DON'T CALL ME SIR: THE BILLIONAIRE CEO I WAS SENT TO DESTROY

ckwood Global Holdings like silver t

ld be. The employees hurried. No one remained. And no one laughed. Even the footfall

al clock over the security desk. 8:57 a.m.

ebody this morning al

nist hushed her

. The left

ed only t

s glance, then quickly pretended

an came out, not looking at anybody. His charcoal suit fit as if made for him that morning. His shoe

t all the business magazines cheered for. The boss everyone fea

hallway until his gaze landed on a piece of paper, just a bit too

intenance supervisor. "This goes in the recycli

r came runnin

e paper. Sorry doe

ead down. "It will

The hall was silent until the elevator doors clo

. Executi

Manhattan, dark wood furniture, almost no decoration, everything perfectly in line. All but the empty

for him. Noah Brooks leaned against the bookshelf, coffee in hand, looking perfect

oking up. 'If she couldn't cope with the w

"Three assista

y've

got

shook his head and smiled. "You know,

" 'Betting?' 'How long A

n't

mself into a leather ch

g of pages. Noah spoke again a second late

ed more pap

afraid

eir emp

k you're

nd comp

nt perf

ecause people are uncomfortable?" Noah met his eyes. "No,

his work, "humans

actly why that desk outside i

er when there were three

lance up. "

looking from the two men to the othe

nued reading

lder on his desk. "H

go near

'll do i

at you alw

it th

You have seventy-tw

k

lying to yo

ka

your own

e

t eat lunc

d at her. I don'

that CEOs shouldn't be making

s coffee mug. Damien

er to him. "Just interview

N

ghly rec

t give

ou haven't even seen her

kay. She took up the folder again, and turned for the d

. She put the folder down again and didn't look

out. The do

. " "You sounded a

able." Noah smile

r Manha

's hand. The room had a faint smell of medicine and fresh f

You look tired.Emma was only s

to work l

ways

rs a gentle squeeze. "You don't

ll. I know." "You've

peared. "I'll f

rs and tucked a loose strand of hair

e I me

tly with a clipboard

d up. "Th

smile. "Can I speak to

to the hallway, which someh

s due Friday," the

Yeah. The finance offic

t." "They're ge

window at her mother's bed.

nd walked away, stopping at the vending machines. Slowly she open

d to get her breath under

LANCE:

her knuckles white, as she stared at t

Loan Pay

felt harder to cry in a hospital hallway than to laugh. She dabbed a

mber She stopped, and responde

Y

ackwood Global Holdi

ened up. "Yes

. We'd like to invite you in for a

ide. "Really?"

be t

the detail

nd Emma could hear the smile on h

ne for a second, then exhaled long and

ack into her

up. "What's

l her smile any longe

ig company?" "Blackwood Globa

e tell you?" "That someone would

ittle shyly. "I hope

nda squeezed her hand once more. "Beca

tears. "I've got t

e to carry th

so. She looked at the window

next

eemed to vanish into the clouds. She adjusted her handbag strap. "You c

suits walked across the floor like they owned it. Suddenly Emma wa

d the front d

e a polite smile. "N

wned. "Something wrong?" "Nothing," the woman said, handing over

vators. Nearby two employees were whis

ind of ba

think she

e anything out the private elevator opened. A tall man stepped out and

her arms and spilled across the floor. She came

nt down and took the nearest file,

as calm and even. "Hold it proper

sults. And somehow the silence that followed wa

seemed to be afraid of. Something about his eyes stuck with her. Why, she didn't know. Not co

d the thou

assistant smiled at h

s, where Damien glanced at the live lobby feed while signing documents in his

lothes. No panic. No r

e'd intended, then spoke without

. "What?" Damien pointed at

looked. "The d

abou

looked afraid, but because she didn't. He tapped his fingers once on the desk. The

ou've never interviewed

but kept them on the screen. She's,

man she'd come to work for had already been watching her -- and that one decisi