Chapter 10: CEO's Secretary

That evening, I drove straight to the hospital to visit Ryan. My brother was still under treatment, fighting to recover from leukemia. As I walked into his hospital room, my mother looked up, exhaustion evident in her eyes, but her face lit up when she saw me.

"Athena! You’re here," she said, relief in her voice.

Ryan, lying on the hospital bed, turned his head and grinned weakly. "Hey, sis. Rough day at work?"

I took a deep breath, then smiled. "Actually, I have good news. I got promoted. And my salary increased—enough to cover all of your medical expenses. We don’t have to worry anymore."

My mother gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Oh, Athena... that’s incredible!"

Ryan’s eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, sis. You always take care of us."

I squeezed his hand. "Of course, Ryan. That’s what family is for."

For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. No matter what was happening at the office, my priority was clear—my family always came first.

The next morning, I arrived at the office early, still feeling the warmth of last night’s moment with my family. Knowing that Ryan’s treatment was secured gave me a sense of relief I hadn’t felt in years. I was ready to take on whatever challenges this promotion would bring. Or so I thought.

As soon as I settled at my desk, my manager, Mrs. Carter, approached me. She had a stern but unreadable expression.

"Athena, come with me to the conference room," she instructed.

I nodded, following her without hesitation. My heart was pounding slightly. Had something changed overnight? Was there an issue with my promotion?

The conference room was empty except for the two of us. Mrs. Carter turned to face me, folding her arms. "I’ll get straight to the point. Starting today, you will be the CEO’s new secretary."

My breath hitched. "Excuse me?" My mind raced, trying to process her words.

"It’s a direct order from the CEO himself. You have been promoted not only for your exceptional work ethic but because you’re one of the few employees who can handle high-pressure tasks efficiently," she explained, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I swallowed hard. I was supposed to be excited about a new opportunity, but all I felt was dread. Because if I was going to be the CEO’s new secretary, that meant I’d have to work closely with the current secretary—the last person on Earth I wanted to see.

Callum.

My stupid, cheating ex-fiancé.

I forced myself to remain calm, but my heart pounded in protest. "Mrs. Carter, I… I didn’t expect this. I thought I’d be handling the finance division."

She raised a brow. "That was the initial plan. But the CEO believes your skills are better suited for this role. It’s a great opportunity, Athena. You should take it."

I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the unease clawing at me. Callum was the last person I wanted to be around. The thought of seeing his smug face every day, working beside him, reporting to the same CEO—

No. This wasn’t happening.

But rejecting the role wasn’t an option. This was the CEO’s decision. And declining would mean jeopardizing everything I had worked so hard for—including the salary that was now covering Ryan’s medical expenses.

I inhaled deeply, pushing down my emotions. "Understood. When do I start?"

Mrs. Carter gave a small smile, satisfied with my answer. "Immediately. Gather your things. You’ll be moving to the executive floor."

As I walked out of the conference room, a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. I had no choice but to face my past head-on.

On my way to Callum’s office, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan. His frail body, his hopeful eyes, the way he smiled despite the pain. He was my priority. No matter how much I despised Callum, my brother’s life was more important than my pride. I had to endure this for Ryan. My personal feelings didn’t matter—not when his treatment depended on my job.

With a deep breath, I pushed the office door open.

I froze.

Callum stood in front of me, arms crossed, looking as arrogant as ever. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief second, something unreadable flickered in them. Then, he spoke.

"I miss you." His voice was cold, emotionless, as if the words meant nothing.

I stiffened, my heart clenching. Of course, he would say something like that, twisting a knife into the wounds he had left behind. But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me falter.

I lifted my chin and met his gaze head-on. "Let’s just get this over with."

A slow smirk formed on Callum’s lips as he took a step closer, invading my space. "Still feisty, I see." His voice dipped lower, taunting, as he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

I jerked back, glaring at him. "Don’t touch me."

He chuckled, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You’re my secretary now, Athena. That means you’ll be seeing a lot more of me. And I intend to make up for lost time."

My stomach twisted at his words. The possessiveness in his tone sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. He was acting like he still had a claim over me, as if the past had never happened.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "I’m here to do my job, nothing more."

Callum tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "We’ll see about that."

I hated the way he looked at me—like he already knew I was trapped. Like he knew I had no choice but to stay.

And the worst part? He was right.

My hands balled into fists. "I quit."

Callum barely glanced up from his desk, as if he had been expecting it. "No, you don’t."

My jaw clenched. "I’m serious. I don’t want this job. I’ll submit my resignation today."

He finally looked at me, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "And how exactly do you plan to pay the company a million dollars for breaching your two-year contract?"

My breath caught. "What?"

Callum pulled out a document from his drawer and slid it across the desk toward me. "You signed a binding contract when you accepted the promotion. If you resign before the term is up, you’ll owe the company a hefty sum for damages. I doubt you can afford that—unless, of course, you have a secret fortune I don’t know about."

My fingers trembled as I stared at the paper. The words were clear as day. A million dollars. Money I didn’t have. Money that was impossible to come up with overnight.

He stood up, walking around the desk to stand beside me. "Face it, Athena. You don’t have a choice. You’re mine for the next two years."