Taming Mr. CEO

“Can I take the seat, Miss Secretary?” I lifted my eyes to face the man who suddenly spoke, dragging me back to my senses.

I awkwardly smiled at him and then roamed my eyes around. The cafeteria wasn’t that full so there are lots of vacant tables around. I faced him again with confusion but later on, I chose to hide it and let him take the seat in front of me. He simply let out a smile before he sipped to his cup of coffee which aroma directs in my nostrils.

“Didn’t eat your breakfast?” he asked, eyeing the waffles on my plate.

I simply nod before taking a slice of my breakfast. Lyndon was right, I haven’t eaten breakfast. I cooked but I just don’t have an appetite to eat especially since my mind is still filled by what happened last night. Dang it! It made me cry for almost a whole night, it keeps me awake until dawn. If it wasn’t because of the pill I take last night, I won’t drown to sleep.

“You looks bothered, Miss Secretary,” Lyndon commented.

From him, I darted my eyes to the window glass which gives me the view of the busy road. I don’t have the usual energy as well and it’s giving me a fuck. Last night, after talking to the drunk Logan, I cried. I know that I shouldn’t be hurt, or maybe, I should be but why does the pain never fade. Until now, it’s still in my heart, torturing the hell out of me. Even Aisle notice it, so do Helena when she picked up Aisle for school. I just weave an excuse so she won’t bother to interrogate me because if she ever did, I don’t know how to explain her.

What should I explain? That I was hurt because my boss compared me to another woman whom I didn’t know. Goodness’ gracious, Alice. Wake up!

“Ynez…” I suddenly mumbled followed by my smooth chuckled.

“What did you say?” I suddenly turned my eyes to Lyndon whose brows are barely knotted. “Did you just say Ynez?” I nodded to confirm.

“What’s the matter, Sir?” I asked, still calling him ‘Sir’ even though he eat in here, acting like we were close friends or what.

“How do you know Ynez? Uhm… I mean, who’s Ynez you are talking to?”

My brows then knotted, reflecting his brows. “I don’t know someone named Ynez–”

“But you just said her name,” he reasoned out.

I grimaced. “Uh, I just heard her name from someone when he compared me to her. Why, do you know this Ynez?” After all, Logan is his brother and Logan is the one who compared that woman to me.

“Was it Logan?” He locked his eyes on me as if he was scanning my face. When I didn’t answer, I heard him let out a silent curse followed by shaking his head as if from disbelief. “I knew it… damn him! It’s been a year yet he still compared the woman to whoever he started to like,” he murmured which I clearly don’t understand but still, I choose to listen to him.

For what reason? Well, seems like Lyndon knows this Ynez so I am eager to know it from him instead of from that jerk. I want to know who is this Ynez at least before I give my resignation letter to Logan.

“Whatever my damn brother told you, just ignore it, Alice. Believe me, he didn’t mean it. Maybe, he’s still living in the past that he supposedly buried a long time,” Lyndon remind with a visible concern in his eyes.

I want to believe that Logan didn’t really mean what he says last night but it was clear to me now. When I heard it from him, it awakened me in the most painful way. It feels like my past suddenly came back in the way he compared me to another woman. The love of my life cheated on me, he finds another woman and do sinful things behind my back. It destroyed me, it destroyed my confidence as a woman, and thanks to Logan, that confidence that I force to build again for years crumbled again.

“It doesn’t matter to me anyway. He was drunk when he called me last night. I do really think that he didn’t mean it,” I lied.

Lyndon smiled at me with relief in his expression. We talked for a while, and he even told me who’s this Ynez is. And it made me reject for being curious about who is she. When Lyndon left the cafeteria to go back to his work, I suddenly felt droplets of tears rolling down from my eyes. The pain of last night just seems doubled after discovering that Ynez is Logan’s love of his life. The woman whom he compared to me is the woman who owns his heart and it just pained me realizing that there was no place left to me… left for his child.

Now, how am I going to explain the truth to Aisle? She’s expecting her real father yet this is the situation given to me.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

***

After fixing myself in the comfort room, I headed back to the office and intended to finish the obnoxious paperwork at my table. It took me hours before I finally finished at least half of them. Three in the afternoon when I stopped for a while and tiredly leaned my back on my chair. I even closed my eyes until unknowingly, I fell asleep. If it wasn’t because a hand softly patted my cheek, I won’t wake up and continued to sleep with my head rested on my crossed arms above my table.

