6

Nicole had initially thought that the rude CEO’s office was the grandest and largest in the entire building. However, upon entering the office of whoever had summoned her, she quickly realized she was wrong. The arrogant CEO’s office paled in comparison—it was nothing more than an ant beside this one.

She gazed in awe at the entire office. It looked pristine with its white-themed decor, fully equipped with everything one could need. There was even a small kitchen, a living room set, a TV, and other amenities. It was practically a house—bigger than her ill-tempered Aunt Norma’s home.

Nicole didn’t immediately see the person they had come to meet. There was a separate room on the side, which she assumed served as the private workspace of the office’s occupant.

The man accompanying her stopped in the office’s living room, prompting Nicole to stop as well. She decided to mirror his actions since she was confused about the situation—was this some kind of game? What exactly were they doing here?

“Please take a seat, Miss Lorenzo,” the older man said.

Nicole immediately sat down, relieved that she was finally being offered a proper seat for what she hoped would be a serious interview. At least this older gentleman seemed far kinder than that rude CEO.

She felt irritated again just thinking about that arrogant man but quickly suppressed her emotions. Surely, this time, she was in the right hands, and the interview would proceed properly.

Nicole was lost in thought when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind. She turned around and was shocked to see who it was. She immediately stood up to greet the man respectfully.

“Good morning, Sir Luis Montefalco. How are you?”

She asked politely as she faced the kind-hearted older man. He gave her a warm smile before responding.

“I’m good, dear. How about you? Please, have a seat.”

He replied cheerfully. Nicole waited for Sir Luis and the man who had accompanied her to sit before she returned to her seat on the single sofa.

“I’m doing well, sir. Thank you for asking,” she responded respectfully, still in disbelief that she was now face-to-face with the owner of this company—the very man who had helped her pursue her education and graduate.

“Before we discuss your job description, I’d like to first congratulate you on becoming the university’s summa cum laude—the first person from our program to bring us this great honor,” Sir Luis said with a proud smile.

Nicole felt a bit shy when she saw both older men slightly bow their heads toward her in recognition.

“T-thank you, sir. I wouldn’t have achieved any of this without your help,” she sincerely expressed her gratitude.

It was true. If she hadn’t been fortunate enough to be selected for the "Study Now, Pay Later" program, she would have likely ended up as a simple household worker or, worse, stuck in her Aunt Norma’s eatery. That would have been a waste, especially with how beautiful she was. She didn’t want to grow old serving her grumpy aunt and her three wicked cousins.

“It was our pleasure to help you, dear. And clearly, our efforts weren’t wasted. You brought immense honor to our program, our company, and especially the university we support,” Sir Luis said formally.

Nicole didn’t respond, choosing instead to force a small smile. No amount of words could fully express how grateful she was to them.

“And I’d also like to personally thank you for accepting my invitation for this job interview. I also want to apologize for my son Alexander’s behavior earlier.”

Sir Luis added, causing Nicole’s eyes to widen in shock.

Son?

“That rude, arrogant, and ill-mannered CEO Alexander is your son?!”

She blurted out loudly, making the two older men look at her in surprise. Realizing her outburst, she immediately tried to correct herself.

“I-I’m sorry! I was just caught off guard. My mouth tends to run without brakes sometimes,” she apologized quickly.

The two men nodded in understanding, as if they were familiar with sudden reactions like hers.

“Yes, we completely understand, dear. My son is out of control and in need of an EA. That’s why you’re here. You will be working as his executive assistant temporarily—”

Nicole’s brows furrowed as she processed what she had just heard. Assistant? To that arrogant man?

“Wait, Sir Luis Montefalco. H-hold on a second. I thought I was applying as an aeronautical engineer? I mean, that’s what I studied for. Not that I’m complaining—I’m just asking…”

She inquired respectfully. She knew she might sound too picky about the job, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was willing to take on any job, even as a janitor, just to secure employment. Her aunt and cousins were already pressuring her to start earning.

However, an EA? She wouldn’t mind the role, but the problem was her potential boss. If it were anyone else, she might have been happy, but why did it have to be that arrogant CEO, Alexander?

She turned to Sir Luis Montefalco, who was silently watching her. After a moment of hesitation, she finally decided to speak up.

“With all due respect, sir, I feel like I need to say this. If I don’t, I might regret it for the rest of my life.”

Nicole spoke seriously, as if this job interview were a wedding ceremony, and she was about to object, much like the phrase, ‘If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.’

She briefly wondered if she had phrased that correctly but dismissed the thought. She had no time to worry about that now.

Nicole frowned slightly when she heard the two older men chuckle softly. She wanted to clarify that she wasn’t joking, that she was serious, but she didn’t have the courage to interrupt.

“I understand, dear. Go on, you can tell us whatever you want to say.”

Nicole initially thought that the arrogant CEO’s office was the most beautiful and spacious office in the entire building. However, upon stepping into the office of the person who had summoned her, she realized she was wrong. The rude CEO’s office was neither the biggest nor the most impressive. Compared to the office she was in now, his office looked as small as an ant.

Amazed, Nicole scanned the entire office. The white-themed space looked immaculate and was fully furnished. It even had a small kitchen, a living area, a TV, and other amenities. It could pass as a home—bigger than the house of her ill-tempered aunt, Norma.

At first, Nicole didn’t see the person she was there to meet. There was a room on the side, which she guessed served as the private office of the person occupying this space in the large company she was in. The older man accompanying her stopped in the office’s living room, so Nicole halted as well. She had no choice but to follow his lead since she was confused about what was happening. Were they playing a game? She had no idea why they were there.

