Chapter 13 #2
With the additional table to connect, we changed to an X configuration. Each of us paired up back-to-back with someone else. Marius and Bomir were on the far side. Edi and I were closest to Konni’s office.
My new desk faced the building’s exterior windows, meaning my back was to Konni’s office door and anyone approaching from the main floor. Edi’s desk position allowed him to see everyone coming, including Konni.
While I loved my view, I wasn’t sure I liked having my back to everyone, given the current office climate. However, I kept quiet about it, not wanting to make waves before I even started working with them.
By the allotted time, IT had me set up with a new computer.
Once they left, Edi turned toward me.
“If it’s all right with you, we’re going to treat you like you haven’t already been here the last two weeks and show you the ropes all over again.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Edi took me on another tour of the executive floor and introduced me to each executive.
It was so different from the way I’d been treated in the Marketing Department.
But then again, my role was completely different.
Rather than being an unwanted worker bee under Lianna, I was being introduced as a new member of Konni’s assistant pool, which each executive viewed as an essential extension of Konni.
If they needed anything from him, they would reach out to his team, which now included me, first. I felt so valuable, even though I knew I had a long way to go before I could compare to Edi, Marius, or Bomir.
When only the Marketing Department was left, Edi veered toward the break room.
“I know you’ve already met Ms. Stonestock, but I’d like to go through the motions of introducing you again so she understands your new role.
” He paused for a second. “She and Drake have been friends for a long time. They grew up together. So they have a closer relationship than some of the other execs. However, it’s not as close as she would like everyone to believe. Ready?”
His use of Drake instead of Konni made me wonder how close anyone was to the CEO. Just how many names did he go by?
“Ready,” I said.
We were almost to Whitney and Shana’s workstation when they noticed our approach. Shana looked surprised. Whitney looked suspicious.
“Good morning,” Edi said. “Can you check whether Ms. Stonestock has time to meet the newest member of Mr. Steele’s assistant pool?”
Whitney’s gaze shifted from him to me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know transferring leaves you in a bind when I was just starting to get the hang of things here. But, I wasn’t expecting the offer, and I knew I couldn’t refuse once Mr. Steele pitched it.”
“Offer?” Shana echoed.
“The IT issues she’s had from the start were her bad luck, but also her lucky break,” Edi said. “Her report skills and time efficiency under tight deadlines caught Mr. Steele’s attention.” He looked at Whitney. “Can you check with Ms. Stonestock?”
Whitney reached for her phone and called Lianna.
“Edi is here with Mr. Steele’s new assistant. He’d like to introduce you.” After a moment, she hung up and looked at us. “You can go in.”
I wasn’t offended by the way they’d reacted. They were probably thinking I’d somehow climbed the tree they’d assumed I was there to climb. Even though I’d come close—if only I’d come!—that wasn’t why Konni offered me the assistant position or why I’d taken it.
Staying close to Konni would help us both. He’d find a mole, and I’d have a layer of protection.
It didn’t mean anything else. I wouldn’t let it.
Edi led the way, knocking first, then waiting—something he hadn’t had to do with any of the other execs once their assistants confirmed we could go in. Only when he heard Lianna call for us to enter did he open the door.
Her polite smile remained in place even when she saw me behind Edi. It was a first.
“Ms. Stonestock, this is Sophia Elmantas, Mr. Steele’s newest assistant.”
“Drake called me as soon as you accepted, Ms. Elmantas. Congratulations. Drake has high hopes for you. Don’t let us down.”
Was this even the same person?
“I don’t plan to,” I said with a smile that hopefully didn’t look forced.
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll leave you to your schedule,” Edi said.
I followed Edi back, nodding greetings along the way.
The execs had all been fine. Everyone else was still watching me with suspicion, which made sense.
What didn’t make sense was Lianna’s turnaround in attitude. Was it really just that she thought I wasn’t taking my position in her department seriously because of my predecessors? Once Konni recognized my skills, had that been enough to change her mind about me?
As soon as we sat at our newly configured workstations, Edi swiveled to face mine.
“For today, you’ll be my shadow. Whatever meetings I go to, you’ll follow. You don’t need to take notes or anything. Just observe.”
I spotted Lianna approaching from behind him. She smiled warmly at me. Something must have shown on my face because he turned around and quickly stood.
“Mr. Steele is currently—”
“I’m fine, Edi,” she said, going straight to Konni’s office door even as Edi moved to intercept.
She went right in without knocking. Edi stood in the opening.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Steele.”
“It’s fine. Close the door.” As Edi did so, I heard. “You need to knock, Lianna.”
Edi’s annoyed gaze found mine.
“Everyone follows the same protocol we did this morning. Ask the assistant if the executive is in. The assistant calls to verify then sends the person in or relays the message.”
“Everyone except Stonestock,” Bomir said softly from the other side of my monitor.
I leaned forward to look at him.
“Why?”
“Old money entitlement plus so-called friendship.”
Marius shushed Bomir. “Don’t let anyone overhear you.”
“Why not?” Edi said. “It’s true, and everyone knows it.”
