Chapter 4 The Boss

Cassandra’s POV

Unknown Place, 15 Years Ago

“Do you want some chocolate, green eyes?” asked a man who suddenly appeared near the slide.

I stared at him in confusion, not knowing where he had come from.

“I have chocolate. Would you like some?” He showed a box of chocolates from the pocket of his jacket.

I slid down from the slide and walked toward the swing without answering his question. My mother always told me not to talk to strangers, let alone accept food from them. She reminded me that I didn’t know what might be in the food they offered. Unless it was food given at school, I wasn’t allowed to take it.

“How about if I give you candy too? Do you like candy?”

To my surprise, the man walked closer to the swing.

I looked around, hoping my mother would come soon to pick me up. Fear began to creep in as I realized I was the only one left at the playground. My friends had already been picked up by their parents, leaving me alone.

“I don’t like candy,” I replied, shaking my head.

I quickly got off the swing and grabbed my bag from under a tree. If my mother hadn’t arrived yet, I wasn’t supposed to leave the school grounds. But there was no one else here, and I was starting to feel scared. It seemed like the teachers and school guards were having a meeting on the third floor. They probably assumed all the children had gone home because I had hidden behind the swing when the security officer checked earlier. I didn’t want to wait in the classroom like before when my mother was late. It was better to play here while they were in their meeting. Unfortunately, I ended up encountering this man.

“Do you want to go home? I can give you a ride in my car. Would you like that?”

“A car?” I turned my head, surprised.

My father always came in a car when he visited, but I had never experienced riding in one. My mother said being in a car was similar to being on a bus, just with fewer seats.

“Yes, would you like to ride in a car?”

I frowned and thought for a moment.

My mother had told me not to talk to strangers, and I had already broken that rule.

She also said I shouldn’t accept things from strangers, and I had refused his offerings earlier.

But my mother never said anything about riding in a car. So, could I go with this man now?

“Can I wait for my mother first? I’m afraid she’ll look for me if I leave first.”

“Don’t worry, we can pick her up. Do you know where she works? Do you know the address?”

I shook my head. My mother had taken me to her workplace once, but the route was so far, that I couldn’t remember it.

“No problem, we can figure it out. I’ll ask my friend,” the man said calmly. “Come on, let’s go to my car now.”

I looked hesitantly at the man’s outstretched hand. Was it okay to follow him?

“If you don’t want to be late to pick up your mom, we should go now.”

I nodded and smiled. “Can I invite my mom to ride in the car too? She’d love it.”

“Of course, you can,” the man said, leading me to a car hidden behind the school gate, parked under a tree.

I stared at the car in disbelief. Was I really going to ride in one?

I turned to the man beside me with excitement, but before I could say anything, he grabbed my hand firmly and tied it behind my back.

“What are you doing?” I started to panic, sensing this was not a good sign.

“You said you wanted to ride in the car, didn’t you? Let’s go then.”

“I don’t want to! Let me go!” I screamed as loudly as I could, trying to kick him. “Help me! Help me!”

I looked around and saw someone at the end of the street staring in my direction. I screamed even louder, “Help me! Help me!”

“Shit!” the man beside me cursed. He picked me up and ran toward the car. Someone inside the car opened the door and then ran to the trunk to open it.

I saw the person at the end of the street running toward me, waving as if they intended to help.

“Help me!” I screamed, crying loudly.

“Damn, she’s so noisy!” Another man slapped tape over my mouth and threw me into the trunk. After that, I heard the trunk slam shut, and the car sped away.

My heart was pounding as I cried in terror.

Oh God… does this mean I’ll never see my mother again?

***

My breath hitched when I first opened my eyes and realized I had just experienced a nightmare about an event from over a decade ago. The worst incident of my life, which, unfortunately, I can never forget no matter how hard I try.

I scanned my surroundings, holding my breath as I realized something was wrong. Usually, the first thing I do in the morning after waking up to the loud ringing of my phone alarm is check all the notifications and review my schedule for the day. But this morning, I completely forgot that routine when I realized I hadn’t woken up in my room.

My eyes widened, and I sat up on the bed, clutching the blanket tightly, when I noticed the buttons on my shirt were undone and missing.

A note on the vanity mirror by the bathroom door—facing me directly—immediately caught my attention. “Next time, don’t drink alone, wife. You’re unbearable. But your green eyes are the best.” The note was written in red lipstick by someone whose identity I might know—or maybe I didn’t.

I swallowed hard as memories of yesterday started piecing themselves together in my mind. Every conversation, every moment, and every word he said replayed vividly. Yet, I couldn’t recall the face of the man—Alexavier, the scoundrel who had trapped me.

My phone rang. This time, hesitation held me back from answering, given everything that had happened the day before. But then I remembered my mother was in the hospital, and I had left her there all night after her shocking confession.

“Hello, how can I help you?” I closed my eyes, silently hoping for some luck.

“Good morning, Miss Floyd. My name is Erica, and I’m an HR representative from ALX Corporation. I’d like to remind you that you have a job interview today. Please be on time, as tardiness may result in automatic disqualification. Don’t forget to bring your identification and prepared CV. Can we count on your attendance today?”

I blinked rapidly, trying to gather my composure after hearing Erica’s words.

