Chapter 4

Layla woke up. Her body was weak, and she felt a slight pain in her body. She stood up with her eyes half opened and sat on the bed for a few seconds before she crawled backward and relaxed her back on the wall.

She yawned and brushed her hand over her face.

She looked around the room and opened her eyes, amazed. “How did I get home?”

She tapped her head three times, trying to think back about what happened after she excused herself to the toilet last night, but she remembered nothing.

“Did I?!” She screamed, her eyes widened in disbelief, thinking she drank into a stupor last night and fell in the toilet.

Mia rushed out of the bathroom,  dressed corporately. She curved her head, smiling. “Good morning, ma. How’s your night?”

“Good morning,” Layla beamed insincerely. She looked at Mia’s face as she let the smile slowly fade away. “I don't know what my night was like because I can't even remember how I got home last night.”

“How did I get home?” Layla oppugn.

Mia raised her eyebrows in stupefaction, producing a surprised tone. “Hun?”

“What happened?” Layla asked.

“Don't you remember anything, ma?!” Mia asked, amazed. 

“What happened?” Layla questioned in fear. “Did I drink myself into a stupor and fall in front of people?”

“Oh! Gosh!” She looked down in disappointment and smashed the bed with her hands, withering her face as she would cry.

Mia wore a light solace smile, shaking her head gently. “Nothing like that happened, ma. You slept off, and I and Michael got you home.”

“Did I sleep off in the toilet?” Layla investigated.

“Hummm…” Mia made sounds, trying to find an answer. She grinned, lying, “yes, ma. But no one saw you till Michael came to notify me. And believe me, no one saw us when we were taking you out.”

“I don't sleep like a log,” Layla murmured. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Why can't I remember anything?”

Mia put on a smile, attempting to convince her. “I checked the wine you drank last night and found out it's alcoholic. I guess that's why, ma.”

Layla nodded. “Okay, let me just assume that's what happened because I felt something terrible happened last night.”

“Forget about that; the bygone is the bygone,” Mia grinned. She walked closer to the bed and took the duvet off Layla’s body. “The bathtub is ready, go and take your bath now.”

‘The bygone is bygone?’ Layla thought to herself. Mia’s phrases were confounding, and her reactions were dubious. And it made Layla more uneasy and feel so troubled about what might have happened last night.

‘What’s she hiding?’ Layla troubled her head.

“You should take your bath now.” Mia said.

Layla looked at Mia, feigning a smile. She shuffled down the bed with her bottom and eyed Mia for a few seconds before she walked into the bathroom.

PERFICIENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, NEW YORK CITY

Till Layla took her bath, dressed, and left the house, her mind wasn’t at rest. She kept asking questions, thinking she had done something wrong. 

Layla sighed. She took out her phone from the bag and logged into the new I*******m account ‘Layla Theodore’ created for her, and her bio was CEO of HighEnd Investment. She tapped the home page, and the first post she saw was her pictures from last night when she presented the pendant to Avery.

She tapped the search button, and Asher and Avery’s engagement was the number one trending topic, while her sudden appearance was the second trending topic.

She smiled and logged out.

“We are at Perficient Investment, ma.” Mia notified her.

Layla giggled and returned the phone to her bag.

The car drove into Perficient Investment and packed in front of the company exactly where the shade ended. Mia quickly got down and unlocked the car door for Layla to go down.

Mia bowed her head, and Layla got down elegantly.

Layla scanned around without moving an inch, and after three seconds, she walked into the company. Mia walked behind her with a five-step gap and Michael drove the car to the parking lot.

Mia stepped forward and bowed her head, opening the door for Layla to walk in.

Immediately Layla stepped into the first floor of Perficient Investment, the staff members shifted their attention to her and glanced at her with respect.

“Look at her!” Some shouted, pointing fingers at her.

Some covered their mouths with their hands, excited. “She is beautiful!”

Nora, a junior staff member and the only attention seeker in Perficient Investment, quickly ran to her front and lowered her head. “Good morning, ma!” She greeted. 

Layla smiled cutely and bowed her head in return. “Good morning. How’s work?”

“Fine, ma!” Nora answered in a high voice. “I love you, ma. You look so beautiful!”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Layla beamed. She understood Nora’s reactions and what she wanted to gain. 

Layla looked at Mia, ordering, “give her my contact.”

“Oh! Thank you, ma!” Nora appreciated it, bowing her head.

Mia called out Layla’s number.

Layla bowed her head slightly and walked to the elevator.

All the staff members Layla met on her way from the first to the top floor quickly stepped aside for her to go first. They bowed their heads to greet her, and she responded to all of them.

She walked onto the top floor, smiling sincerely. “Good morning.”

The staff members raised their gaze, and seeing it was Layla, they stood up. They bowed their heads, welcoming. “Good morning, ma.”

“How’s your day going?” She asked.

“Fine, ma.” They responded in unison.

“Is the CEO around?” Layla asked.

“No, but he will be here soon,” Aria, a first-rank senior staff member, answered. “It’s unusual for him to come late. I guess he is tired because of last night's stress.”