“S–Sir…” I sputtered upon seeing Logan beside me, eyeing at me with no emotion written on his face. “Sorry, I fell asleep,” I apologize.

He just nods flatly before telling me to follow him inside his office. I was hesitant to do so but ended up following him inside with the resignation paper I have prepared last night. I hide the white envelope behind me and waited for the right time. When I saw the chance, I didn’t hesitate to bring the envelope above his table which makes his brows shut knots. Seconds passed before he finally bring it to his hand and opened it. The lines on his forehead became visible telling me his clear disapproval.

But this is what he wants, didn’t he? Last night, when he called me drunk, he clearly want me gone. So resigning early as possible is in favor of him. In this case, he won’t be obliged to fire me up and create shitty excuses that he could feed me.

After reading what is written on the paper, he eyed on me with his deadly glare that I usually see when he is mad. “Why?” he asked afterward.

I lost my tongue to speak. I can’t even stand his dangerous stares so I pulled down my eyes on the floor, remaining my mouth shut. I don’t want to answer his damn question. I want him to remember why, I want him to know it for himself but seems like he will not. Seems like he didn’t remember what he said last night. What insult he threw me and what kind of pain his words gives me. I don’t want to explain my side why I want to resign. I just want to f*cking leave his company so I can finally get rid of him and this damn feeling he slowly inflicted on me.

“Answer my question, Alice. Why do you want to resign? You clearly don’t have a valid reason to resign if it was the benefits. Your salary is way higher than the other employees of the company. There are lots of benefits offered–”

“It’s not about the benefits, Sir.”

“Then what? Tell me your nonsense reason why you have to give up your work. My Dad will not be going like it if he found out that his secretary just quit her job.” I heard his harsh breath but I didn’t dare to look him up. I don’t want to… I just don’t want to because I know, my heart might betray me again.

“I have a personal reason, Sir that is why–”

“And that personal matter you are talking to is more important than your job?” he cut me off. “Do you really want to resign?” he asked, with a hint of assuring on his voice.

I lifted my eyes on him and then smiled even though behind that smile are the tears I am trying to hold back. “Yes, Sir. And please tell Mr. William that I thanked him for accepting me in this company despite my background,” I finally voice out.

Logan nodded a couple of times before bringing back his eyes to the resignation paper. He then handled it and I was thinking that he will finally agree but to my astonishment, he slowly tore the paper into half and to half again. Repeating the process until the resignation paper turned into small pieces. After doing that, he lifted his eyes to me. Giving me his intense glare as if there is something he want to tell me but instead of telling it through his mouth, he chose to use his fiery eyes.

“You can’t resign,” he announced, leaning his back on the swivel chair. “Good employees must be kept so I decided to keep you. So, it’s a no for me, My Dear Secretary.”

“But my decision is final, Sir. I want to resign–”

“I am still your boss and it will depend on me whether I’ll accept your resignation paper or not. Yes, it was your decision but apparently, your boss didn’t take your resignation paper. So whether you like it or not, you will work for me. You will be my secretary for how long I want you to be,” he cleared making me step back dumbfounded.

After hearing his statement, my anger towards him just doubled. How can he forget his mistakes last night and then doing another mistake again this time? He… he is a total jerk I want to get rid of.

“You can’t force me to work with you anymore. I am resigning. I am leaving your company whether you like it or not, you asshole!” I yelled at his face before stepping outside.

When I reached my table, I drastically grabbed my bag and then began walking outside. Soon, I reach the parking lot and then maneuvered my car back home. I was in the middle of the clear road when a black sporty car suddenly stopped me from driving. I was about to jump off the car and ready to reprove the driver but when I saw the man in a suit who came out from the car, I hastily go back on my car and planned to maneuver it again. But Logan stood in my way with his intimidating confidence. He obviously challenged me.

When he started to strode towards my car, I instantly feel panic inside. My grip on the wheel tightened as my eyes followed every step he make. Later on, I just found him on the window-knocking with his left brow twitching sexily.

Darn it! Sexily? F*ck the compliment, Alice!

“Tail me,” he ordered as soon as I opened the door.

My brows twitched and stared at him in disbelief. “Sorry, but I just quit my job and I don’t know you,” I confidently replied before shutting closed the window and driving again. When I glance back at him through the rear mirror, I saw him shaking his head.

“Huh, I won, asshole!” I blurted out and drive fast at home.

But little did I know that when I reach home, there is another surprise waiting for me. Because as soon as I parked the car, I saw Lyndon at the gate.