Chapter 4

Carissa woke up. Her body was weak and she felt a slight pain in her body. With her eyes half opened, she stood up and sat on the bed for seconds before she crawled backward and rested her back on the wall. She yawned and brushed her hand through her face. And she looked around the room.

“How did I get home?!” She thought to herself. 

Rathnait came out of the bathroom, dressing corporately. She bowed her head, smiling. “Good morning, ma.”

“How’s your night?” She asked before Carissa could respond to her greeting.

“Good morning,” Carissa smiled. “I don't know what my night was like, because I didn't even know how I get home last night,”

“How did I get home?” Carissa inquired. The last thing she remembered was sitting down and drinking the first glass of wine. 

Rathnait raised her eyebrows in shock. Making a surprise tone, she queried. “Hun?! Don't you remember anything?"

“What? Did anything happen? Did I drink to stupor and fell down in front of people?” Carissa asked in fear.

“Oh! Gosh!” She looked down in disappointment.

Rathnait wore a comforting smile. “Nothing like that happened. You slept off, and I was the one that brought you home after the party ended.”

“Okay. But why can't I remember anything?” Carissa rubbed her forehead, confused.

“Forget about that, the bygone is bygone,” Rathnait grinned, adding, “the bathtub is ready, you can take your bath.”

‘The bygone is bygone?’ Carissa thought to herself. She looked at Rathnait again and feigned a smile.

Rathnait’s word and reactions were suspicious and the fact that Carissa couldn't remember anything that happened last night worried her most.

‘What’s she hiding?’ Carissa troubled her head, but she recollected nothing. She got down from the bed and walked into the bedroom.

*************

The car drove into Rolland company, and Rathnait opened the door for Carissa to come down. Rathnait bowed her head and Carissa walked into the company. 

The staffs she met on her way from the first to the last floor bowed their heads to greet her, and she responded to them.

“Good morning.” The staff on the last floor greeted in unison.

Carissa wore a sincere smile and responded. “Good morning,”

“How’s your day going?” She cared.

“Fine, ma.” They answered.

“Is the CEO around?” Carissa asked.

“No, but he will be here soon.” Anna answered.

“Can I wait for him?” Carissa sought approval. 

Anna nodded. “Yes, ma.”

Jack pointed to the designated waiting chair offering. “You can seat there and wait for him.”

“Have you lost it?” Natasha gave Jack a deadly reprimanding look. She faced Carissa with a smile and pointed to the corner that led to the Ceo's office. “You can wait for him in his office.”

Carissa bowed her head. “Thank you.”

She looked at Rathnait and ordered. “You can wait for me in the car.”

“Okay, ma.” Rathnait bowed her head and walked out.

Carissa looked at the staff and bowed her head once again, smiling, before she walked into Kayden's office.

“Who is she?” James asked immediately as Carissa walked into the corner.

“I bet you haven’t logged in to your social media account since last night, and too bad you missed the engagement,” Anna shook her head in pity and explained. “She is the daughter of Mr. Stone Steve, and the present CEO of Stone company.”

“Wow!” James opened his mouth in awe.

“Had it been I heard it from someone else, not you, I won't believe. Her life is so simple compared to some billionaire heiress.” James voiced out.

“Yeah, that's true.” Other staff supported.

ONE HOUR LATER…

A Rolls-Royce Boat Tail arrived at Rolland company, guards rushed down out of the Nissa Altima that arrived a second before it, and they quickly lined up horizontally from where the car parked to the company entrance.

A guard stepped forward and opened the car door with his head bowed down.

“Good morning, sir!” The guards greeted in unison at the top of their voice.

He first let down his right leg in a well polished black shoe and sock. And a few seconds later, he sluggishly let down his left leg and finally got down.

Nancy ran out of the company in a casual black and white official dress. And arriving at Kayden’s front, she bowed her head.

“Good morning.” She greeted, smiling.

Kayden raised his eyebrows authoritatively and looked at his wristwatch. 

“Why are you ten seconds late?” He asked in a cute, but harsh voice.

“Hun?!” Nancy looked up at him, amazed. She quickly took her eyes off him and apologized. “I am sorry, sir.”

“Being sorry changes nothing. You should just be careful. This is your last warning,” he warned. “Next time you waste a second of my valuable time, I will sack you.” He threatened.

“I am sorry, sir.” She apologized.

“If you say sorry again today, I will fire you. All my staff members can only apologize twice a day, but yours is thrice because you are my secretary.” He warned. 

“Okay, sir.” Nancy bowed her head. 

Kayden slipped his right fingers over and ordered. “Bobby, let her know the rules.”

Bobby quickly adjusted his ties and matched forward. 

