The CEO's Secret Heir

CHAPTER 5 ------ MR. BANKS

Standing behind her work desk on her first day at work brought mixed feelings upon her.

Theresa had never been a receptionist since she graduated.

All she did was to sell coffees and do pizza deliveries since she had always messed up her interviews.she was lucky this time. She cleared her throat calmly, held her hands together and placed them on her legs facing down.

“Welcome.. how may I be at your service?” She practiced her greetings with a smile on her face. Her first few trials weren't satisfying for her so she kept practicing. After a few more trials, “I won't be a bad receptionist after all “. She thought as she sat on her seat, trying to imagine how her day was going to turn out.

But not for long, there was movement. She heard footsteps coming from the entrance of the hotel towards her table, so she stood up. “Welcome, how may I be of help…” she said with a coarse voice and couldn't complete the sentence when she saw who it was.

It was Adrian.

He looked handsome just like the first time she met him at the cafe. He wasn't smiling at first, but when he took off his shades and realized who was before him, his face brightened up.

He stretched out his hand over the counter and stopped, as if he was asking for something. Theresa just stood there confused.

Then the hotel manager came running to the table, opened the lockers and brought out a key from one of the lockers. The lockers were 6 in total. Since the hotel was a 5 star hotel, each locker had keys for each of the stars.

One star was least expensive, two stars was cheaper than three stars, three stars was cheaper than four stars and the progress continues. The hotel manager gave Adrian one of the 5 star keys. While she searched the lockers, Adrian's gaze didn't move from Theresa.

He kept looking at her. At one point, Theresa was shy, so she looked away. Adrian smiled.

“I can see you're new here”. He said. “Y.. yes sir”, she muttered. “When does your shift end?”, he asked her. “12pm sir”, she replied. “Perfect, come see me in my room by then”. He said without batting an eye and left.

The hotel manager who had been standing at a safe distance came rushing to her table, “what did he tell you?”, she asked excitedly.

She looked like a woman who was a few years older than Theresa, but has the body of a teenager.

“Nothing…He just encouraged me. That's all”. “ Oh, okay then, but he has never talked to any of his employees before, that's why I was curious”, she replied with an awkward smile.

“And in case I'm not here next time, that man is the owner of this place so whenever he comes, don't ask questions and just give hom a five star key”, she added as she left Theresa's table.

Theresa was shocked and also deep in thought again. “What did he want?”, “He's the owner of this place, is he in any way related to the banks?”, “why is he asking to see her?”. Unanswered questions kept moving to and fro on her head as she sat back on her seat still deep in thought.

Then for some reason, her mind flashed back to that night, that night with a strange man, the thought of it sent shivers to her head again. “Why am I even thinking of that at a time like this?”, she said to herself as she waved the thought off and proceeded to arrange her already arranged table.

She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in her stomach. The day was just beginning, and she needed to focus on her responsibilities as a receptionist, not the swirling thoughts of Adrian or the haunting memories of that night. As she adjusted the neatly stacked brochures on the counter, her mind wandered back to Adrian's earlier words.

“Come see me in my room by then.” What could he possibly want? She wasn’t even sure why he had taken an interest in her at all. Was it merely curiosity, or something more? She recalled their first meeting at the café, where he had been charming and charismatic, making her feel seen, even in the midst of her usual nervousness.

Now, standing behind the reception desk, she felt a mix of excitement and fear. What if he was just being polite? Or what if he had ulterior motives? The bell above the door jingled, pulling her from her thoughts.

A couple entered the hotel, laughter spilling from their lips as they approached her desk. Theresa quickly put on her best smile, shaking off her worries.

“Welcome! How may I assist you today?” The couple requested a room, and as she expertly navigated the booking system, she felt a sense of accomplishment. Maybe she was cut out for this job after all. She handed them their key, exchanging pleasantries as they headed off to their room.

Once they were gone, however, the silence of the lobby settled in again, and her thoughts drifted back to Adrian. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early, but she couldn’t shake the anticipation. As she continued to arrange the desk, she reminded herself that this was her chance to prove herself.

She had never aspired to be a receptionist; it was just a job she had stumbled upon. But now, with the potential to make a connection with someone like Adrian, her heart raced at the thought of what might come next.

The minutes ticked by slowly as she tried to keep herself occupied. She checked the lobby’s cleanliness, refilled the coffee station, and even tidied up the magazines. With each task, she felt a sense of control returning, but the thought of her upcoming meeting with Adrian lingered in the back of her mind.

Around noon, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for what was to come. She hadn’t decided yet if she would go see him, but the thought of his handsome face and that charming smile made the decision increasingly difficult. As the clock struck twelve, she stood up, smoothing out her skirt nervously.

“What do I have to lose?” she whispered to herself,b"he's my boss after all" ,steeling her resolve. With one final glance at the reception desk, she stepped away and made her way toward the elevators, her heart pounding with both fear and excitement.

The ride to the top floor felt like an eternity, but when the doors finally opened, she stepped out into a lavish hallway adorned with fine art and plush carpets. This was a world she had never been part of, and it made her feel both small and exhilarated. She approached Adrian's room, her hand hovering over the door. Gathering her courage, she knocked softly.

The sound echoed in the quiet corridor, and she felt her heart race as she waited for a response. Would he be friendly? Dismissive? She held her breath, ready for whatever came next.