Oh, God. I’d been waiting for this day for weeks. “Of course,” I replied, jumping off the bed. “I’ll definitely be there, and I won’t be late. Thank you for calling.”

“Of course. Good morning, and have a great day.” The call ended.

For a moment, I just stood there, taking in my surroundings.

What exactly had happened?

My gaze fell on a clean set of clothes hanging near the mirror. I knew I needed them to get out of here.

I didn’t care what had happened here. Yesterday was filled with problems that shattered me, but today might be my chance to fix everything—a chance to turn my ruined life around.

So, I grabbed the clothes and changed as quickly as possible.

Now, all I needed was to make it to the interview on time. But could I, considering I was still at an unfamiliar hotel?

I walked briskly out of the hotel room after ensuring no one else was inside. Damn it, fragmented memories of last night still swirled vaguely in my mind, but I couldn’t remember the man’s face.

My phone buzzed. I thought it was the Uber driver, but I was wrong.

It wasn’t the driver. Instead, I received a photo I recognized all too well. In the picture, I was sleeping in the hotel room I had just left, my face disheveled and my clothes a mess. My stomach churned when I realized that bastard had taken the photo while my shirt was open, exposing my chest.

Right after the photo, another message notification popped up on my phone, and I quickly read it.

1212xxxxxxx: Too bad we didn’t get to have our first night together because you fell asleep. But don’t worry. We’ll have it soon. A long, hot night, Little Tigger!

***

“Sorry for being slightly late. I did my best to get here as quickly as possible.”

A blonde woman in front of me smiled and nodded. “It’s alright. You’re only five minutes late. However, you should know that we won’t tolerate tardiness next time.”

I nodded quickly. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Did you bring the documents I asked for?”

“Of course,” I replied, pulling them out of my bag.

“Good. You can head straight to Mr Alexavier’s office, the CEO of ALX Corporation. He’ll be interviewing you today for the secretary position. If he finds you suitable in terms of skills and personality, you might be the right fit for the role. We’re looking for someone who matches the criteria perfectly, and I see you’ve had internships in related fields. Are you ready for the interview?”

Secretary? I was being interviewed for a secretary position.

Oh God, was I dreaming?

“Of course...” I blinked. “Of course, I’m ready.”

Erica smiled and gestured toward an elevator that stood apart from the others. “This is the private elevator that leads directly to Mr Alexavier’s office. You can use it to go up to his floor. If his office door is open, you may go right in. If it’s closed, you’ll need to find Mr. Sergio, Mr Alexavier’s personal assistant, who will guide you.”

I nodded again. “You’re not coming up with me?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Mr. Sergio will assist you if you encounter any issues upstairs. I have other work to attend to here. Good luck,” she said just as the elevator doors opened.

I stepped inside, flashing Erica a small smile. “Thank you,” I said just before the doors slid shut.

The elevator ascended to the 47th floor, where Mr Alexavier’s office was located.

Damn. I couldn’t believe everything happening today. A part of me wanted to call Franco and tell him everything—leaving out the part about the abduction and my sudden marriage, of course, because there was no way I could share that with him.

Cassandra Floyd: Franco, you won’t believe this, but I’m about to interview for a job at ALX Corporation. I’m hoping that with everything I’ve got, I will get this job.

While waiting for the elevator to reach its destination, I sent the message to Franco, my best friend.

Franco Thomas A: You’re going to nail it. I guarantee it, Cass!

A smile crept onto my face as his reply came through almost instantly. This man truly was the best.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a long hallway radiating luxury. The pristine marble floors were so polished that I could see my reflection in them, gleaming as though no one had ever walked there before.

At the end of the hallway stood a massive black door, and to its right was a desk with a plaque that read “Secretary.”

Damn, if I landed this job, that would be my desk.

After everything terrible that had happened to me since yesterday, I desperately hoped luck would finally be on my side.

I noticed the office door was slightly ajar and remembered Erica’s instructions. With no one else in the hallway, I assumed Mr. Sergio wasn’t around and that I could go straight into Mr Alexavier’s office.

Oh, hell. My heart pounded as I realized just how much I was pinning my hopes on this interview.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, saying, “Mr Alexavier, I’m Cassandra Ainsley—”

Everything froze. My steps halted as my eyes landed on the scene before me.

The man—whom I assumed to be Mr Alexavier—was seated in his chair while a woman knelt before him, her posture leaving no doubt about what was happening.

Damn. I shouldn’t be seeing this!

“What the hell are you doing, bitch?!” the woman snapped, glaring at me with fiery, sharp eyes and ruby-red lips twisted in anger.

Her voice was the first sound to shatter the tense silence between us.

The second sound came as my documents slipped from my grasp, landing on the floor with a soft thud.

“Get out of here and close the door. Judging by your reaction, you’re not going to like what happens next,” Mr Alexavier said calmly, his voice disturbingly composed.

I blinked and swallowed hard. The only thing I could do was crouch to pick up my fallen documents, then straighten up and stammer, “I’m sorry.” Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked out of the office.

My breaths came in sharp gasps, and my heart thundered in my chest as I closed the door firmly behind me—almost slamming it, really.

Damn it. On the day of my interview, I had just caught my potential boss in the middle of... whatever that was.

Sex. He almost has sex in front of me.