LOGINShare
CHAPTER 3 – Signing Bonus
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56When she reached her flat, she received an unexpected call.
“This is Oscar Sands. Congratulations for being the latest member of 5Cattleya” she recognized the voice as the old man from the interview.
She wanted to scream, but she waited for the rest of the news.
There’s always a catch.
“I’m sending you the formal job offer, if you agree with the terms, you can e-sign the contract and send it back to me” Oscar Sands said in a formal tone.
Celine checked her email excitedly but her excitement was immediately replaced with contempt.
‘Is this a joke?’ she thought.
She immediately called back the number.
“You’re hiring me for a double role but the basic pay is the same?” she started her query in a not so friendly manner.
“Yes, but-“ Oscar was not able to finish his explanation when Celine cut him off.
“If you’re asking so much, I want a $5M signing bonus” Oscar could not believe what he’s hearing.
Who would demand a signing bonus just like that?
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow” Oscar just agreed.
Anyway, he has specific instruction to hire her no matter what.
“What do you mean okay?” now Celine was confused.
“You wanted a signing bonus; the company will give it. As long as you agree to be the CEO’s temporary secretary” Oscar said.
“Miss Yates, we need your reply within the day whether you accept it or not” Oscar reminded her before ending their call.
She sat in front of her laptop contemplating whether to accept it or not.
Need a job? Check.
Need a lot of money? Check.
Need a husband? That’s it.
If she accepted the offer, she could find out who the ‘mystery Daniel’ is.
Maybe he’s just one of the secretaries of the big bosses that’s why he’s there.
That explains why he wasn’t talking at all.
If she can pull her rank on him, he would have no choice but to pretend to be her husband on the engagement party.
Perrrrfeccct!!!
She wanted to scream.
With renewed determination, she gladly signed the job offer and chose a nice dress to wear for the next day.
That night, she slept with a smile on her face.
***
The next morning, she was busy with the whole on-boarding process: laptops, ID cards, locker keys, the usual works.
Oscar explained that CEO Stevenson just flew in yesterday and needs a secretary urgently that’s why it was a priority for the whole company.
If the CEO could not settle asap, she would not get her own project to manage.
Now Celine understood why the double-role.
“The CEO will come in later. He will also hand you the signing bonus” Oscar said before leaving her with reading materials about the company.
The more she reads about the company the more impressed she became.
But she could not find any article about CEO Stevenson, nor any photos of him.
When Oscar picked her up for lunch, she started her questions.
“I didn’t see the CEO’s profile in the company website, why is that?” she asked curiously.
“He’s very low-profile. But he is well-known in the business world for his achievements overseas” Oscar explained.
“I hope you can get along with him. He’s not a people person” he added.
“I’ve been told the same. I guess we can relate” she gave a dry smile.
As soon as she sat back on her seat, her intercom buzzed.
“Coffee, please” she heard a deep, commanding voice.
She instantly froze.
That’s Daniel’s voice.
She rushed inside the CEO’s room to confirm but the desk was empty.
When she turned around, her head bumped into something hard that caused her to lose her balance.
She tried to grab onto anything she could to stabilize herself when she felt two strong arms around her waist.
“Are you looking for me?” she heard the voice as she regains her balance.
When she looked at the person in front of her, she didn’t know how to react.
“D, it is you” she said excitedly then started pinching his cheeks.
Then she started squeezing his arms.
Imagine the man’s shock when she started unbuttoning his shirt.
“I love the enthusiasm, Miss Yates. But this is borderline harassment” the man said.
“Wait, I need to see something” she kept on unbuttoning his shirt until she found what she was looking for.
“It really is you” her eyes turned misty.
“CEO Stevenson, the Smith family wanted to arrange for a meeting” Oscar walked in the room unannounced.
Imagine his shock when he saw the almost shirtless CEO in front of a teary-eyed secretary.
What happened?
“Leave us” the CEO ordered and started fixing his clothes.
Both Oscar and Celine headed for the door.
“He meant me” Oscar said to her.
She slowly turned around still could not believe Daniel is in front of her.
“Don’t you think you have a lot of explaining to do?” she asked as soon as she caught her breath.
“Don’t you have a coffee to make?” he asked back.
She walked towards his pantry and made two cups of coffee.
She sat in front of the man looking intently without saying anything.
“Ask away, Ms. Yates. You’re wasting my time” Daniel said.
“I need your help” she was desperate.
“Is the $5M bonus not enough?” Daniel asked.
“It’s not like that. I just need to attend a dinner. I’m sure you can do that for an old friend right?” she chuckled.
“Well, I have a lot of questions but it’s work time. Let’s catch up later. We’ll leave at 5pm” she said domineeringly.
Before she could reach the door, she heard the man’s voice.
