Chapter Three: At The Shooting Range

Third Person's POV 

At last, they arrived at the shooting range where Diego purged all the guests so that he could be alone shooting in the area. Of course, it was Marissa’s job to appease the people who left and make them understand that it was an urgent situation.

“What is your problem? Do you even own the shooting range?!”

“I might slap your face for evacuating us!”

“You look pretty, young lady. How about you come with me and leave that man you were with? How much for one night?”

If Marissa had the same anger issues as Diego, she would have punched and smacked all of the people who disrespected her. Instead, she just bestowed a calm smile and polite attitude towards them. After all, she is just the CEO’s secretary. It is a part of her job to be patient, despite being disrespected.

The bullets piercing through the mannequins Diego was firing using a pistol made loud sounds even though Marissa was already wearing headsets. As usual, she is only standing beside her boss who is bursting out his frustration and anger through shooting in his favorite fire studio.

After an important conference meeting in the company, Marissa booked for his shooting in the studio so she could help him wind up. She focused on how he was good at firing the bullets until her eyes reached his biceps and his face which was hardening in control.

Marissa had always hated Diego Montero - from the way, he breathes, eats, and talks to his nasty attitude and disrespectful personality. It’s been three years since she started working with him in the company his family owns. As time passed by, she knew his reputation in the field of business and how rich his family was in the country. Aside from her huge salary and good working position, she refuses to quit the job despite his stupor and evil nature because she wants to prove to herself that she can control everything, especially Satan himself. It’s not being stupid. It’s being in control and discipline.

“I want to eat,” Diego announced after shooting for an hour and regarded Marissa who was accepting his gun.

“Let’s go to a restaurant.”

“Yes, sir,” Marissa said and turned her back with the gun in her hand. “Which restaurant do you want so I can book already?”

“The usual.”

“Yes, sir.”

Diego went towards the locker area so he could change. He did not say anything to Marissa and just left her. She could not care less and directly went to the staff to give the firing weapon.

“I am sorry for our sudden arrival. Mr. Montero is just having a bad day,” Marissa gave an apology to the head staff.

The head staff nodded and accepted the gun with a handkerchief in its hand.

“We are already used to it, ma’am. Also, Mr. Montero is a nephew of our boss.”

“Still, it must have been an inconvenience since your guests had to leave without a proper reason.”

“The next time they go here, we will just give them promos, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

The head staff eventually left after a negotiation with Marissa. When she was already alone, her eyes drifted to a nearby half-body mirror and saw that she was still sweating from the fires that she made. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore her newly bought black racerback, brown trousers, and a pair of boots that had two-inch heels underneath. An unused towel was on top of her bag, so she used it to wipe her sweating body. After that, with glares in her eyes, she stared at the mirror angrily and imagined the face of her boss.

“You son of a devil!” she whispered furiously. “Do you know that I spent six hundred dollars just to buy these stupid clothes? As if I would let myself wear my corporate dress on your stupid shooting range!”

After she had vented out her frustration on a still mirror, she shut her eyes tightly and heaved a deep sigh before opening them again. A quick polite smile plastered on her lips and calm face, different from her vicious expression a while ago. Here is the tea. That is her coping mechanism whenever she wants to say something in the face of Diego Montero but cannot. She merely talks to the wall or herself, and then…

“I will be okay after this. Just breathe, Marissa. Just breathe,” she said to herself and took a deep breath.

Diego Montero was still not finished dressing up, so she just wiped her sweat in the reflection of the mirror. While doing so, a ringing of cell phone from her bag engulfed the whole hallway. She approached it and answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Ma’am, this is Gonzaga,” the female employee introduced herself throughout the line.

“Yes, Miss Gonzaga. How can I help you?”

“Mrs. Montero is inside the office of the Chief Executive Director, ma’am. She is looking for Mr. Montero."

Oh, the wrong timing must be kidding her. The CEO is not in the mood!

Especially if his mother is in his office right now. He might end up bursting the information she just knew about his father cheating on his mother, and everything would be in chaos.

And who will be blamed? Her! The secretary! Because she was the one who got the dreadful information! Marissa hung her head and massaged the bridge of her nose due to the stress she got from the thoughts in her mind.

“Okay. I’ll tell the CEO,” she said calmly, even though she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs inside her. “Just accommodate Mrs. Montero, and we will be there any minute.”

“Yes, ma’am. I understood,” Ms. Gonzaga answered before hanging up the phone.

“Why is life so complicated?” Marissa mumbled to herself and rolled her eyes Marissa turned her back and decided to go to Diego.

Finally, he appeared fresh and had newly taken a bath. He wore his extra corporate suit, for they were going to the company again.

“Mr. Montero,” she called and stopped in front of him. “Mrs. Montero is in your office. I was informed that she would want to see you.”

“My mother?”

“Yes, sir,” Marissa answered. “So do you want me to cancel our plan to eat in a restaurant, sir?”

But her boss was so deep into his thoughts that he just stared at the wall beside them. She just shrugged it off and waited for him to get back to his senses. After that, he sighed and regarded his secretary.

“Cancel the restaurant. Let us return to the company,” Diego announced and preceded Marissa in walking.