My CEO Thinks I Am A Man

Chapter one

Alessandro Bellandi pushed open the glass doors and entered the reception area of Valenti Holdings headquarters. Almost every seat was occupied, and most of the people waiting for the interview were young women dressed as if they were going to a beauty contest instead of a job interview. Some wore short dresses, while others had spent a great deal of time doing their makeup. she looked around quietly before walking to the reception desk, giving her name to the receptionist and taking the only empty seat she could find.

"The CEO is so handsome," a woman sitting nearby said as she checked her lipstick in a small mirror. "I really hope I get the job. Imagine becoming his personal assistant and seeing him every day."

"I heard he doesn't like hiring women as his PA or secretary," another woman replied while looking at herself in her compact mirror. "Apparently, too many women have tried to seduce him, and he fired them as soon as he found out what they were doing."

Alessandro kept a straight face as she listened to them. Everyone in the room seemed determined to impress Marcello Valenti, and from the way they were dressed, they had clearly put a lot of effort into their appearance. Compared with them, Alessandro looked almost ordinary. Her clothes were clean and decent, but they were nowhere near as expensive or stylish as theirs. She doubted anyone would remember her after seeing the other candidates.

That was exactly what she wanted.

Alessandro had cut off her long raven hair and changed almost everything about her appearance. The soft waves now rested around her shoulders, and her friend Ludovico Ferri had told her that some young men liked keeping their hair slightly long, so she had decided not to cut it any further. She was not wearing any makeup, except for the dark gray contact lenses she had put in to hide her natural azure eyes. She had also put on thick black glasses, glued fake thick eyebrows above her eyes and used a prosthetic nose to make her face look different. She had considered using a fake beard or mustache, but she had quickly decided against it because she knew she would look ridiculous.

She had barely settled into her seat when the door to the CEO's office opened. A young woman came out with tears running down her face, and her makeup was so badly ruined that she looked nothing like the confident woman who had entered the office earlier.

"I can't believe this!" the woman cried. "They insulted me and told me to leave. I don't understand it. I'm beautiful, so why wouldn't he hire me?"

She continued crying while wiping her cheeks, only making the black eyeliner spread even more across her face. A few women watched her with sympathy, while others simply looked annoyed.

"Why does every woman who goes in there come out crying?" one of them muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"There are rumors that he's been searching for his wife for the last five years," another woman whispered. "Maybe he's just tired of women now. Who knows?"

She shrugged as though the matter did not concern her. "I don't care. If I have to, I'll give him what he wants. I'm sure he'll give me the job after that."

The woman adjusted her blouse and tried to make herself look more attractive.

Alessandro almost laughed, but she quickly controlled herself. She knew more about Marcello than any of these women could imagine. The rumors about him were not completely wrong, but they did not tell the whole story either.

That arrogant man had left his own bride at the altar after exchanging vows with her. As if that was not enough, he had later sent her divorce papers. Now he was telling everyone that he regretted losing his wife and had spent five years searching for her. He even called her his wife whenever people asked about her.

His wife?

Had he forgotten the divorce papers with his own signature on them?

Alessandro clenched her hands beneath the table as anger slowly rose inside her. She had spent the last five years dealing with the consequences of his decision, while Marcello had apparently decided that he was the victim in their story. The nerve of that man.

"Alessandro Bellandi. You're next."

The receptionist's pleasant voice pulled Alessandro out of her thoughts. She immediately straightened her back and took a deep breath before standing up. She smoothed down her pale blue shirt, adjusted her tie and checked her glasses one last time.

That morning, she had called Ludovico because she had been so nervous about the interview that she could barely think straight.

"What if I can't do this?" she had asked him over the phone.

"You'll do fine," Ludovico had replied without hesitation. "You'll ace the interview, Alessandro. Just remember what we practised. And don't wax or thread your upper lip. With those fake eyebrows and your clothes, you'll look like a young man."

She had immediately started insulting him before ending the call.

Remembering the conversation now brought a small smile to her face, but the smile disappeared as soon as she stepped into the interview room.

Five people were seated behind a long table. However, the man sitting in the center immediately caught her attention. He was looking down at her application file, and even without anyone introducing him, Alessandro knew exactly who he was.

Marcello Valenti.

She slowly walked toward the empty chair and sat down. The man sitting on the left, Matteo Rinaldi, gave her a professional smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Bellandi. Tell us something about yourself."

Alessandro heard him, but her attention was still on the man in the center. Marcello looked to be in his mid twenties, although the cold expression on his face made him seem older. His dark hair was neatly styled, and a faint shadow covered his jaw. There was something powerful about him, something that made everyone in the room aware that he was the person in charge.

Five years ago, Alessandro had stood opposite that same man at the altar. At the time, she had thought he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He had been clean shaven then, with shorter hair and a much younger appearance, but he was still the same man.

The same man who had broken her heart.

Alessandro forced herself to look away and began answering the interview questions. She spoke about her qualifications, which were not very impressive, and explained the skills she had learned. She also mentioned that she loved football and had never been very interested in the things most girls around her enjoyed. Her naturally tomboyish personality was one of the reasons she had decided that pretending to be a young man might actually work.