“I’m not available”
“What? Since when?” she asked in shock.
Daniel would always say ‘yes’ to her.
No matter what she asks.
“I need to sleep” Daniel said.
“Your sleep can wait. Sleep after dinner” she widened her eyes in disbelief.
Her future depends on that dinner and this man had the nerve to sleep???
Unbelievable.
“No” the man objected.
“Daniel Grant. This is important” she called out.
“I thought it’s just dinner. Why is it so important?” he immediately caught on with her lies.
Related chapters
Crack My Code CHAPTER 4 – Dinner Invitation
“Because dinner is very important. Anyway, sleep after that. I’ll buy you coffee” she said with finality.When she looked at Daniel the man was still not convinced.“Fine” she rolled her eyes then went back to the sofa.Daniel sat in front of her and brought her coffee.“I need someone to introduce to my mother so she will get off my back” she started.“It’s not formal. We can say we just started dating, nothing official. Just a one-time deal” she assured the guy.Daniel studied her worried face and he wanted to laugh.“What’s in it for me?” Daniel asked.“I’ll do one month overtime without pay” she said excitedly.“You don’t get to file overtime. Your contract says 24/7 secretary” he reminded her.“I’ll buy you a new coffee-maker” who would reject that?“All my appliance
Crack My Code CHAPTER 5 – You Owe Me Something
All eyes were widened at her revelation.For full five seconds no one dared to make a sound.“Well mother, I’ve told you he is real. I hope you can stop arranging dates and marriage proposals for me” Celine said.“Thank you for your time, we’re leaving” she was about to grab Daniel’s hand when Daniel took a seat in the table.“I know it’s a shock” Daniel said smiling.It was a shock even for him.What happened to ‘nothing formal’, ‘just started dating’ thing?But he always manages his composure well.“Apologies, Mr. Stevenson for getting dragged into our family matters” Minerva said cautiously.“Celine, is this your attempt to avoid the lawsuit?” Minerva asked in a reprimanding tone.“Minerva, Celine’s matters are my matters” Daniel immediately interjected.“We didn’t kno
Crack My Code CHAPTER 6 – Dolci Baci
When she saw how serious Daniel’s look was, she could not help but snort.“Pbbfftt”“That’s funny” she gently removed his hands from her face.“Let’s go. Send me home. I’m so hungry” she pouted her lips as she sat in the passenger seat.“Don’t you think you should be pleasing me right now?” Daniel suddenly asked.“And why would I do that? I already owe you one favour. That’s enough” she said with a raised eyebrow.Does he think he can outwit her?“I don’t know, maybe I accidentally tell your Uncle Clint that I did not sign any marriage certificate”“Just maybe, what do you think?” he challenged her.She looked at the man in disbelief.They already made the deal.Would he back out now?“But you already agreed” she never thought Daniel would betray her.&ldquo
Crack My Code CHAPTER 7 – It's My Apartment
She eyed him sideways trying to gauge his seriousness.“If it has come to this, I guess you’re right” she agreed to his proposition.“Do you have your own swimming pool?” she wondered if she could resume her swimming regimen.Daniel is not sure if she’s aware of the complexity of their situation.Does she understand what living under one roof means?“Nope, just a penthouse” he simply replied.“Wait. It’s not the same storage room you had while we’re in college, right?” she panicked.“That’s so small, we could barely fit in there” she objected.“You never complained before when you wanted to sleep-over” he reprimanded her.She just rolled her eyes.His financial status back in college is unknown to her.He doesn’t have a car and other flashy things while studying but he always had a lot of cash to pay
Crack My Code CHAPTER 8 – Linda the Mother Superior
They went back to her unit to shower and get a change of clothes for the next day.While she’s doing her business, Daniel freely roamed around when a pink album caught his eye.“Our Wedding” he read the title in confusion.The more he browsed the pages, the more confused he becomes.Is he suffering from any amnesia?The photos are not as he remembers it to be.“Convincing, right?” Celine appeared in her pink cartoon pyjamas.“I edited most of the photos so if anyone wanted proof, I could easily show this one”“No one could tell since everything was made seven years ago” she winked at him proudly.She has really covered her bases.After keeping the album in her desk drawer, they prepared to leave when her door bell rang.“Hide” she whispered to Daniel who quickly went inside her room.“Baby girl!!!” Linda Lopez hugged her as
Crack My Code CHAPTER 9 – Celine in Sick
“What did you say?” Brendan stood from his seat ready to attack.“I said you’re a snake” Daniel stepped forward provoking Brendan.“Enough!” Linda interrupted.“Grant, we’re dating” she admitted to stop both men.Daniel scoffed.“What, you couldn’t get Celine, you went after the best friend? Classic snake” Daniel clapped annoyingly.Brendan’s fist was fast and it landed partially on Daniel’s cheek.Daniel’s quick reflex prevented him from getting a knock-out.“At least I’m not a hypocrite. Going back to your true colours now?”“What happened to the loner-geek persona you created for Celine?”“Did she find out you’re a star athlete who doesn’t need glasses?”“Classic hypocrite” Brendan clapped back at him.This time it was Daniel’s fist
Crack My Code CHAPTER 10 – The Daring Nurse
“Your what?” Oscar asked after a complete silence.He wasn’t dreaming, was he?“Just send the details in my email” he said not wanting to repeat what he said.“Another thing, I need a new house with a swimming pool and a garden”“We’ll move in once she gets better” he said casually.After a few more instructions, they ended their call.Celine spent the rest of the morning sleeping.She only wakes up to have soup or water.Oscar called again at lunch time to give a briefing.“I think you scared the secretary on her first day. She didn’t show up today”“She’s also not picking up her phone. What a model employee you hired” Oscar said sarcastically.“She’s here with me” Daniel just said.“Ohhh” Oscar doesn’t buy it.Will the prima donna secretary work in a hospital?
