Chapter 3

[ Iris’s POV]

Standing outside the office door, I waited to be called by Mr. Scott. The guard of the presidential suite didn’t say a word to me and wore an unchanging aloof expression. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had previously been employed by a prison before working here. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed a little and passed the time by taking in my surroundings. My reprieve wasn’t long as the door abruptly opened. At the sudden movement, I felt my body instinctively stiffen. Mr. Scott curiously looked at me for a few seconds, no doubt because of my reaction, before taking long strides toward me.

 “You can go inside now. Mr. President is waiting for you.” He informed me in a stern voice. Then he added in a whisper, “Just be yourself, Iris. I know the president. Don’t be overconfident or pretend to be something special and you will pass the interview. Make good use of that sharp brain.” 

I nodded and started towards the door. I gave two light knocks before I was greeted with a stern voice.

“You can come in, Miss Young.” He said.

I drew in a deep breath and stepped through the door. Entering the office, my mouth fell open in awe as I noticed the decor in the room. The president sat in an expensive leather high-backed chair, which was situated behind his massive oak desk that had beautifully crafted designs on each side. Behind him, was a huge window that gave a perfect view of the city. In front of the desk were two chairs that complemented the style of the room. There were a couple of lavish paintings on the wall and a bookcase that matched the look and design of the president’s desk. I was stunned by the richness of the room and had to work hard to focus on my task at hand. 

I looked at the daunting figure in front of me. His arctic blue eyes were locked on the computer screen as he skillfully typed on the keyboard. Clearing my throat, I stepped further into his office. 

“Good Morning, Mr. President. Mr. Scott directed me here.” I said.

“Take a seat, Miss Young.” He responded, still tapping on the keyboard.

I sat down quietly, while feeling his indifferent attitude from across the desk. A few minutes later; he stopped typing on the keyboard, folded his hands together and focused all his attention on me. Recalling the advice from Mr. Scott, I stared boldly back at him. Though my heart skipped a beat looking into those mystical eyes, I was determined not to show what I was feeling. As if seeing my resolve, his expression shifted from cold to calculating. 

“Tell me, Miss Young, why should I hire you among all the other talented women who have applied here?” He asked.

 My body stilled for a second but I made a quick recovery. 

“Because I'm multitalented,” I replied with a smile.

His thick brows shot up in amusement. 

“I have a degree in Computer Science and English Literature. I also have experience in programming. In addition to all of this, I have a brief knowledge of business stocks and political affairs. You won't have to hire multiple people to handle different tasks as you can easily hand them all over to me. It will also be more convenient to have me do the work since I will always be accompanying you. In a word, you won't have to waste money on extra manpower to accomplish the work you want to have done.” I stated.

 He nodded his head slightly while unfolding his large hands to rest them on the desk.

“Quite a reasonable explanation, I must admit. However, I have one last question for you.” He said.

“Go ahead, Mr. President,” I said.

He sighed softly and kept his eyes fixed on my face gauging my reaction. 

“Let’s say in the future you and I fell into danger, who would you save? Me or you?” he asked. 

Finally! This was my time to shake up this cold bastard’s heart! 

“Remember this Iris, if you are playing with a big shot, wait for the right time to move his heart. Only then will he find you different.” 

The voice from my memory spoke softly in my head. That person was probably doing just fine without me. Before my emotions slipped out, I hastily brought my thoughts back to the present. I smiled slightly at the president’s intimidating gaze.

 “I would choose to save myself, Mr. President,” I answered.

 He frowned at my answer. It seemed that wasn't what he was expecting to hear. 

“In the first place, I'm not your bodyguard. I am not in charge of your safety. I am just your secretary. Undoubtedly, any woman would choose to save her own life first unless...” 

I paused for effect and his expression darkened.

“She falls in love.” I continued. “Only a woman who was truly in love would choose her partner's life over her own safety.”

His expression turned puzzled as I finished my explanation. He stared at me unblinkingly for a few seconds before breaking his gaze. He stood up from his chair and turned away from me to look out the window. I clutched the hem of my dress that rested over the top of my thighs. 

“Did I go too far?” I thought.

“You can go and report yourself to Scott. From today onwards, you are my secretary. He will give you further details and instructions regarding your work schedule.” He said with his back still facing me.

Feeling lucky that I passed the interview, I stood up, gave a respectful bow and quickly turned around to exit the room. As soon as I stepped out, I heaved a sigh of relief. 

