Chapter Five_Power play

Jasmine.

That goddamn son of the devil himself wasn’t seriously denying me. Denying that he knew me.

Or was he?

“We don't, I met Miss Castor outside your office, hyperventilating serious and almost going into shock," As smooth as his delivery of that line, I felt the sting and intensity of his words. "They need to be some sort of orientation for staff in the office here."

He was calling me incompetent. Perhaps his words would be sufficient enough to get me fired, and then I would be mom’s disappointment once again.

If I was going to keep this job and get mom and Charles off my back, then I needed to be strong enough to make sure anything said by my stepbrother was washed down my back. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, turning to Mr Warner.

“You called for me, sir.” I spoke confidently, without any trace of the uncertainty I felt within.

His eyes narrowed as he assessed me, I could be rest assured to know he was thinking if I was certainly worth the trouble in the long run. Was he going to make the seduction slow and difficult? Had I being sent on a mission a hundred times more difficult than I had bargained.

"Yeah, yeah, I need you to take down some notes during my interaction with Mr Castor......" His eyes widened this time like he had come to a realization, "How peculiar, you guys share the same last name."

"It is a common last name,so it shouldn't be too surprising," Alexander countered almost immediately. It seemed that any form of knowledge that we might know each other was to be squashed like a bug.

"Take down some notes and records so we'll have a baseline for our next meetings, that's something my assistants do whenever I have someone new," Mr Warner explained to me after getting over the last name issue.

Had I been promoted to the post of the travelling personal assistant?

I nodded my head softly, proceeding to work by bringing out my iPad and every other necessary tool I needed to begin working. Alexander ignored me truly, speaking only to Mr Warner even when I watched him with an unwavering gaze. That was the boy notorious for hiding in my room and talking about the most mundane of things, taunting me.

"Does your assistant work, or does she stare at men all day?" Alexander's smooth voice reached my ears, the tone and words snapping me away from my fantasies of when I was younger.

“I am sorry,” I said, my eyes squarely on Mr Warner’s face. “I am taking notes, or isn’t that why I am here?”

Was I always this defensive when cornered?

Alexander chuckled, leaning backwards into his chair. “I haven’t seen you write a single thing that is relevant since we started.”

“And how can you tell when you are so far away from me?”

Was this man going to make my work difficult? Yes, yes, he was. I turned to Mr Warner, I knew I wasn't the assistant he knew, but he wasn't going to let him belittle me right.

Was I planning on seducing a coward?

"That's enough please," Mr Warner finally said, he placed his fingers on his temple and massaged it, "I don't know what happened within the few short seconds of your first interaction but whatever it is, it's seriously affecting my meeting so cut it out."

I scoffed, the sound low, but I was sure I was heard by everyone and turned to the side. Mr Warner's words made me feel like a child.

"Just try and take the notes, miss. I would hate for anything to go amiss during my short time here." his tone was dangerously low as he stared at me, eyes betraying nothing of what he felt.

I remembered a time when I spent hours staring at those eyes, at the most dangerous hours of the day, in places we were not supposed to be in.

Until he wasn’t there anymore. And I was forced to stop visiting those places after what happened.

"I'll like to start with a budget of at least five hundred million dollars for the first six months," Alexander continued, his tone left no room for questions.

He was the CEO of a multi billionaire security defence company who worked for governors, royalty, and the president even. And fucking millionaires. The brain. And he fucking charged five hundred million dollars for a start.

How on earth had Charles not gotten a whiff of him all those years?

Mr Warner stroked his chin, letting out a hearty laugh. “The men said you were going to be expensive but I had no idea it would be this way.”

Alexander shrugged, "I provide the best and I'll be covering a lot of homes and offices, I doubt you want anyone to get hurt sir," he pushed forward, his eyes meeting mine for a second. “Your business is a dangerous one. And you have a lot of staff.”

"You're right, thank you for your time," Mr Warner said before turning to look at me, "My assistant would send you an email later to confirm the use of your services," He brought out his hand for a handshake probably.

But Alexander just stared at the hand like it offended him, "I don't think there's anything you should think about, do you want my services or not? The only thing the assistant should be messaging me for are the lists of homes and whatever you plan to work on first," He said confidently, a scoff at the end like he couldn’t believe Mr Warner would suggest such a thing.

Mr Warner stared at him incredulously, I doubted the persons who had recommended Alexander had told him he would be this fast with words.

"Well you're hired Mr Castor, I just didn't want to overwhelm you with those unnecessary details," He gave him a small smile.

Alexander finally stood up, he towered over Mr Warner who was pretty tall himself and gave him his hand for the handshake. There was no smile on his face though so it was quite difficult to figure out what he was thinking.

"Your assistant can talk to my assistant, she would send you a message," He directed the last words to me before turning back to Mr Warner with that stoic expression on his face.

"This meeting was a success then. Thank you."

I didn't expect to feel the thread of disappointment pulsing through me at the thought of him ignoring me. Was this what happened when you didn't see someone for seven turning eight years in a few months.

Would they completely ignore you for reasons unknown to you.

"Oh well, that seemed to go well right," Mr Warner's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

I stared at him demurely, from beneath my lashes. The notes I had been working on now forgotten.

"Yes sir," I said while getting up from the chair. I was supposed to seduce this man but all I had done today was made a blubbering fool out of myself.

He looked skeptical when he examined me, his eyebrows pressed together before he shook his head.

"You're not exactly like my last assistant but hopefully we'll get you up to speed, email me the details of this meeting and talk to his assistant like he said. You can go," He dismissed me without another glance and I felt like the most insignificant fly.

I had no idea how I was going to seduce a man. I needed to learn quite fast if I was ever going to be able to be free.

"Mr Warner," I tried a last minute attempt.

"Yes."

I walked closer to him, "I'm really sorry about what happened, I really want to work with you and would make sure I get everything right," Even I sounded a bit dramatic but what could I say.

He raised his eyebrows, "Anything?" He asked, his lips were being pulled into a smile.

Yes. That meant I wouldn't have to do this job for a very long time.

"Yes sir," I replied, the roar of blood in my ears quite loud.

"Then try not to annoy those I have my meetings with. Thank you”

Dismissed the second time today. Surely, it wasn’t my day.