Love?What a rookie thing to include in a career. I will never understand why people want to give up something because of the thing called love. Just what the hell could this thing even do for you?Will it feed you?Will it give you the necessity to live?Will it give you your monthly payments to have the ability to provide for yourself?No.It will only give you headaches… heartaches.What a nuisance, right?That’s why I like my boss… though he’s a person who switches women on his lap like clothes he wears, he never commits to the thing called ‘love.’ It was actually a weird question he asked in the interview before. I was surprised back then, but looking back, I’d still say the same answer and agree with his opinion. (Five years ago…) “Now, let me ask you a personal question,” he smirked. Personal? I thought they’d be professional with this interview since this is a huge company—what a joke. Well, I heard the starting salary is high, and I confirmed it earlier, so who cares, I guess?I’d just answer whatsoever.“Would there be a chance you’d fall in love with your boss?”What a stupid question. “I hate office romance,” I smiled.“And I don’t believe I’d fall for such because I’d always choose my career over love,” I proudly smiled, and he smiled back. Come to think of it, the older men beside him looked on edge.Just who the hell is this guy?“I like you. You passed. I believe a career is also important more than love,” he stood up and stared at me with amber eyes. I have never seen such refined colors. He looks intimidating because of his almond-shaped eyes and robust features, but if you look closely at his eyes…I was doing this earlier because it calmed me… the color of his eyes.If you’d only stare at those pair, you’d see him smiling.“You’re hired. You can start right now. Freya, give her my schedule.” My eyes widened when he said those words, and the two gentlemen beside him bowed a little as he walked away from them.What the hell?This is the infamous Johannes Alejandro. He never shows up anywhere, so I don’t really know his face!Hah.I stood up, trying to hide the surprise he brought into my system as I got the tablet from the woman he called Freya. “You’re quick to catch up,” he smiled at me. Damn. “I apologize; I did not recognize you, boss,” he looked at me and smirked. “I never really like telling people I am the CEO. I mean, why would you shout something so embarrassing, right?” Embarrassing? Ghad, his family owns the Alejandro Empire, which costs billion dollars as its net worth! It’s not just that. This is something that was passed down by generations.Johannes and his brother, Brian Alejandro, both have their own legacy ready to be left already! Hah, and he calls this embarrassing? I like him. ****
I knocked at the boss’s office before entering without him replying. Five years and I have already memorized this routine. He’s really a womanizer, contradicting the oh-so-holy personality he gives in public.
Not like he frequents in public since he hates that.Johannes hates attention. I noticed that whenever reporters will ask him about his achievements. They would ask him for a feature, but he’d always decline. He will always shoo them away. “What the hell?!” The woman shouted as she saw me. Oh, good, Lord! Guide me, please. I don’t really consider myself religious since I only go to church when my boss goes there.“What is it, Nathalie?” The woman looked at Johannes with fierce eyes. She looked pissed when the man suddenly buttoned up his shirt and walked to my direction. Well, he loves playing around with women but never… ever, over his company. He has his priorities.He’d even gladly push them to the ground just to sign the papers he needed to approve, review, or whatsoever I pass to him. “Your tie is a mess,” I said, reaching for it as he was scanning through the papers. He simply nodded at me as I fixed his tie. Johannes lets me do this; I guess this has been a part of my role as his secretary.He made me study five languages. He made me fly to countries just to look into the situations of the company branches over there. I don’t really mind since he also let me have a week of vacation after checking the branch’s condition; even more so, with the company’s money!What a waste not to grab, right?I really enjoy working for this man though he’s a fucking workaholic. I often go to the company at 4 AM only to find out he has yet to go home from the previous day. And I’d stay until 10 PM just to make sure he’d at least have dinner.Jeez, working as his secretary is exhausting yet… I lasted for five years already.Five years, huh? “This is a pass. By the way, we have to attend a dinner later.” I nodded and glanced at the woman. Johannes glanced at her too. “Also, make sure she was accompanied by one of the company cars outside. Did you prepare my change of suit?” “It’s in your room, boss.”“Good. I will send you a new dress later—”“You just sent me one last week—”“Five years, and you already know how to cut me off, huh?” He smirked. Shit. I did not even notice I cut him off, and I was just too worked up since he’s been giving me new dresses every time we need to attend something! And it’s becoming too frequent.He laughed at me and gave me the folders. “Be ready by six,” I nodded and bowed a little before leaving his office. Before heading to the parking lot, I quickly fixed my agendas, even his schedules for the rest of the week.One of the things I achieved while working for him in five years, my own car. I smiled as I tapped the other seat like the car was my child. Someone from the company would freak out had they seen me do this.