CHAPTER FOUR

The men stood in silence for a bit after he entered before turning to look at him. He turned to face Elena and questioned why the men were so disoriented.

"I apologize for the delay, gentlemen. I hope this little lady didn't complicate matters for you?" He broke the ice by speaking first, which caused the men to seem to come to life suddenly.

"Ah yes, yes, we were surprised to see you. We didn't know you'd still make it, but we've already concluded the process and made our decision," the man said, finishing his coffee.

Elena received a severe look from Ezekiel, who wondered what ridiculous things she had said or done to cause the men to decide even to talk to him. He let out a tiny sigh.

" I'm not sure what occurred here, Mr. Brown, but there's still space for improvement," He was interrupted by the coffee-loving dude.

"Good sir, you seem to have competent staff in your base here. Therefore everything is OK. Even your secretary can get by without you; I would love to work with trustworthy people." Mr. Brown grinned before rising.

Elena got up from the table to get the revised terms and conclusions she had put forth; she had no idea they would agree so quickly. He examined every detail after she delivered it to him.

"Can I assume that Miss Elena here has communicated your mind?" Mr. Brown asked.

"Of course, these conditions are great," he replied.

 "We would have departed right away. Good heavens, she reassured us and showed us that DreamState's reputation for being reputable wasn't just talking. "With a smile, one of the other men continued.

Ezekiel glanced at Elena, wondering what she had spoken about and how she had done it.

"I look forward to the cooperation," Ezekiel stretched and shook hands with the three men before escorting them to their official vehicle.

Elena and Ezekiel walked back. 

"You saved us that contract, good job. This is what happens when you listen to me," he said with pride imbued in his walking step.

Elena had hoped he would finally acknowledge her contribution, but he ultimately opted to take the credit for it himself, and he wasn't mistaken. She had more than enough knowledge to conduct an effective meeting by herself, thanks to the forced, comprehensive orientation.

"Even though you had some knowledge, pulling that off without proper experience is praiseworthy. Still, don't you dare get conceited or brazen," he said to her suddenly.

"I'll always have that in mind," she smiled heartily because he was petty.

Ezekiel approached her and instructed her to follow him when it was time to return home. Because it was now time for her to leave work, she inquired as to where, but he dismissed her inquiries.

The chauffeur who took them there halted in front of a pricey restaurant. Before they arrived, a table had already been reserved. She had the impression that his regular visits were commonplace.

"Let me clear the air before you fire another round of questions. The gentlemen who visited earlier spilled the beans about my secretary's efficiency and recommended her for a meet-up. It's a norm in our circle, so you might want to adapt," Ezekiel clarified.

As she sat waiting for the lady's arrival, questions swirled in her mind. What kind of power did those men have to prompt another high-profile meeting on the same day? She realized she had been foolish to assume that Ezekiel had invited her to dinner. Meanwhile, the lady they were expecting had not yet arrived, so she spent the time scrolling through her phone and sipping on the juice the waiter had brought.

Ezekiel was growing frustrated because he wasn't the kind of person to hold out for so long. He turned to face Elena, preoccupied with whatever she was surfing, and carefully examined how delicate her face was. He was aware of her beauty, but for some reason, she seemed more attractive right then.

"Interesting," he said in a whisper.

The sight of the lady they were waiting for cleared his thoughts. 

"Hey, Lena! She's here; look alive" Ezekiel gave a heads up.

The lady joined the table as they exchanged pleasantries. Two men were standing behind her; they looked buffed and lofty with a face that had no expression or wavers.

"Elena, this is lady Patricia; Patricia, meet Elena" he set the atmosphere for a conversation.

The night stretched endlessly as Lady Patricia regaled Elena with her verbose musings. Ezekiel observed the exchange with a tinge of vexation, yet he couldn't help but steal frequent glances at Elena. After the prolonged conversation, Elena was thoroughly exhausted. Sensing her exhaustion, Ezekiel gallantly offered to escort her home. Overcome by weariness, Elena succumbed to slumber in the car without delay.

The journey to Elena's abode passed in tranquil silence, though Ezekiel found his eyes repeatedly drawn to her exquisitely delicate features, with her full lips beckoning him seductively. Despite his annoyance at his lustful thoughts, he reassured himself that his intentions were pure; he was lending a helping hand to a weary soul in need, nothing more.

As he aided Elena to the door, he deftly caught her waist to prevent her from stumbling. Elena was somewhat dizzy but managed to murmur her gratitude. Feeling satisfied at assisting her, he allowed a smug grin to grace his features, watching as she shut the door behind her. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes and raked a hand through his hair before departing.

…,.................

At 1 AM, Elena got up to use the bathroom. She gradually became conscious of all the memories of visiting Lady Patricia with Ezekiel. She sat up as other memories, especially the one of how she came home, flooded her head, making her feel ashamed. Despite being domineering, she considered Ezekiel to be responsible and sensible.

Before she even realized it, a content smile spread across her face and was on the verge of becoming a chuckle. Who thought her demanding boss would be considerate rather than a heartless, chilly man?

"I hope he doesn't frustrate me tomorrow, oh today rather," she worried about how awkward it could be later in the morning. When she got to work at dawn, Ezekiel was already going through some estimates. 

"Good morning, sir," she smiled, trying as much as possible to feel at ease. 

"I thought you'd be late; you were quite fragile… ahem, I meant tired yesterday. Either way, you're not allowed to slack off" Ezekiel quickly concealed his almost exposed concern for her.

"Of course" she turned around and left for her office, which was right beside Ezekiel's. 

He buried his face in his hand and started to think of a method to make her feel less tense around him as soon as she shut the door behind her. Without intending to, he started to become more interested in her.

She didn't appear to be a poor or desperate woman, but since she has always behaved cautiously, she likely wanted more money. She displays poise in her movements, patience in her speech, and calm behavior. It wasn't new to him that a secretary should at least possess these attributes, but he couldn't help but be drawn to her like a walking magnet.

"Hmm," he smiled, now resting his jaw on his knuckle, and picked up his phone to send her a text. 

When Elena received a text from Ezekiel, she was busy setting up Ezekiel's daily calendar and upcoming meetings while keeping herself informed on the latest business developments. The text's tone didn't surprise her, but she found the content to be a little strange. She believed that, barring any special occasions, she would begin working two hours of overtime. She was also instructed to accompany him because he needed someone to carry his small briefcase; of course, she would be paid for overtime.

Although Elena thought it was strange, she didn't mind the notion because she might be bored anyhow, and it didn't appear that the extra time would be spent at work. She also wanted to learn how Ezekiel could work from home if overtime were required to travel.

Her closest friends texted her again to check on how her test was going since, according to the email she had previously shown them, she should have begun it earlier. She broke the excellent news of her employment to them over their friendship group chat. She consented to rejoice with her later that evening, anticipating plenty of gists. Finally, it was time to get off work. She left her office and was ready to leave.

"You're coming with me, so wait a while," Ezekiel remarked honestly when she was about to depart. It appeared he had been waiting for her to leave her office.

"But I'm heading home already to.." she interjected.

"Didn't you get my message?" He raised a brow.

"But that was just today. Is it starting already?" she countered.

"Well, it is. It's just two hours max anyway, so no sweat," he said and locked his office door, handing over his briefcase to her with a grim face. 

She was so frustrated, but she managed to remain composed. She would lay him down and give him a severe spanking with her high heels if she had her way.