Axel had Lucy take over while he was tied up in a meeting. I followed her into her office, where she greeted me with a warm smile and attentive eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Crystal," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Lucy. I'll help get you settled at first. Come on, let's grab a coffee."
"Nice to meet you too," I replied, shaking her hand. There was something in her calm demeanor that made it easier to breathe.
As we settled in the break room to make coffee, she leaned toward me and spoke quietly. "Honestly, I don't know why he chose you for this role. We needed an accountant."
I shrugged, taking a sip. "I don't know either. I didn't apply to work with him directly."
Lucy studied me carefully, almost examining me. "Then why did you accept?"
"The pay is good. I didn't have much choice," I admitted, feeling the weight of it on my shoulders.
She gave a small smile, hiding it behind her cup. "Axel always does things his own way. Hard to understand, but if you're here, it's because he saw something in you that no one else noticed."
I stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about her words. It wasn't a compliment, and yet somehow, Axel had already disrupted every expectation I had about the day-to-day.
Lucy lightly tapped my shoulder. "Don't try to figure everything out at once. Learn to observe. People often reveal more than they say aloud."
I nodded. Soon after, Lucy left, returning to the office corridors. I was alone, finishing my coffee and trying to brace myself for what was coming next.
Back at my desk, I noticed Axel had returned to his office. It wasn't long before the door opened, and he stepped out. He looked at me briefly, then, without lifting his eyes from the papers in front of him, said:
"Crystal, if someone named Alyssa calls, don't put her through to me."
I nodded, curious but silent. He wasn't one for explanations.
A little later, the phone rang. I picked it up. "Good evening, Aurelian Group, this is Crystal. How may I help you?"
"Who are you?" came a sharp, cold voice. "And why does my husband have a secretary?"
I froze. The woman introduced herself as Alyssa, and the tone she used was cutting, aggressive. She knew nothing about me or my role. She was trying to intimidate, to assert herself, as if I were an intruder.
"Put Axel on. Now."
I glanced at him, absorbed in his documents. "He's not here, I'm sorry."
"Then tell him to call me," she snapped, frustrated.
I ended the call and walked over to Axel, handing him the updated appointments and meetings for the week, letting him know that this Alyssa had called urgently.
He lifted his gaze and, as if it were a simple task to delegate, said:
"Call her back. Tell her I won't be at dinner tonight. Send her red roses."
"Okay… I'll need the address," I replied, jotting it down. His request was cold, detached—an order to execute, not a gesture of courtesy or interest.