5

She was so unlucky. Even though saying such a thing would make her seem ungrateful for all the blessings she had received in her life, that was exactly how Nicole felt right now.

She knew it was wrong to call herself unlucky, especially after everything the kind person who helped her finish college had done for her, as well as her strict aunt and her aunt’s bratty children. She wasn’t even sure whether she should be grateful for being taken in by them or not. Add to that the fact that she graduated summa cum laude—she should be grateful for all of these things and for the other blessings she received every day. She knew she had no right to say she was unlucky.

But right now, she really felt like the unluckiest person alive.

Of all the people who could be her boss if she were to get hired by this big company, why did it have to be this rude and arrogant man? Not only had he stolen her breakfast earlier, but he had also insulted her. And as if that wasn’t enough, he was also the one assigned to interview her.

No wonder he had the guts to humiliate others—aside from being ridiculously handsome, he was also rich.

Handsome? No, she wasn’t saying he was handsome!

The man sitting in the swivel chair in front of her, holding a pen, wearing a tuxedo, with his left hand resting on his chin as he intently stared at her—he wasn’t handsome.

Nicole could almost hear nothing but the soft clicking of the pen he was playing with and the loud pounding of her heart.

Surely, she could request for someone else to interview her, right?

Why did it have to be this man? There were so many others who could have done it.

Nicole inwardly scoffed at her own question before shaking her head. No, that wasn’t possible. And there was no way she could request it directly from this rude man in front of her either.

She found his smirk incredibly annoying, as if he was silently saying, “I know who you are, and you’re in trouble now.”

What irritated her even more was that she wanted to throw her old shoe straight at his face just to wipe that smug grin off. But of course, she couldn’t do that—he was the boss, after all. And not only that, but he was the one interviewing her, so she had to behave if she wanted to get this job.

Her irritation only grew when she noticed the coffee cup on his desk. Judging by its appearance, it hadn’t been touched yet, and she could tell it was already cold. What annoyed her the most, though, was that her name—"Nicole"—was written on it.

So, he really did steal her coffee earlier.

What a terrible person. He didn’t even drink it! If he hadn’t taken it from her, she could have enjoyed it herself. It wouldn’t have gone to waste, and she wouldn’t be standing here hungry and annoyed at him.

“So, you are Miss Natalia Nicolette Lorenzo? From the coffee shop this morning, am I right?”

Nicole felt a chill run through her entire body upon hearing the man speak. She had to admit—she was nervous.

Well, who wouldn’t be? The way he looked, it was as if he was only missing a pair of horns and a tail, and he’d pass as a demon.

“Y-yes, sir. I was the one at the c-coffee shop earlier.”

Nicole forced herself to answer, stammering. He was asking her a question, so of course, she had to respond.

“Hmm, just as I thought. So tell me, don’t you remember what I told you earlier?”

His smirk grew even wider, making Nicole pause to think. What had he said to her earlier?

After a moment of recalling, her eyes nearly widened in realization.

"Don’t worry, you won’t get hired!"

Nicole could almost hear his words echoing in her mind.

So that’s why he had said that—because he worked here!

And not just as an employee—he was the boss.

She glanced toward his desk, where a trophy-like plaque was displayed. She read the name engraved on it.

"Shawn Alexander Montefalco – CEO."

Nicole wanted to scream in frustration. You're so unlucky. So, so unlucky!

She was doomed.

Her unfiltered mouth had landed her in trouble again. How was she supposed to know that the rude man she had argued with earlier was the CEO of the very company she was applying to? If she had known, she would have made his coffee herself!

Nicole shook her head. No. Even if he was the CEO—or even the owner of the entire company—it still didn’t justify his behavior. She had every right to argue with him earlier.

Wait, Montefalco?

Was he related to Sir Luis Montefalco? They shared the same last name, and Sir Luis was the kind old man who had sponsored her studies.

Nicole pondered for a moment but was startled when the CEO spoke again.

“You graduated from one of the universities under our company’s management, Miss Lorenzo? And oh, summa cum laude in aeronautical engineering?”

He read from her résumé, his brow furrowed as he looked at her.

“Y-yes, sir. I g-graduated from a university under your company’s sponsorship, and y-yes, I was a summa cum laude in aeronautical engineering.”

