Chapter 1

AUDREY

I have the best boss and the best job in the world. Although many people tell me that being a secretary is not a big deal in the world, for me it is.

My mother has been criticizing my job for years, and it's not because I value what I do less, she knows I'm good, but because she wanted me to get a higher position. But my father always supports me and gives me the strength I need to keep going.

My parents are the best, I've never complained about them, I adore them the way they are and even though Ronny is not my biological father, for me it's as if he is. He married my mother when I was eight years old, since then he is the only man I have kept in my life.

And is that he had known how to win my heart, just by loving and taking care of my mother, with that he already had my respect and my affection.

Like all my routine mornings, I get up as soon as my alarm goes off, I go straight to the bathroom and he cleaned me up. A few minutes later I go out and get dressed quickly.

Black skirt with knee-length piping, blue long-sleeved shirt with buttons, my little jacket that matches my garment below. I have a lot of office outfits to choose from, almost my entire wardrobe is full of it, which my best friend Nelly hates.

I finish my makeup and hair, a simple high ponytail is the perfect hairstyle to start the week. I leave my room and head to the kitchen, toasted some bread and while the water from the coffee maker heats up.

I don't even have time to sit down, I barely manage to take two bites of my toast and a sip of my coffee, when the doorbell rings.

I shake the crumbs off my bread as I walk to the door and open it.

"Don't tell me you're not ready yet," exclaims my Nelly as she enters my apartment.

"I am, I was just having a quick breakfast," i say, closing the door behind me.

"Bread and coffee, for God's sake, Audrey, what did I tell you about gluten and caffeine?

"I know, I know, gluten will make my butt bigger and caffeine will affect my sleeping hours, and that's not counting all the calories because of the sugar and the cream." I roll my eyes tired of the same argument, "it's only one cup of coffee, it's not like I'm going to lose sleep for a lifetime and I'm going to put on fifty kilos.

"You usually take it every morning and I know you also do it at night when you bring work home.

I sigh in exasperation.

"You are worse off than my mother." I reply. "Have you come for me or have you come to scold me?

"I will never stop doing it until you understand," she say. "Well, if you are ready we have to go, because we must first go through something that will serve us and nourish us.

Again, I sigh because I already know what that means. I take my jacket and my bag, and we leave my apartment.

We take twenty minutes to the cafeteria, which is two blocks from the company where we work. Nelly gives me my decaffeinated coffee without sugar and cream, and a whole grain cookie that doesn't look at all appetizing, but that I will have to eat if I want to survive before noon. I can't be rude either, I know she does it with good intention. So I accept my light breakfast with a half-forced smile.

My friend is obsessed with leading a fitness life, it's good, I know, but there's nothing wrong with eating a hamburger or a slice of pizza from time to time either. Although for her it is.

With my coffee in one hand and my cookie in the other, we walked towards the building. The guard at the entrance helps us by opening the glass door, as friendly as always.

I'll walk Nelly to her post. She is one of the receptionists on the ground floor, the central area of the entire building.

"I'll meet you at the cafeteria at one o'clock, or do you want us to go to Lord Breakfast?

Lord Breakfast is the closest restaurant we have at work, usually most of the employees here go to that place at their break time to eat, because it is the closest thing there is to eat properly.

"It's fine as you want.

Whatever he will choose, he was going to end up eating a salad in the end maybe a smoked fish fillet.

Diet and exercise is killing me, but I can't reveal myself because my friend would be able to murder me with the rope she uses to jump.

After I said goodbye to my friend, I walked towards the elevators. It's early, I have the advantage that it doesn't get crowded at this time of the day, because usually everyone thinks of arriving at the mere time of entry.

It takes me several minutes to reach the level of my floor, number fifty, it is the floor of the presidency, for now. How many more levels will they add to this building?

I'm going to be five years working in this place, and since then they have added more than ten floors, you could say that it was already a skyscraper, because from the outside you can see enormously high.

And let's not talk about the interior, it's spacious and full of offices and cubicles. The walls are made of glass and from any floor you can see the city.

And the most curious thing is that I am afraid of heights and I work in the highest silver of this building, I am grateful that my area is far from windows.

As soon as the doors open I come out. The big logo of the company is the first thing that is displayed on the high wall when I enter the lobby of the presidency, with large letters in silver tone glitters the name of our CEO, my boss. Crawford.

"Hello, Maggi." I greet the receptionist who is in charge of this plant as she enters. She is a young and beautiful girl, with a brunette complexion and long dark hair. She is very nice, but I would also say that she likes gossip a lot. Still, I like him.

"Hello, good morning, Audrey," he says with a kind smile. "Mr. Crawford is already in his office, he asked for you when he arrived.

Oh, my God, I didn't expect you to get up so early. Well, I'm not saying that he doesn't do it and walk around his house at that time of the morning, but that he never arrives before me, that's strange.

"Well, thank you, Maggi," I say and walk out dodging the counter on the right side.

I run down the not-so-long hallway, but, still, I run to get more i'm running to get there sooner. I turn to the right and I reach the wide open space where my desk is and a waiting room in front.

I leave my bag and my breakfast on the glass table that has my desk and I shoot out again, this time heading to my boss's office.

I take a deep breath as soon as I stop in front of the thick glass door, you could see a silhouette of it even though the glass is somewhat opaque, you can't see much from here and from inside either. That's a relief, if only I wasn't standing here like a fool while I catch my breath.

I give two light knocks on the door to let you know that I am already here. As soon as I hear: it happens. After recovering from the almost marathon I had a moment ago, I open up and go into the big office.

"Good morning, sir." I say immediately before walking up to the desk.

"Good morning, Audrey," his tone is serious like every day, but polite.

My boss is someone nice, at almost sixty years old the man looks well preserved, and it is understandable, because he usually does some exercise. I know that from time to time he goes to the gym and golf, I know because I schedule and notify him of his appointments and meetings, and sometimes when I call him I have had to interrupt him in some of his activities.

"I was surprised to have him here so early.

I have no shame in being direct with him, usually he never liked anything, that's why the trust he has given me. My boss has always been chivalrous and kind to me, just from being a simple secretary.

"If I know, I wanted to come early today because there are many pending things that need to be fixed before Daniel's arrival.

I pucker my lips. "Daniel?"

I wanted to ask if you were referring to your son, I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him, I had only heard about him. The gossip in the company runs like wildfire and many things are talked about about him, but what my colleagues like to say the most all the time is how handsome he is.

I am the typical colleague who ignores all kinds of gossip, especially if it's about my bosses.

Even if my boss's son doesn't work here, he's also been someone relevant to the company and so I have to respect his private life.

Once I get him up to date on all the pending issues, he sends me to organize everything and prepare a meeting as quickly as possible for before noon.

Today will be a busy day, that means I will arrive dead tired at my apartment. It's good to see the bright side of things, even if I don't always have them.