[6] Cold CEO

The receptionist looked for another lift to use. He and Jolie then got into the lift and went up to the top floor of the building. After reaching the top floor, the lift doors opened. The atmosphere on the floor was not too crowded. Only a few workers were seen busy with their own business. At the end of the room was a place designated for the CEO's office.

Jolie followed the receptionist. Unexpectedly, they walked straight into the CEO's room. The receptionist opened the door, revealing an elegant room with a set of high quality desks and sofas. There was one side wall that was entirely glass, so anyone entering the room could see the entire city from this minimalist room.

"Please come in, Miss. Mr Jeverson will be here shortly," the receptionist asked Jolie to sit in front of the CEO's desk while waiting for him to arrive.

"Okay." Jolie simply complied. She stepped inside and sat on the chair. Meanwhile, the receptionist walked away, leaving Jolie alone.

Honestly, the girl didn't know what to do there other than admire the room's charming interior design. The size of the room was probably only nine square metres. But somehow it felt so spacious with a glass wall on one side. There wasn't much stuff in there. Maybe that was why this room was still comfortable to use despite its small size.

The faint sound of someone's footsteps could be heard from the entrance. Jolie couldn't see who was coming because her sitting position was facing the glass wall and her back was the entrance. But she didn't have enough courage to look back. All she could hear was the faint sound of someone talking.

"Mr Jeverson, your prospective secretary is waiting for the interview."

"Okay."

Was it really the CEO? Jolie's heart beat faster, occasionally holding her breath in nervousness. "Stay calm, Jolie. It's not hell, just your new workplace," the girl muttered to herself.

Finally, someone came in and closed the door. The person walked quickly to his chair and sat right across from Jolie. The two of them were only separated by a desk. For some reason, Jolie's gaze immediately dropped when she realised that the CEO had probably arrived in front of her by now.

"I never thought we'd meet again."

The man's voice sounded very familiar. Jolie straightened her face and looked at the man. It was the same man who had almost run her over yesterday.

"You? What are you doing here?"

"The real question is what are you doing here?"

The atmosphere turned awkward so quickly. The two of them met again by chance. They had not planned this at all, but fate brought them together again.

"Samuel told me that the company is in need of a secretary. I came here on his recommendation," Jolie said.

"Sam is one of my managers. He must have also told you that I'll be interviewing you myself, right?" replies Fred.

"So, you're ...." Jolie didn't continue her sentence because Fred was looking at her with a strange look, no body knows what it meant. All she knew now was that Fred was the CEO of JPL.

While talking to Jolie, Fred did not show a smile or a friendly face at all. Jolie began to feel uncomfortable. It seemed like the man had been right yesterday. If they met again, Fred probably wouldn't be the same person.

"So, can we start the interview?" asked Fred, glancing sharply at Jolie.

"Yes, Mr Jeverson. Here are my files, you can have a look at them first," replied Jolie in a soft voice. She handed over all the files needed for the job interview. All the documents were in one folder. Then, Jolie said, "We haven't been formally introduced. My name is Jolie Barthley. And you are?"

"My employees call me Mr Jeverson. My close friends call me Fred."

Fred scrutinised Jolie's file. He was honestly quite impressed with Jolie's work experience. The girl was also a top graduate from a good university. But considering Fred had just sacked Jacklien who had done well in college, that wouldn't impress Fred at all. He only cared about Jolie's career and work experience rather than her background or grades.

"I heard you used to worked with Sam," Fred said after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, we worked in the same place a couple years ago. He was running his own company back then. But he ended up going bankrupt, so I decided to work somewhere else," Jolie explained.

"He did go bankrupt. That's why I recruited him to work here."

Silence fell again. Fred looked very serious reading every detail of Jolie's document. Meanwhile, the girl was still hoping anxiously. To be honest, she wanted to apologise for yesterday. But she was waiting for the right moment to say it. Looking at Fred made her a little scared. The man really changed when he was at work. Rather than being a burden on her mind, Jolie finally said her intentions.

"Mr Jeverson, I apologise for what happened yesterday. If I may, let's pretend it never happened," Jolie said hesitantly.

"Agreed."

Fred didn't say a word after he answered Jolie very briefly. Jolie wondered, would Fred forget yesterday's incident that easily? Or was he forgiving Jolie just to get her to stop talking. Jolie remembered what her old friend Samuel had said. He said his boss didn't like to talk too much. Yes, that was the first impression Jolie got when she met Fred. The man only spoke when absolutely necessary. He has no time for small talk.

Doubts quickly set in for Jolie. She wasn't sure if she would be accepted into the company or not. Even if she was accepted, she didn't know if she could handle a boss like Fred. The man seemed to have no feelings. In fact, yesterday Fred looked very different.

"Miss Barthley, why did you dare to apply for a job here?" Fred asked suddenly with a cold stare.

Jolie was speechless. That man really managed to intimidate her.

***