“From now, you must arrive at the Ceo's house early in the morning, latest by 6AM. Your knock on his door should wake him up. You will prepare his breakfast. You will go back home with him in the evening and prepare his dinner. It's your duty to pack his clothes and give it to the dry cleaner. That’s all,” Bobby stated.

“So, Miss Nancy, are you ready to take the job as the almighty Kayden’s secretary or not?” Bobby flung a question.

Without giving it a second thought, Nancy nodded with a smile. “Yes, sir.”

Kayden gave Bobby an irritating, deadly look. “You make mistakes a lot and it irritates me. Your days are numbered…”

He turned to Nancy. 

“Look up,” he ordered, and Nancy’s body quickly reacted to the command before her mind could process it.

“One, it’s not a must you arrive at my house early, but if you don’t, don’t come anymore because that’s the end of your job. And, you won't knock on my door, you press the green button to notify…” he said in an arrogant manner.

He took a minute break and furthered. “Also, you won’t make my meal. I can’t eat your food, so, you will order my meal from my restaurant. You just have to study my food menu, ”

“You will monitor my dressing because I wear a dress from high brands and they have their days. I wear Adidas on Monday, Gucci is on Tuesday, and so does for other brands,"

“You must have a great eyes for picking things because you will be in charge of my shopping. Pick good and uncommon cloth that will match my taste and go in line with my attractive look. You see how handsome I look, right?”

He pocketed his hands and walked round Nancy, observing her. “You look presentable, but you need a touch of polish. Find time to go to the company boutiques and get some nice dress. The bills are on the company, ”

“Nancy, working with me isn’t hard. You just have to follow the rules. You are lucky to work for me because my company ranks first in billboard, and I pay my staff a high salary,"

“As my secretary, your salary will be more than what some company pays their Ceo and the salary for some company’s staff is what I pay my company part-time cleaner,”

“Have you ever been out of America before?” He asked and without giving her a chance to respond, he belittled her. “I bet you have never," 

“If you behave well and work with me for a month, you will be opportune to travel with me to at least three countries,” he boasted.

“So, are you ready to work for me?” He asked.

“Yes, sir!” She answered with excitement. “I will do my best to serve you!"

He scoffed. “You don’t need to be. None of my secretary have ever last two months. So, I expect nothing less from you.”

Kayden led into the company and Nancy walked behind him with an interval of three steps.

Immediately he stepped inside the company, staff bowed their head before he got to them and greeted. “Good morning, sir.”

He responded to none and focused his eyes on his front, raising his chin up proudly.

Rathnait recorded everything that happened outside and secretly captured how he ignored his staff. And she quickly forwarded it to Carissa with a capture. “He is here.”

Carissa watched the video, and her mind boiled in anger. And while she was thinking of what to do, she heard a noise from outside. She quickly stood up and walked out of Kayden’s office.

“What’s good about the morning that you should focus on your work but you are celebrating someone’s engagement?!” Kayden yelled and Carissa watched with her mouth widely opened in shock.

“From now on, no more celebration in this company. I will penalize anyone caught doing that for violating my rules, and anything can happen after that.” He warned. 

“Sir, what about our birthday? Can we celebrate it?” Anna inquired.

He looked at her in anger. “Yes, you can. But make sure you have submitted your resignation letter, and I have approved it before then.”

“If I caught any of you sitting in someone’s seat or talking to each other about what’s not related to work, be ready to face the consequence," he warned.

“If you can’t abide by my rules, resign. There are lots of people that are ready to work for me without collecting a penny.”

He walked toward his office and met Carissa standing on the way.

Carissa washed out the shock on her face with a smile and stretched her hand out for a shake. “Good morning…”

Kayden scanned her for a minute with a belittling look on his face. He turned to his staff and queried. “Who is she?”

“Hum?!” The staff looked at him in surprise.

“S-sir, she is Stone Carissa. She attended your party last night. She gifted…” Natasha answered.

He scoffed and cut her off. “Is that why you allowed her into my office?”

“Do this next time and I will make you pay.” He threatened.

“I am sorry my presence makes you angry…” Carissa apologized with a smile and he shifted his attention back to her.

“That’s why you should stop coming uninvited.” He said.

“Is this about the engagement party or the company?” She looked confused.

“Think about it.” He said, walking out of her.

“Is this the proper way to apologize? I have waited more than an hour.” She said.

He stopped walking and chuckled. “That’s because you come uninvited.”

He walked away, and she looked at him from behind. 

She walked to the staff and apologize. “I am sorry you have to go through this because of me.”

“It’s fine, ma. He was angry because we congratulated him on his engagement.”

Carissa bowed her head and walked out of the company, maintaining an organized, elegant walk.

Immediately she got into the car, she wore an angry face and called chairman Lexx.

“Sir, is there a way to make his punishment faster than how we plan?”