Chapter 3

Savannah leaned back in her swivel chair. It had been two months since the company was transferred to her name and it’s been three months since she arrived in the Philippines. 

Now, being the new CEO was exhausting. Aside from talking to the heads of each department, she also discovered something that greatly frustrated her.

"What do you mean, Savannah? Are you accusing me of stealing money?"

That was her uncle's response when she asked him about the biggest problem recently. She wasn't accusing him. She just wanted to know if her uncle was aware of the significant amount of money disappearing from the company. But his immediate reaction made it seem like he was guilty.

Savannah shook her head. There were so many irregularities happening in Williamson Company, so what was her uncle talking about, saying that he did everything for the sake of their company?

Moreover, her grandfather knew that people were stealing money, yet he remained silent. When she mentioned the enormous amount of money they were losing every month, her grandfather just laughed. It seemed like he wasn't affected, unlike her!

Especially because she couldn't believe what he said.

("I never thought that you could really find out the problems in the company in just a week. Indeed, the Williamson's Company is in good hands.")

Savannah's lips parted when she heard her grandfather's words. It wasn't just hundreds of thousands; it was a hundred million every month, and she desperately wanted to find out who the culprit was.

"Grandpa! I am serious!"

She held her head in frustration, remembering their conversation. She became busy monitoring the financial department, sending people to secretly observe the work there. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but she needed to know who was stealing from the company.

It seemed like her grandfather was too lenient with everyone. He agreed with every decision, which was why many people liked him. But that would only encourage people to deceive him more! That was Savannah's silent frustration.

How could it be? Even the crucial documents that arrive needing a signature, her grandfather signs them directly without reading. And his reason? He trusts their company employees.

"Because of your trust, Grandpa, the company is losing money every month."

And he laughed again.

"In order to catch the big fish, you must invest in great equipment, Savannah."

But they had different beliefs. She tightly held the fountain pen and tapped it on her desk. She will make them pay when she finds out who is stealing from the company.

Her suspicion was that the thieves in the company knew that her grandfather didn't read the documents that needed his signature, so they were able to steal significant amounts of money. Those employees wouldn't be able to pull off such theft with her because she would scrutinize everything, and even if there were thousands of employees in the Williamson group of companies, she didn't care.

She didn't care if the employees called her evil or if she had to stay late to finish her work. Savannah would ensure that no one else would deceive her grandfather. She would make sure that in the coming months, no money would slip through.

"Marina, I am going to have an early lunch. Can you buy food for me now?" she said through the intercom.

"Okay, ma'am."

Marina was her secretary since she became CEO. She was a new employee chosen by Savannah herself. She saw that Marina was diligent and attentive to her instructions. Her uncle had even recommended someone to be her secretary, but she immediately declined because she wanted to personally assess and evaluate those who would work with her.

She says he's just helping because she's new to the business, but honestly, he just wants to control me. It's so obvious.

In the past two months, despite the not-so-good relationship between her uncle and his wife, everything seemed to align with her. Board members now respected her, and the three who initially opposed her knew they had nothing to throw at her because she addressed all issues efficiently. She was working smoothly, a monster in the business field, as some board members called her.

She rarely attended meetings where there were many people. She would just join online while they gathered in person. No one complained because complaining about her wouldn't do any good. She still had the final say.

Savannah took her phone to call Marina. She wanted to add something to the order. Marina answered promptly.

"Ma'am? I'm already at the food court."

It turned out she called right on time.

"Sorry, I'd like to add something to the order. Can you also buy pineapple juice?"

She felt her blood pressure rise, recalling the recent events, as she settled into her role as the CEO.

"Sure, Ma'am Savannah. Anything else?"

"No, that's all. And oh, buy yourself some food too. If you're hungry, join me for lunch."

"Okay, Ma'am Savannah. Thank you very much!"

After hanging up her phone, she looked ahead at her laptop. She took a deep breath and set it aside. She rubbed her hands on her forehead, feeling a momentary dizziness.

