Oliver breezed into his office, whistling a cheerful tune. A steaming cup of coffee warmed his hand as he tossed his briefcase onto the plush chair and hung his suit jacket on the back of his swivel chair.
Reaching for his daily schedule on the right side of his desk felt like muscle memory, but his hand hovered, then landed with a soft thud on an empty space. A frown creased his brow as he noticed his computer was still off.
Unease prickled his skin. Emily never left her desk bare. He called out, "Ms. Collins?"
Silence answered him, broken only by the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Realization dawned.
"Right, I told her to take a day off," he muttered, disappointment tingling in his voice as he slumped back into his chair.
Oliver practically collapsed onto the plush couch in his living room, tossing a brown paper bag onto the kitchen island. The doorman had just delivered his dinner – the result of a quick call to his chef friend. Cooking wasn't exactly in Oliver's repertoire, and on busy days like this, Emily would take the initiative to arrange meals. The soft glow of the penthouse lights bathed his exhausted form in a warm sheen. A glance at the clock made him wince – 9:00 PM already. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, fatigue etched on his face. Then, his eyes fell on the crumpled note still clutched in his hand. It was from the brown paper bag. A handwritten message from his chef friend: Made you a Grilled Filet Mignon and Truffle Pasta today, bro. You might be surprised since I heard Ms. Collins wasn't in today. But she called me to prepare dinne
A grin spread across Oliver's face. "But this new movie is actually pretty interesting! I can't seem to tear myself away..." "Don't play coy with me, Mr. Sterling," Emily countered, "That's Interstellar on the screen you've seen for umpteenth time, and let's be honest, you probably haven't understood a word of it all night. Plus, I know there's that expensive whiskey keeping you company." Oliver burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the penthouse. "Alright, alright, you win" He reached for the remote and flicked off the TV with a sigh. He rose from the couch, leaving the untouched glass of whiskey behind, and headed for his bedroom. The phone remained pressed to his ear, his other hand shoved in his sweatpants pocket. "Hear that?" he said, a playful note in h
Emily hurried through the glass doors of the tall building, her arms laden with a brown paper bag and a steaming coffee cup balanced precariously on top. Juggling the two, she spotted Bella, her coworker, heading towards the reception desk. "Em!" Bella called out, a friendly smile spreading across her face. Emily offered a quick wave in response before continuing her mad dash towards the president's private elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor with a practiced ease, her heart hammering against her ribs. A quick glance down revealed her reflection in the mirrored doors - a sea of dark green pencil skirt and a floral brown blouse that seemed perpetually wrinkled despite her efforts with the iron. Her black tights did little to combat the morning chill, and her black pumps clicked a staccato beat against the polished marble floor. She adjusted her
“So we decided to use a more efficient product……” The voice of the presenter echoed in the boardroom. Oliver, who sat at the head of the table, his gaze fixed on the report spread out before him. But the columns of figures and charts swam before his eyes, mere blurs in his vision. His mind was a million miles away, consumed by a looming problem that had nothing to do with the business report or project. His hand tapped out a restless rhythm against the folder. The click-clack of his Montblanc pen was the only sound breaking the tense silence. This was very unusual. But today, his inattentiveness was nowhere to be seen. Beside him is Emily who gave her boss a worried glance. "Sir?" she
Even Bella seemed stunned by his appearance. Her eyes widened, and she nudged Jayce, who looked equally bewildered. Even the nearby workers at their tables were craning their necks for a better look. "Oh my god, is she walking towards us?" Bella muttered excitedly. "Is he planning to eat here?" Jace echoed. As Oliver approached, Emily, Jayce, and Bella all stood up instinctively, mixed emotions swirling on their faces. "Good day, Sir," Bella and Jace chorused, clearly surprised by Oliver's unexpected presence in the employee cafeteria. "Hey," Oliver said, offering a polite smile. However, his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and his gaze h
Oliver Sterling, the CEO with a winning personality and drop-dead looks—sharp jawline, mesmerizing green eyes, perfect nose, luscious lips, bushy eyebrows, and sleek black hair. Standing tall at 6 and a half feet with an athletic build, he strutted through his office holding onto a bunch of papers. Emily, his hyper-organized secretary, stood there all prepared with her clipboard. "Hey, Ms. Collins, what's my schedule for today?" Oliver flashed his usual charming smile, eyeing Emily's simple yet sharp look. Her ginger hair is styled in a neat bun, and a no-nonsense outfit consisting of a dull-colored long skirt, an old-school blouse, no makeup, thick glasses, and pink lips. Those lips were the only colorful thing on her. "Good morning, Mr. Sterling. Here's the deal for today's meetings." Emily handed over the clipboard. "Your 9 am got pushed to 10, and the Johnson account review is happening this afternoon." "Got it. Thanks, Ms. Collins. What about that Jenkins project report?" He q
In the confines of her cubicle, Emily sat focused at her messy desk. Papers, pens, and sticky notes covered her space. A cactus plant was set on the side, the only decoration on her table aside from hundreds of pens, notebooks, and sticky notes. "Mr. Sterling's 10 a.m. with the board got bumped to 11," Emily said calmly. As she sorted Oliver's schedule, a quick look at the pic on her desk of a financial goal scribbled on a note by her desk. Her goal of hitting a $1 million mark within a certain time frame was like her guiding star. But as the night dragged on, frustration started creeping into her expression. She double-checked her progress last night, studying the numbers with a wrinkled forehead as she faced a setback in her carefully planned-out goals. With a heavy sigh, Emily leaned back in her chair, her fingers massaging her temples as she stared at the screen. As the night wore on and the clock struck midnight, she found herself the only soul in the company. Exhaustion hun
Oliver sat at his desk, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork and illuminated by the soft glow of his computer screen. It was well past the office hours, yet he remained engrossed in finalizing the intricate details of a crucial project. The only other soul present in the office was Emily. Emily had meticulously organized files and neatly arranged stacks of documents. Her dedication to her job was admirable. Oliver glanced up from his screen, rubbing his temples in an attempt to ease the strain of looking at the screen for long. He noticed Emily typing away at her computer, engrossed in her tasks. "Hey, Ms. Collins," Emily looked up, her gaze meeting Oliver's tired eyes. "Yes, Mr. Sterling?" "How late is it now?" Oliver asked, stifling a yawn. "It's almost midnight, sir," Emily replied, glancing at the clock on her computer screen. "You've been at this for hours. Would you like some coffee?" "That would be fantastic, thank you. You're a lifesaver, Ms. Collins." As Emily headed