CHAPTER 6

Athena's POV

The good thing about being the boss is that you have people working for you, all you must do to fulfil your primary responsibilities which just includes making major corporate decisions, driving the workforce and resources of a company toward strategic goals. So, I should be relaxing right? But no, taking over Castell empire on day entails a lot.

Owning a big conglomerate is different, as a parent company that owns a series of diversified, bigger, medium, and smaller companies. I have to learn about every department, every single subsidiary under Castell. Which includes meetings and meetings back-to-back. Today I’m meeting with directors of only the top subsidiaries under the Pharma umbrella, they’re just giving me a review of their field currently.

The first two meetings I had went by fast, just a run through of the business from old men who all looked at me like they wanted to undress me and eat me rather than explain their profits to a little girl. But knowing who I was and who my father is, all they can do is look unless they want themselves ruined, so they all acted very professionally.

Today has really been a lot, from seeing Cassian early in the morning. Thinking we could talk and resolve things to Nick interrupting us thank God, he didn’t see me, still shuddering from the thought of him finding me in a locked room with his brother after we just went on date. I worry too much or at least I think I do, I like Nick and I don’t want to hurt him but I have feeling no matter what I do he is going to be hurt to I need to be very clear with him. I stare at the third message he sent me since our date which I haven’t replied to any.

Want to get Lunch today? Found a great Taco truck 2 blocks from your office to maintain anonymity *wink emoji

I smile at his message, he was being nice. He knows I like tacos and the anonymity, so our family doesn’t find out about. I liked him but just not the way you like a partner romantically, I liked him as a friend and nothing more. I check the time to see its already past 2pm its too late for lunch and I have another meeting by 3pm with another director.

I text Nick back, Meetings back-to-back today. Raincheck?

He texts back almost immediately, She’s alive *celebration emoji *dancing emoji. He sends. Then sends another text seconds later, Okay let me know when you’re free.

I needed to talk to  someone a friend or at least I think that’s something you would talk about with your friend but I never had close girlfriends growing up, you known real female friendship to read or watch a movie about and that really sucks, I had Jess but I couldn’t talk to her about this, I don’t know how to explain our friendship but I couldn’t trust her not to blurt it out to someone if I told her about the whole Cassian and Nick situation with her.

Next option is to clear my head, my head was swimming with so many thoughts so I grabbed my purse leaving my office. I needed to be somewhere peaceful.

“Are you going out?” My personal assistant gets up immediately she sees me out of my office.

“Yes.” I say without providing more details.

“Is it a meeting? Theres nothing on your calendar and your next meeting with Aion Pharma is by 3pm.” She rants.

“Pamela, do you work for me, or do I work for you?” I ask her with a straight face. You’d think I was being rude if you happen to walk by listening to the conversation, but I’ve had problems since my father appointed her as my personal assistant, she reports my every move to my father, and I don’t need that. I need a personal assistant who I could trust not someone who gives accounts of my day to my father every single day.

I already had a shadow bodyguard following me around which I didn’t complain against because he doesn’t engage with me or get in my way, but Pamela tells my father everything I do, and I can’t have that.

“No, I’m sorry, I work for you.” She says fidgeting looking nervous.

“Good, Best you remember that.” I say. “You and I should sit down and have a meeting on Friday on working together.” I add and she nods as I leave her standing nervously.

I quickly pull out my phone dialling Constance the head of HR asking her to meet with me at the end of the day. I’m hiring my own personal assistant, someone I can trust. I quickly head for the private elevator down.

When I was little, I used to go to the aquarium with my Pappoús (grandfather). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see him often—just once a month. I always hated that I only saw him so rarely. He lived in New York, which was the same city as us, but my father didn’t like him—he didnt like his own father and was often annoyed by our visits. Despite my father’s feelings, my grandfather, whom I called Pappoús which means grandfather in greek, was the best, he loved me. I always had a wonderful time with him. On the days we met, we’d have ice cream and spend the day at the aquarium, our favorite place. It was always beautiful and peaceful. Now, whenever I need to clear my head, I visit that special place.

I go back to the office right on time for the 3pm meeting. The meeting takes about 30 minutes with also other old men who found it hard to keep their gazes above my neck. We wrap up quickly, and I head back to my office. My personal assistant, Pamela, informs me that my dad and mom have called, there are various corporate updates requiring my attention, and someone is here to see me. He’s not on the calendar and doesn’t have an appointment, only providing his first name "Cassian" and implying that I would know the reason for his visit. Pamela suggested involving security to remove him, but he’s refusing to leave until he sees me. I instruct them to send him to my office and remind Pamela not to make decisions on my behalf—this is the kind of thing that frustrates me about her.

I can’t believe Cassian is here. Thankfully, he didn’t use his full name, but his presence is problematic. My father is bound to discover that Cassian is a Covington, which will only create more issues.

The first thing I do is put on the privacy glass on, frosting my office walls so as no one can see the inside of my office. I stand up standing towards the window watching the city. Nervously I walk back to door fidgeting around deciding if I should sit or stand. Finally, I sit down at my desk, attempting to appear composed as my office door opened and Cassian walked in his eyes taking me in.