Chapter 9

Becky followed her supervisor, Ms. Patel, to her new workstation. Ms. Patel introduced her to her team and explained her job responsibilities.

As she listened intently, trying to absorb as much information as possible, Ms. Patel handed her a thick manual and told her to review it before starting her tasks.

Just as she was about to begin, the office fell silent, and everyone rose to their feet. Becky looked up to see William standing in the doorway, his commanding presence filling the room.

He was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and a confident stride. His eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on her, he locked gazes with her, his expression unreadable.

As he strode towards her, the employees parted, greeting him with a chorus of "Good morning, sir." Ms. Patel curtsied slightly, her voice formal.

"Good morning, sir. Can I help you with something?"

William's gaze never left Becky's face as he asked, "Who is she?" Ms. Patel looked at Becky nervously before responding, "She's our new employee, sir.” As she spoke, her eyes darted nervously between William and Becky.

William's gaze never wavered, his eyes locked on Becky's face. He was simply acting like he didn’t know who she was. "You don’t have to worry, sir, I'll make sure she gets settled in and familiar with her tasks, sir," Ms. Patel continued, trying to sound confident.

William's gaze lingered on Becky for a moment longer before he nodded and turned to leave. "See that she does. I don’t want any newcomer dragging us behind schedule," he said, his voice cold and detached.

As he walked away, the office erupted back into activity, and everyone returned to their seats. Becky watched him go, her mind racing with questions. What was his problem? And why did everyone seem so intimidated by him? Ms. Patel turned to her and smiled weakly.

"Don't mind him, he's just...particular about things around here." Becky raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the tension in the air.

"What is his role here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ms. Patel looked at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "You don't know Mr. William?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "He owns this company."

Becky's jaw dropped as she felt a wave of shock wash over her. She had researched the company thoroughly before applying, and she had no idea that William was the owner. NovaTech was a well-established company, and she had assumed that the ownership was more... anonymous.

"Since when does he own NovaTech?" Becky asked, her mind racing with questions.

Ms. Patel smiled wryly. "Since today, actually. He acquired the company yesterday, and today's his first day as the new owner."

Becky's eyes widened in surprise as she processed this new information. No wonder everyone seemed so intimidated by him. He was the boss, and a new one at that. She couldn't believe the coincidence that she had landed a job at a company that he had just acquired, and that he was her ex-husband.

"What are the odds?" Becky muttered to herself, feeling a sense of unease wash over her. She had a feeling that her life was about to get a lot more complicated.

Ms. Patel noticed Becky's distress and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, he's not as bad as he seems," she said with a smile. "He's just a bit... intense."

Becky raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Intense?" she repeated. "That's one way to put it."

Ms. Patel chuckled. "Well, you'll get used to him soon enough. Just be yourself, and I'm sure you'll do fine."

Becky nodded, trying to appear confident. But deep down, she was worried. How was she going to navigate this new work environment with her ex-husband as her boss? She had thought she was starting fresh, but it seemed like her past was coming back to haunt her.

As she sat at her desk, trying to focus on her work, Becky couldn't help but wonder what other surprises lay ahead.

As the day went on, Becky tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept wandering back to William. She couldn't believe that he was her boss now, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Was he surprised to see her? Was he going to make her life difficult?

As she worked, Becky noticed that William was watching her from across the room. She could feel his eyes on her, and it made her skin crawl. She tried to ignore him, but it was hard to concentrate when she knew he was watching her.

At lunchtime, Becky decided to take a walk outside to clear her head. As she walked out of the office building, she took a deep breath of fresh air and tried to shake off the feeling of unease that had been building up inside her.

But as she turned a corner, she saw William standing outside, smoking a cigarette. He looked up and caught her eye, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.

Becky felt a spark of tension between them, and she quickly looked away, trying to break the spell. But as she turned to walk away, she heard William's voice behind her.

"Becky, wait," he said, his voice low and smooth.

Becky stopped in her tracks, her heart racing with anticipation. What did he want now? She turned to face him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"What do you want, William?" she asked, her voice cool and detached.

William took a step closer to her, his eyes locked on hers. "I think we need to talk," he said, his voice serious.

Becky raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "About what?" she asked, her voice firm.

William's gaze never wavered. "About us," he said, his voice low and husky. "And about your job here at NovaTech."

Becky's heart skipped a beat as she processed his words. What did he mean? Was he going to fire her? Or was he going to try to make things difficult for her? She didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

"What about my job?" she asked, her voice firm.

William's gaze never wavered as he replied, "I think it would be best if you resigned. Or, if you prefer, I can be the one to let you go."