The CEO must be double faced

Brielle's thoughts were racing, and she tried to keep her composure. She knew she couldn't make a scene here, not in front of Xavier. But she couldn't help but feel angry and betrayed. Clara had taken so much from her, and now she was acting like nothing had ever happened.

"I'm fine, thank you" Clara said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "And how have you been, Brielle? It's been a while."

Brielle took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool. "I'm doing well" she said, her voice steady.

"We should probably head to the meeting," Brielle announced, her voice a bit louder than she had intended. "We don't want to be late."

Xavier looked between Brielle and Clara, clearly sensing the tension between them. "Of course," he said, his tone even. "We wouldn't want to keep our clients waiting." He turned to Clara and said, "It was nice seeing you, Clara."

Clara smiled, but her eyes remained cold. "It was nice seeing you too, Xavier" she said. And with that, Clara walked away into the elevator while Xavier and Brielle went to the underground parking lot.

Xavier and Brielle got into the car and the driver drove off to the meeting. While in the car, there was total silence. Brielle was blinking so very much just to shield her tears from falling off her eyes.

Brielle kept her eyes fixed on the window, trying to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Clara had the nerve to act like nothing had ever happened. She felt like she was going to explode with anger and frustration. She could feel Xavier's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She just needed to get through this meeting, and then she could finally go home and try to forget about this whole mess.

Brielle thought she had been holding it together, but the dam finally broke, and the tears began to fall. She wiped at them furiously, trying to hide them from Xavier, but it was no use. He had seen it.

Xavier simply reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, holding it out to Brielle without a word. His actions spoke louder than words, and she could feel his support and kindness emanating from him. She took the handkerchief and mumbled a quiet "thank you" as she wiped her eyes. She felt a little bit of the tension leaving her body, and she began to relax.

"You're going to ruin my meeting if you don't save those tears for later, Brielle" Xavier said, his voice firm and slightly mocking. "Can't you control yourself for just a little while longer?"

Brielle felt a rush of anger at his words. She was trying her best, and he had no right to talk to her like that. "I'm doing my best," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you."

"You're a professional" Xavier said, his voice taking on a scolding tone. "Do you have no decorum? You're here to do a job, and that includes not breaking down in tears in your boss' car."

Brielle bristled at his words, feeling both angry and embarrassed. She was trying her best, and she didn't appreciate being spoken to like this.

"I'm not just a secretary" she said, her voice rising. "I'm a person with feelings, and you're being very insensitive."

"Your feelings are of no concern to me," Xavier said, his tone dismissive. "Your job is to be a professional, and that means putting your personal feelings aside. Do you understand?"

Brielle felt like she had been punched in the gut. She had never been spoken to like this before, and she was beginning to feel humiliated.

"I'm sorry" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do my best to be more professional." She felt like a child being scolded, and it was humiliating.

The car pulled up to the large building that housed the meeting venue, and Brielle took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She knew she had to put on a brave face and do her job to the best of her ability and she couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of that. She took a last look at herself in the mirror, wiped her face well and fixed her hair before getting out of the car.

Brielle followed behind Xavier, keeping a few paces behind him as they made their way through the large, glass doors of the building. She clutched the case file in her hands, trying to focus on the task ahead. She knew she had to be prepared and professional, no matter how she was feeling. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.

The meeting started with a brief overview of the company and its mission. Then, the discussion turned to the specific proposal at hand, and Brielle had to pay close attention to all the details. She took notes and tried to stay focused despite the emotional turmoil she was feeling. The meeting seemed to drag on forever, and she was dozing at some point.

As the meeting was wrapping up, one of the executives said something that clearly irked Xavier. He bristled, his jaw clenched, and Brielle could tell he was angry. She held her breath, hoping that he would not lose his temper. However, she knew that he seem quick to anger and could be quite volatile when he was upset. She just hoped that he would be able to control himself.

Sure enough, as soon as the meeting ended, Xavier got up from his seat and stormed out of the room. Brielle watched him go, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to do something to try to defuse the situation, so she quickly gathered her things and followed after him.

"Sir, wait!" she called, jogging to catch up with him. He kept walking, his stride quick and angry.

Brielle tried her best to keep up with Xavier, but he was walking too fast and she was not able to catch up to him. She watched as he turned the corner and disappeared from her sight. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, knowing that she had not been able to prevent the situation from escalating. She sighed, knowing that she would have to deal with the aftermath of the situation.

As the driver reached for the car key, Xavier quickly snatched it from him and got into the driver's seat himself. The driver looked surprised, but he simply nodded and stepped aside. Brielle stood there on a ground floor, watching the car drive off, feeling a mix of emotions. She was frustrated, sad, and worried. She wasn't sure what to do next.

Brielle couldn't help but feel like her first day at work was a complete disaster. She had managed to upset her boss and was left feeling lost and alone. She wondered if she had made a mistake taking this job, and whether she would be able to survive in this high-pressure environment. She felt like she was out of her depth, and she wasn't sure how to make things right.

Brielle made her way to the bus stop, feeling defeated and exhausted. She sat on the bench, her head in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened. The bus stop was deserted, and she felt like she was the only person in the world. The minutes ticked by, and she checked her watch, wondering how long it would be until the next bus came. The sun began to set, and she felt a chill in the air.

She knew that her home was quite far from the meeting venue, and that it would take a long time to get back on public transport. She had not anticipated that she would have to make the journey home alone, and she was not prepared for the long wait. She checked her phone for the bus schedule, hoping that the next bus would come soon. As she waited, she felt increasingly anxious and alone.

Brielle couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and she began to cry. She felt utterly alone, far from home, and abandoned by her boss. She had been so excited to start this new job, and now she felt like a failure. She wondered if she should just give up and go home, but she knew she couldn't do that. She had worked so hard to get to this point, and she couldn't just give up. She wiped away her tears, determined to keep going.

As Xavier drove, he suddenly realized that he had left Brielle behind at the meeting venue. He felt a wave of guilt and regret, realizing that he had been too hasty in his departure. He wondered if she was okay, and if she was angry with him. He considered turning back to look for her, but he wasn't sure where she was or if she would even want to see him. He was filled with remorse, feeling like a terrible person for leaving her behind.

Xavier turned his car around and headed back the way he had come, determined to find Brielle and apologize to her. He drove as quickly as he could, hoping that he would find her and that she would forgive him. He thought about what he would say to her, how he would explain his actions. He wanted to make things right, to make her understand that he had made a mistake. But deep down, he knew that it might not be that easy.

As Xavier sped towards the meeting venue, he didn't realize that the bus Brielle had been waiting for had already arrived and was now driving in the opposite direction. Brielle was looking out the window, lost in her thoughts, and didn't notice the car speeding by. Two ships passing in the night, unaware of each other's presence, neither knowing that they had just missed each other.