Chapter One

ELENA

I walked into the huge building  that was Richardson Industries, hoping against all hope, that I still had my job, and won’t be thrown into the curb like a piece of shit.

Changes.

I wasn’t one who liked too many changes around me, since I loved to live in my comfort zone. But a few days ago, things had changed so drastically, and I was forced to go along with it.

The CEO of Richardson industries, my boss, had died. And it had come as a huge shock to all of us, especially me, since I was his personal assistant, when we had heard that he had been battling colon cancer. Something that I wasn’t aware of, until the very next day after he died, when the family had released a press statement concerning his death.

Paul Richardson had been like a father to me, taking me under his wing and bringing me up to be the person I was presently. If his death hadn’t affected my colleagues, it had affected me greatly. 

But the question of why he hadn’t told me about his sickness was something that still lingered in my mind.

It had been exactly six days since he died, and it still felt like it was yesterday.

“Elena!” A familiar voice called from behind, and I turned to see my very good friend and coworker, Jane.

I gave her a small sad smile and just waited for her to catch up to me.

Once she was close, she wrapped her arms around me. “Hey…" I murmured sadly.

“You look a wreck. And it’s Monday already.” She mused, using her fingers to brush stray locks of hair away from my face.

I knew I looked a wreck. 

My car had broken down just a few miles away from my house, and I had had to take the damn bus, where everyone pushed and shoved like it was the end of the world or something.

I rolled my eyes at her. “Long story.” I said, and started to walk towards the elevator that would lead to my office.

Once we were inside and alone, Jane cleared her throat. “Listen, not to scare you or anything, but, I heard that the new owners are currently having a little meeting in Paul’s office.” She said, eyes wide as saucers.

I frowned at her. “What do you mean by new owners?” I asked. 

I mean, I knew that someone definitely had to take the reigns of leadership, which our manager had been handling for a few days now, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon.

Or was I just dumb about the whole issue?

Jane looked at me like I was stupid. “His sons, of course.” She just said flatly.

I gasped in shock. “His sons? I thought they had businesses in London?” Just as I asked her the question, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened to reveal the hallway that led to our offices.

We stepped out, and Jane turned to answer me, but was interrupted by another employee calling and beckoning her over.

We said rushed goodbyes before she disappeared into a corner, leaving me standing there all by myself.

As I slowly made my way to my office, I couldn’t help but think about what Jane had just said.

Paul had never said anything about his sons. And frankly, I hadn’t been interested to know anything about them, until I had seen them one time at the company’s 35th anniversary, which had held two years ago.

A memory that would forever stay in my mind and soul.

Because, from the first time I had set my eyes on Jason Richardson, the first among the two sons of Paul, I had known what it meant to have someone’s face imprinted on your heart forever.

The man had literally stood out in the whole room, because of his handsomeness and had been the only thing I had focused on for the two hours I was there for.

But he hadn't seen me.

How could he, even?

He had had an equally gorgeous woman on his arm throughout the party, and had also left with her.

It’s not like I was a match for someone who looked like she had her face plastered on vogue every year.

After that day, I had never set my eyes on him ever again.

As I stood in front of my office, I wondered, just for a moment, if he was in the office opposite mine.

The same office that has once belonged to Paul Richardson.

If he was, could it be possible that he was going to take over the reigns of Richardson Industries?

I sighed and unlocked the door with my key card, as my heart rate began to increase rapidly.

Why I was getting so nervous was beyond me.

Surely it had been two years and there was no way I was going to see Jason Richardson, and start to crush on him foolishly….was I?

JASON

If I had thought that my day was going to go smoothly at first when I had woken up in the morning, then I was surely thinking about something else now as I stared at the lawyer in front of me with annoyance.

The plan had been to invite the lawyer to the Richardson residence in London, and let him read the will in the presence of I and my brother. But he had refused, stating that our father had requested for the will to be read in his office. 

I had known Paul Richardson all my life, and I knew that he was really cunning most of the time. But I definitely hadn’t been expecting my father to do that, even in his death.

It was enough that I had to step into the same office where he had spent most of his time. The very same office that had stood as a barrier between him and his family, since he had chosen work over family, a long time ago.

Left to me, I wanted nothing to do with this place. Which is the exact same thing I was waiting to tell the lawyer once the will was read. 

Which brought me back to the present.

The lawyer had just said something…

“What did you just say?” I hissed at my father’s lawyer and namesake, Paul Knightly.

The man shrugged and folded his arms, leaning back and looking pointedly at the will in front of him. “That’s what it says here. Your father’s personal assistant, Miss Elena Peterson, has to be present for the reading of the will, before I can say anything.” He repeated once again.

My younger brother, Tyler, who had been leaning against the wall at the far end of the room all the while, finally spoke. “What does his personal assistant have to do with anything? She not even family…”

I was about to say something when there was a small knock on the door, and a woman walked in, holding a note in her hand.

“I’m sorry, but I saw this note on my desk, asking me to come in here immediately…..” she was saying, but I didn’t hear the rest as I took a good look at her…

Damn…

That was all I could think of....

If I had been ready to give Paul a peice of my mind before, all the words in my mouth suddenly died, along with my ability to speak.

Because I may just have seen the most beautiful woman ever.

And I wasn’t exaggerating.