Chapter Five

"You must be Ellen," an excited voice makes me jump slightly. I turn around and face a bubbly girl. She has a petite frame, striking blue eyes, blonde hair, and cute chubby face; and judging by her looks, she is definitely younger than me.

 
I nod my head with a polite smile in reply to her question.
 
"I'm Julia though you can call me Julie, I'm an intern here. Come on, I'll take you to Mr. Kane's office," she says with a soft smile before leading me into the hallway. The receptionist who had been reluctant to not let me in glares at me and I just roll my eyes.
 
Though I know it wasn't really her fault. Who would let a scrawny woman, who wouldn't speak a word, in? After all, it was the multimillionaire company of Zachary Kane who had more enemies than a mob boss. Okay, that's a bit too farfetched but you get it.
 
Envious people are everywhere; they can't wait to see your downfall, even when they won't get anything out of it.
 
"Best of luck!" the bubbly girl pats my shoulder and knocks on the door for me.
 
"Come in," Zach's deep voice replies. Taking a deep breath, I step inside his office. I close the door behind me and take in the sight of the surrounding space.
 
The room is painted in white and the furniture is pale brown in colour. One of the walls is completely made of glass and the sight of the busy city along with the skyscrapers makes me wish that I never have to leave this place. I could honestly live here forever. I wonder how it'd look at night.
 
A throat clears making my eyes snap to meet the emerald green ones. I take him in. Laid back in his office chair, Zach looks really intimidating behind the desk. The way he looks at me makes me gulp hard. He is wearing a white button down shirt whose sleeves are rolled back to expose his forearms.
 
I feel a bit self conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. The beige blouse I am wearing has a v neck and is tucked inside a black pencil skirt. My dark hair is pulled into a bun and I have put the least bit of makeup because I didn't have much time.
 
"Take a seat," he snaps me out of my thoughts and I drag my feet to the front of his table, feeling my heart rate increasing each passing second.
 
I sit down opposite to him in the leather chair and fight a blush. First, I was gawking at his office and then at him. I just hoped he didn't notice.
 

"You like it?" He asks with a small smirk. Him or his office? Either way, it is yes. I nod my head with a polite smile. His eyes momentarily fall on my lips before he goes back being his smug self.
 
"You're late," he states. I look at him and give one of those dazzling smiles hoping he'd let that go and surprisingly, his eyes widen at my smile and he loses his composure for a second.
 
"Make sure it doesn't happen again," Zach says with a sigh. "I don't want my personal assistant to come later than me," he mumbles looking at me in the eyes.
 
Personal what?
 
My eyes widen.
 
"Right," he chuckles nervously and seeing him nervous is a rare sight, "You'll be my new personal assistant, I forgot to mention it, didn't I?"
 
My heart plummets in my chest and my breathing gets faster. For a moment, I think he is punishing me, knowing that I still have feelings for him and torturing me by making me be around him. Maybe that's what he's trying to do- get his revenge.
 
I hate myself for hoping that he too has feelings for me. I know by my own experience, hope only multiplies grief.
 
"Miss Sallow," Zach calls out snapping me out of my thoughts.
 
I look at him. He has a grin on his lips and my eyes fall to them, his lips. My heart squeezes at the thought of someone else kissing them.
 
Get a grip, Ella!
 
"Fill these out," he hands me a form. I fill it out all while feeling his gaze on me and it has me squirming in my seat.
 
Other than some personal questions, it has questions about my previous experiences, extra trainings I've taken and similar things. It's strange how he wants someone with no experience at all to work in his company, especially as his personal assistant.
 
I slide the file to him once I am done. He reads thoroughly and looks at me.
 
"Julia will let you know everything else. You can leave now, Miss Sallow," he says. My heart stops. He said Julia's name but not mine. Shouldn't have mattered, right? Is she just an employee of his or is there something else going on between them?
 
I sigh and stand up before looking at him one last time and walking away awkwardly because I knew his eyes were on me.
 
Julia taught me everything I needed to know. I had to schedule his meetings and his dates, do the paper works, accompany him to the meetings and write notes. Thankfully, I didn't have to pick up phones because I couldn't.
 
Julia already knew that I couldn't speak but she still talked to me, a lot. She was never quiet, like not for a single minute. By now, I knew more about her family than anyone else's. Well, except for Zach.
 
I groan internally.
 
Why can't I get him off my mind?
 
I am so happy to see him again. But, why did things have to be so damn complicated? If only I knew he liked me back, if only he liked me back. If only I could explain everything to him.
 
"So, who're you thinking about? Who's the guy?" Julia says smugly, sitting opposite to me, in my cabin. Yeah, I got a cabin, I know! Right outside Zach's office.
 
My eyes widen. How did you know? I scribble on a paper and pass it to her. Only then do I realize what I did. I kind of spoke to someone. My heart beats painfully in my chest, but Julia doesn't seem to realize how I am feeling.
 
So, I play along. I act normal. Deep breaths Ella, you can do it.
 
"You had that look in your eyes," she says with a smirk and leans her elbows on the table.
 
"Who is he?" Julie squeals and I try to fight the blush on my cheeks. I wanted to tell her so many things, I honestly did. Something alomg the lines- 'It's Zachary, or shall I say Mr Kane, our boss. Y'know we used to be a thing and then I left him. But I still have feelings for him.'
 
"Julia babe, shouldn't you be home by now?" A boyish voice saves me. Or so I think. I raise my head and find a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes looking at Julie. He's some inches shorter than Zach, I realize.
 
And, I didn't just compare him to Zach.
 
"Brett," Julia groans, but it doesn't take a genius to know it's fake, "Mind your own business, will you?"
 
Brett looks at me for awhile and passes me a smile. Oh.. no, I know what's next. The sexual tension in the room amplifies.
 
"Who's the new girl?"
 
"Ellen," Julie answers for me. I see her jaw clenching and Brett's eyes twinkle in mischief. He likes Julie's reaction. He's trying to make her jealous.
 
It's kinda working.
 
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Brett walks inside. He surprises me when he takes his hand in mine and kisses my knuckles.
 
"What's going on?" a very familiar deep voice makes us freeze.
 
Zach is standing right at the doorway, his eyes as cold as they can be. He eyes me, and Brett, and then my hand held by him, his lips on my knuckles. His eyes visibly darken and his jaw clenches painfully.
 
"What is fucking going on," Zach grits out.