"Eden! Welcome. And how's my little baby granddaughter." Mrs Bella opened the door and moving to the side to let Eden and Mia in. "Am so sorry for the late calling, my mom had urgent work at the last minute and since it's my first time at my workplace..." Mrs Bella hushed her never ending speech. Eden's abrupt silence made little Mia giggle out before the two women joined in the laughter.
"There's no need for any explanations Eden. Am glad you decided to leave Mia with me. Haven't seen her in a while now." Mrs Bella said with her brown eyes staring at Mia. Her lips curled into a faint smile. A smile that Eden knew about and what was roaming inside her head. Mia looked exactly like her father in every way. Brown eyes and pitch black silk hair. Only her skin was white like Eden's.
Eden handed Mia over to Mrs Bella before handing her Mia's favourite plush doll along with a few instructions about Mia's foods and napping hours. Eden left afterwards as Bella's husband Mr Christopher wasn't around but was in their store attending to the daily customers. Bella promised to inform her husband about Eden's visit. Despite Eden and Lionel being divorced, it didn't stop Eden from still regarding his parents as her own. Eden knew how much they were suffering due to their only son's absence and disapproval of their lifestyle. He basically changed after almost a year left to graduation and his so called dreams came to being inside his head.
After their marriage, his parent's relationship with Lionel grew even more distant. It would be a shock to an outsider if they knew the famous billionaire businessman Lionel was the son of the two parents that only had their store to survive and make a living.
Eden got out of the cab that drove her here from her ex in-laws home. She payed her fare and slowly in her new high heels walked towards the entrance of the building. She passed a greeting gesture towards the receptionist before walking straight to Ramirez's office. Ramirez offered Eden a smile the moment she stepped into his office chamber. "Good morning Ms. Quinn." Eden returned the greetings while Ramirez got to his feet to show Eden's duties immediately.
"The boss will arrive soon at 9am today. He's busy at an important meeting right now which you'll be handling from now on. Let me show you to his office and his work schedule." Eden nodded and walked behind Ramirez who led her towards the elevator that took them to the highest floor of the skyscraper building. There was a bit of silence during the elevator ride when Eden asked a question disrupting the silence that once engulfed the whole space.
"May I ask something Mr Ramirez?" "Of course Ms. Quinn." Ramirez responded immediately in a professional manner. "How is the.. I mean my boss like? I've seen how people at this company quickly recover from being chatty to seriousness." Ramirez chuckled this time around. He could understand the woman's fear but if she was to work and survive here, she needed to be informed.
"Well Ms. Quinn. The boss is very strict and trust me you won't get into any trouble as long as you are doing your job properly and especially you Ms. Quinn. You're now his personal secretary and your utmost best is required to reduce the chances of you being fired." Eden gulped hearing Ramirez's words. Now she was becoming a bit restless. This was her first office job and thought of ways she could easily flunk the whole job within a few days. She decided to take a few deep breaths holding her heaving chest to calm herself down. She could do this. No words of discouragement was needed and she made sure she discarded all of any negativity at this point.
The sound that dinged alerted Eden back to reality. She looked up and saw the floor number they were currently on and also the last number of floors. It was floor 45. The elevator doors slowly slided and opened for both of them to step out. Eden was immediately welcomed with another wave of cool air coming directly from the Air con. She found a few desks that had people in each Columb focusing their gazes on their computer screens.
Ramirez quickly showed Eden to her desk which was extremely close to the boss's enormous and spacious office door. They were met by stares from the other workers who were glancing their way towards Eden, the new girl.
"Everyone. I like you to meet Ms. Quinn. She's the boss's new personal secretary. Show her what to do in the meantime. Summer.... Assist her if you would be so kind." Ramirez's eyes dashed towards a blonde lady who stood up from her seat placing her best smile at Eden. "Welcome Ms. Quinn. Am Summer." Summer introduced herself letting out her hand forward. "Please call me Eden." Eden said and also stretched forth her hands to shake Summer's.
Just then Ramirez got a call and his features instantly changed. "The boss is here! Summer, tell Eden what to do." Ramirez said and rushed towards the elevator. Eden who had already calmed herself down was now getting anxious all of a sudden after the mention of her boss arriving. Summer quickly urged Eden to prepare the boss's black tea from the coffee machine quickly.
Eden raced to handle the task while Summer got into the boss's office to set his schedules quickly. Eden had finished making the tea and rushed into her boss's office. She was so anxious that her eyes didn't yet dwell on a photo frame that was placed on the large glass table. It was a photo frame of Lionel and Monique on their wedding day.
"The boss is here!" Summer alerted Eden who was placing the last folder that held his schedule and then she heard the glass door opening. She felt all her hairs stand up the moment an all too familiar and intense cologne ruffled through her nostrils within. "Who are you!" That all too familiar voice as well. Her eyes widened as she clutched both her hands to her chest that was now pounding as soon as that deep voice got through her ears.
Her eyes was shut before opening them and glanced at a silver glistening vase that was on the table. Her heart raced to the highest of peaks. She spotted him behind her through the vase. He was freaking behind her. Her mouth couldn't control the gasp that sprung out. The person she had tried to rip out from her heart. The same man who always gave her sleepless nights as his constant memories was keeping her awake all night.
