Sneak Peek
Scorching.
The beam of the sun casting its radiance upon my forlorn being as I step down from the taxi makes me feel as though I’m being ridiculed by the universe.
For anyone else, the sun’s rays would be a gentle touch on their skin and a soothing embrace for their hearts. However, for me, it presents quite a contrast.
Everything seems to be against me.
Perhaps I made a mistake coming back to Summerville.
I shake my head, looking up at the company building I applied to be a personal assistant to the CEO.
When I first got to Summerville two days ago, I wanted to stay hidden from the world. I wanted to vanish and remain in my cocoon of misery forever.
Why is it that, even after three months, I still see the tragedy that occurred in front of me?
Why does my heart still ache, remembering the day I saw the man I loved declare his eternal love for someone else?
At that moment, I felt completely broken.
Even now, my legs tremble slightly as I fight to hold back the tears that are ready to spill from my eyes. The tall building intimidates me with its perfect architectural design. I swallow down the lump of anxiety itching at every corner of my body.
As I stand outside the company’s building, a wave of emotions overwhelms me, making it difficult to breathe.
Contemplating whether I should go back home, I nervously pull at the hem of my blouse. The thought of retreating to the solitude of my home tempts me, but then I recall the determination I had when I boarded the train to Summerville.
I won’t let what happened between Cameron and me determine my happiness. That ship has sailed, and I have to accept my reality.
I arrived here intending to begin a fresh chapter in my life. The reason for my departure from that place was primarily because Cameron’s presence seemed to burden me. So, when my mother proposed the idea of moving back to Summerville, I grasped the opportunity.
Therefore, I refuse to allow the weight of my emotions to hinder me from making a positive difference in the lives of those who rely on my support.
I stare at my reflection in the building’s glass panes before deciding to walk in with the flood of people stepping in hastily.
You can do this, Autumn, I tell myself.
If it weren’t for my sake, I would do it for the sake of my parents. I must repay those overwhelming debts that are threatening to consume them entirely and even burden me in the process. Before we departed from Summerville, my parents’ business had plummeted, drowning in debts to where we couldn’t even afford our daily meals. To escape the clutches of ruthless loan sharks, my parents fled, yet even now, they haven’t completely freed themselves from their grip.
My legs move stiffly as I enter the building, lips pressed into a thin line. I don’t bother greeting the formally dressed people on the ground floor as they hurry to their work sites or offices.
I make my way to the receptionist, attending to an older woman, possibly in her fifties, with the amount of gray hair mixed in with her faded blonde hair. While I wait patiently behind her frail stature, my eyes roam the interior of the company’s building, adorned with the finest pieces of furniture and whatnot.
Starlight Enterprises. A conglomerate company focused on producing technological devices.
I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the ads and fliers advertising the vacant position of personal assistant to the CEO. The name of the company left my insides feeling strange, but in a bid to start working immediately, I sent my credentials, and out of pure luck, I got the job.
“May I help you?”
The terse voice of the receptionist before me snaps me back to reality, and I blink as I come to terms with the fact that the old lady who had been in front of me is now gone, leaving me standing in front of the impatient-looking lady behind the desk.
Her coffee-brown eyes await my response.
“I received an email saying I got the job as the CEO’s assistant. I’m to meet with the CEO today and start work tomorrow.”
I shift the weight of my body from one foot to another as I patiently watch her going through something on the computer before her.
“Autumn Rivers?” she asks, momentarily looking up to glance at my features.
“That’s me.” I force out a polite smile.
Without looking at me, she speaks monotonously, flipping through a mini notepad and scribbling something down.
“You’re late, Ms. Rivers. Mr. Cole has been waiting for you. His office is on the last floor. The only office you’ll find there so you can take the elevator or staircase. It’s your choice.”
After mentioning the name Cole, her words fade into the background as my body goes stone cold.
Cole. It’s not any of the Coles I know, right?
Besides, Cameron never told me about owning a company in Summerville. His family is rich, but still, I would’ve known if he owned a company.
The lady in front of me clears her throat, clearly signaling for me to leave her presence and get on with what I’m supposed to do. I mutter a strained apology as my feet shuffle on the tiles to the elevator that closes in on a group of people just as I approach.
I step in once the door opens again, chewing at my bottom lip, my mind reeling on who the CEO might be. I know it’s stupid not to know who I’m working for, but I just applied for the position impulsively.
I didn’t care to do my research; the company seemed to have a strong presence in and out of Summerville, so I assumed the owner would probably be some old man.
I puff out a sigh as I get off the elevator. True to the receptionist’s words, the floor is sparsely occupied. I stare down at the ground to avoid eye contact with anyone, raising my head now and then until I stop in front of a door.
It’s a solid black wooden door, probably made from oak by its glimmering quality, adorned with the office nameplate: CEO.
My heart is hammering loudly beneath the layering of my white blouse. I raise my quivering hand, knocking gently on the door.
A deafening silence makes me question whether the supposed old man heard me, but just as I’m about to knock again, a muffled “come in” stops me midway.
