[ALESSIA POV]
I survived.
That's what I kept telling myself as I walked into the office the next morning. I survived Fernandes Woods. I survived the board room. I still had a job.
But the way Lola's eyes tracked me from the moment I sat down told me survival had a price.
"Good morning, Alessia." Her smile was sharp. "How was your meeting yesterday?"
"Fine. Just a client issue."
"Mmm." She turned back to her screen, but I caught her texting under her desk.
By lunchtime, I knew something was wrong.
The cafeteria went quiet when I walked in. Not silent, just that subtle shift where conversations pause for half a second before resuming in lower voices.
I grabbed my lunch and sat by the window, ignoring the stares.
"called up to the top floor"
"alone with him for half an hour"
"no way that was just about a complaint"
My fork froze.
Lola's voice carried from two tables over. "I'm just saying, half an hour alone with Fernandes Woods? That's not discipline. That's something else."
Someone laughed. "Maybe she's got skills we don't know about."
Heat crawled up my neck.
I wanted to stand up and tell them all to go to hell. That they didn't know anything. That I was just trying to keep my job.
Instead, I threw my untouched lunch in the trash and walked out.
"Hey, baby girl." Joseph caught me at my desk, his face concerned. "Don't let those bitches get to you. You know why they're talking, right? Because none of them have ever been within fifty feet of the CEO. They're jealous."
I managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Joseph."
"I mean it. You're better than all of them combined."
At least someone was on my side.
I opened my inbox to distract myself and my stomach dropped.
FROM: Richard Chen, Executive Assistant
SUBJECT: Meeting Request - 3:00 PM Today
Ms. Davison, Mr. Woods has requested your presence in his office at 3:00 PM. Please bring all documentation related to yesterday's client complaint. Richard
"Oh my God."
Joseph leaned over. "What?"
"He wants to see me again."
"The CEO?" Joseph's eyebrows shot up. "Damn. What do you think he wants?"
"I don't know. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe I'm getting fired after all."
Joseph shook his head. "Nah. If he was going to fire you, he would've done it yesterday. This is something else."
"Like what?"
He grinned. "Maybe he likes you."
I shot him a look. "Don't."
But my heart was already racing.
At 2:55 PM, I stood outside his office, smoothing down my skirt.
Through the frosted glass, I could see his silhouette broad shoulders, leaning back in his chair like he owned the world.
I knocked.
"Come in."
Fernandes Woods sat behind a massive desk, dressed in another perfect suit. His office was all glass and steel, with a view of the city that probably cost more than my annual salary.
"Ms. Davison. Sit."
I sat, folding my hands in my lap to stop them from shaking.
He studied me for a moment, then leaned forward. "I'm assigning you to a new project."
I blinked. "A project?"
"A premium client. One of our top five accounts. They've requested a dedicated point of contact." His dark eyes locked on mine. "I'm assigning you."
My mouth went dry. "Me? Sir, I'm just—"
"You're what? Not qualified?" His voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "I wouldn't be assigning you if I didn't think you could handle it."
"I... yes, sir. Thank you."
"You'll report directly to me. Weekly updates. I want to know everything—client communications, issues, wins. Everything. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"This account requires flexibility. Late meetings. Some after-hours work. Possibly travel." He paused. "Are you prepared for that?"
After-hours work. With him.
My pulse quickened. "Yes, sir."
"Good." He leaned back, and for the first time, something shifted in his expression. Not quite a smile, but close. "You start Monday. I'll send you the details by end of day."
I stood, my legs unsteady. "I won't let you down."
"I know you won't."
I turned to leave.
"Ms. Davison?"
I stopped, looking back.
He was watching me with that same unreadable expression. "Don't listen to the gossip. It's beneath you."
My breath caught.
He knew. He'd heard what they were saying.
"Yes, sir."
I walked back to my desk in a daze.
Lola was waiting, arms crossed. "What did he want?"
"He gave me an assignment. A premium client."
Her face went pale, then red. "Reporting to who?"
"Directly to him."
For once, Lola had nothing to say.
I sat down, my phone already buzzing with a text from Joseph: "So??? What happened??"
"He gave me a special assignment. I will report directly to him."
Joseph: "TOLD YOU. He's into you."
"It's just business."
Joseph: "Baby girl, no man gives 'after-hours assignments' to a woman unless he's interested. Trust me."
I stared at the message.
No. That was ridiculous. Fernandes Woods was my boss. The CEO. This was just business.
But then why did he tell me not to listen to the gossip?
Why did he look at me like that?
And why? God help me why did I want Joseph to be right?