“Well, I love my car,” Bang!I frowned as I looked at the screen, showing the rear of my car. Damn it. I just bought this one, for Pete’s sake! I hurried outside and looked at the damage brought by whosoever bastard it was!“Oh my, I’m really sorry! Oh no, what should I do?” She looked like she was about to cry. She looked younger than me, probably in her early twenties. I sighed and calmed myself. She looks rich.Her car is a freaking Lambo, hitting my BMW. Breathe, Nathalie. The world will not end; your fantasy will, but it’s okay. It’s alright.“What the hell? Why are you even driving so slow, old woman?” I was trying to calm myself here. I was really trying, but the man from the passenger’s seat really annoyed me just now. I sighed sharply and combed my hair backward. “Excuse me?”“You were driving slowly with your damn car. If it weren’t for you, we would arrive at the party we needed to—”“Samuel! It’s our fault, okay?”“This is why many people take advantage of you, Vie,” he scoffed and returned to the car. The man named Samuel looked out of the window and glared at me. “What are you doing? Call the insurance company or whatever!” Hah. This is really pissing me off.“Exc—” I was just about to go rampant when my phone rang. I set that specific ringtone for only one person, so I quickly grabbed my purse and took my phone to answer the call.I glanced at the woman named Vie, who still looked anxious. I sighed, “It’s fine. Just… drive safely next time,” “Are you sure? I’m really sorry.” Her apologetic voice did me good. She looks angelic too, sigh, why hang out with the wrong crowd? “Yes. You can go ahead,” I glanced at Samuel, “It looks like you’re in a rush. Excuse me, I really need to answer this call,” she thanked me more, but I just smiled at her as I answered Johannes. [What took you long?]“Sorry, I had an accident—” the heck? Why did he end the call just like that? Was he too pissed that it took several rings before I answered the call?Hayy, I really need to get to my condo now to get ready, but I am feeling down because of my car. The car I worked so hard for was damaged just like that...I texted Harries to call the insurance for me. It looks like I’d have to commute for the rest of the week.When I got home, I saw Johannes by the door of my unit. I furrowed my brows. What is he doing here? It’s still two hours before 6 PM, and he never really drives me to an event. His driver usually fetches me.“Boss?”“Thirty minutes. I’d be waiting in my car.” He simply told me and walked away. He sounded pissed but to hell with that! What? Thirty minutes?! How the hell am I supposed to get ready in thirty fucking minutes?!Johannes took his car keys and drove as fast as he could. He called his secretary, Clinton. "Check every hospital, find Nathalie."[Nathalie?] but instead of answering, he ended the call and clenched his jaw. His veins were popping in his arms while he harshly took turns in every corner of the road. He glanced at his phone when a notification came. He made a rushed break when Clinton replied that Nathalie had a minor car accident but was safe and sound. Johannes did not bother replying and drove back to her unit instead.He waited there for a whole hour, 'What the hell is taking her so long? She's wasting my time. Tsk.'When the elevator opened, he saw Nathalie walking, confused, to his direction. Johannes was pissed. He thought something happened and made himself worried--- worried? He was annoyed even more with the thought.Why would he worry for a mere secretary? He was just concerned that Nathalie won't be able to attend the event with him. Her presence is a must to block the ladi
“Boss, this is the report on the start-up that visited you last time. Should I update you about their progress on their new business in Korea?”“You’re gonna visit the country?” Johannes asked, his eyes still focused on the screen of his computer. Nathalie looked at her schedule and nodded as a reply.“I got some free time next Friday,”“You’re going to New Zealand with me next Friday,” Johannes looked at her. Nathalie wrinkled her nose. “Why?”“What why?”“What’s the occasion, boss?” she asked. Johannes stared at her as if she were asking him a ridiculous question. “Do you need a reason to attend to your boss?” He lifted a side of his mouth and stood up, his hands inside his pocket; waiting for Nathalie to reply.“Well—” Nathalie stopped trying to start an argument when she saw Johannes staring at her still. “Yes, boss.” He smiled at her and went back to his swivel chair. Johannes stayed cooped up in his desk until midnight. He did not even notice the time until he called Nathalie an
Johannes waited for her answer but she ended the call instead. The man sighed raspily while staring at his phone. He threw it on the floor as he loosened his tie. “Damn it!” He was even annoyed when he realized his irritation when his secretary ended the call. “How dare you drop the call?” he clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. The woman inside his office snaked her arm around Johannes and slightly bit his ear. “Why are you vexed? Hmm?” She asked, playing with the curls at the tip of his hair. Johannes slapped her hand. “Don’t touch my hair.” He coldly said. The woman smiled. “Playing hard?” She clung her arm to his neck and kissed him. Johannes pushed her and wiped his lips harshly. “Get out.” “What?!” She was annoyed. The man had called her after a decade, does he think her time was free? She did her best to sneak out of his manager’s radar. She is an actress, and she had been waiting for the famous Johannes Alejandro to look at her and now that she got her chance, but he w
