His Personal Secretary | ✓

Chapter 20

Christian's POV

I opened my eyes- expecting to see Cali sleeping beside me, but instead I'm staring at an empty spot where she should've been. Where did she go? Did she wake up already? I turned to the digital alarm clock on my night stand and saw that it was only 6 in the morning. Why was she already up? Darn it. I had hoped that she would still be asleep and then I would use this golden opportunity to look at her face. Oh well, another time then. I pulled the blankets off of me and got up. I stretched for a couple second before going to the bathroom to wash up.

***

"Please tell me that you're not cooking," I said desperately as I walked into the kitchen. She stood in front of the stove, her back facing me. I could not see what she was cooking, but I could already smell the smoke in the air. I rushed over to her side and looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing. 

She was making sunny side up eggs. Well that was what she was attempting to do and from the looks of it, it was not going well. The yolk was no longer a whole, broken into many halves. The egg white was burnt, stuck onto the bottom of the frying pan. It was not pretty. 

"Good morning," she greeted brightly when she felt my presence behind her.

"Morning, Cali," I said in return. "Mind explaining what's going on here?" I eyed burning eggs with worry.

"Oh I'm just making making us eggs for breakfast," she said as if she was not aware of the condition of her burning eggs. 

"How about I cook us breakfast?" I suggested, unable to break it to her that she had no culinary skills. With her stubborn personality, she would try making them again and again until she had it cooked correctly. And that would take forever. My hunger could not wait until then.

She hesitated for several seconds before handing me the spatula in her hand and walking away from the stove. "Fine, but I dibs on making breakfast for us tomorrow," she said, not accepting defeat.

"Okay," I agreed as I turned off the stove and dumped the contents of the frying pan into the trash can. "Why are you up so early?" I asked, changing the subject. 

"We have work today, remember?" 

"Oh, I must've forgotten. But I'm the CEO. I can go to work whenever and as the CEO's girlfriend, it applies to you also," I said as I stuck two slices of bread into the toaster and pushed the lever down.

She shook her head. "No thanks. I don't need the special treatment just because I'm in a relationship with the CEO." 

"Alright alright fine, have it your way. I'll just have to go to wake up and go to work the same time as you then." I should've expected a response like that from her. I didn't ask her anything else and devoted my attention to making breakfast for my girlfriend.

30 minutes later, breakfast was ready. I made toast, scrambled eggs and sausages for us to dine on. 

"Mhm, it's good!" she exclaimed after taking a bite of the sausage. 

"I'm a good cook, right?" I asked. 

She ignored my question and stuffed herself with food. I chuckled at the sight and took a sip of orange juice. 

***

At the office underground parking lot, I entered the elevator and waited for Cali to do the same, but I was completely dumbfounded when she didn't. She gestured for me to go on ahead and didn't make a move to move at all.

"What are you doing?" I asked in bewilderment. I repeatedly pressed the button to hold the door open as I waited for her explanation.

"I'll go on the next one," she said casually.

"Why can't you go on this one with me?" 

"I don't want the staff to see us together. There will be rumors. Let's keep our relationship a secret for now, okay?"

"Why?!" Why was she so persistent on keeping our relationship a secret? Why?? I wanted the whole world to know that she, Cali Wilson, was my woman. Why was she being like this? I couldn't understand what's going in her mind right now.

"Calm down," she said softly. "I have my own reasons for keeping it a secret. I'll tell you about it in due time. Just trust me." Her eyes looked at me, pleading me to respect her decision and not question it any further.

"Cali-" 

The doors slid shut. I looked down at my hands and realized that they were no longer on the button. My hand must've slid off the button when I was trying to reason with Cali earlier. I banged my fist on the elevator wall in frustration. 

***

I arrived on the 12th floor and hurried over to her desk. I leaned against it, waiting for her to arrive. I waited for 15 minutes but she still didn't show up. Was she avoiding me, perhaps? 

"Anybody see Ms. Wilson?" I asked the workers at their desks. They all shook their heads. I was about to go into my office when someone spoke up. 

"I heard that on the way to meet you, Mrs. Wright bumped into her and asked to speak to her privately in the VIP conference room," the woman revealed. 

Murmurs instantly filled the air as if they forgot that I was standing right there listening. 

"... what do you think happened?" 

"I bet she's in...."

"... trouble..."

"...fired..."

"All of you be quiet!!" I commanded. "I won't tolerate anyone speaking badly of Ms. Wilson, understand?" 

They all shut up and muttered a quiet "yes".

"By the way, all of you do your own work. Don't even think about handing your work over to Ms. Wilson," I threatened. "If I catch anyone of you doing it, you'll be fired immediately."

I hurried toward the elevators and pressed the "up" button impatiently. I hoped that she's okay. That my mother didn't say anything to her. Hurry up, hurry up.