Nicole stammered.

The longer she stood in front of this man, the more she confirmed how insufferable he was.

He hadn’t even offered her a seat before bombarding her with questions, unlike how proper job interviews were conducted.

Of course, she wouldn’t sit down on her own, either—he’d probably call her arrogant if she did. His attitude was awful.

If she didn’t desperately need a job at such a prestigious company, she wouldn’t be standing here tolerating this.

“I can see in your résumé that you were under our multi-billion company’s study-now-pay-later program, am I right, Miss Lorenzo?”

He spoke again after reading her résumé, then gave her another long stare.

“Y-yes, sir, that’s correct.”

For some reason, Nicole found it difficult to be respectful toward this man. His attitude didn’t exactly warrant respect.

But since he was the CEO—no, the rude and arrogant CEO—she had to be polite, even if she hated it.

“Hmm, I see. I see.”

He nodded to himself, looking smug.

So arrogant. Should I just twist his neck? Nicole thought irritably.

“To be honest, Miss Lorenzo, we are looking for employees who are, you know, respectful, well-mannered, and professional. Based on your behavior at the coffee shop earlier, you are far from what we’re looking for. Your academic achievements mean nothing if you have a terrible attitude.

Also, I’m surprised you even got into our scholarship program. Let me guess—did you also argue with the person who approved your scholarship?”

His lengthy insult-filled speech made Nicole furious.

She was poor—she admitted that. Maybe even poorer than a rat. She was also outspoken, especially when she was in the right.

But no one had the right to insult and trample on her. She had had enough of that from people she considered family.

Taking a deep breath, Nicole spoke boldly.

“With all due respect, sir, even though you don’t deserve it, I didn’t come here to be insulted and belittled. I came here for a job interview because I’m looking for a proper job—one that I am qualified for.

And you’re wrong. You were the one in the wrong at the coffee shop earlier.

And frankly, I should be asking how you got this CEO position when you’re so rude. Did you have a powerful backer? Because if you did, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the only reason you’re sitting in that position.”

Nicole’s voice trembled with anger.

Before Shawn could respond, the door opened, and an older man in a gray tuxedo walked in, clapping his hands.

“Bravo, Miss Lorenzo. Welcome to our company. You are hired!”

“What?!”

Both she and the rude CEO exclaimed at the same time, their disapproval evident on their faces.

“You heard me, Alexander. Miss Lorenzo will be working with us.”

The old man who had been smiling earlier suddenly turned serious, making Nicole feel a little nervous as if a conflict was about to erupt between them.

“Hell no! You can’t just hire that woman!”

The rude CEO shouted angrily at the old man. Nicole rolled her eyes and glared at him in frustration. For a moment, she had the strong urge to take off her shoe and throw it at his face.

His attitude was truly unbearable—yelling at an elder instead of showing respect.

Nicole let out a deep sigh and chose to remain silent, though she wasn’t exactly listening. The two men in front of her weren’t even talking anymore; they were just staring at each other—literally.

If looks could kill, they both would have dropped dead by now.

Instead of watching their intense staring contest, Nicole decided to look around the extravagant office of the rude CEO named Alexander Montefalco.

Montefalco…

Nicole stared at the CEO once more, wondering if he was related to Sir Luis Montefalco.

“It was your father’s order that he would personally conduct Miss Lorenzo’s interview. Why are you interfering in a job that your father was supposed to handle? Apparently, we listened to and watched your so-called interview with Miss Lorenzo, and your father asked me to tell you that Miss Lorenzo is hired.”

The old man's long statement caught Nicole's attention.

Alexander, on the other hand, didn’t respond. He clenched his jaw tightly, then shifted his gaze elsewhere. Nicole followed his line of sight and saw a camera near the door.

After seemingly assessing the camera, Alexander turned back to glare at her.

“Miss Lorenzo, please follow me,” the old man instructed.

Nicole immediately followed him. Before stepping out, she glanced at the CEO. She was tempted to stick her tongue out at him but decided against it. Instead, she flashed him a sweet smile.

He looked like he was about to throw a picture frame at her, so she quickly left the office and quietly followed the old man, who was apparently sent by CEO Grumpy’s father.

Nicole's thoughts wandered again.

Father? Could that arrogant man be Sir Luis’s son?