Everything seemed to be going well until Marcello finally raised his eyes from the file.

Alessadro froze.

Those eyes.

They were cold and sharp, but she knew them immediately. They were the same blue eyes she had stared into five years ago. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. She had spent years trying to forget this man, yet sitting across from him now made every old memory return at once.

Marcello was even more handsome than she remembered.

She quickly looked away before he could notice how badly she was affected by him. She suddenly understood why all those women outside were desperate to work for him.

"Mr. Bellandi," Matteo said, clearing his throat, "you were telling us about your interests."

"Yes. My interests."

Alessandro forced herself to continue speaking, but she could feel Marcello watching her. His gaze seemed to stay on her for longer than necessary, as if he was trying to figure out why she looked familiar. Alessandro swallowed nervously and silently repeated the same words inside her head.

Don't recognize me.

Please don't recognize me.

She had practised everything with Ludovico several times before coming here, and she knew exactly what she was supposed to say. She only hoped she could keep her nervousness under control.

Marcello looked down at her application again before asking, "Your father's name isn't mentioned here."

Alessandro's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes and tried to keep her voice steady.

"Yes, sir. I was raised in an orphanage. I can provide references if you need them."

It was another lie.

She felt guilty about it, especially because her parents had no idea she was using such a story, but she had no choice. She could not tell Marcello who she really was.

Marcello studied her face for a moment before looking back at the application.

"You are an ideal candidate in one respect."

Alessandro's heart lifted slightly.

They wanted a male candidate.

Maybe she had actually succeeded.

"Male candidates rarely apply for this position," Marcello continued. "Most of them assume I will be difficult to work for."

Alessandro almost smiled.

Finally.

"But unfortunately, your qualifications are not enough for this position."

Her smile disappeared.

Marcello closed the file and held it out toward her.

"We're done."

"B... but, sir..."

Alessandro swallowed hard. "I am a..."

Her voice almost failed her.

"I am a m-man."

Marcello looked directly at her.

"No."

Alessandro's blood ran cold.

"You are not a man."

She stopped breathing for a moment.

He knows.

Her mind immediately went blank. Had he discovered her disguise? Was he going to call security? Would he report her to the police?

She was already preparing herself for the worst when Marcello continued speaking.

"You're merely a boy. You should be attending university and looking for a part time job, not applying for a full time position you're clearly underqualified for."

His words were harsh, and Alessandro felt her pride being crushed with every sentence.

Gosh. He's still as rude as ever.

"I can work hard, sir," she said quickly. "I can make good coffee, organize documents and keep your office tidy. I learn quickly, and I can do anything you ask me to do."

She knew she sounded desperate because she was desperate.

This job was her last chance. Her money was almost gone, and she had already lost her rented apartment. She had been sleeping wherever she could find a safe place, sometimes in public bathrooms and sometimes at train stations. She could not continue living like that.

She needed this job.

She needed Valenti Holdings.

"I said no."

Marcello's voice filled the room, leaving no room for argument.

"Leave."

Alessandro felt her eyes burning, but she refused to let the tears fall. She slowly stood up, reminding herself that she was supposed to be a man. She could not cry in front of these people, especially not after everything she had done to create this identity.

She turned toward the door.

"Mr. Bellandi."

Alessandro stopped immediately.

"Yes?"

Hope appeared in her eyes before she could stop it.

Marcello pointed toward the table.

"You forgot your documents."

Alessandro looked at the table and saw her application file sitting there. She hurried back, picked it up and gave the men a tight smile.

"Thank you."

Then she turned around and walked out of the office.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Alessandro clenched her fists.

No.

I won't give up.

If she walked away from this company, she would have to return to the life she could no longer survive. She had come here because she needed a way out, and she was not going to leave without finding one.

Anything was better than going back to the streets.

When Alessandro returned to the reception area, all the women immediately looked at her. They were waiting for her to cry just like the others had, but instead, Alessandro suddenly raised one fist into the air.

"I got selected!"

The room fell silent.

Everyone stared at her.

Bianca Orsini, the receptionist, looked completely confused.

"What?"

"How?"

One of the women stared at Alessandro as though she had just announced that she had won a million euros.

"How is that possible?"

Another woman groaned and looked down at her expensive dress.

"I just wasted money on this new dress."

Alessandro loosened her tie and looked around at them.

"Girls, listen."

The women turned toward her.

"Where is your self respect?" she asked. "Yes, he might be the most handsome man you've ever seen, but your dignity is worth more than a handsome face."

A few of them nodded slowly.

"I got selected, so please accept it and move on. There are millions of jobs out there, and there are billions of handsome men."

She paused and lowered her voice.

"He isn't worth your tears."

The women slowly began gathering their things and leaving while whispering among themselves.

Alessandro watched them for a moment before turning toward Bianca.

"Miss."

Bianca looked at her.

"They'll probably call you inside soon. They will ask you to prepare my appointment letter."

Alessandro smiled warmly.

"Nice to be on board with such a beautiful colleague."

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.

She had forgotten that she was supposed to be a man.

Bianca's cheeks immediately turned pink.

Alessandro froze.

Oh no.

She stared at the blushing receptionist and slowly realized that there was no way to take those words back.