I turn the knob as I push the heavy door forward, using my weight. The massive office space is the first thing that elicits a gasp from me. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’ve never seen an office this big. Back in Mulberry, I worked as a secretary in a struggling publishing company, and our offices back there were quite small and before that, I simply worked at a register.
My living room and bedroom could fit in here.
The second thing that causes my eyes to widen is the view the office oversees; the CEO seated behind his desk has his seat facing said view, and I’m assuming that, just like me, he finds peace in the sky, its pale blue doused onto the earth’s coverage like the splash of paint on a canvas.
A vista of surrealism.
My gaze flickers to the figure as I shut the door. He isn’t facing me, but his build is sturdy—I can see his muscles through the expensive suit that snugly fits his body. His jet-black hair is combed neatly to the back, and my lips tilt downward in disappointment that the man I’ll be working with isn’t an old man like I’d hoped.
“Uh, I’m Autumn Rivers, your new assistant. I’m sorry I’m a bit late.” I bite my inner cheeks, hoping I didn’t speak out of point as I clutch my purse close to my chest.
“Autumn Rivers.”
His familiar voice is as deep as the waters of an ocean, like symphonic instruments blending to create a pleasant, euphonious sound.
I’m still recovering from the depths of his voice as he turns to face me, and my eyes make contact with his familiar cerulean-blue ones, crinkling with amusement.
I take a shaky step back, inching toward the door as his perfectly chiseled face cocks to the side in scrutiny of me.
“Hello, Autumn.” He smirks. “Long time no see.”
I blink, hoping I’m in some sort of nightmare.
Sebastian.
Sebastian Cole.
I don’t know what’s worse. But when I came to Summerville, I never intended to cross paths with any of the Cole brothers.
“Sebastian.” I exhale. My breathing has become ragged, and it takes all my willpower not to make a run for it, but I stand my ground, willing myself to appear unfazed by the man now smugly smiling from across the room.
We were once best friends, but now I’m terrified by the mere sight of him, knowing he shares the same blood as Cameron. While dating Cameron, I never knew of his whereabouts. It seemed like as I left Summerville, everything between us fell apart.
Well, it was mostly my fault, but my reasons then were, for the most part, valid.
“Come take a seat, Ms. Rivers. I know the HR team personally saw you fit to occupy the position of my assistant, but I’d like to see for myself what they saw in you.”
He motions to the black leather seat equipped with rollers across from him, and I give a stiff nod before I make my way to sit down.
There’s no way I’m going to work for him.
But then again, I need the money, and their pay is the best here in Summerville, seeing as this is the best company in the entire state.
I shake my head internally. We’ll just talk about whatever business he has to talk about, and then tomorrow, I’ll drop a resignation letter.
Not that I’ve even begun working, but I don’t care about that now. I make a mental note to start looking for another job.
As I get seated, I hand over my resume, avoiding any form of physical contact with him.
In ten years, he’s managed to grow more handsome. Being his best friend in high school was quite problematic. He had girls all over him all the time and being a year ahead of me made things even tougher on my part. I constantly had seniors threatening me to stay away from Sebastian.
But I never did. Then, we were like soulmates. It was impossible to continue to live without Sebastian driving me to school or coming over to my place with Cameron after school.
“I see you have a lot of questions. Surprised to see me as a CEO? Did Cameron never tell you about me being the successor to our family’s company?”
No, he never did because he hated it whenever I mentioned Sebastian’s name. I didn’t even know his family had a company. I knew they were rich back then, but I never bothered asking.
I never understood why Cameron always saw Sebastian as his rival. Sebastian loved him like any older brother would, but Cameron was set on wanting to be better than him at everything.
“No, not that it would’ve mattered anyway,” I mutter, clearing my throat afterwards and gesturing to the paper in his hands so we can get to the point and I can leave.
“Do you have any questions regarding my work experience? I have everything stated there.”
The intensity of his gaze causes me to shift uncomfortably in my seat. I wish it were an older man I was speaking to, not this hunk of a male I once considered my other half.
“Not really,” he says, looking through the information.
“You’ve worked as a secretary before, so I assume you have the experience to work for me. Your resume is impressive and outstanding, so I understand why HR singled you out. You can start work fully tomorrow.” He hands my document back to me, and this time our fingers lightly brush, making my cheeks heat.
I need to leave this place as fast as I can.
“I will send you an email containing all the meetings and events scheduled for the month, allowing you to create my itinerary. I’ve been working without a coherent plan for quite a while, so hopefully, having you here will bring some much-needed organization and efficiency.” He smiles.
I force a smile, getting ready to leave as I get up to my feet.
“If that’s all, I guess we’ll see tomorrow, Mr.—“ The words freeze in my mouth as I find it hard to address him by his surname. He seems to understand because his smile, which discomforts me, softens the longer he looks at me.
“Yes, Ms. Rivers, I hope to see you tomorrow.” The hopeful glint in his eyes matches his words, and for a moment, I reconsider my decision to turn in a resignation letter tomorrow, but then again, I was serious when I made the decision never to entangle myself with the Cole family ever again.
I give him a curt nod, tearing my gaze away from his as I dash out of his office with one single ringing thought in my head.
I have to get away from Sebastian.