Crack My Code CHAPTER 11 – House Hunting
“With who?” Daniel came from outside.“That’s not a very decent advice, isn’t it Linda?” he asked in gritted teeth.“Don’t listen to her. Only you can decide when you will be ready for that kind of bullshit”“And you have to tell me if you meet someone you like, you understand?” he commanded.“Scratch that, you cannot like anyone without my approval”Celine could only look at Linda for support.Linda shook her head.She was forced to nod in agreement.If Daniel started talking like this, no one in their right mind would even dare make a sound.After confirming Celine is ready for discharge, Linda went back to the Yates Holdings.“D, where’s my surprise?” she asked once they were back in his flat.“Rest first. I’ll bring you there tomorrow” he planted a kiss on her forehead then went to work.
Latest chapter
Crack My Code CHAPTER 149 – Do you Trust Him?
The wedding was finished in an instant followed by a sumptuous dinner. The guests all stayed for the weekend at the resort and soon it was time for the guests to leave.“Enjoy your honeymoon. But you’ll have to decide how the company will move forward given that Minerva’s position will be vacant” Linda reminded both Celine and Daniel.The mother superior could not be any happier for the two of them now. Now she only wanted for Celine to have babies so she can guide her through motherhood.“Still work, Linda?” Daniel teased.“Actually, no. I want her to enjoy her motherhood so she has to sign the formalities as soon as possible” Linda objected.“Pbbft. Motherhood will only come once she’s ready. Maybe after two years if we’re lucky” Daniel defended his wife.Linda gave Celine a knowing look and she saw Celine shrink back. Clearly, she hasn’t told Daniel about it. Anyway, it’s not her business she just have to wait for her to be ready.When all the guests have left, Daniel decided to br
Crack My Code CHAPTER 148 – Exchange of Vows
The eve of the wedding ceremony arrived and Helene’s resort was livelier than usual.Although the staffs were initially told that it was a small celebration, they still decided to close it down when they found out it was Ms. Yates’ wedding. Although the resort is closed for the next few days, all the staffs were present assisting the guests making sure everyone is comfortable and enjoying their stay.The Bloom family was immediately impressed as soon as they stepped foot on the resort.They had never imagined they would see the white beach and turquoise waters that Helene fell in love with during her final days.Grandma Bloom’s eyes were teary seeing the blooming flowers.Those were Helene’s favourites.It’s feels as though Helene would appear anytime in these flower beds.Celine was observing the old couple and decided to give them a back story.“My parents fell in love in this place and this is where I was conceived as a result of their love. This holds a great deal to my mom and I
Crack My Code CHAPTER 147 – The Old Mansion
The old man was really grumpy.And why wouldn’t he?Celine said that the ceremony will only involve a few guests. And it would be a simple celebration. However, as soon as she started setting up her decorations, he knew it wasn’t as simple as she claimed it to be.Since he could not convince them to stop, he left the farm as soon as they started putting up the tent and only came back when he received the message that the farm is back to its previous order.He could already see their eco-friendly rating dropping from the charts. He still needed to submit reports to explain that the event did not pollute the environment.So, he is really grumpy right now. He has a lot of work to do.If the spoiled owner wanted to discuss business he needed to calm down for a day before he would be willing to negotiate.To be honest, he’s beginning to have second thoughts on selling the property to Celine. Who could guess what she’s planning to do next time?If only there’s a way to contact his master’s
Crack My Code CHAPTER 146 – She Said Yes
Everyone kept their silence when they saw Celine followed by Daniel.If looks could kill, Daniel would have been dead by now based from the glaring stares he’s getting. Even Aaron who adored him looks at him disappointingly now.He knew he made a mistake but he can explain himself if he will be given a chance. All that matters to him now is that Celine agreed to be his wife for real. The rest will follow later on.“Let’s have dinner now. Celine is hungry” Daniel said to break the deathly glares directed at him.The rest of the group snapped out of their own worlds when they heard Celine was hungry.Sylvia immediately went to the kitchen to check on the food while Aunt Marge prepared the dining table.Celine wanted to help but everyone wanted her to rest.She thought about what happened in the afternoon and they must have felt pity for her.Her heart warms up at the special treatment she’s receiving.“Uhhmm. Daniel and I talked about what will happen tomorrow. Since we originally plann
