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T W E N T Y
E I G H T H
C H A P T E R

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AVA'S POV

I didn't wait a second in the office and hurried out. I couldn't face my boss again, but then I also had to. I need to convince him to look at the designs I prepared. That Caroline lady is really a serious trouble. I don't know how can Sir trust that shrewd lady.

Moving out, I gazed at the counter. I remembered Kourtney sitting there, working with so much passion. She was one good thing about this place after Britney and Sir fired her.

But why?

I really needed to know why would he fire her.

Was it because she forgot to bring food to me? If yes then that's really bad. That poor girl was fired because of me.

I can never accept this.

There's so much on my mind that I need to ask my boss. Ugh!

So much has happened. Since I've started to work more in this office, I couldn't do the things I was supposed to do or wanted to do. I haven't talked to Britney and it's been so many days and I haven't gone to the club.

I made sure the conference room was all ready. I went to the room with a large table with seats surrounding it. The room was perfectly fine. The projector and everything was fine. I sighed a breath of relief and moved out of room.

Before I reached the elevator... it opened. Ken was there. Seeing him after a long time, it felt great. He was once my boss and I really had fun with him. I smiled at him. But instead of smiling back his nervousness seemed to increase. Why was he nervous?

He didn't let me say anything and muttered without taking a single pause, "Where's Sir? He isn't attending my call. They're here."

"Calm down first. He's changing." I raised my hands.

I still regretted spilling that coffee. So much happened because of that damn coffee.

If you were so eager to sleep with me, you should've told me. I remembered his words and the devilish smirk on his face.

He's such a jerk.

Smirking Jerk!

"Changing? Why? They're here!"

"So what? Lead them to the conference room." I rolled my eyes.

"Ava!" He glared at me. "These people are so important. Sir should've been here to receive them. We can't lose this deal. It's very important for this company... you know that, right?"

"Okay, okay." I moved back to the office, but turned to look at Ken once again. "I'll still say you're making this a really big deal... more than this should be."

"GO!" His tension seemed to increase.

Ken and his passion for work.

I shook my head and came in his office.

When I came in I saw him standing and looking at something in the drawer with no expression on his face.

The grey suit I selected for him looked so graceful and perfect. But then he would've looked handsome in any suit. This isn't fair... making someone so perfect. I shook my head off of this thought and came up to him.

The moment I reached near him, he quickly closed the drawer. It seemed like he was hiding something. What could it be? I mean it got to be something secret, or why else he close the drawer like this.

Well, I have no time to think of such things.

He looked at me as if a child has been doing something wrong and is busted.

"They're here." I informed him after the weirdness of his closing the drawer ended.

"Seriously?" He looked astonished. "But they're here early. They were supposed to be here at 10."

"Yes, they're here sir and it's 10:08 now."

"Dammit, then why were you standing here like a mummy? Couldn't you tell me a bit early."

Why he always have to be rude?

He strode to the door and went out.

The new designs!

I just remembered that I haven't showed him the new designs. He can't show them to the Chinese.... because that designs are totally flawed.

I ran behind him, but when I came in, I saw him going in the conference room with the clients.

God! I need to fix this.

"Sir, you need to see these designs." I cried and ran towards him but someone pulled me back by holding my wrist tightly.

It was Caroline with red as blood lipstick and short blonde hair, wearing a dress that was too short for a professional meeting.

"Which designs?" She said with a frown on her head.

I looked at sir. He was already in.

NO!

"Hey!" Caroline yelled driving my attention to her.

I looked at her and grabbed the pen drive with new designs more tightly in my hand.

"Nothing Caroline. I was just going inside the conference room." I gave her a big fake smile.

"Don't try to act smart. Give me that pen drive."

I hate her.

"Which pen drive?" I tried to look oblivious. I couldn't tell her, or she would do something.

She smirked and shook her head and started moving towards the room. I followed her.

On our way, she stopped me.

"Where are you going? You have no work inside." She said with a raised evil brow. "Who are are?"