"It's still early, but I'm already feeling very tired."

When Savannah decided to call her butler to pick her up early and rest at home, she immediately dialed his number. However, before the phone could even ring, Savannah suddenly looked up upon hearing the fire alarm.

"What the? Is there a fire alarm inspection today?"

She stood up and quickly opened the door to her office, thinking that they might be testing the fire alarms as she instructed. But when she looked outside and saw many people running and panicking in the hallway, she felt a sense of anxiety. It intensified when she saw smoke at the far end of the floor where her office was located.

"Sht!"

She hurriedly returned to her table and paced back and forth. What was she going to do? There was a fire inside the building!

Savannah stopped in her tracks when she noticed smoke entering her office.

"Oh, God, no... Was the fire near my office?"

Intense fear welled up in her chest as smoke slowly filled her office. She sat down in fright, covering her nose as the smoke thickened. Was she going to die in here?

She glanced out the window. She was on the 50th floor of the Williamson's Company building! There was no other way out!

Savannah was coughing hard.

"S-Sht, am I going to die here?"

As she pondered what to do, Savannah felt a strong pair of hands on her shoulder. Before she could say a word, the person placed a wet blanket on her and guided her to the exit.

"W-Who are y-you?" she asked the person.

He didn't speak, and when they exited the building, Savannah noticed they were in the parking lot. No one was there. She slowly removed the wet blanket from her head and looked at the person who saved her.

She swallowed hard when she saw a hot man in front of her. He wore a black t-shirt, black pants, and boots. He had a security earpiece and a gun on his belt! What the heck! Who is this man?!

Savannah was about to step back when she realized that this man saved her from the fire in her company.

"She's okay... yes, she's with me," the man said and looked at her.

Wait! His voice is so deep! But that wasn't the only thing Savannah noticed. She gulped. The man is tall. He has light brown skin, dark eyes, thick eyebrows, and long eyelashes! She didn't want to mention his lips, but she couldn't help it because they were luscious! Okay, she's checking him out, but no, indeed, the man is good-looking.

When the man looked at her again, she averted her eyes. She cleared her throat.

"W-Who are you?"

The man lowered the hand holding his security earpiece and faced her. He bowed for a moment, and when his eyes returned to hers, he spoke.

"I'm Ace, your personal bodyguard. My team and I have been secretly guarding you since you arrived in the Philippines," he said in a baritone voice.

What? Since she came to the Philippines? That was almost three months ago! Someone had been watching over her?

Suddenly, she remembered what her grandfather had mentioned. He prepared for this.

"I didn't notice, someone has been guarding me?"

"I am not alone in guarding you, Ma'am. There are four bodyguards, and I am their leader. You won't meet them since it's not necessary. We all work in silence and are not allowed to come near you unless an emergency arises, like now."

She suddenly felt a dryness in her throat. Savannah swallowed again. How could such an attractive man be her bodyguard? What did he say? She was simply staring at his lips as he spoke!

He would be better suited to be an actor! And also, he could pass as a model! He is tall, and his face...

"Do... you need anything, ma'am?" he suddenly asked, perhaps noticing her prolonged gaze. That's when she felt embarrassed.

Oh sht. I've been gazing at him for so long. Pull yourself together, Savannah! Don't let him see that you're mesmerized by his looks!

"I-I am sorry. I don't need anything. I just want to go home for now," she said.

She turned around and bit her lower lip. How could she act cool in front of that man? She unconsciously touched her shoulder. So, that was his broad chest where she was enveloped earlier. Damn.

"I'll get the car and drive you home, ma'am."

He faced her, but Ace had already turned around. He was walking toward his car. Savannah's gaze followed his back, and then her eyes fixated on his butt. A mischievous smile played on her lips.

Sexy...

Ahhh... she never thought she would be so easily attracted. But really... this bodyguard's charisma was something else.