Surrender To Me

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

SLOANE

Rushed, hectic, and stressful with occasional screaming competitions from the bosses, mainly from the CEO and the sales manager aka me, who won't back down. That is how you will describe Wayne.

Because we are a famous clothing line, we need to work harder to create new designs, maintain our reputation, improve our quality, and beat ourselves. Every day feels like a battle, but there are times when everything's chill, and that is after a launch. We will rest for a few days, then we will enter a battle again.

What I like about the company and why I chose it, however, is that Wayne competes by itself and not with other companies. We constantly work to beat our own record. Employees are prioritized and cared for with lots of vacation leave, and it is one of the companies that actually care for someone's mental well-being.

Most importantly, because their offer was the highest, of course. For a breadwinner like me who supports her family, that is the most important thing.

Today is one of our most hectic days because we are working on a project, well, mostly me, but everyone is on edge. Every department is busy, and you can almost see an invisible tension in the air.

"Ma'am, the CEO wants this to be revised." Claire, a member of my team, placed a document in front of my table, and I swear my head exploded.

"What?! I sent this a week ago, and he's only sending it now when I need it tomorrow?! I'm already buried with work as it is!" I screamed, smacking my hand on the table, making Claire jump in surprise. "Send it back to him—you know what? I'll do it myself."

I abruptly stood up, my chair almost falling on the floor, before I stormed outside with one destination in mind. Everybody stayed clear of my way, probably noticing the mood I was in. That is probably why the company cares for our mental health because they are the ones who cause it anyway!

To my luck, I saw Josiah walking out of the elevator, probably on his way to tour around. He stopped when he noticed me and frowned when he noticed my mood. Tom, his assistant, probably noticed my mood and made up some lame excuse before escaping to save himself.

"Sir, I remember sending this document to you a week ago. I could have revised it earlier if you checked it earlier, but it's needed tomorrow." I calmly told Josiah, who was unfazed and pocketed his hands.

By now, I know we have an audience who are waiting for our monthly fights. Josiah and I often clash because he just can't do his job right. He likes pending some tasks like the CEO that he is, but we, as simple workers, have a lot of deadlines we need to finish.

Yes, we might be f*ck buddies behind closed doors, but in front of everyone, we are mortal enemies. He doesn't like being told what to do, and I don't like anyone messing with my work.

"Well, Miss Ellsworth, I had a lot of other things to do than check documents from employees who can't even do a proper task."

My eyebrow ticked at his words, and I could feel my temper rising. Oh, I like him in bed. He makes me lose my wits and surrender to him because he's that good, but he's still as arrogant as ever.

"Mr. Wayne, we do not label documents as urgent for fun. If only you would get off your high horse and be considerate sometimes, our lives would be much better."

Other employees will be fired at this point for insulting and talking back to their superiors, but not me. They know I'm too much of a treasure to lose, and I am not even being arrogant when I say that they owe their success for the past three years since I came here, to me. I managed to put the brand at the top, fighting with the top brands all over the world.

When you know your value, you won't allow anyone to belittle you, even if they are higher than you.

"If you revised it instead of yapping like this, you would have finished by now, but you just like fighting me, huh, Miss Ellsworth?"

Yapping? Ugh, this man!

"You know what? Whatever. I lose a brain cell every time I talk to you. This better not happen again, Mr. Wayne." I glared at him before storming back to my office, grumbling under my breath as I revised it and prepared for the important project at the same time.

But Josiah just liked making my life miserable when he asked for an urgent meeting in the middle of it. We all attended the meeting and listened to him reprimand us about some mistakes in the current project everyone is working on and about wanting to change some things. His secretary showed some of the mistakes he mentioned and while I agree with most, I disagreed on some.

I raised my hand and his eyes turned to me. "While I do agree that some designs need improvement, I disagree that we need to change the fabrics you mentioned, sir. And no, it's not because the fabric you want is expensive, but it's what most customers prefer these days. They like satin, crochet, and the others."

"Yeah, and I'm sure crochet and satin can help them when it's cold, Miss Ellsworth. People prefer thicker clothes, especially since it's winter soon."

I let out a sigh. "We are a fashion company, sir. Haven't you heard about the latest fashion where a woman can wear a satin dress inside and a thick robe outside? And it's not even full satin, we are inventing a little bit of both. We can release thick and thin clothes at the same time."

"We can't spend a fortune on invention, Miss Ellsworth. We need certainty."

I licked my teeth and gave him a serious look. "Most of us here have worked with the company for many years, Mr. Wayne. The company has trusted the designers to create unique designs and to always improve. Your father fully trusts the designers, and I trust they will pull this off as well. Like what they have been doing for the past years even before you and I came here. If you can't trust their 'invention' of creating hybrid clothes, then why don't you just fire them?"

Josiah was silent for a few seconds, looking around the employees, especially at the designers who looked dejected. He must have finally realized his mistake. He undermined their job, and that isn't something a leader shouldn't do.

Josiah let out a sigh. "I'm sorry if it came out like that. I didn't mean it like that. How about we go with the designs, and use the chosen fabric, but let's start with small production first to see if the customers will like it? Then we can produce a larger amount once it's a hit."

Everyone looked at each other and agreed, including me. When the meeting was over, Josiah sent me a look and I knew what it meant. I pretended to read the documents in front of me until everyone left and Josiah closed the door.

"You really like humiliating me in front of everyone, huh?" Josiah asked with a raised brow, irritation in his voice.

I stood up, letting out a smirk as I teasingly touched his tie. "I'm just doing my job."

His large hand grabbed my hips tight and pulled me closer to whisper in my ear. "I want compensation. I'm angry and you know how to make it go away."

I scoffed, pulling away from him before someone saw us and picked up my things. " Then I'll see you later in your office... sir."

I went back to my office and continued where I left with. By the time I was done with the revision, it was thirty minutes before office work was done. I went to his office in my three-inch heels.

"Is Mr. Wayne inside?" I asked Jane, Josiah's secretary.

Jane dragged her eyes from what she was reading to look at me lazily and rolled her eyes. She's always treated me badly since she started working here a year ago. I don't know what her deal with me is, but I could guess it's because I always beat her before, just like Josiah. Jane, Josiah, and I were all classmates back in college, and she was never able to beat me, not even close enough like Josiah.

"Yes." She answered in a lazy voice.

"I need to see him. He needs to sign this document," I demanded, pretending that I didn't know her boss is inside, waiting for me.

"He's already expecting you." Jane rolled her eyes again, and I watched as she was called by a friend and left her station with her things.

I entered Josiah's office, locking it behind me, and found him on his desk with his reading glasses on, his sleeves folded to his elbows, and two buttons undone. God, he looked so sexy. It's been three years, and I might have been better than him in academics, but he's a lot better when it comes to physical looks, and I can't believe he sleeps with me out of all women, like Jane, who obviously had the hots for her boss.

I placed the document on the table and forgot about it as I walked around his desk until I was standing behind his chair. My hands trailed from his exposed arms to his exposed chest.

"Are you ready for me to make it up to you?" I smiled and dipped my head to kiss him, and he gladly returned it.

In just a minute, he had me sitting on his lap as we made out like we were the only ones in the world, starting to get lost in a burning fire we had been sharing for three years and not showing any signs of stopping anytime soon.

This has been a normal occurrence for us. We are enemies in front of the employees; we scream and insult each other when they are around, but we stick our tongues down each other's throats.

We fight like a tiger and a cat for show, but we f*ck like bunnies when no one is around.

As Josiah practically devoured me, I could have sworn I heard the door closing, but it was still locked when I turned to look at it.

Was I just imagining it?