Chapter 3

“May I help you with that Miss. Ariana” Instantly she turned around to meet those almond eyes with gold rimmed glass. ‘Mr. Carl’ she thought.

  “Yes .. Yes.. Yes please” she stretched her hand to give him the card, “ it’s OK I know the password” . They hopped inside the lift. She felt his gaze on her but she didn’t react, anyway she need someone until she reached the 40th floor.

They reached the 40th floor in 20 seconds . She looked all the sides of the floor. Right side there is a door mentioned as CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, left corner there is door mentioned as Assistant of CEO and the other way leads to pantry and balcony where can see a beautiful view of the city.

Carl knocked on the door and waited for CEO’s permission. “ Come in”, they both entered. She was looking around, the office had a modern architecture but it was pretty much dull to her eyes, with all the shades of grey paired with black and white. One could see the entire city at his back through the ceiling glass window.

She turned back. She could see her cabin from his cabin through the glass wall. It has blind from both sides. Her thoughts disturbed by Carl’s voice.

“Sir she is the one I selected to be your assistant” only then she noticed a man sitting in front of her. ‘Handsome’ that was the first thought came to her mind.

“Ariana, this is our president and CEO.” Again Carl’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

 After taking a deep breath she spoke “Good morning sir, I am Ariana Jonas, your new assistant”. Till then he didn’t look up at her, his focus was on the laptop screen.

When he heard her melodic voice an inner voice inside his head told to look up. He slowly raised his head to see the person and was awestruck by what he saw. A girl with petite figure was standing infront of him. She had the flawless ivory skin he have ever seen before in his life. She was like a porcelain doll. She had a small oval shape face, which was in the size of his palm. A pair of close set grey eyes were outstanding on that petite face, which stirred something deep within him. She has a black wavy hair, it is tied up in a messy bun. He wished to see the full length of her hair.

On the other side Ariana was drowning in his teal blue eyes. She couldn’t break the eye contact between them. They both came to their senses with Carl’s voice.

“Sir … Sir … Are you okay?”. He looked at Carl and said “Yeah I am alright. Why do ask that?”

“Sir you are speechless for few minutes” said in a low voice. ‘yeah anybody will go dumb and insane if they saw this beauty’ Zane thought but didn’t voice out. “Is she my new assistant?”

“Yes sir” Carl replied in a formal tone. ‘am I reading a story book few minutes ago?’ Carl thought in his mind.

“Mr. Black, are you here just to say this?” he asked in a serious tone.

“No sir, I am here to give you this file, this is a proposal sent by ‘TRUDOMINION PVT LTD’ please take a look on it sir” He kept the file on his desk.

“If there is nothing else you may go” Carl nodded and made his way to the door not before giving a wide smile to her, she too gave him a small smile. What they forgot to notice is an eagle watching the scene with those teal blue eyes which now filled with full of jealousy.

“Your name?” he asked looking at her face but this time his eyes noticed something delicious, her cupid bow lips. He felt like to touch it with his lips, But soon he diverted his gaze to her eyes.

“ Ariana Jonas sir” her melodic voice registered on his mind.

“Ms. Jonas that is your cabin, go and have a look. I will call you after sometime.” She nodded and made her way to the door. She breathed harder after coming out of his room. ‘I am so nervous under his gaze’ with that thought she went near her cabin door.

She entered her office and saw a medium sized white desk and a white executive chair. She walked to the desk and noticed there is a Imac, intercom, pen stand, empty photo frame and a name plate with her name on it. She looked around the room there is a white colour L shaped sofa and a coffee table. On the Corner of the room there is a printer. Curtains were in grey colour. She just turned to look at the glass partition which is on her left side. She saw the man who took her breath away for few minutes, working on his laptop peacefully.

He felt a gaze on him. He tilted his head and noticed her grey eyes looking at him intently, He smiled inwardly . Immediately she turned her gaze when she noticed he was looking back at her.

After thirty minutes he called her through the intercom “Ms. Jonas, could you please come inside my office.” with in few seconds she reached his office “Can you ask someone to make me a cup of coffee please.” He spoke In a cold and professional tone. “Yeah sure sir, I can make it for you, do you prefer with sugar or…”

 “Without please” he answered instantly even before she could complete her question.

After few minutes

 She made her way to his room with a cup of coffee in her hand. She knocked and waited for his permission “Come in” she opened the door and approached his desk “Sir , your coffee” she kept the coffee cup on the table.