“Okay,” Layla beamed. “Maybe he won’t come today. He might take today off work.”

Aria chuckled, shifting her mouth to the other side a little. “I bet he won’t take a break for a wedding, so what’s special about an engagement?”

Layla grinned. She heard Aria and understood what she implied. “Can I wait for him?”

Aria nodded. “Yes, ma.”

Jack, a third-rank senior staff member, pointed to the designated waiting chairs at the left side of the corner that led to the CEO’s office. “You can sit there and wait for him, ma.”

“Have you lost it?” Natasha, the second-rank senior staff member, gave Jack a deadly reprimanding look.

Natasha faced Layla with a smile and pointed to the corner that led to the CEO's office. “You can wait for him in his office, ma.”

Layla bowed her head. “Thank you.”

She looked at Mia, ordering, “wait for me in the car.”

“Okay, ma.” Mia bowed her head and walked out.

Layla looked at the staff and bowed her head once again, smiling, before she walked into Asher's office.

“Who is she?” James asked immediately as Layla walked into the corner.

“You missed the engagement party last night, and I bet you haven’t logged in to your social media account,” Aria said, shaking her head in pity. “She is the daughter of Mr. Theodre and the successor of HighEnd Investment.”

“Wow!” James opened his mouth in awe. “Had it been that I heard it from someone else, not you, I wouldn't believe it. Her life is so simple compared to some billionaire heiress.”

“Yeah, that's true.” Other staff supported.

HOURS LATER

A Rolls-Royce Boat Tail arrived at Perficient Investment. Guards rushed down out of the van that arrived a second before it, and they quickly lined up horizontally from where the car parked to the first-floor entrance.

A guard stepped forward and opened the car door with his head bowed down.

“Good morning, sir!” The guards greeted him in unison at the top of their voices.

He first let down his right leg in a well-polished black shoe and sock. And a few seconds later, he sluggishly let down his left leg and finally got down.

Nancy hurriedly walked out of the company and bowed her head, standing in front of Asher. “Good morning, sir.”

Asher raised his eyebrows authoritatively. “Why are you ten seconds late?” He asked in a cute but harsh voice.

“Hun?!” Nancy looked up at him, amazed. She quickly took her eyes off him and apologized. “I am sorry, sir.”

“Apologizing changes nothing. Learn to adapt and be careful. I will sack you if you waste a second of my time again.” He warned.

“I am sorry, sir.” She apologized.

“I permitted my staff members to apologize twice in a day, and before they say it a third time, they will be out of my company already,” he enlightened. “But because you are my secretary, you can apologize three times in a day. So, say you are sorry again, and you will be sacked.”

Nancy bent her head. “Okay, sir.”

Asher slipped his right finger. “Bobby, let her know the rules.”

Bobby was standing behind Asher, and he quickly adjusted his tie and matched forward. He was going to the lion’s front and a single mistake can end his chance of working till the month's end. 

Bobby faced Asher and bowed his head before he turned back to Nancy and tried to start on light mode. “Welcome, Nancy; it’s good to have you here-”

“Who said so?” Asher cut Bobby off.

Bobby bowed his head, turning back to Asher a little. He looked back at Nancy and continued, “to work for mighty Lucas Asher-”

Asher blew air with his mouth, feeling irritated. “Stop the exaggeration, it won’t make you last for another month.”

Bobby was silent for a second. He silently inhaled and exhaled to regain confidence before he proceeded. “To last for a while as the CEO’s secretary, you must be neat and punctual-”

“If she isn’t neat to my taste, do you think Aria will allow her to enter for an interview on the first day?” Asher raised a question.

Bobby ignored him and nailed the main point. “As the CEO’s secretary, you pledged your loyalty and faithfulness to him the moment you took this job-”

Asher chuckled, surprised. “Loyalty and faithfulness?” 

“She doesn't need both because I don't entrust my secret with strangers.” He declared.

Bobby turned to Asher a little and bowed his head, accepting the correction. He looked back at Nancy. “From now on, you must arrive at the CEO's house early in the morning. Latest by 6 a.m your knock on his door should wake him up,”

“You will prepare his breakfast and go back home with him in the evening to plan for the next day and supervise the cleaners to do a good job,” Bobby stated.

“So, Nancy, are you ready to take the job as the almighty CEO's secretary or not?” Bobby inquired.

Without giving it a second thought, Nancy nodded. “Yes. I am ready to take the job.”

Asher gave Bobby a deadly, irritated look. “Your days are numbered because you make a lot of mistakes, and I hate it.”

He turned to Nancy.

“Look up,” he ordered, and Nancy’s body quickly reacted to the command before her mind could process it.

He looked up arrogantly and raised his middle finger. “One, it’s not a must that you arrive at my house early, but any day you don’t, don’t show up again. That’s the end of your job,”

He pocketed his hands and bent to the left a bit. “It escapes Bobby’s mind that my house doors aren’t cheap, so you won’t knock on them. You pressed a button to notify. And knocking on my door at 6 a.m. won’t make you the one to wake me up. I woke up early before that time,”

He took a minute's break and continued. “Another thing: You won’t make my meal because I Don't eat low-class dishes. You will order my meal from Perficient Restaurant. You just have to study my food menu,”

He removed his left hand from the pocket and held the edge of his coat. “Importantly, you must monitor my dressing and have great-selecting eyes to pick unique and good-looking dresses that will glitter with my gorgeous looks.”

