The billionaire who stole my heart

Raleigh pov

“The blue shirt or the pink.” I held my two options out side by side for my cousin to inspect them. After all, she was the one who worked for a huge fashion brand. As a secretary though, but whatever. A fashion brand was a fashion brand.

“The blue shirt says you’re begging for this promotion and the pink says you wish you could get it.” Imogen looked up from her coffee to reply. “So neither?” “Neither. Wear that cute zebra print blouse and the wide legged black pants.”

She made a chef’s kiss motion. “You’d look like a boss bitch that knows that promotion is hers.” I gave her a look. “I don’t want to come off as too cocksure.” She rolled her eyes at me, swinging her legs down from the barstool.

“You’ve busted your ass for that promotion, it’s yours, you deserve it, and everybody knows that.” She raised one shoulder in a shrug. “There’s nothing cocksure about that.” I took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m gonna go get dressed. "Oh my God."

I can’t believe I’m about to become the chief editor.” We squealed in unison.“Omg! Congratulations, Leigh. You really deserve this.” Mo said. “Thank you.” I beamed. “Okay, I’m gonna go get dressed and ready.” “I’m gonna bake you a cake. Chocolate or carrot?” She asked. Mo was terrific in the kitchen. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I’d be living off pizza and instant noodles.

Growing up, mum had forced all the children to shadow her in the kitchen. To her eternal consternation though, only Mo had picked up all her love for cooking while her own children could barely even boil an egg. “Both.” I beamed at her. “You can go halfsies. One side chocolate, one side carrot. A hybrid cake. How cool would that be?” “Chocolate it is.” She said, “Now shoo, you’re going to be late and it’ll ruin your perfect attendance to get this promotion.”

I hurried to my room. Keith and Telle was one of the biggest magazines in the city. Getting a job there right out of college had literally been a dream come true for me and I had done everything in my power to make myself indispensable to the company.

Extra hours, risqué news stories, going the extra mile to discover the truth, showing up on time, I did it all. This promotion was the culmination of all my years of effort. Mo was right, I deserved this. I slipped into the bathroom. I brushed, shampooed and conditioned my hair and took a thorough shower in skin scalding water. I had cut my hair into a bob half a year ago and so far, I had no regrets. Blow drying and flat ironing my hair was the only work I had to put in for it to look picture perfect.

Everyday I thanked God I wasn’t Mo with her mass of untamable red curls. I did a quick facial skin care routine before applying make up. Then finally, I put on the clothes Mo had recommended.

The mirror revealed a powerful looking woman who was out to conquer the world. I loved it. Winking at my reflection, I grabbed my bag, phone and charger and headed to the kitchen.

Mo slid a plate of hash browns and bacons towards me as I approached the island. “Have I told you how much I love you?” I asked as I settled into the stool. “Not enough.” She grinned. “I’ve made a mental note to correct that horrible overture.” I said as I stuffed food into my mouth

. “No work today?” I eyed her unmatching pajamas. “Leora’s not coming in till about noon. Her boyfriend flew her to New York last night for a date and they’ll fly back this morning.” “Damn.” I said. “get it, Leora.” Mo grinned. “I bet my over fifty year old boss gets more horizontal fun in a week than the both of us combined get in a year.” “Your boss is a very stylish and famous millionaire. I’m not even surprised. We can’t compete with that. We are two overworked women who can barely afford rent. We aren’t exactly a hot commodity.” I pointed out. “We’re half her age.” Mo said. “We should really go out more.

You especially. You need to meet somebody, even if it won’t get all that serious. Some romance in your life is desperately needed and you can’t use work as an excuse right now.” “Fine.” I conceded. “Tonight? Let’s celebrate my promotion in grand style. It’s Friday after all.”

She whooped. “That’s what I’m talking about.”“I really have to go now. Bye, babe.”“Break some legs.” She called out as I left the apartment. I was too giddy with excitement to tell her that that wasn’t the correct expression.

By the time my Uber pulled up at the curb of my office building, I felt like I was on cloud nine. Not even the fact that the guy in the elevator didn’t hold it for me and I had to wait extra minutes for the next one could bring me down. I would have gladly climbed up the twenty flights of stairs to get to my floor in the state I was in.

“Good morning, Raleigh. Love that blouse, where did you get it?” Victoria smiled as I walked past her. “Thank you. I got it from an online shopping platform, I’ll send you the link. There’s a sale going on right now.” “You better.” “Hey, Leigh.” Someone else waved at me from their cubicle. “Hey, Jason.

"How’s Tim’s hand?” I asked about his son. “The girl he likes signed on his cast so he’s ecstatic right now.” Jason grinned. “Let’s just hope this doesn’t motivate him to climb yet another tree.” I laughed. 