I've never met her before, but seen her, and she sure is a really clever lady. I don't like her at all... especially that lipstick she's wearing.

"I'm sir's new private assistant." I told her with pride. It might be the first time I was happy to tell someone about my job. How this happened?

Anyways, I'm caring about Mr. David Smith not Sir. I like this company and it's Mr. David's company too. I don't want such people, people like are Caroline destroying it.

"Well, wait outside girl." She started moving inside.

My question stopped her. "Why did you make such absurd mistakes in the designs? You thought Sir won't check them because you're so trusted, but I won't let this happen."

She laughed and at that moment all I wanted to do was to punch her so hard that her teeth fell off.

But I didn't.

"The thing is whatever your name is. In that room your boss is going to lose the best deal ever and actually..." She looked at room. I could see Sir inside the room through the glass walls... he was sitting on the chair stroking his forehead. "Actually I think he has lost the deal." She smiled saying.

"I'm going to show them the new designs and everything is going to be perfectly fine." I held the pen drive between my thumb and forefinger and showed it to her.

"You're going to do no such thing." She yelled and tried to snatch it from me. In a split second, she jumped on me and I moved back. She was easy to fight.

Ignoring her I moved towards the room when she attacked me from behind.

Now I was sick of her. I need to put her in place so I can do my work properly.

I tried to ignore her again and move, but she didn't let me go.

She attacked once again.

"I'm not letting you ruin everything for me." She scratched my hand having the pin drive like an animal. After that she held it tightly and tried to open my fist.

"I don't know crazy lazy what's your actual motive is, but one I can tell you... you've messed with a wrong girl."

I slapped her hard and she fell on the floor. I waited for her to get up, but it seems like she was fainted. I thought it would take two slaps for her to faint. Anyways, it's good. At least there will be silence for a few minutes.

Without wasting another second, I scurried to the conference room where it seemed like Chinese were about to leave.

Sir looked up at me. "What happened?" He asked with a frown. He looked tensed. I knew this deal was very important for him.

I looked at everyone staring at me awkwardly.

God! This feels so weird.

How should I start?

"Miss Williams!" Frustrated Sir raised his brows.

I kept staring back at everyone hesitantly, looking at different people around me.

I was never confident.

"Ava!" Sir yelled making me jump.

"Oh oh." I muttered some words and moved to the projector. I said shaking my head hesitantly, "I am so sorry, sir. I connected the wrong pen drive."

I took Caroline's design pen drive and connected mine.

"What are you doing?" Sir mouthed me.

The Chinese directed their attention to the screen and I moved to sir.

He whispered, "What are you doing? You're going to make everything worse."

I murmured looking at his tensed face, "Will you please stay quite sir. Just for now."

He rested his back on the chair and I stood beside him. His eyes were now fixed on the screen and at every slide his expression looked surprised. A weird smile formed on his face, he looked up at me but quickly looked down. I couldn't help but smile.

As everyone's eyes were fixed on the screen. I saw Caroline moving near the door of the conference room. She saw everyone inside, impressed by my designs. She failed and this time I gave her a genuine big smile. She looked furious. I could see the traces of my hands on her face. I hit her really hard. I was about to feel bad for her when he showed me her middle finger and scurried off.

Bitch!

When I drove my attention to others, everyone was looking at me.

Mr. Jiang said something in Chienese.

"Impressive design. Who made them?" The translator translated, appreciating me. I smiled. It felt so great to be appreciated by someone.

Before I could say anything, sir looked up at me and said, "She did. Miss Ava Marie Williams."

He said my full name. It felt great.

I looked at Sir, stunned. I managed a smile. It might be the best thing he had done since I first met him.

"Mr. Arron we're definitely going to sign this contract. This hotel is going to be the best work we've done yet."

What? Don't call him that. My jaw opened when I heard a guy call Sir by his name. I saw sir's hand clenched in a fist, he was resisting it.

What was the problem with his name?

Still a mystery to me!