It then dawned on her. The name of the company was Bluebird's Cooperations. How could she have missed that. She joined the whole dots together and her eyes widened even more. He was her freaking boss!
"Are you deaf woman?" Lionel's voice resonated even more loud than before. Eden's body was shaking right now and the next thing she wanted to do was run out of here and never return. What kind of fate did she have that after three years and still in struggle to forget him, he ended up becoming her boss. Her eyes darted towards a file and she quickly grabbed it placing it in front of her face. "Hey!" Lionel was irked right now with the woman in front of him not the slightest trying to respond to him. Maybe she was mute but what was she doing here in his damn office.
Eden quickly scooted and dashed towards the door when her high heels lost their balance at the end of the beautiful wine marbled rug sending her ankle to twist in pain. She hissed and fell flat on the floor earning gasps from what Eden knew was her work colleagues. Lionel suddenly raised a brow spotting the woman whose face was covered by her red hair. The color of the hair did remind him of someone but he shrugged it off quickly ordering the woman to get up. His brows were curled down with anger flaring within him. What a spectacule this woman had created for herself and on top of that in his office.
Eden hissed unable to move her legs as her ankle got sprained due to the fall. She inwardly cursed the high heels for giving her such a bad luck today and this was why she was never fond of high heels.
"What is wrong with you.. Get up woman!" Lionel grabbed her by the arm and his brown orbs widened as they were now locked with her light green jade eyes. His posture shifted but then his brows donned into an angry one. "What are you doing here?" He asked the moment he got rid of his surprised expression earlier on. Eden's eyes were already making her body vulnerable. Seeing him up close, too close for comfort. She hated how his mere presence was affecting her right now.
Their eye lock was broken by Ramirez's rushed steps into Lionel's office. " Sir...my apologies. Ms. Quinn." Ramirez spoke panting but didn't get Lionel halfway as his eyes were now dawned back on her. He studied her features and to say he wasn't amazed was a lie. Never had he imagined to see her in office clothes and not only that but her aura was giving off a changed look and appearance as well.
Eden caught his gaze and what must have been going through his mind. "Yeah. I changed. Am not the once dumb Eden you once knew. Things have changed in the last three years." Eden said smirking. Lionel nodded with a hum. "Sir. She's the new secretary I told you about on the phone last night." Ramirez informed him.
"Are you sure she gave you the right credentials Ramirez? I mean anything can be faked this days." Lionel pulled out a smirk staring straight into her eyes as he spoke those words. Eden was appalled. Was seriously how he thought of her too as well. "I won't allow you to disrespect me especially in front of everyone. Understand?" Eden warned also returning the stare back. "Ms. Quinn. Your manners please. Do you know who you're talking to?" Ramirez asked surprised.
"I've decided not to work here Mr Ramirez. I'll take my leave." Eden said and was about to walk out when Lionel's question stopped her. "Tell me something. Ms. Quinn. Did you not know I was the owner when you found out about my company's name?" His words held mockery in them. Eden didn't respond to this one. "Looks like you're even dumber than before." He smirked out.
"Shut the door Ramirez." Lionel ordered. He spotted his boss and knew what he was referring to. Ramirez pulled Summer and shut the door. Eden gasped and slowly reached for the door when she heard a click sound coming from the door. She also noticed the drapes of curtains that flowed down to cover the windows and give them privacy. She turned around and saw Lionel holding a remote in his hands. His wide smirk was irking her to no avail. All she wanted to do was to rush out of here and never return.
"Sit down Eden!" His voice came out strong this time his smirk was gone and only a robotic look was seen on his face. "I won't," She dared to defile him. He smiled staring at her defiance. She had never disobeyed his orders except for one thing. Her ridiculous job as a waitress according to him. Her completely changed personality intrigued him. The person he was staring at right now wasn't the dumb submissive Eden he once knew. To his surprise, her new look made him grin out. Perhaps his harsh words and mockery on her years ago stuck some sense into her skull.
"Your damn refusal is gonna cost you a lot!" He spoke lowly enough for her to hear him with a plastered smirk on his face again. Eden got angry and refused to be so vulnerable around him. She walked up to his desk while slightly hissing due to her sprained ankle. Her hand slammed hard on the desk sending the photo frame to fall. Her eyes turned towards the sound of the photo frame and they instantly became glassy and her vision was becoming blurry.
The photo perfectly showed Lionel adorning a black slick suit with a bride next to him. She was shocked beyond words as the realization dawned on her. He was married and to make her heart almost rip out, his bride turned out to be Monique. She recalled bumping into her on the day she first stepped into the building and how she introduced herself as the boss's wife. Not only that but Monique's pregnancy. Her eyes moistened as she recollected. He was having another child as well.
Her vision was so blurry and her ears had become numb of hearing that she couldn't hear Lionel calling out to her. Everything began to disappear before her eyes as darkness was soon consuming her vision before fully engulfing her making her to loose her consciousness.