The CEO's Secret Heir

CHAPTER 3 ------ ADRIAN BANKS

Adrian's POV

“You should have seen her face; she was so shocked to see how handsome I am,” Leo bragged, puffing out his chest with a playful grin.

“She couldn't believe that such beauty existed. What do you think about that, bro?” I chuckled, shaking my head at my younger brother's antics.

Leo had always been the playful one, the light-hearted spirit in our otherwise serious lives. With our father, Richard Banks, currently in the hospital after an accident, the weight of being the youngest and richest CEO in the country at 30 rested heavily on my shoulders. But Leo? He seemed unfazed, always finding a way to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, I can imagine. She's not the first to act that way, right?” I replied, trying to rein in the smirk threatening to break free.

“What???, Hell nahhh! I can't even count the number of girls I’ve had looking like that,” he exclaimed, pride swelling in his voice.

I rolled my eyes, half-amused and half-exasperated. Leo had always had a way of making everything sound more grandiose than it was, especially when it came to his charm and appeal.

“You know it’s not just about looks, right? There’s more to it than just a pretty face.” “Yeah, yeah, but it helps!” he shot back, winking at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Despite the gravity of our situation, moments like these reminded me of the bond we shared. As rich and powerful as I was, it was Leo’s carefree spirit that often brought me back to earth. In a world where everyone seemed to want something from me, where everyone feared me and avoided me, it was refreshing to have my brother remind me that sometimes, it was okay to just be… well, us.

“Just remember, charm can only get you so far,” I said, nudging him playfully. “Eventually, you’ll need to rely on something a bit more substantial.” “Yeah, like my irresistible charm!” he shot back with a laugh, and for a moment, the worries of our current reality faded away,

“But my mind keeps wandering back to her friend”. He said after a long pause, “She had this very familiar aura, I just can't place it. There's something about her eyes and those lips, I can't seem to get my mind off of her” he told Leo.

Leo leaned in closer to him with a serious gaze and asked, “ you can't remember where you knew her from?”

"That's the point", he replied, I remember nothing…

"Nothing at all?" Leo pressed, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Not even a hint? Sometimes, memories can be buried deep. You might just need a trigger." He shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice.

"I wish it were that easy. Every time I close my eyes, all I see are those eyes—so familiar yet so distant. It’s like trying to grasp smoke with my bare hands." Leo took a moment, contemplating. "What if you tried talking to her? Maybe she can help jog your memory.

"Sometimes, seeing someone in a different context can spark something." "I don’t know," he replied, biting his lip. "What if she’s linked to something I don’t want to remember? What if it’s something bad?" "Or," Leo countered, "what if it’s something good? Something that could help you piece together the puzzle of who you are? You owe it to yourself to find out." He stared down at his drink, the ice clinking softly against the glass.

The thought of approaching her made his stomach twist with anxiety, but the pull of her presence was undeniable.

"Maybe… just maybe," he murmured, finally allowing a flicker of hope to ignite within him. "I need to know.”

A call came in on his mobile phone, it was his bank manager. “ Hey, Mr Banks, how are you today?”. “I'm okay, you?”. “Good, good”. He continues “so I'm right outside my office and your secretary is inside my office, she came here this morning with a claim that you wanted to transfer almost half of your money into a random account, I found it suspicious and I needed to confirm it with you personally”. He said.

“Ohh, she did that?” Adrian asked with a shocked voice. “Please keep her occupied for me, I'll be right there”. He said as he grabbed his keys and stormed out ignoring his brother’s questions.

His office to the bank is just a few minutes drive so he got there just in time. When the culprit saw him, she was shocked, she didn't know what to do. Adrian stared into her soul with his cold eyes, it made fear grip her and she thought it was the end for her “ just lock her up and make sure she pays for her sins” he said fiercely.

Theresa's pov

My phone rang, “Hey girl,” Brienne's excited voice echoed in my ears. “Hi, Brienne, what's up?” “I heard just now that the Banks need a new secretary, and a new receptionist. I think the last secretary got fired for some reason, and the receptionist, well, I don't know… but you know how rich these people are! Girl, this is your chance.”

The perfume company she works for also belongs to the Banks family, so it’s valid for her to hear the news first. “ I'll really prefer it if you apply for the secretary’s position, but knowing the kind of person you are, you'll rather be the receptionist”. She was right, I'll prefer working freely on the receptionist table than going to and fro with a grumpy person.

“The interview is next week—don’t snooze. I have to go back to work now; I'll call you later.” She hung up the call.

I stood there, my heart racing with mixed feelings. The previous interviews I had attended had never turned out well. Doubts crept into my mind, but the thought of this opportunity—the chance to take care of my mum—made me reconsider. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anxiety that clung to me. With a newfound determination, I grabbed my notebook, flipped to a blank page, and started jotting down ideas on how to do well as a receptionist.