Meant to Crash | ✓

Chapter Nine

"You can't be seriously declining this offer. Do you know how many people would kill for this job?"

"No, but I'm sure it'll be easy to find someone who wants this job." 

"Why even come if you aren't going to take the job?"

"I did it for my mom." I peered out the window, then thought of question I had wanted to ask the moment I learned there was a job opening from him. "What is it that you do exactly?"

He swirled the ice cubes in his crystal glass. "I deal with the company's international affairs, keeping tabs on the international warehouses and factories that hold our products. Every once in a while, I fly over to our other headquarters to check up on them and see if they're up to par. In some sense, I see myself as the manager."

"Managers get this kind of office?" I gawk at the large space.

He chuckled. "Well, managers who happen to be the next CEO of the company do."

Didn't he have an older brother? I asked myself. Yes, he did. It only seemed right for his elder brother to take the position before him. That was how it would've gone in a typical situation that had to do with a family business, if I wasn't mistaken.

"Don't you mean second in line to be CEO?"

"No, I'm first in line." He dropped his gaze from mine, looking out the large bay window. "My brother Brendon doesn't really want to be a part of the family business."

That was odd. Who wouldn't want to be included in a multi-billion dollar business? I surely wouldn't shudder away from an opportunity like that. Then again, he could see that having that much power wouldn't be good for him. Everyone wasn't meant to be business people.

"And what would I have to do if I was your personal assistant?" I supplied quickly, "Not that I want the job."

The corner of his lip titled up. Sitting on the edge of the desk, he squinted at me. "Tell me what you get paid at the White Lantern."

"Why?"

"Tell me what you get paid so I can double whatever amount they're giving you. Triple the amount even, if I have to."

This guy was unbelievable. He sat there so sure that I'd go for his job merely because of the pay. A smirk was now quirked on his full lips, as if he knew he had already won me over.

"I'm not suited for the job you're offering, Sebastian," I answered earnestly.

"You're dodging my question." Bringing the cup to his lips, he took one long sip. Once his lips parted from the rim, his eyes hit me. No presence of a smile or the start of smile touched his face at any place. "How much do you get paid, Maddison?"

"It doesn't matter what I get paid or what you're going to give me while working here for you. 'Cause as much as you want to try, I don't want to work for you. At any price," I confessed, speaking so fast that I nearly lost my breath. "You can double it, triple it - hell even quadruple it -and my answer will stay the same."

"I'm not that bad of a person." He chuckled, but it was short lived. The laugh didn't reach his sapphire irises - not one bit. He was still glaring at me, harder than ever. "You can ask anyone around here about me and they'll all say the same thing. I'm a nice guy."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are a nice guy...compared to the devil."

He tapped his knuckles to his chest, acting as if he was struck by a knife. "How flattering of you to think I have that much of a monopoly on evilness. I might just blush."

I scoffed loudly, "You are the first and only person in history to find being called the devil a compliment." 

The door flew open by the time he could reply to my jab at him. It was the man from the desk outside his office, and right behind him was Sasha. The man started babbling about how he wanted to inform Sebastian earlier about Sasha visiting, but he saw that he was busy with another visitor already and that he didn't want to bother him.