Under Mr. Scott's guidance, we went over the details of my job. A few hours into learning what all I had to manage, my head started to spin. I pinched the bridge of my nose feeling the beginnings of a slight headache. From what I gathered, I figured out that my handsome boss owned various properties all over the state! Mostly were in the expensive areas. What was he planning to do with all those properties? He doesn't even have a girlfriend! 

Finished looking at my work for the week, Mr. Scott took it upon himself to make sure that I could recite the company rules from memory. He claimed it was to avoid any future misunderstandings. After that, he took me to meet the staff. My first impression was that they all resembled sad robots. No one smiled or even spoke much. I wondered if it was forbidden to laugh or talk in the office.  

For the whole day, I didn't meet President Gray. For a brief moment, I thought that maybe I wasn't officially appointed. However, I was informed that my real work would begin tomorrow directly from the president’s home. 

...

Around 7 o’clock, I finally reached my apartment. Exhausted, I opened the door and was immediately welcomed home by a mechanical tone. 

“Mama’s home! Mama’s home!” 

Stressed Tomato yelled while rolling his steel body out of my bedroom. I chuckled in amusement, while slipping out of my high heels. I rubbed my sore toes, while cursing at my shoes. I hated high heels. They always caused me unnecessary pain! As I neared the living room, my eyes blazed in anger as I spotted the lacy bra and panties on the couch.  

“Tomato! Why didn't you warn Daisy not to take her chubby boyfriend inside my house?” I scolded.

Jeez! Daisy had sex on my couch again with that damn boyfriend! Those two were so different from one another–I constantly wondered how they got along. 

“Daisy locked Tomato inside the bedroom. Daisy locked Tomato inside the bedroom.” He responded repeatedly. 

I shook my head and threw the panties and bra far away from me. I settled myself down on the couch and rubbed my sore temples. Tomato offered me a glass of water and I gulped it down quickly. Feeling a little better, I went and took a refreshing shower. Shortly after, I received my ordered food from the delivery boy. By the time I finished all my regular activities, it was around 10 o’clock. 

While watching TV and munching on some chips, my eyes glanced toward the phone. I felt my heart squeeze at the thought of speaking with him again. Knowing the outcome of trying to contact him, I dialed the number anyway. My breath hitched in fear with each ring. Although, I worried for nothing as there was no answer. I felt a mixture of disappointment and relief towards the disregarded phone call. My lips formed a bitter smile and my tired body made its way to the bedroom. Burying my head inside the fluffy pillow, I fell into a deep sleep.

Sometime later, I woke up from my nightmare screaming. I felt suffocated as my eyes quickly scanned the room. The sound of thunder and the pouring rain brought my attention to the half-opened window. I steadied my breath, as I tugged off my blanket and walked across the room to look outside at the horrible weather. 

My vision flashed, and an unpleasant memory that was buried deep in my heart started to resurface. A tear fell down my cheek as her screams reverberated in my mind.

“ Iris! Run! Run… Iris! You are a brave and smart girl, you hear me! Don’t ever forget that. Now run and don't turn back. Run!”

As noises faded inside my head, I struggled to hold back the sobs that threatened to choke me. Frantically, I walked over to the closet, grabbed my raincoat and quickly left my apartment. Before stepping out of my building, I slipped into my coat and pulled the hood over my head. Going outside, I walked to the place that usually calmed me. I didn’t care if it was just for a moment, I just needed some peace. 

“Peace… that’s all I want.” I thought bitterly.

 Half an hour later, I reached Satin Cemetery. Ignoring the heavy rain, I stood away from the main entrance. I clutched my hands tightly before moving forward. The cemetery was vaguely illuminated by two working street lights and the only sound I heard was the steady rainfall. I located the tombstone that I had come to visit before walking forward. My boots occasionally splashed up muddy water from the many surrounding puddles. When I reached the grave, I took off my hood and knelt. Finally, I sensed the inner peace that I was craving. 

“Did you miss me?” I asked.

However, I couldn’t continue my visit as my ears picked up the sound of hasty footsteps running toward me. Frustrated at the interruption, I stood up. Keeping my eyes fixed on the tombstone, I waited for their demands. I smirked at the continued silence. Were they waiting for me to initiate the conversation? 

“I hate power struggle games.” I thought as I turned around 

Thunder grumbled in the sky as the rain continued to pound against the ground. The two street lights and the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the numerous people clothed in black. They were responsible for ruining my mood. I offered the crowd a sardonic smile.

“Will I ever be able to have a moment’s peace?” I asked God while looking up at the turbulent sky.