“Please take a seat, Miss Lorenzo.”

The elderly man invited her, and Nicole quickly sat down. She had been waiting for someone to offer her a seat for a proper interview. At least this man seemed kind—far better than that rude CEO.

Nicole almost felt irritated again at the thought of that arrogant man, but she held back. She believed that this time, she was in the right hands and that her job interview would go smoothly.

Lost in thought, she was startled when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and was completely shocked by the person she saw. Her eyes widened, and she quickly stood up to greet the man politely.

“Good morning, Sir Luis Montefalco! How have you been?”

Nicole greeted him respectfully as she stood up and faced him properly. The elderly man flashed her a warm smile before speaking.

“I’m good, dear. How about you? Please, have a seat.”

Nicole let the older man and his companion sit first before settling back onto the single sofa she had been sitting on earlier.

“I’m doing well, sir. Thank you for asking.”

Nicole still couldn’t believe that she was sitting face-to-face with the owner of this company—the very same man who had helped her study and graduate.

“Before we talk about your job description, I would first like to congratulate you for being the university’s summa cum laude and for being the first in our program to bring us this great honor.”

Sir Luis Montefalco smiled warmly as he spoke. Nicole felt slightly embarrassed when she saw both the older men in front of her bow their heads slightly as a gesture of respect.

“T-thank you for your help, sir. I wouldn’t have achieved all of this without your support.”

Nicole sincerely expressed her gratitude.

It was true—if she hadn’t been one of the fortunate students selected for the study-now-pay-later program, she would probably be living a simple life as a housemaid. Or worse, she might have been stuck working in her Aunt Norma’s small eatery for the rest of her life. That would have been such a waste—she was too beautiful to spend her days scrubbing tables and serving food under her aunt’s harsh rule.

“It was our pleasure to help you, dear. Our support wasn’t wasted at all. You brought great honor to our program, our company, and especially to the university we fund.”

Sir Luis Montefalco spoke formally again. Nicole simply smiled and remained silent. She felt that mere words of gratitude weren’t enough to express how truly grateful she was for their help.

“And I would like to personally thank you for accepting my invitation for this job interview. Also, I sincerely apologize for my son Alexander’s behavior earlier.”

Nicole’s eyes widened at what she just heard.

Son?

“That rude, arrogant, and ill-mannered CEO Alexander is your son?”

She blurted out, her voice loud and full of disbelief. The two older men looked surprised at her reaction, making Nicole quickly snap back to reality.

“S-sorry, sir! I was just shocked. Sometimes, I speak without thinking.”

Nicole immediately apologized. The two men nodded, seemingly understanding her outburst.

“Yes, we completely understand, dear. My son is out of control and needs an executive assistant. That is why you are here. You will be working for him as his EA, temporarily—”

Nicole’s brows furrowed as she processed what she had just heard.

Assistant? To that arrogant man?

“Wait, Sir Luis Montefalco, hold on a minute. I-I thought I would be working as an aeronautical engineer? That’s what I studied for. I mean, I’m not complaining—I’m just asking…”

Nicole asked politely. She knew she might sound picky about jobs, but she wasn’t. In fact, she would take any job, even as a janitor, as long as she had work. Her Aunt Norma and her cousins had been pressuring her to find a source of income as soon as possible.

However, being an EA?

That was fine, too. The problem was her boss. If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t mind. But why did it have to be that arrogant CEO, Alexander?

Nicole turned back to Sir Luis Montefalco, who was watching her intently. After a moment of silence, she couldn’t hold back anymore and decided to speak first.

“With all due respect, sir, I feel like I need to say this now. If I don’t, I know I’ll regret it forever.”

Nicole spoke seriously, almost as if she were interrupting a wedding ceremony. She mimicked the line: If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.

She briefly wondered if she got the phrase right but decided she had no time to dwell on it.

She frowned when she heard the two older men chuckle. She wanted to say she was serious, but she didn’t have the courage to interrupt their laughter. So, she remained silent and waited for Sir Luis to speak again.

“I understand, dear. Go on, you can say whatever is on your mind.”

He spoke, clearly suppressing a smile.

Since he had given her permission, Nicole wasted no time in voicing her thoughts.

“That’s just it, sir. I promise, I have no problem not working as an engineer in this company. I don’t mind being an EA, but not for your son, who was clearly conceived in frustration. He’s unbearably arrogant, rude, and has a horrible attitude. We will never get along. I don’t want to be his EA, sir. I’m sorry, but—”

“The salary will be higher than what an aeronautical engineer earns.”

Nicole froze mid-sentence when the older man who had accompanied her earlier suddenly interrupted.

Wait—what?

Being that arrogant CEO Alexander’s EA would pay more than working as an aeronautical engineer? But why?

Nicole’s brows furrowed in confusion. She even heard Sir Luis Montefalco sigh before speaking again.

“My son needs an EA like you, dear—someone who can help him in every way. And you are the only person I can think of who is suitable for the job. I know this position is far from what you studied for, which is why I am offering you double the salary of a newly hired aeronautical engineer.”

Nicole pondered for a moment. If the pay was double, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad deal. All she had to do was endure the rude and ill-tempered CEO—and she’d get rich quickly!

“So, what is your decision, dear?”

Sir Luis prompted. Nicole smiled and extended her hand.

“I accept the job, sir. But may I make a small request?”

Sir Luis seemed amused.

“Sure, what is it?”

Nicole grinned mischievously.

“May I physically harm your son if his attitude gets too bad?”

The two older men burst into laughter. Nicole, however, didn’t understand what was so funny—she was completely serious.