Johannes smirked, “You looked like you’ve lost all the blood in your body. Move, you’re starting to hurt my manhood,” Nathalie flushed red as she stood up immediately. It was damn embarrassing! She did not even notice she was on top of that!She faked a cough, “You have a family dinner at Vienna Hotel at seven, boss,” she discussed other agendas Johannes had.Nathalie was too stunned, but she could not really have herself overwhelmed by the playfulness of her boss. She knew… Nathalie knew very well how much of a womanizer this man was.And Johannes had never looked at her with that much interest before! Or… that’s what she wanted to believe. The man had always respected her private space, something that was rare. Nathalie shrugged off the thought from her mind and went on with her daily tasks. A week had passed just like that, and she’s currently reviewing some reports regarding the proposal the board submitted to Johannes. He doesn’t read anything unless Nathalie was the one passing
"Greatly embarrassed with what she asked, Nathalie simply agreed to what Johannes wanted. She ate lunch with him that day, but she never knew that there would be following invites from her boss. "Dinner?" Nathalie asked, still finishing what she was typing. She then glanced at her boss and raised her brows, "I am quite busy with the annual reports, boss," she said. Hoping that Johannes would let her go. It had been over a week since he asked her out to eat. To eat. And they really did nothing but eat in fancy restaurants around the city. It gave Nathalie the assurance that Johannes didn't have much interest in her and simply wanted a companion to have meals with. "Report? It's that time of the year already?" He asked, leaning to her desk again, placing one arm on the desk. His body was so close to the woman Nathalie needed to push herself back a little to back away from him. Just enough distance to make a space between them. Johannes was still reading the report when his phone r
"Ms. Taylor, this is what you requested," Ruth, an employee, gave her a pile of folders. She took them from her and went inside the office. She did not expect a woman to be there because Johannes had stopped bringing one for over a week. The woman smiled at Nathalie, "You're Johannes's secretary?" Nathalie smiled back. She put the folders on the table and greeted her. "Yes, I'm Nathalie Taylor. You are?" she handed her right and raised her brows. The woman reached for it and did a handshake. "Samantha Wheeler," Nathalie then remembered seeing her from somewhere, "Oh, you were the one who visited the boss last time. What brought you here, Ms. Wheeler?" She asked though she was sure it would be because the man would have her entertain him for the rest of the day. Samantha stared at her, reading her expressions, and it seemed like she had improved in doing so. Samantha smirked, "You think I'm one of his women, don't you?" Nathalie was surprised. She slightly froze and pulled her hand
Nathalie could still vividly remember that day. The sounds of breaking things in their house. The beggings of her mother, asking those men to stop. Her brother crying behind her. Nathalie could still remember, and to this day, she's still cursing her father for doing that to them. Her mother left them to her grandparents the next day, and she had only heard the news of her passing the next year because of an accident. Nathalie could not even mourn for her poor mother as she was busy attending to her brother, who was hospitalized that week. Nathalie tried looking for her father to ask him for help since she could not do anything as a mere minor. Her grandparents were too old to work. They are in the hide because loan sharks might show up anytime, and Nathalie doesn't want the burden that her parents left them to be passed on to her poor grandparents. They were good to the siblings. Though they could not provide them luxury like what the other grandparents in that town are doing to th
Johannes loosened his tie as he knelt down to level with Nathalie, who was still sleeping soundly. He took his phone and contacted Clinton to make a delivery of a hot porridge from his favorite restaurant in New York. They don't create porridge, but if they'd hear the request is from Johannes, they would indeed comply. He's friends with the owner of the restaurant and has been visiting there since day one. Johannes searched the internet for the things that he should do for a sick person. He had no idea what he should do. It was the first time he's put his hands on a person with a fever, and he did not want to mess up for some reason. "Why's there so many? Are these even true?" He complained when he was welcomed with at least a hundred recommendations. He was not often on the internet because he always had someone to search for things for him. Johannes rarely even uses his phone for such stuff. He does not even open his social media a lot! It would have been a miracle if he'd been on