Chapter 12 Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Celine stood in front of the tall glass building again, clutching her bag tightly.
It was only her second day, but something about walking into that office made her nervous.
Maybe it was because the CEO’s office sat at the top floor, and the elevator always made her nauseous.
She took a deep breath before stepping inside.
The moment she walked into the lobby, she was greeted by that same cold air and the faint sound of heels clicking against the marble floor.
Everything looked expensive. Even the air seemed too clean for her liking.
The elevator doors opened. She stepped in slowly, pressing the top floor button.
As the doors closed, her reflection stared back at her through the glass. She looked fine on the outside calm and confident but deep down, her stomach twisted.
The numbers started moving up.
15… 16… 17… 18
Her palms grew sweaty. The higher it went, the more uneasy she felt.
“Don’t look down,” she whispered to herself, holding the rail tightly. The glass walls showed the city below shrinking smaller and smaller, and her knees felt weak.
When the elevator finally stopped, she rushed out before anyone else could enter.
She took a deep breath, brushed her hair behind her ear, and walked straight to the CEO’s office.
Inside, Ethan was already there. He sat at his desk, flipping through some documents. He didn’t look up. Not even a glance.
“Good morning, sir,” she said softly.
“Morning,” he replied without emotion his eyes still fixed on the paper in front of him.
She nodded and went to her small table in the corner, setting her bag down.
She turned on the computer and started going through the files that had been placed there earlier. Her hands trembled slightly, but she tried to steady them.
The silence in the office was strange. She could only hear the sound of papers flipping and the faint ticking of the clock.
She focused on her work, but that uneasy feeling in her stomach wouldn’t leave.
“Get me the files you sorted yesterday,” he said suddenly, his tone cold as usual.
“Yes, sir,” she said quickly, picking them up and walking toward his desk.
She handed them to him and waited quietly as he flipped through them. His expression didn’t change, but his brows pulled slightly together.
“You wrote Castellon,” he said without looking up.
Celine blinked. “I’m sorry, sir?”
“You misspelled the name. It’s Castellan, not Castellon.”
Her face turned red. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll correct it right away.” She turned quickly, walking back to her desk to get the correction pen.
She came back, nervous, and bent slightly over the desk to fix it. “Castellan,” she said softly as she corrected it.
He glanced briefly at the handwriting but said nothing.
For a second, he paused, like something crossed his mind, but then he let it go and continued flipping the files.
“Take it to HR,” he said simply, placing the file aside.
“Yes, sir.”
She nodded and picked up the corrected file, walking toward the door.
The moment she saw the elevator again, her heart dropped a little. She hated that thing.
The walls were all glass, and the thought of seeing the ground far below made her dizzy.
“Who even builds a company like this?” she muttered under her breath as she pressed the button.
When the doors opened, she hesitated for a second before stepping in.
She kept her eyes on the metal floor, refusing to look through the glass. The elevator moved down, and she swallowed hard, clutching the file tightly to her chest.
By the time she reached the HR floor, her legs felt weak.
She walked out quickly, handing over the file and forcing a smile before heading back to the elevator again.
Her palms were still sweaty as she pressed the button to go back up.
“Next time, I’ll just take the stairs,” she whispered to herself. But even she knew that wasn’t possible the CEO’s office was on the top floor.
When she got back, Ethan was on a call. She went quietly to her desk and continued working.
The man barely spoke to her except for short, cold instructions. She didn’t understand how someone could be so emotionless.
After a while, she stood up to stretch her legs and glanced at him.
He was still talking on the phone, face calm and serious, eyes fixed ahead. He looked like the kind of man who never smiled.
“Arrogant man,” she muttered quietly to herself as she sat back down.
She focused again on sorting the files, typing quietly. At some point, the silence returned.
Ethan was now sitting quietly, signing documents. Every time she tried not to look at him, she still found herself peeping a little. His face looked so composed, so cold.
“Maybe that’s how all rich people act,” she said under her breath, shaking her head.
Hours passed, and the sun began to set. She was tired but satisfied that she finished everything assigned to her.
When the clock struck five, she arranged her desk neatly, took her bag, and stood up.
“Sir, I’m done for the day,” she said softly.
He gave a short nod without raising his head. “You can leave.”
“Goodnight, sir,” she said and quietly walked out.
The elevator ride down was as uneasy as the morning one, but this time she tried humming to herself to calm her nerves.
She was glad when she finally reached the ground floor.
Outside, she felt the cool breeze on her face and smiled a little.
The day hadn’t been easy, but she made it through. She was proud of herself.
As she walked out toward the main road, Ariana’s car honked.
“Hey!” Ariana waved. “How was it?”
Celine smiled tiredly. “Let’s just say the CEO could use a little kindness.”
Ariana laughed. “I told you! These rich ones don’t talk much unless it’s about work.”
They both laughed as Celine got in the car.
“I’ll get used to it,” Celine said. “At least the job isn’t boring.”
Ariana smiled. “You’re stronger than you think. Just keep doing your best.”