"I'm glad to know that." Sir got up and shook hands with them.

The also got up and started leaving. The main guy who seemed to be Mr. Jiang came near me and stopped. The translator translated what he just said smiling, "Miss Ava it would be a pleasure if you'll come to Atlanta next week with Mr. Aaron for the grand opening of our new hotel. You'll be able to see the design of that hotel maybe it give you some more inspiration for your designs."

How can I tell this guy that I'm not a designer?

"I... I don't kno.."

Sir cut me, "She'll definitely come."

I saw them smiling. They were happy.

WHAT?

TO ATLANTA WITH SIR!

They left.

I looked at sir. "Why would you say that? I can come."

"Why?"

"Because I have so many stuff, so many work to do. I can't go."

"Going to Atlanta is also work."

"I don't think so."

"You'll go." He was firm on his decision.

"Is there anyway I can't go."

"You'll go. It's an order." He left the room and went to his office.

What? That's not fair. Firstly, I'll have to go to Atlanta and secondly, with him. No way!

This is a total disaster.

I thought he'll thank me or even say something about my designs. I saved him, but still no thank you. Well, it's not like I expected something from him. I should've known. I think I might've expected a bit of appreciation.

Once a devil, always a devil.

I moved to his office to get some files and talk to him about some further work. He was sitting on the couch. When I came in, after a while he got up.

"Wait here." He ordered and I stopped in the middle of the grand office.

He moved to his desk and opened the drawer. He took something out and slowly moved the thing behind his back. What was in that drawer or now I should say in his hands. He moved closer to me and stood in front of me.

I looked at him puzzled.

He moved the hand behind his back in front of me.

A beautiful full bloomed red rose in his hands. The color of the rose pure red and I could smell it's fragrance.

Was this rose for me?

I smiled as my eyes were fixed only on that rose and nothing else.

I looked at him again, perplexed.

"Take it." His voice polite.

"It's for me." I asked with a shock lurking over my face.

"Of course." He smiled.

I nearly fainted when I realized that my arrogant, rude, crazy boss is giving me a flower.

I took it and caressed it's petals with my fingers.

"Why did you give this to me?" I couldn't help but ask. I was curious of this deed of his. I knew he was a gentleman too, but never knew he could be one in office... with me.

He chuckled. "Maybe because of what you did today. Thank you, Miss Williams. I should've listened to you before and trusted you." He tugged his hands inside his pant's pockets.

I couldn't believe sir was saying all this.

It felt like a dream but I knew it wasn't one.

There was a pause but then I realized something.

"It was this flower in the drawer when first I came in and you closed the drawer?"

"Yes."

"And you had brought his flower to give it to me?"

"Obviously." He pointed at the flower in my hand with his eyes.

"But I hadn't done anything at that time. I mean you brought the flower before the meeting even happened. So what was the real reason."

BUSTED!

"Ah, you're clever." He smiled and then murmured to himself, "I thought I wouldn't have to do this."

He stood for a while, seemed like he was coming up with words to say to me.

He rubbed the back of his neck and then stood straight and looked at me with a devilish smile, "I just thought this flower might be better than those tickets."

My jaw opened.

WOW!

He smirked. He knew I got the real reason of this flower.

I looked down at the rose with embarrassment. I remembered when he gave me the tickets to Bali for apologizing to me and I said to him that a simple flower or chocolate would've sufficed. Dammit, I feel bad for not accepting those tickets, but then I wouldn't have gotten this pretty rose.

I looked up and he was still smirking.

"So this rose is actually for an apology." I asked him raising my both brows.

He looked down a chuckled. I also looked down and bit my lip.

God, why was he being so polite and nice today.

He looked up and so did I.

"Maybe." He murmured.

His eyes were fixed on me and so were mine.

"Apology accepted, Mr. Smith Jr." I smiled.

We kept standing in the center of the vast room, gazing each other and not knowing the reason of gazing in each other's eyes.

What was happening?

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N e x t :
29th Chapter.