Chapter Five

Isabella’s POV

Elion adjusted faster than anyone I had ever hired and within three days he understood the rhythm of my schedule better than assistants who had worked under me for years.

He did not hover and he did not ask for constant validation and he did not attempt to anticipate my moods to avoid them. 

He simply did his job with the highest efficiency.

It's been four months of working with him and I would say we now work together like a well-oiled machine.

He entered my office without knocking. I hated knocks, they broke my thought process. Something he was quick to pick up.

“You have six meetings today that would waste your time,” he said as he placed a revised schedule on my desk.

I looked down at it.

“Why would you say that?” I asked, looking up waiting for his reply.

I watched his long lashes flicker behind his round rimmed glasses. 

“Three are board members trying to weigh you out and two are business fishing for investments in non-profit organizations while one is Liam.”

I glanced up at him.

“You canceled them.”

“I postponed the vendors and condensed the board members into one thirty minute session and Liam was denied entry.”

“You denied Daniel’s son access to this building.”

“Yes.”

“On what authority.”

“Yours,” he said.

I held his gaze for a moment.

“And if I disagree.”

“You can reverse it.”

I scanned the schedule again.

“You are reorganizing my calendar without permission,” I said.

“I thought it was for the best,” he replied.

He was not defensive and  definitely not apologetic. Something I noticed. Elion Darwin never apologized. He simply did things that didn’t result in an apology.

For reasons I did not fully examine I felt relief instead of irritation.

“Next time inform me first,” I said.

“I just did.”

He left before I could respond.

By the end of the first quarter my efficiency had increased.

I no longer had to fight for space in my day.

He filtered calls efficiently and when he transferred one through it was because it was important.

During a meeting with two senior executives who attempted to question my restructuring plan Elion entered quietly and handed me a file.

“Before you continue,” he said evenly, “you may want to reference the projected margins from the Singapore expansion which support her position.”

The executives fell silent as I opened the file and the data spoke for itself.

After they left I looked at him.

“You anticipated that argument.”

“Yes.”

“and you prepared counter arguments.”

“Yes.”

“Without being asked.”

“Yes.”

“You are aware that most assistants would not interfere during a meeting.”

“I did not interfere,” he said. “I supplied information.”

He was right.

Sometimes Elion spoke more like a CEO than an assistant. He worked too efficiently for someone who has not managed something of his own.

My phone dinged with a familiar ringtone. Serena was calling me. Serena was my best friend and COO at Kingston steel and she's now the acting CEO.

“Hey, stranger,” she said. I could literally see her pouting.

“I'm sorry I've not reached out. It's been quite hectic these past months.”

“I hear you, it's been like that over here. It's so weird seeing you in the boardroom and not complementing your dress.”

I laughed. “Ms. Bancroft is that where your attention was in our quarterly meeting.”

“No ma’am but I must admit, that red dress was distracting.”

We laughed and spoke for a while before becoming preoccupied with other things.

I heard a commotion outside my door. I strained my ear to pick up the conversation.

“I have a meeting with Isabella,” Liam insisted.

“No you do not,” Elion replied calmly.

“Move.”

“No.”

I pressed the blur button causing me to see what was going outside but they could not see me. I watched the exchange from my office door.

“You work for her,” Liam said sharply. “I am her soon to be husband.”

“She did not authorize your entry,” Elion answered.

He left with visible frustration and I could not help but smile. For some reason that was so hot.

That evening my meeting stretched past eight and by the time they left I felt exhaustion settle into my bones.

They had questioned every proposal and challenged every suggestion. It was not this hard as CEO of Kingston’s steel.

I could close deals with one sentence but now everybody is questioning my competence.

When the door finally closed I remained seated at the head of the table staring at the empty chairs.

Elion entered quietly carrying a stack of files.

“You should go home,” he said.

“So should you,” I replied.

“I will after this is organized.”

I walked back into my office and removed my heels then sat on the edge of my desk.

Soon after Elion walked in, with so much confidence and aura for an assistant.

If I had met him at a charity gala I would not for a second think of him as anything less than a CEO.

“I need a solution.”

“To which problem,” he asked, placing a stack of files on my desk. “These need your signature before the end of tomorrow.”

“All of them.”

“Please clarify.”

“My grandfather tied my authority to marriage,” I said. “If I do not marry before I turn twenty seven my uncle chooses for me.”

“I know,” he said.

“Daniel has already proposed Liam as the person I have to marry.”

“I assumed.”

“And the board would support it because it gives a facade of stability.”

An idea that had been forming in my head for a few days now. I had not dared to bring it up but with Daniel and Liam on my neck, I'm going to have to fight back even harder.

Exhaustion lowered the edge of my restraint and for the first time in weeks I spoke without thinking.

I walked slowly around my desk and stopped in front of him.

“do you believe in mutually beneficial arrangements,” I asked.

“That depends on the terms,” he said.

I studied his expression and found him calm.

“What if the arrangement required discretion,” I said.

“Continue.”

“What if it neutralized Daniel’s leverage and silenced the board and secured my position before the deadline.”

“And in exchange,” he asked.

“In exchange you gain proximity to power and financial compensation and contractual protection.”

He did not smile.

“You are not about to ask what I think you're about to ask right now?”

Silence stretched between us and I felt the weight of what I was about to do.

This was bold and reckless and possibly the only move left.

“Will you marry me?” I asked.

“Hell no.”