“Good,” said Juliet with a firm nod. “Just focus on working and your father will eventually see what a mistake he made.”
She was right. If I could just keep my eye on the ball and prove to my father that I could handle the role of CEO, then maybe he could somehow change his mind. There had to be something inthe contract that could allow him to rethink his predecessor. It was too big of a responsibility to just hand over.
As much as I wanted to make Chandler’s life hell, I knew I had to help him. If I were to eventually be the CEO, I couldn’t let him run the company into the ground before I got the chance to take over.
When Monday morning rolled around, my mindset was mostly positive. I was determined to not let Chandler get under my skin and be the bigger person. I gave myself an internal pep talk on the way to work and in the elevator ride up, but the words I recited faded to a distant echo when I walked into Chandler’s office and saw him sitting in another suit that looked like it had been sculpted perfectly to his strong physique.
I cleared my throat nervously and his green eyes shot up to meet mine. I felt my breath catch.
“Good morning,” he said, tilting his head slightly.
“Morning,” I said, mustering a smile.
“Ready to start?”
“Mhmm.”
“Good.” He stood from his desk chair and walked toward me, giving me now a whole view of him that was entirely distracting.
He strode past me, leaving me reeling and breathing in that damn cologne of his.
“Let’s go,” he said, clapping his hands.
Asshole.
I quickly walked to catch up with him, his personality quickly drowning out any of the good thoughts I had about him. As the morning went on, I realized he was an asshole to everyone, so it wasn’t just specially reserved for me. He talked to the staff like they were beneath him, barking orders, and being an arrogant smartass. As if he had any room to be. He had never worked here a day in his life.
It wasn’t until he practically berated Bernice for making a mistake on his schedule that I stepped in.
“Hey,” I said calmly, stepping between him and Bernice who looked like she might cry. “Back off. Mistakes happen.”
“She just ruined my entire day,” he said, pointing at Bernice.
“You’re being dramatic.” I rolled my eyes. “Just chill out.”
He narrowed his gaze at me and I felt my knees weaken under the weight of it. I swallowed down the lump that was forming in my throat, trying to keep it together.
“Are you my handler or my boss?” he asked with an arched brow.
I felt anger begin to grow in me. This was one hell of a rollercoaster ride. One minute I couldn’t stop staring at his sharp jawline, the next I wanted to punch it. I simply clenched my fists and kept my mouth shut.
At my silence, he cracked a devilish smile that made him even sexier and I hated myself for thinking it.
“Precisely. You work for me. I suggest you sit down and take notes. If you want something done right, you can’t afford sloppiness.” He turned to Bernice. “Understood?”
“Y-yes, sir,” stammered Bernice before she began typing frantically on her computer.
Chandler turned on his heel and strode into his office.
“Bully,” I muttered under my breath as I followed in after him.
“Pushover,” he shot back.
Chapter 8
Chandler
“Iam not a pushover,” said Gabriella, closing the door behind her and making every cell in my body pulse from being alone in the room with her. A brief slideshow of what I wanted to do to her flashed through my mind, making its way straight to my crotch. I sat down behind my desk, so she couldn’t witness the evidence of the effect she had on me.