I was giddy with relief and anticipation at how open they were with me.
“Why so-called? I thought you said they grew up together.”
“Watch them interact,” Bomir said. “You can tell he’s putting up with her.”
The door opened.
“If you’re not there tonight, we’ll lose the deal,” Lianna said over her shoulder as she strode out.
She didn’t look as happy as she had when she’d entered.
Edi caught my frown and flashed a smile at me. “She’s not easy to get along with, but you shouldn’t have to deal with her in the future.”
“That’s what the rest of us are for,” Marius said, leaning back to wink at me.
I smiled back, relieved and grateful that they weren’t shunning me as Whitney and Shana had, but instead already treating me like I belonged.
“Looks like you’ve been summoned,” Edi said, nodding toward my computer.
A pop-up message was on my screen from “Drokonnen Steele,” asking me if I had a moment.
“Hurry up,” Marius said. “Bring the tablet to take notes.”
“Tablet?”
Edi pointed to the one that had appeared on my desk while we were gone.
“It’s easier to write with a stylus and have it convert to digital text when you need to summarize meetings. Trust us. Go.” He nodded toward the door.
“Aren’t you coming with? I thought I was your shadow.”
“He didn’t ask for Edi.” Bomir shooed me toward the door, and I reluctantly went.
Even though it wasn’t closed, I lightly knocked to get Konni’s attention.
“Did you need something?” I asked.
“Yeah. Come in and close the door.”
I did and stood by the chair in front of his desk. He frowned at me.
“Sit, Sophia.”
“Ms. Elmantas,” I corrected before taking a seat. “I’m curious. Is Konni your throwaway name when you go to the bars to pick up women?”
A laugh burst out of him. “No.”
“Then why did you introduce yourself as Konni and not Drake or Drokonnen?”
“Drokonnen Luka Steele is my legal name. People who don’t know me use Mr. Steele or Drokonnen. Drake is for acquaintances. Konni is for the people who really know me. Close friends or people I want to become close with.”
And yet Lianna called him Drake. Interesting.
The trio out there knew what they were talking about.
“Thank you for clarifying, Mr. Steele. I’ll make note of that when someone is requesting a meeting.”
He studied me for a moment, then stood.
Remembering the panty-wetting way he’d pinned me to my chair earlier, I popped to my feet and put it between us—along with his desk, since my sudden movement had stopped his.
“What are you doing, Ms. Elmantas?”
I smoothed my hand over the back of the chair.
“Dusting.”
He slowly smiled and prowled around his desk to lean against the front.
“I’ll let the janitorial staff know to pay more attention to my office in the future. But to get back to the reason I called you in here, I’d like to go home with you tonight to meet your mother.”
A shock rippled through me, and I gripped the chair with my free hand.
“No. Even if we’d had sex and accidentally mated, we wouldn’t stay mated. So, there’s no reason to pull my mom into my mistakes.”
My words ignited the gold in his gaze.
His humor faded. An edge of something took its place, and it made me wish there was more than a chair separating us.
“Mating wouldn’t be a mistake, Sophia, but that’s not what this is about,” he said after a moment.
“If your father is right and Hestian is behind what happened because of that contract, I need to know if this was the first time or if your mother was targeted before you. You mentioned she’s had poor luck with previous employment. ”
My panic vanished, and I stared at Konni, trying to process what he was implying.
As far as I knew, Mom and Dad hadn’t been in contact for a long time before I came home.
Had my dad tried offering up my mom before me?
I wouldn’t put it past him. Mom definitely met Hestian's intelligence requirement—she’d run her own company.
But maybe that was the problem. She was too smart.
She’d never put herself in the position to be an unloved babymama again, which was why her employment targeting made sense.
Had they been waiting to bring Mom low before asking her?
Had my return thrown a wrench in their plans, causing them to change their target to me?
Why us, though? There had to be easier targets.
Yet, now that Konni had planted the seed, I couldn’t deny that Mom’s employment streak did quietly fit the profile of someone being targeted.
“I don’t know,” I said as my thoughts raced. “It just all seems like a lot. Wouldn’t there be easier ways for my dad to gain investments? Dinners. Gifts. Straight up cash bribes?”
“Hestian has money. He doesn’t want dinners or gifts.
He wants an heir he can groom to take over before he dies, and considering his age, time’s running out.
While pulling a woman off the streets might be easier, he’s looking for proven intelligence and a woman willing to sign a prenup.
What proven, intelligent woman would sign up for that? ”
A desperate one.
I imagined Mom’s reaction to our theory and knew she would be relieved and angry if she found out that her job losses weren’t her fault.
“If you meet with my mom, what will you say to her?”
“I’ll share what’s happened here, the conversation with your dad, your mention of her employment history, and ask if she can reach out to previous coworkers to verify all the reasons she lost her jobs.”
That sounded reasonable as a CEO looking for proof.
“Okay. I’ll ask if she’s up for company tonight. If she agrees, I’ll send you the address. We won’t be leaving or arriving together.”
“Understood.”
The gold in his eyes intensified, and I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake by inviting him home.