CHAPTER THREE

The following morning, while Elena was contemplating how to start the day, she suddenly realized that she had an upcoming test at DreamState. Without giving it any thought, she hurried upstairs to get ready.

"Damn it; he just had to shift things suddenly. Son of a ****," She cursed in annoyance.

In less than an hour, she was in front of the company. She still had about forty minutes till the agreed test time. 

Elena glided inside, her elegant footsteps echoing across the lobby as she ascended the staircase unimpeded. The vigilant security team and diligent staff had been alerted of her arrival. Upon reaching the door, she rapped it softly, symbolizing her refined manners.

"Come in," a calm voice uttered, and she entered with smiles and an unwavering eye. 

"Good morning, sir," she greeted.

"Your test was served a tad earlier than anticipated, but I trust you're unfazed by it all." The words tumbled out of Ezekiel's mouth as he handed her a document bearing his unmistakable signature. "I have a small request. Could you kindly confer with my esteemed executives? Take your time, of course, and avoid disrupting their workflow. Don't hesitate to wait if required." With a genial smile, he reminded her that he eagerly awaited her response.

Was Elena confused? Was this the test? Was she already his secretary? There was no way; he was ordering her however he liked.

'I'll just do this quickly and get to the test,' She said within, and without questions, she arose and left to carry out the task.

"Alright, sir," she replied and left.

Ezekiel grinned a little as he watched her walk away; he had anticipated some of the usual questions, but she said nothing. He was tempted to inquire whether she had any concerns, such as why the test had been moved up or why she had been assigned a task before being hired.

"Hmm… just what was she thinking? In any way, she has to familiarize herself with the surroundings and get those files I requested from various offices," he sat back with his face towards the ceiling and excited anticipation on his face wondering how she'll go about it.

In twenty minutes, she was once again rapping on his door. Intrigued, he headed towards the CCTV monitor to investigate. A quick scan revealed that Brian's car was conspicuously absent from the premises, leaving him baffled as to who could be seeking entry

"Come in," he said, and he was surprised.

"Is there any problem?" He asked her.

"No sir, these are the files you requested," she laid them on the table with a blank expression.

Before she mentioned it, he hadn't even noticed the files she was carrying. He glanced rapidly through the files to be sure he had the right ones. How in the world did she communicate with those busy men?

A typical person would find it frustrating to wait for all of those documents. She is competent, precisely what he was looking for in someone who could efficiently follow his instructions and satiate his needs. She'd make an excellent secretary. He didn't wait any longer because she passed the initial test so quickly, especially given that she delivered without raising any objections.

"Ahem! Alright, sit down and sign here and here," he gestures to two blank spaces on a piece of the document he pulled out from the drawer beside him.

Elena wondered what it was, she read the document heading, and it was a contract of appointment. Her lungs were powerful enough to hold back the screams about to erupt from her esophagus, but she smiled. As soon as she was done signing, Ezekiel spoke, "It came down to you because the other girls weren't any more competent applicants for various reasons. You'll be my secretary for the time being, so get ready. If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll have to let you go." Ezekiel flashed a brief smile, which lasted just two seconds.

"Thank you, sir, I'll surely do my best," it seemed to Elena that rather than needing a secretary, he wanted someone that would mindlessly heed his commands like some minion.

"Sure, sure. You can always ask appropriate questions as long as it doesn't stand to defy my orders," Ezekiel smiled again for about two seconds.

"Okay, may I ask when I'm to start?" She asked straight away.

His lips curved into a sly smile, the expression lingering for precisely five seconds before he spoke. "Looks like you're stuck with me today. Prepare to learn everything there is to know about Dreamstate, our esteemed stockholders, top executives, and all the critical nuances that make us who we are."

"Good lord,' Elena said in her mind. She spent the whole day receiving cheeky lessons and rules from Ezekiel. She received cash by the test contract after the entire orientation and orders. Even though it was late and she hadn't eaten properly since daylight, she went to the pool to rest.

She always felt completely spent when she got home. Following the alleged orientation week, she developed into a competent secretary. Ezekiel studied her thoroughly during the week, which was the real test unknown to her. He was satisfied, though she seemed wary of him like the others, she was intelligent, witty, and a fast learner, but most importantly, she never defied his orders.

The following week was the same, but the week after that was different since he took her to meet most of his business partners during a friendly visit. Elena noticed that she was beginning to feel more at ease.

She had already arrived at the first official meeting she was meant to attend. She arrived early as usual, but her boss wasn't there. She tried to call him, but he wasn't picking up.

The meeting would be conducted within the business space; she decided to organize the VIP room upstairs herself out of frustration and rage.

After an hour quickly passed with no sign of Mr. Ezekiel, she decided to see Mr. Bernard.

As a knock came in, Bernard shifted slightly away from the computer and screen before him and rose to grab some water.

"Yes?" He said.

"It's Elena, Sir," she answered before entering.

"Good morning, our little secretary; how may I help you?" He said, noticing the impatience in her expression.

"Sorry to bother you, but are you aware of a meeting today? Mr. Ezekiel still isn't here, and I'm afraid the people we're to meet will arrive soon," she said with all the worry she could muster.

Bernard also attempted phoning, but the phone rang continuously and went unanswered. "This has never occurred before, I'm sure he had something essential to attend to, or he is in a scenario where he can't answer or make calls," Bernard reasoned.

"These people are not our registered partners, so this first meeting is rather crucial," She said.

"Although I understand the situation, I've long been told not to interfere in matters concerning the meetings. If he doesn't make it in time, then the decision is all yours; no orders are inhibiting you from handling this situation, right? Just do you and wait," Bernard said with a smile.

In a way, Elena became less worried. Bernard didn't look panicked as she was, and he spoke calmly like he had no worries in this world.

"Hmm, alright then. Thank you, I'll do my best," she said and left.

She took a breath and led them upstairs to the VIP area when the folks they were supposed to meet with came, and Ezekiel was still absent. She was being observed by three of them, all men. 

"Ahem! Due to unforeseen and special reasons. I'm unhappy to inform you that Mr. Ezekiel has urgent matters to attend to," She said, standing.

One of the men sipped the coffee in front of him slowly.

"So, did we just waste our time coming here?" 

"No way that's the case, my good sirs. I am here with his stamp to append any necessary documents," she replied.

"That's quite appalling. Do you realize we haven't discussed this in detail?" the man sipping his coffee spoke up.

"Sir, I am not unqualified. I am not your typical secretary; I am fully aware of your dealings. I wouldn't dare compare myself to my boss, but I'm not all that horrible either," she answered.

The other men complained that it was utterly inappropriate, but she apologized and said that Ezekiel didn't intend to leave the meeting because of an unforeseen circumstance.

"If I'm comfortable and content with your negotiation and knowledge, then I'll be more than delighted to be in a competent lady's care," the man replied, taking another sip of the coffee.

"Then shall we get started?" She smiled, wholly absorbed at the moment.

She took charge of the situation and engaged them in a lengthy conversation. After a considerable amount of time, she asked for a break and left, allowing them both space to speak privately.

The manager approached her as soon as she left the big room.

"You didn't reschedule the meeting and give them a suitable explanation?" Bernard asked 

"I took things into my own hands, you see," she took a deep breath before she realized it 

"Well, he just arrived outside. I didn't know you'd be here either," Bernard replied.

Did you manage to delay them for a while? They both turned to look at Ezekiel when a recognizable voice pierced the air. Elena felt stunned, but Bernard tapped her shoulder.

"Well, yes sir, they're discussing inside at the moment," she explained that they were taking a break.

Before he unexpectedly showed up in front of his visitors, Ezekiel granted them ten more minutes.