible at your job and I hope you're better tomorrow." He said dryly: "You are excused."

He grabbed his jacket wrapped around the leather cover of his chair and walked past her to leave. The sandalwood musk of his body was all too familiar, something that calmed his nerves more times than he could count.

He looked like her ex-fiancé.

He smelled just like the man who professed his love for her under a sycamore tree.

He had the same birthmark as Xander Johnson!

And now he was walking away like he didn't know anything about her?!

Not under your watch!