“Thank you Ms. JONAS, did you get my today’s schedule?” she was nervous because she have no idea about that. Out of nervousness she started to bite her cupid bow lips. He felt like biting it too. He noticed her nervousness and smiled inwardly “Since it’s your first day I forgive you go and get my schedule from Ms. Steele” he said in a cold tone.

“OK sir I apologize for my negligence” she immediately ran to find Ms. Steele, she have no idea where to find her so she made her way to HR department and inquired about Ms. Steele’s whereabouts.

After knowing that she is in her cabin on the same floor she reached her cabin and knocked for her permission “Come in please” Ariana opened the door and greeted her first “Good morning MISS. Steele” Mary tilted her head and saw Ariana, she immediately stood and greeted her back “Good morning Ms.Jonas, you can call me Mary. By the way can I know what made you here?” Ariana was perplexed by her behavior “ahmm.. That.. I am here to get Mr.Hudson’s schedule for today” instantly Mary opened the drawer and took an iPad out. She walked towards Ariana and gave it to her.

“You could have call me, if you need anything in the future you don’t have to come just call me, And the schedule is in this iPad. It’s yours from now on.”

 “Thank you” Ariana thanked Mary and left her Cabin.

She went back to her working space and checked his schedule, after taking note she made her way to his office not before knocking the door. She entered instantly after she got the permission and approached his desk “Sir” he tilted his head “Did you get my schedule Ms.Jonas”

“yes.. Yes sir, you had a meeting with Mr. Green at 10.30 a.m but It has been rescheduled for 3.30 p.m and you have a video conference with Mr.Stark at 6 p.m, that’s it for today sir” she spoke in one go

“Breath .. Breath, why are you talking in a haste” Zane asked in a teasing tone. She lowered her gaze.

“Let’s have lunch together, now go back to work and you don’t have to knock on the door for my permission each and every time you enter, if I have some problem or busy doing something I will just ask you to wait for some time.” She nodded and ran to her cabin swiftly. Zane chuckled at her actions.

‘She is very cute’ he thought for a second after he realized his thoughts he snapped his head and started working. He would give her a glance time to time. He was immersed in his work till his stomach started to growl in hunger he noticed the time its almost 2.00 p.m.

 He checked Ariana’s cabin through the glass wall but he didn’t find her there, he thought she went for lunch without waiting for him ‘She could have call me or remind me if she is hungry’ he felt disappointed with that thought keeping a straight face he opened his office door, he was surprised to see Ariana standing near his office door “Why are you standing here? Uhm .. Did you have lunch?”

 She was standing there for more than fifteen minutes, she doesn’t had guts to knock the door to remind him about their lunch. “No sir, you informed me on the morning to have lunch with you, so.. So I..”

 “So you were waiting for me” he completed her sentence. She nodded in agreement. He was very happy to know that she was waiting for him.

“Let’s go Ms.Jonas, I am starving” he said and walked towards the lift “Sir you can call me Ariana” he smiled and said “OK Ms.Ariana” she sighed and said “Just Ariana sir.”

He nodded with a smile. They reached the entrance in two minutes she noticed the car coming from the parking lot ‘Oh my God it is EQS Sedan, am I going to travel in this for real?’ her thoughts distracted by him

 “Ms.Ariana hop in” she was stunned when he opened the door for her. Instantly she sat inside the car, he closed the door and went to his side. Car started towards the best restaurant in the city.

She is a middle class girl she haven’t been to any five star restaurants when she entered she was astonished by the beauty of the restaurant. He led the way to a private room. He sat in a chair after he pulled a chair for her and made her sit. “Sir you don’t have to do these for me, I feel uncomfortable” he was perplexed by her words,

“Did I do something inappropriate to make you uncomfortable?” He asked with a frown. She shook her head swiftly and said “No.. no sir what I meant is opening the car door and pulling the chair….., you are my boss I am your assistant so..” he chuckled at her words and said,

 “You are not only my assistant but you are a woman too . I respect woman. My dad brought me up, he taught me to respect women whoever it is. So Don’t be uncomfortable and try to adapt to my behavior.” she was stunned to hear his reply. “You got what I said? Hmm” she nodded.

They ate in silence for few minutes. He thought to break the silence and he asked “From which university you graduated from?” the moment she heard the word ‘graduation’ she was petrified with memories of her graduation day. She felt her past is haunting her, next moment she found herself being dragged by a huge hand into a dark room. His simple question triggered her panic attack.