CHAPTER 10 ~ PROMOTION

ALEXANDRA’S POV

I reached behind my back and pushed the heavy oak door until the metal latch clicked securely into the doorframe. The thick wood completely blocked the sounds of the reception area. I turned around and faced the massive glass desk. Maximilian sat in his high-backed leather office chair. He watched my physical movements very closely. I walked across the dark gray carpet and stopped directly in front of the two empty leather chairs positioned opposite his desk.

"Sit down, Alexandra," Maximilian instructed, pointing his large right hand toward the chair on the left.

I pulled the leather chair backward and sat down on the smooth cushion. I placed my black leather presentation folder flat on the clear glass surface of his desk. I smoothed my hands down the fabric of my navy blue pencil skirt to ensure it covered my thick thighs properly. I reached up and pushed the black plastic frames of my prescription glasses higher up the bridge of my nose. My heart beat very rapidly inside my chest, but I forced my breathing to remain slow and steady. I needed to act professionally despite my intense anxiety.

"Mr. Harrison informed me that the senior analysts presented a flawed predictive financial algorithm for the upcoming corporate acquisition," I stated clearly, opening the black leather folder to reveal the ten printed pages. "I accessed the shared network drive this morning. I read the automated calculating formulas and verified the mathematical equations line by line. I found the exact location of the miscalculation."

Maximilian leaned his broad shoulders forward. He rested his elbows on the glass desk and steepled his long fingers together. He did not look at my heavy curves or my new professional clothing. He looked directly into my brown eyes through the clear lenses of my glasses.

"Show me exactly where the senior analysts made their mistake," Maximilian demanded, his deep voice carrying a strict, commanding tone.

I rotated the black folder so the printed documents faced his direction. I reached out and pointed my index finger directly at the third column of the spreadsheet. "The senior analysts completely miscalculated the depreciation value of the target company's physical manufacturing assets. They used a standard linear depreciation formula, but the specific industrial machinery owned by the target company loses value at an accelerated rate. Their mathematical error drastically skewed the final profit prediction for the entire corporate buyout. It made the acquisition look highly profitable when it actually carries a massive financial risk."

Maximilian stopped looking at my face. He lowered his intense gray eyes to the printed pages. I pulled my hand back and rested it securely in my lap.

I sat perfectly still while Maximilian read the ten pages of complex numerical data. The massive corner office remained completely silent for several long minutes. I listened to the quiet ticking sound of the expensive silver clock sitting on the edge of his desk. I watched his eyes scan the long programming codes I had written to correct the depreciation variables. The silence in the room felt incredibly heavy. I worried that I had overstepped my professional boundaries by altering the senior financial algorithm without explicit permission. I worried that he would fire me and revoke my internship.

Maximilian finally reached the last page of the document. He read the final calculated profit margin at the very bottom of the spreadsheet. He closed the black leather folder slowly. He leaned back against the dark leather cushion of his office chair. He looked up from the desk and stared directly at my face. The cold, ruthless executive expression vanished completely from his features. His gray eyes were filled with absolute, genuine intellectual respect.

"You just saved Volkov Industries over forty million dollars, Alexandra," Maximilian said softly, his deep voice vibrating with genuine amazement. "My senior analysts completely missed a basic depreciation variable. They almost cost me a massive fortune. You found the mathematical error, and you wrote a flawless code to fix the algorithm in less than two hours. You have an incredibly brilliant mind."

I felt a warm flush of pride spread across my chest and travel up my neck. A small, genuine smile formed on my lips. "Thank you, Maximilian. I really enjoy working with complex mathematics. Numbers always provide a logical answer."

Maximilian placed his large hands flat on the glass desk. "I am firing the senior analysts immediately. They are completely incompetent. I am also promoting you effectively today. You are no longer a junior data intern on the forty-second floor. You are officially joining my executive acquisition team as a lead financial data analyst. My human resources department will triple your current salary."

My small smile disappeared instantly. My lungs constricted, and I struggled to pull a full breath of air into my chest. The deep, heavy feelings of imposter syndrome completely overpowered my logical thoughts. I was twenty-three years old. I did not have the required corporate experience to hold a lead executive position. I looked directly at his expensive charcoal suit jacket, remembering the exact way he had wrapped his warm coat around my freezing shoulders in the hotel lounge last night.

"You cannot promote me to the executive team," I argued quickly, shaking my head and gripping the wooden armrests of my chair. "I am just a student. I do not have a master's degree in finance. Are you only offering me this massive promotion because you feel sorry for me? Are you doing this because you know my ex-boyfriend destroyed my self-esteem and left me crying in the freezing rain last night?"

Maximilian stood up from his heavy leather chair so quickly that it rolled backward and hit the glass wall. His sudden physical movement startled me. He walked around the large glass desk and stopped right next to my chair. He looked incredibly tall and powerful.

"I am a ruthless billionaire, Alexandra," Maximilian stated firmly, his deep voice leaving absolutely no room for argument. "I built this billion-dollar financial empire by destroying my corporate enemies and making highly calculated decisions. I never risk my money or my business deals to do personal favors. I do not offer promotions out of pity. You earned this executive position completely on your own because your brain is brilliant and your data analysis is flawless."

I looked up at his handsome face. I saw complete honesty and unwavering certainty in his gray eyes. He actually believed in my intelligence. He did not view me as a pathetic, heavy woman who needed constant reassurance.

"Thank you," I whispered softly, feeling the intense anxiety slowly leave my tight muscles. "I accept the lead analyst position. I will go back down to the forty-second floor right now and pack my belongings into a cardboard box. I will move my computer equipment to the senior cubicles before lunch."

"You are not moving your computer equipment to the senior cubicles on the forty-second floor," Maximilian corrected immediately. He reached out and gently placed his large, warm hand on the fabric of my navy blue shoulder. "Your financial data is highly confidential, and I refuse to let you sit in a crowded room filled with gossiping employees. I instructed Margaret to purchase a second desk this morning. You are going to sit directly inside this private office with me, and you are going to work perfectly in my line of sight every single day. Do you understand your new orders, Miss Petrov?"