Avery: "I'm sure you know Austin," Mr. Blackwood started. "He's been my assistant for a long time. When I decided that the next CEO would have an assistant, it was meant for your mother. But things changed. And now, I trust Austin to assist you just as he did for me."
Avery stayed silent, her piercing gaze locked onto her grandfather. Then, slowly, she turned to me.
And what I saw in her eyes?
A promise of war.
Then, just like that, she turned back to her grandfather with the sweetest smile.
"If that's what you want, Grandpa," she said. "I'll work with him. You always make the best decisions. I trust you."
Liar.
Mr. Blackwood smiled, satisfied. "I'm glad that's settled. I can retire in peace. Avery, enjoy your first day as CEO. And remember, you can trust Austin."
Her face barely hid her disdain.
We walked Mr. Blackwood to the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed...
Avery's fake smile dropped.
She turned to me, cold and sharp.
"I don't care how highly my grandpa thinks of you," she said, her voice like ice.
I stayed still, my fists tightening.
"You've worked for him. Fine. But I'll be the one to decide if you deserve those praises or not," she continued. "For all I know, he thinks you're getting things done when you're actually doing nothing."
My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached.
"I don't tolerate lazy people."
She took a step closer, her eyes challenging.
"Get to work."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked into her office, leaving me standing there, fists clenched, pulse pounding.
This was just the first day.
And I already hated her.
How the hell was I supposed to survive years of this?
And worse...
I couldn't quit.
I was doomed.
"What?! Avery is the new CEO? I thought... I thought..."
"It was her mother, that was exactly the same thing I thought. Never did I expect that that vile woman would walk through that goddamn door and announce herself as the new CEO and me as her personal assistant," I said to Quinn as I ran my fingers through my hair.
I felt frustrated. Just the first day working as her assistant, Avery did nothing but get on my nerves the whole day. Even when she's not supposed to shout, she'd yell at me just to show she was in control.
She's an evil witch and there was nothing that could change the way I felt about her.
"And now you already signed a contract that says you can't quit the job. Did Mr. Blackwood know this was going to happen? That's why he asked you to sign the contract?" Quinn asked as she settled on my bed with a bucket of popcorn.
"He said it was a last-minute decision. You should have heard what she said when he tried to apologize for the surprise because I was expecting his daughter and not granddaughter," I said.
"But seriously, I don't see this working. Two captains cannot sail one ship."
"Exactly, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. I already signed the fucking document." I groaned as I fell on the bed beside Quinn.
"This is depressing. I can't imagine myself working alongside a woman like Avery who has no single respect for a man. She thinks everyone should worship the ground she walks on, or worship her."
"That's how everyone says she is. I remember seeing her one time, damn, her face looked scary, like she would chop off your head if you come near her."
"She looks like that all the time," I said. "My biggest problem right now is that I don't go to jail for killing that woman."
"Don't say that. You're going to try avoiding getting in trouble with her. You'll do your job and avoid her at all costs," she said, and I just looked at her like she had suddenly grown two heads.
"I'm going to try as long as she doesn't get in my way," I said.
"That's more like it," Quinn said, passing me the popcorn as she turned the TV screen on. She had already eaten half of the popcorn even before the movie began.
"I can't believe tomorrow would be another day of work with that woman."
"You'll survive."
"You're late!" That was the first thing I got as soon as I walked out of the elevator. Just what I needed to start the morning.
"Miss Blackwood, I come to work by 8:00 a.m. and this is 7:37 a.m., so I know I'm not late," I said, and she watched me with spite.
"Are you saying I'm a liar, Mr. Smith?" she asked as she folded her arms, looking at me. I had a feeling that this woman knew she couldn't get rid of me, so she planned on making my life a living hell.
"That's not..." She raised her hand, stopping whatever I wanted to say.
"I am your boss, and if I'm in the office before you, it means you're late, and besides, you were supposed to pick me up and bring me to the office," she said.
I'm your assistant, not your driver, I wanted to say but stopped myself.
"It won't happen again," I said through clenched teeth, just for peace to reign.
"Better. Bring me my schedule for today," she said as she looked me up and down before turning and walking to her office.
"Arrogant bitch," I muttered before walking to my office.
A few minutes later, I opened her office to bring her her schedule, and the look she gave me was like she wanted me dead on the spot. What did I do wrong now?
"The door is there for a reason, isn't it? Why would you enter my office without knocking?" Control, Austin, control.
"I'm sorry, but I'm used to entering Mr. Blackwood's office without knocking. It's going to take some time to adjust."
"How am I supposed to work with someone as incompetent as you when you can't even adjust to something as simple as knocking before entering my office?" She looked at me with a sneer, while I tried my best to call on the god of control to help me before I did something to this woman I'd regret.
I took a deep breath and forced a smile on my face.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," I said.