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

tood still, looking at her own reflection in the polished brass doors. She

you c

he fluorescent lights overhead. Dark marble stretched to a massive set of black

t sat at a desk, her posture sti

u

wood will

been expecting Sophia Grant. Not the man whose re

softly on the marble. The assistant open

dows and Manhattan looked like a toy city below. The recessed lighting made the dar

ood sat behin

papers, his pen moving in quick, sure strokes. The morning light caught the

aint shadows under his eyes, the weight in his

raised h

left was cold, pure assessment -- as if he were reviewi

was calm and deep, but

took in a slow breath and held his gaze. "Good

crack in his expression, as if he wasn't

what I was

did yo

ho looks m

her mouth. I am nervous

rded her with renewe

wouldn't d

smile, but close enough. He poin

t, her hands folded in her lap. The chair was too comfortable, too e

d not be

fingers tapped once on the desk. "Thre

thing about h

earms on the desk. I don't have high standards. I hav

an eye. "What

s. "Knowing what I want before I do. Taking care of things before they c

the job de

e assistan

met his.

ea

uth

omething flickered in his eyes. Surprise, or cu

at the top of your class. Colu

es

d as project coord

Y

He looked up. "

lap. "My mother had a stroke and needed ful

u're re

ical bills--" Emma stopped herself. She was ab

es. "You gave up a goo

Y

uld have taken

r had nee

across his face that was unreadable. He clo

y last assistant walked out three days ago without notice and everythi

t need

N

ow to handle impossible situations. I know how to handle people who don't want

owing of the eyes, but not angrily

ng to put up with

said. "I will not stand for disrespect. Screaming. Bei

He tightened his jaw slig

afraid of me,"

t m

of u

e never kne

just a hint, but Emma saw it. He picked up

ow long your trial period is. If

t

est

dness of his eyes, the isolation that radiated from his perfect

do I s

smiled. Ne

as a di

re that obviously had not been touched in weeks. No file. No provisio

d in, and g

rate conflicts that his last assistant apparently just ignored. She made a couple of cool

tain of papers on his desk into ne

ed lunch for his afternoon meeting and learned th

stopped at three, staring at his de

did yo

aid, not taking her

disaster a

not a

label and the color coding and the neatly arranged pa

t four," he said, slowly. My

I've f

consul

it would've created a chain reaction. Five wouldn't work for Vice President Chen,

you know

d it out. Called ea

they

hat somebody had

ce, surprise, perhaps even re

nd already you have done more than

u I could

ed at the door. "I have a meeting with financ

y on yo

acked books, and then at h

under your skin,' he said. "

suppose I will be the

ut Emma saw the ghost of a

ng a little faster than she would care to admit.

dn't quite name. A flash of loneliness under all that cont

rk. This was the job. Nope. She needed t

ound herself glancing at his clos

She learned his coffee order, how he liked his meetings run, the little signs that stress was

nkillers in her desk

lunch for the first time in months. She read his mail before

me irrep

mien s

Maybe confusion. Caution. And something else, something that mad

o a meeting on Friday. He stood for a mom

till here

ou I coul

't beli

k

musement in his eyes. "You're t

at f

pear very exc

ked at him. I don't celebrat

you think

you're not firing me." A smal

n, slowly, the corner of his mouth li

like everybody els

woul

ere some sort of puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. Then s

off with

little too fast for comfort. She placed

a job. It's

then she noticed a small note on her

eek. Don't let i

. That was n

t, sliding it into the drawer with

had improved somewhat but the bills kept piling up. Some of it was insured,

he said to her mother

faintly. Yo

home through the quiet streets of her neighborhood. Her apartme

feel the full weight of it all for a moment - her mother's health

e saw the face of Damien. The tiredness in his eyes. The near

his is absurd. He's the boss. Co

t it, she knew that wa

oner than she

ll of determination. She stepped out of the elevator on

t at her desk she kne

ace. Her computer was shut off. And there was a man in a fa

r?' He got

Y

I am Chairma

one. He was the most powerful man in the company, the o

aid, her voice ste

his eyes. "I need to talk to y

n's office. Door closed. He wou

ow

the empty conference room

not to. But there was something in his

ide. The door clicke

rter, I know why you're here. You needed the money. And t

I don't know what y

culated. "The board has a proposal for you. A

prop

of his jacket and pushed it

Damien Blackwood. Every move he makes

if it would bite her. "

. He's been making decisions that co

t to take h

t matter. Results do.' He pushed the paper closer. "Sign here. Give u

m. Stacking the debt. The wei

then to the paper waiting for her sign

ay no?" she

never work in this town again. And you

and survival, knowing that her n

he passed. 'I'll give you a day to

icked shut

ngers trembling as she reached

mien summoned her

," he said, loo

ed to grin.

ing of his eyes, in the way he leaned forwar

he d

ad, " Do you

tant. Concern? Care? It was there and then

she repeat

. "Okay. But if you ever need anything" he broke

dded in

to her desk with the folded document f

ated. Message

overdue. Please cont

er eyes and t

as she

r, or betray the only person who'd