Dilemma at Work
My heart pounded as I clutched the application tag. The woman’s words echoed in my ears, “You can’t leave with that.” Mr. Donovan’s eyes were still on me, his gaze sharp and suspicious. I had to act fast.
With a quick smile, I handed the tag back. “Silly me,” I laughed, trying to sound casual. “Thanks for catching that.” As soon as the tag was off, I darted through the crowd. I could feel Mr. Donovan’s eyes bored into my back, but I didn’t dare look.
Once outside, I raced to my car, tucked away in a corner where it wouldn’t draw attention. I slipped inside, my breaths coming in quick gasps. I was safe, for now. But that was too close. I couldn’t risk being recognized again.
Pulling out my phone, I called Layla. “You won’t believe what just happened,” I said, my voice a mix of fear and excitement.
Layla’s concern was immediate. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
I spilled the story; my words tumbled out. I told Layla about the interview, about the mysterious Trent Knight, and how I had narrowly escaped Mr. Donovan’s scrutiny.
“And then,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper, “I met the CEO, Trent Knight. He’s... he’s something else, Layla. He’s got this presence, this... elegance. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
There was a pause, and then Layla’s voice came through, filled with disbelief. “Lenore, Trent Knight is my cousin. And he’s not available. He’s engaged.”
Engaged? The news hit me like a wave. I had just started to admire him, and now this. “I had no idea,” I murmured.
“Just be careful,” Layla warned. “Don’t get too involved. It’s complicated.”
The next day, I received a call. I had gotten the job. Excitement flooded through me, but it was tinged with a new sense of caution. I was entering a world filled with secrets and lies, so I needed to be careful.
On my first day, I walked into the office with my head held high. I was ready to face whatever came my way. But nothing could have prepared me for the shock that awaited me.
Everyone stood with their heads half bowed. I walked ahead, and people started to whisper between themselves. It was more like they wanted me to hear it. One of them glanced at the giant watch sitting silently in the large office and spoke, “Look at the time she's just coming; she doesn't know what she is in for.
I looked at the clock. “Am I that late? I was trying to pick out the best dress I had in my closet, and having to do my makeup delayed me. Not to talk to the heavy traffic.
The loud bang on the table brought me back to the present. “Why do you mean it was a mistake? I gave enough time to go through the document; there shouldn't have been any room for an error whatsoever. Have you realized how much danger you've posed to the company? Trent shouted, and the man in front of him just stood shaking.
“I apologize, sir, it wasn't—you're fired," Trent added before the man could talk more and walked out of his office. Everyone dispersed and continued to do their work the moment he stormed out.
My heart raced as I approached Trent's office, the echoes of his recent outburst still ringing in the air. I hesitated at the door, my hand trembling slightly as I raised it to knock. The door swung open before my knuckles could touch the wood, and I found myself face-to-face with an irate Trent.
"What now?" he snapped, his eyes narrowing.
"I-I wanted to ask about my duties," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady.
"You're late on your first day, and now you interrupt me?" Trent's voice was a whip, each word stinging. "Sasha will handle you. Don't waste my time."
I recoiled as if struck, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I watched Trent storm off again before turning to find Sash. The team leader is known for her no-nonsense approach to recruits.
I found her, and she turned out to be the woman that directed me during the application process.
Sasha proved to be a stern mentor, assigning me a complex task on my very first day. Eager to prove myself, I dove into the work with determination. But in my haste and inexperience, I made a critical error while trying to work on Trent's schedule.
The mistake led to another confrontation with Trent. "This is what happens when rich kids think they can just waltz in and do as they please without any real skill," he growled, his words laced with disdain.
My face flushed with anger. "I'm not some pampered heiress! I worked hard to get here," I retorted, my voice rising.
Trent's expression shifted; his face screamed that he was surprised, but he immediately composed himself. "Prove it," he challenged, leaving me with a daunting task to correct my error by the end of the day.
As the hours ticked by, I worked tirelessly, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I rectified my mistake. The office grew quiet, and I realized late that my colleagues left for the day, but I remained.
Finally, with minutes to spare, I completed the task. I sent the corrected file to Trent, my heart pounding in anticipation of his response. The office was deserted now, and there was only silence heavy around me.
Then, my phone buzzed. A message from Trent. "Meet me in my office. Now."
My heart raced as I made my way to Trent's office. The door was ajar, and I pushed it open, stepping inside. The room was dark except for the city lights casting shadows across Trent's face. He stood by the window, his back to me.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Trent turned slowly, and I caught my breath. In his hand, he held a photograph—a picture of my father with a younger Trent, both smiling at the camera.
"How do you have this?" I gasped, confusion and suspicion warring within me.
Trent's gaze was inscrutable. "Your father and I had unfinished business," he said, his voice low. "And now, it seems, so do we."
“Wait, you know my father? I stammered and said.
Realizing I spilled my cover, I decided to take one last chance at hiding it. “I don't know what this is about, sir. I'm Lena Reed, your secretary.
“How much more do you think you can keep up with the pretense uhn?, Trent added curtly before I could talk further, leaving me to swallow my words.
