When Mitchell Lawson takes a job as secretary to the ruthless and enigmatic CEO Anthony Martins, she's drawn to his looks and commanding presence. But his arrogant attitude pushes her buttons. As she struggles to make ends meet for her family, Mitchell's world spirals out of control - her mother's health declines, her father's threats escalate, and she fights to keep her baby sister out of foster care. Meanwhile, Anthony faces his demons: a power-hungry half-brother who'll stop at nothing to steal the company, and a mother who's forcing him into a loveless marriage. Yet, amidst the chaos, his fascination with Mitchell grows. As they navigate their treacherous paths, they must confront their deepest fears and desires. Will they find a way to be together, or will their differences tear them apart forever?
Chapter 1 ''A Shot at Success''
MITCHELL POV
I paced around the corridor and bit my lips while waiting for the manager to call me in. Cassandra leaned on the wall facing the office room for the interview. She was free with her office duties for the moment.
"I don't want to miss this shot," I muttered as I paced around, my gaze flit.
"Relax, Mitchell. It's just an interview, you won't do well if you keep worrying yourself like this."
I stopped moving and quickly turned to Cassandra, my eyebrows were drawn together. "Don't say that! Do you know how much I planned for this?!"
"I know, and I am rooting for you, but worrying won't make you get it."
I moved closer to Cassandra, "This is a new CEO and I don't know anything about him. Do you think he will pick me?"
"Mitchell," Cassandra called my name softly and held my hands. "You are a hardworking, down-to-earth lady who always pays attention to details of things in her workspace, you'd be his choice. I know you wanted this badly, I mean..." she chucked, "...the secretary to the CEO of Mart Groups is three times higher than your present office, and your income will increase by..." She jerked her head and said, "Let's say five hundred percent."
My eyes bulged, and my jaw dropped for a couple of seconds. "Five hundred percent?! A-Are you sure?" I knew being the secretary to the CEO would be a good position to go after, but I wasn't expecting a five hundred percent increase in my present earnings.
The door to the interview room opened, and the employee who was being interviewed walked from the door with a sullen face pointing down, his shoulders dropped and he walked away like a ghost to his surroundings. The General Manager stepped out. "Miss. Mitchell Lawson."
"Yes Sir, I'm here."
"You can come in now."
I stepped in and stood inches away from the door. For the few seconds I stood, my eyes quickly glanced around the room, but I kept my head straight so they wouldn't know I was looking around. There were three men seated at the table. The General Manager, the Director of Staff, and someone I had not seen before. I heard the new CEO will be in the interview, and I'm yet to see him.
Or is he this strange, handsome-looking guy?
He had short, pitch-dark hair, straight and clean, lying to the side of his head. He sat in the middle, and his back rested on his chair, his right leg crossed over his other leg. From a glance, I gazed at him and forgot that I had been staring for long. He had black, small eyes that looked still and cold, and his body was perfected sharped in the fitted blazer he wore.
Is this the new CEO?
"Miss Lawson!"
The General Manager's voice shook me off the absentmindedness; my eyes widened in a blink speed, I faked a smile for a second and cleared my throat. The General Manager and the Director kept their austerity gaze on me, I tried all I could to hide my fears and also to avoid the cold eyes of the man seated in the middle.
"Have your seat," the Director of staff said. "You are almost losing yourself before the interview. For your information, the Chief Executive Officer decided to surprise us to be in this interview, Mr. Anthony Martins." He turned his face to the man seated at the middle, I gave a weak bow and tried to avoid my eyes meeting it but that was quite impossible.
"Good day Sir," I said, the CEO didn't give a reply or act as though he heard me, yet his eyes were fixated on me.
The Director of staff opened my folder and looked at my CV, he adjusted his glasses and drew his eyebrows together.
"You don't have just one degree. Have you worked as a secretary in any firm?"
I slowly answered in a low tone, "No Sir."
"Have you worked in an unlimited liability company before Mart Groups?"
"No sir."
The General Manager smirked. "I can see you believed in your lucky charm when applying," he chuckled, but when he saw the CEO's stern eyes fixated on him he swallowed and kept a serious face.
"Mitchell Lawson," the CEO called out my name. "What makes you think you are fit for this job?"
I straightened my spine and kept my head up high. "I am diligent at tasks I'm asked to do. I can also work under pressure, and... I am good at keeping track of things around me."
After giving my answers, the CEO kept quiet and the Director of staff gave me a look, expecting him to say a word. The CEO waved his hand at the Director of staff, "Carry on."
"Are you okay with her, Sir?"
"You went through her CV, right? I am not here to settle for the less, I need a professional, not a desperate peasant."
The Director of Staff cleared his throat and turned to me. "That will all, Miss Lawson. We will get back to you. You can leave now, thank you."
I walked out of the room with a cold feeling inside me. I was unconscious of my surroundings and walked straight to my office without saying a word to anyone. I dropped my butt on my chair, dropped my elbow on my desk, and rest my cheek on my knuckles.
"Hey, Mitchell! Welcome back, how was it?" Cassandra said walking up to me from behind.
I sighed and moved my head slowly away from my knuckles and laid my back on the chair. "I was rejected."
"Rejected? Like, you were told your application was rejected, or you assumed it to be so?"
I rolled my chair around and pulled my back forward away from the seat. "What does it mean for the CEO himself to say that he doesn't want to settle for the less because he can't find secretarial experience in my CV?"
I relaxed my back to the seat against ND and rolled it around to back Cassandra who was left silent for a couple of seconds trying to assimilate what I had said. "Oh, the new CEO was there! And be said that..."
"And he sounds like..." I paused my words and my eyes glanced around the room. "... A big-time jerk," I said in a whispering voice.
"Don't worry it will all be fine."
"Be fine?" I turned aside and shook my head. I wouldn't want to narrate the problems I have in hand to settle which requires money.
My phone rang and I looked at my screen. Denise Baby Sister. I picked it up and I heard whimpering and vibrating breath.
"Denise! Are you alright?"
I heard loud voices from the background. "Leave me and my daughter alone!"
"Keep quiet! I can come whenever I want, and you don't raise your voice at me, or else I'll send you to the hospital as I always do."
I recognized the two voices. The first was my mom, and the second was someone who wasn't meant to be there.
"Mitchell, please! Please help us, he's here again," Denise said silently in a teary voice.
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