Layla stopped in front of the CEO’s office. Because she hadn’t spoken with the man directly before, she felt a bit nervous.
She could feel her heart beating and her throat going dry. What if the CEO was in the middle of something? What if he didn’t like her voice? What if he punished her? And what if Assistant Jiang landed her in trouble?
Urgh! Maybe she should have gotten someone else to get the CEO’s attention. But knowing the secretaries, they’d rather paint their nails than help someone out.
She couldn’t also get Annie. That was the last thing on her mind. There was no way she was going to allow her friend to do something for the guy.
“Eh? Ms. Ju’an, it is you again.” Coincidentally, Assistant Jiang was on his way out of the office. He stared at her strangely, wondering what the crazy girl was doing there.
“I’m here to rip out your soul, Assistant Jiang. This way, you can live freely as a ghost and walk in on other people without making a sound.”
“You-“ It was as if the girl had heard his thoughts. Her response was too brutal. Assistant Jiang pointed a finger at her, then he sighed and decided to give up.
Bantering with this girl would only waste his energy. He had a feeling that Ms. Lin’s rapid change must have something to do with her friend’s strange personality too.
“What are you doing here, Ms. Ju’an,” Assistant Jiang asked softly.
Seeing the assistant giving her the peace sign, Layla left him alone and answered, “Is the CEO busy? Tell me if he is so I can ask his guest to go away.”
“Ms. Ju’an, that’s not how things work.” Assistant Jiang thought this girl needed some lessons. “Even if he’s busy, the guest has to wait until Mr. Lim is done. By the way, who is that guest?”
“It’s the Arts Department’s Manager,” Layla answered. “Now let me go inside and tell the CEO.”
The Arts Department Manager? Assistant Jiang frowned. “Isn’t he your brother?”
Layla did not answer him. Because he was blocking the door, she nudged him aside and held the door knob.
Assistant Jiang marveled at the girl’s guts. Surely, he didn’t like her much and he especially disliked the brother.
When Mr. Ju’an dumped Ms. Lin at the altar, Assistant Jiang had been over the moon. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t unhappy about how the guy treated Ms. Lin.
So wasn’t this a good time to get back at him?
Quickly, he followed Layla into the CEO’s office. Layla was about to say what brought her but the assistant chipped in.
“Mr. Lim, Ms. Ju’an is here to prepare the coffee for you. I heard that Ms. Ju’an once worked as a barista.”
“Really?” The CEO looked away from his computer’s screen and frowned.
“Yes. Yes, Mr. Lim… Be rest assured that Ms. Ju’an will make you the best coffee you will ever taste.”
“In that case, show her to the coffee machine.”
“Huh?” Layla kept blinking, feeling lost and confused. She looked from the CEO to the assistant and she wondered if she hadn’t been transformed into another universe.
What coffee?
Assistant Jiang laughed inside. Ah, her expression was priceless. “Ms. Ju’an, please. Mr. Lim doesn’t drink any kind of coffee. Make sure you don’t make any mistake.”
Layla wanted to cry. What was happening? She wasn’t here to make any coffee. Looking at the CEO though, the courage she had managed to summon moments ago instantly departed her.
She opened her mouth but no words came out.
“Ms. Ju’an, why are you in a trance? I said the coffee machine is there. Make sure you do a good job.”
Layla’s heart was beating faster than before. Like a robot, she turned sideways and walked toward the coffee machine looking as if the machine would eat her up.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for it and she shut her eyes tightly then took in a deep breath.
She couldn’t even boil water properly. How could she make a world-class coffee?
Layla’s anxiety was so high that she completely forgot about her brother who was waiting outside.
As for Assistant Jiang, he sat on the couch and picked up the document he was working on, hiding his triumphant smile.
Some minutes ago, the CEO had asked him to get the secretary who usually prepared his coffee.
Assistant Jiang was on his way to get her when he bumped into the girl. Well, it was like killing two birds with one stone.
He could get back at the brother and he had also taught Ms. Ju’an a lesson.
.
Outside the CEO’s office, Jason stared at his wristwatch and frowned deeply. He had been waiting for ten minutes, however, Layla hadn’t returned.
Was his sister purposely ignoring him?
He waited for five more minutes then he stood up and started pacing. Moments later, his phone rang and he looked at the contact’s display name with a helpless look.
“Honey! Where are you!” Priscilla’s voice blared out of the phone’s speaker, almost deafening his ear.
Jason distanced the phone from his ear for a few seconds, then he replied, “I’m still in the CEO’s area. What is it?”
Contrary to his soft tone, Priscilla’s voice was loud and filled with insecurity. “Honey, it has been thirty minutes since you left for the CEO’s area. What are you still doing there? Haven’t you seen the CEO?”
“No, I haven’t. The CEO seems busy.”
“Are you sure?” Priscilla sounded skeptical. Annie was in the CEO’s area and she feared her husband would see the girl.
Argh! Even if he told her he was telling the truth, how would she believe him? Yesterday, she had heard about what happened during the meeting and how he tried to protect the dumb girl.
Priscilla had spent the whole night crying over that, yet, the man didn’t offer even one word of comfort to her.
“Honey!”
“Priscilla, I’m busy. I’ll come down soon,” Jason said with a sigh before hanging up.
After waiting for a few more minutes, he decided to go out to the secretaries’ area and maybe get someone else to help him get the CEO’s attention.
As he got there, his eyes fell on the girl who was working in her cubicle and he hesitated before he resumed walking.