I made sure to exchange a smile or a kind word to everybody on my way to my own table. I didn’t mean to brag, but everyone at this office kinda adored me. I guess it was the difference between just being a coworker and being work friends.

Mo liked to say that I hadn’t met anybody that I couldn’t befriend and she was right. It was a natural charm I had gotten from both my parents. Mo liked to call us ‘the family next-door’.

“Mr. Dunner said he would like to see you in his office.” Kendra, his secretary said as I got to her table. I tried to control my excited grin but I was sure I failed. Kendra chuckled. “girl, you deserve this.” She said, “Go in there and get your promotion.” Jason shot me a thumbs up from his table. I guess my promotion wasn’t all that much of a secret anymore.

With a deep breath, I made my way to Mr. Dunner’s office. His door was open as he liked to remind us that he was always available to us. Hugo Dunner was the best boss anyone could ask for. Not only was he super nice, but he was also fair, which in my opinion was a trait that wasn’t given as much recognition as it deserved.

,,“Mr. Dunner? Kendra said you wanted to see me.” I said as I walked in. “Hello, Raleigh.” I whipped my head to the side to see Mikel, the human version of a bag of shit sitting on Mr. Dunner’s sofa. I looked at Mr. Dunner who sat behind his large desk looking bleak. Oh no. “Miss Maverick,

Mr. Summers over here has contested your promotion on the grounds that he has worked here for longer.” Mr. Dunner said. Which frankly meant nothing and didn’t have anything to do with a promotion. Years of service didn’t mean you had served well. In fact, the fact that he had been completely overlooked while he had been here far longer than me said a lot.

Mikel Summers was an asshole, a raging one. He walked around the office with his shoulders up high feeling like he was better than all of us and didn’t need to get down and dirty with us. He hadn’t written an acceptable story in years and the few he had turned in were more tales and gossip than actual stories. When I had newly gotten employed, he had made him fetch him coffee countless times till I had put my foot down and made it very clear to him that I was his goddamn colleague and not his assistant. He didn't like me, and I didn’t have pleasant feelings for him either. “That’s bullshit.” I spat.

I looked at Mikel. “That’s utter bullshit and you know it.” “Do I?” He smirked. “You shouldn’t curse in the office.” He could go cry into a river about it. “We both know this promotion is mine. I deserve to be chief editor.” I growled. “Then prove it.” Mikel said, raising a challenging brow.” I looked at Mr. Dunner in confusion. He let out an exhausted sigh. “An assignment for the both of you will determine who gets to be chief editor.” 

“Let me guess, Mikel came up with this plan?” I scoffed. “So what if I did?” Mikel asked. “If you're that good, this should be easy peasy for you. Unless you’re scared of actually going against me.” I was more terrified of doing a footrace against my aging grandfather with arthritis and a bad hip.

“What’s the assignment?” I asked, eyes locked on Mikel’s. “Both of you have to shadow a prominent, new or fairly new, fast rising company and make a full story about the ins and outs, the workings, the motivation behind the company. You have two weeks, your time starts on the fifteenth and will end on the twenty eight. You’ll report back the Monday morning after and you’ll be judged by both me and your new bosses.” Mr. Dunner said.

“Child’s play.” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel. I looked at Mikel. “I’m going to beat you fair and square, again, and then, I’m going to lord it over you for as long as you work here.”

“Let’s make it more interesting.” Mikel said slowly so only I could hear it. “whoever loses, has to leave the company.” I blinked, taking a cautious step backwards.

“W-what?” That was taking it to an extreme I wasn’t sure of. He smirked. “Come, now, would you really want to work under me? Because you can bet your ass I’ll make it a living hell for you. Now, you are under me on the other hand.”

He gave me a salacious look. I shuddered in revulsion. “Deal.” I turned around and marched out of the office wondering what the fuck I had just agreed to and cursing myself for being so foolish. I could just bet that that had been Mikel’s plan all along and I had fallen right into it. I marched to my table and sat down, fuming.

Kendra approached me warily. “I heard everything. That bastard.” She hissed. “What a snake.” “Right?” She squeezed my shoulders. “You’ll beat him again. Mikel wouldn’t know how to write a good story if it hit him in the face, and you’ve been delivering big story upon big story since day one. You’ve got this.”My shoulders eased a little at her reassurance.

She was right though. I had nothing to be afraid of. Mikel wasn’t going to do in two weeks what he hadn’t done in ten years of work for Keith and Telle. “Thanks, Ken.” I smiled at her. “Anytime.” She walked off.

Now I just had to figure out how I was going to get some company to agree to a journalist digging into them with their permission and disrupting their business. Not just any company though,

I needed to find one whose name and stats alone would secure me this win. How I was going to weasel my way into such a company before today ended was another hurdle. I sighed.

Fuck my life.