Before I could respond, the loud noise outside disrupted us, and the door to Trent's office opened wide. A lady walked in panting heavily, and it looked like she ran here.
“Trent….
YVONNE POINT OF VIEWWhen I woke up. I didn't meet Mr. Donovan on the bed; the sun was streaming through the curtains. Mr. Donovan had woken up before me. As I stretched up. I pushed off the covers and headed straight to the bathroom. I quickly took a long, hot shower, which helped me to shake off the remaining sleep and the heaviness that had engrossed my chest since yesterday.I quickly got dressed and back my outfit. As I walked back into the living room, I found Mr. Donovan sitting on one of the couches, and his eyes were glued to the news right on the massive flats television screen. "Good morning, sir," I greeted as I tried to sound quite cheerful and then he turned to me briefly."Are you leaving already?" he asked. "Yes," I responded and grabbed my pause. "I have many things to do today." He quickly nodded without bothering to press further."It's Alright! We will talk later. Don't forget to call me if anything comes up," he said and I responded with a smile as I walked out
DONOVAN POINT OF VIEW After my meeting with Mr. Oliver, I was filled with a mixture of pride and disbelief as I walked out of the incredible mansion. It sounded unreal to me that I would be earning 500 million dollars per month and unbelievable that I already got the job. I quickly informed James, my driver, to take me back to my office. As I sat in the car, I couldn't help but replay everything in my mind. How Mr. George had warned me that I shouldn't have given half of my company's shares to Mr. Donovan. I felt I had no choice; Knight Industries was in critical scandals and Donovan was my life now and now I began to wonder if I had truly made a mistake.However, it was not anything to regret. Mr. Donovan had helped me to clear Knight Industries' name from the Internet and had helped me open the way for the opportunity I just had with Oliver Group. If Knight Industries was still buzzing with scandals, there was no way I would have gotten this job offer from Oliver Group.James was
TRENT POINT OF VIEWI drove around the city street, and the quiet hum of the engine filled in the silence in my car. The night was still, which was unusual, with a soft glow of the street lights that cast a long shadow across the pavement. As I moved closer to Yvonne's house, I felt some unusual feelings settling hard in my chest; something wasn't just right, and I felt like probably she was deliberating avoiding me. I pulled up through her driveway and I parked and stepped out of the car as I felt the cool night air brush against my skin. Her hours were quite dark and there was no light inside, and I felt quite lifeless and abandoned even as I approached her door and pressed her doorbell as I waited for the familiar sound of her footsteps. However, I got nothing.I rang the doorbell again, and this time, I leaned closer to the door if I would somehow call her out, but there was still no response. I felt quite frustrated and I pulled out my phone and immediately dialled her number.
YVONNE POINT OF VIEW After the intense, deep, and draining sex with Mr. Donovan, I felt quite trapped in a villa like a caged bird with clipped wings. Everything in my body wanted to leave; I wanted to have breathing space to clear my head. The air with Mr. Donovan was quite suffocating; it was heavy and the weight of his presence and all the evil things he did kept on pressing against me. I really wanted to meet Pete tonight. I wanted to use him to clear off my head; at least with Pete by my side, I could forget all my sorry and pains for the night. I didn't want it to linger till tomorrow. "You are staying right here with me tonight, Yvonne," he said firmly as he dark eyes were fixed on mine; they were stable and unmoving."You are quite not in your right state of mind to leave." I look back deeply at him, I wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that I have more important things to attend to, however, his tone didn't allow any room for any opposition, he wasn't asking me. He was co
DONOVAN'S POINT OF VIEWI rested my back against the marble countertop in my bathroom as I watched Yvonne stand staring blankly at the tile. The air was quite thick with the smell of lavender; however, I could see that her mind was far away, and her hands trembled faintly as it betrayed the fears she was trying so hard to hide. I had requested she pull the trigger on Janet, which she did, but the fears in her eyes at that moment were the ones mixed with innocence and shock. I wasn't surprised; Yvonne was still far from the hard person I was training her to become. She was indeed a work in progress, and I was shaping her; little by little, I was breaking her innocence; it would be one task at a time. "Let us go," I said. My voice was calm now but firm. "You really need to stop thinking about it. Janet was absolutely nothing. You did what was needed to be done; you did what was necessary." She nodded slightly to me and her lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm sorry! It is just that; i
TRENT'S POINT OF VIEWI slammed my hand hard in the steering wheel, frustration bubbling hard inside of me with each second passing. I was chasing after the cars—the fleeting expensive cars that Lenore entered one of it from the mall. I had to get to see Lenore; it's more than a mission to find her. I needed to see her. Make things up with her, I had messed up, I had hurt her, and I couldn't let her go anymore. Lenore wasn't just someone I had hurt in the past. She was the little young child that I hit with my car years ago. I thought she was dead, and for years, I had carried out the guilt, blaming myself for what had happened, and now that I knew she was still the same Lenore I knew, I couldn't ignore the way I felt anymore; I had to get her and make it right with her by all means possible. It wasn't just about me trying to make it right with her for my past mistakes only. But I knew she was capable more than I could ever imagine; back when she was my secretary in Knight Industrie