“You see how handsome I look, right?”

Nancy nodded. “Yes.”

“I wear dresses from great brands, and they have their days. I wear Adidas on Monday, Gucci on Tuesday, and so do other brands. So, you mustn’t mix their days.”

He crossed his arms and walked around her, observing her appearance. He arrived in front of her and shook his head, encouraged. “You look presentable, but you need a little polish,”

“Find time to go to the Perficient boutiques and get nice dresses. Don’t worry about the bills, they're on the company. Okay?”

“Okay, sir.”

“Have you ever been out of America?” He asked. He looked at her, belittling her, and he didn't let her answer before he continued. “I bet you have never. If you are lucky and you behave and adapt to my rules, you will travel to three countries within a month.”

“Okay, sir.”

He embarked on a minute of silence.

He fixed his eyes on her. “So, Nancy, if you follow the easiest rule any CEO can ever give, you will be happy. My company ranks first in billboards, and I pay my staff members a high salary that none of the other companies can pay their workers without going bankrupt,”

“As my secretary, your salary will be more than other companies' CEOs, because what some CEOs receive as salaries that make them happy and feel important is what I pay my company's part-time cleaner,”

“So, Nancy, are you ready to work with me?” He asked.

Before she could give a response, he corrected himself. “No, you won't work with me, you work for me,”

“Nancy, are you ready to work for me?”

“Yes, sir!” She answered with excitement. “I will do my best to serve you!"

He scoffed. “You don’t need to. None of my secretaries lasted for two months. So, I expect nothing to make your fate different.”

Asher led into the company, and Nancy walked behind him with an interval of three steps.

As he stepped onto the first floor, the staff members, who were walking in unison before his arrival, quickly separated and walked a little faster so he wouldn’t reach them. And the female staff members that couldn’t avoid him quickly adjusted their skirts and packed their hair, while the male staff members quickly amended their ties.

Before he got to them, they bowed their heads and greeted him. “Good morning, sir.”

He responded to none and focused his eyes on his front, raising his chin proudly.

Mia recorded everything that happened outside and secretly captured how Asher ignored his staff. And she quickly forwarded the video with the caption, “he is here.”

Layla watched the video immediately as Mia sent it, and her mind boiled with vexation. While she was thinking of what to do, she noticed a noise from outside. She quickly stood up and walked out of Asher’s office.

She stood in the corner and watched Asher yell at his staff members.

“What’s good about the morning that you should focus on your work, but you are celebrating someone’s engagement?" Asher yelled, standing between the desks that were opposite each other.

Jack and Natasha were at his back, while he faced Aria and Victor. 

He turned to Jack and Natasha and they quickly looked down in guilt, and their bodies squirmed in fear.

“From now on, there will be no more celebrations in this company. And I will penalize anyone caught doing that for violating my rules, and anything can happen after that.” Asher threatened. 

“Sir, what about our birthday? Can we celebrate it?” Aria inquired.

He turned back to her in anger. “Yes, you can. But make sure you have submitted your resignation letter, and I have approved it before then, and despite that, you will still pay for disturbing my staff while they are at work.”

“Okay, sir.”

“If I catch any of you sitting in someone’s seat or talking to each other about something that’s not related to work, be ready to face the consequences," he warned.

“If you can’t abide by my rules, resign. There are lots of people out there who are ready to work for me without collecting a penny.”

He walked toward his office and met Layla standing in the way.

Layla washed out the shock on her face with a smile and stretched her hand out for a shake. “Good morning.”

Asher scanned her for a minute with a belittling look on his face. He turned to Aria, pointing to Layla. “Who is she?”

“Hum?!” Aria looked at him, surprised.

“Sir, she is Layla Theodore. She attended your party last night and presented a gift for-” Natasha answered.

He scoffed and cut her off. “Is that why you allowed her into my office?”

“Do this next time, and I will make you pay.” He threatened.

“I am sorry my presence makes you angry." Layla apologized with a smile, and he shifted his attention back to her.

He shut her up indirectly. “That’s why you should stop coming uninvited.”

She scoffed, looking complicated. “Is this about the engagement party or this morning's visit?”

“Think about it.” He said, walking out of her.

“Is this the proper way to apologize? I waited for you for more than an hour.” She said.

He stopped walking and chuckled without looking back at her. “That’s because you came uninvited. Stop jumping around because you have a car and learn to fix an appointment before you show up next time.”

He walked away, and she looked at him from behind.

Layla walked to Aria’s front and apologized. “I am sorry you have to go through this because of me.”

“It’s fine, ma,” Aria grinned. “This isn't about your presence, ma. He’s angry because we congratulated him on his engagement.”

“Okay.” Layla bowed her head. She walked out of the company, maintaining an organized, elegant walk.

Immediately after she got into the car, she made an angry face and called President Mason.

“Sir, is there a way to make his punishment faster than we planned?”