Crack My Code CHAPTER 145 – Misunderstandings and Secrets
Daniel tried to swallow hard to remove the lump building in his throat.Suddenly, it was very difficult to breathe after realizing what happened.He let the elders scold him so he could punish himself but Sylvia’s silence was more than he could take.No one said another word anymore. No matter what they wanted to say, it’s all useless now.They were at this stand still when the Blooms arrived.“Ah, Daniel you came. Celine would be relieved” Dr. Bloom was filled with vigour.He never expected the wedding atmosphere to lift Grandma Bloom’s spirits.They just came from the make-shift tent where she inspected the final decorations and her eyes were dreamy.“Let’s get married again tomorrow, dear” she joked as she gave instructions to the wedding planning team.“Grandma” Daniel greeted.Grandma Bloom acknowledged his presence but turned her attention to the la
Crack My Code CHAPTER 144 – Daniel Objected
Their reactions were not like as she has expected.“What if Daniel doesn’t want to get married?” Aunt Marge suddenly asked.She was worried that Daniel would have to give in to Celine again.For the Stevensons, they place a high value to marriage and family. Since their businesses could easily attract those unscrupulous characters, they needed the kind of security that only blood and family could provide.“Of course, Daniel will marry Celine. There’s no way that Daniel will object” Sylvia defended Celine from the Stevensons.“I understand all your concern. Of course, Daniel will have to agree this time. Anyway, I prepared the ceremony thinking that Daniel has really found a wife. It turns out, it’s only a ruse to throw off the Solomons.” Celine explained.“Daniel has already said that he will only get married because of love. I guess later I will know if he sees me as his potential
Crack My Code CHAPTER 143 – The Wedding is a Go
She could hear Britney’s sobs in the background. Daniel must have put their call on speaker mode. Isn’t she really thick-skinned? If it were Celine, she would have definitely dug herself out of that room. But then again, she’s Britney Smith, only she can do what she does and only she can accept this kind of embarrassment.“Britney, just cross Daniel’s name on your list. He’s not used to dealing with emotions so you will really lose out. He’s also not romantic so you will be really bored. Aren’t you embarrassed if you have to set an appointment with me if you want to have intimate nights with him? Even if you managed to marry him, he will not acknowledge your marriage in public so no one will really know that he’s your husband. Trust me on this one, he’s been married for seven years now and yet no one knows about his wife. If you want to receive flowers, you will either have to plant it yourself or order it online to
Crack My Code CHAPTER 142 – Britney's Plans
She felt an inexplicable excitement hearing his deep and powerful voice. But her excitement was quelled when she heard Daniel speak.“I thought I told you to call my secretary for appointment?” Daniel asked without any emotion.“Well, I cannot reach Celine and your office suddenly went into company holiday. So, I thought I can call you again since you’re divorced now” Britney said sheepishly.Daniel heaved a deep breath to calm the rage he felt before replying again.“Ms. Smith, news of my divorce may have circulated but it doesn’t mean anyone can just call me for dates. I’m not that desperate.” he replied in a stern voice.“That’s not what I meant, Daniel. I just got back to the country and I have a project proposal. Knowing your work ethics, you wouldn’t let a good opportunity pass. I mentioned your divorce because I think your ex-wife will not be jealous anymore if we went f
Crack My Code CHAPTER 141 – Roland's Letter
When Daniel came back to their house, he received a call from his family.“Finally, you managed to subdue the Solomons” Aaron called him excitedly.“Yeah” he replied lightly.“Let’s have a drink” he invited.Living with the Stevensons for a while has greatly improved their relationship all thanks to Celine.“Bro, I’m sorry but I have to pass. Mom is feeling under the weather so Tiff is accompanying her for now” Aaron felt cold sweats appearing on his forehead. Never had he imagine that he will blatantly lie to Daniel one day.“Oh” was all Daniel could reply then ended their call.In that case, it’s best to rest early so he can reach Celine before lunch.He decided to leave some reminders to Oscar regarding the company’s affairs.“I’ll leave you in-charge, Oscar. I’ll be gone in a few days. Call me in case of emergency, O
