Bella, who was desperate to ease her nerves, tilted her head. "You seem to know him. Do you... know the CEO personally?"
He smiled faintly, as though amused by her question. "Sort of."
Bella perked up, her curiosity overtaking her fear. "Then maybe you can tell about him? What he’s really like?"
Raymond glanced at Chloe, whose lips pressed tightly together, disappointnt flashing in her eyes. "How about this — I take Bella up to her new office, and you head straight to yours?"
Chloe hesitated, her heart sinking. Every part of her wanted to follow — to keep standing by Raymond’s side even if it ant just listening to him speak. But his voice left no room for argunt. She forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Of course. Bella, good luck," she said, her tone brighter than she felt.
Bella glanced at her friend, then back at Raymond. "If you’re sure, I—"
"I’m sure," he cut in smoothly, motioning for her to follow.
"I’ll co find you," she told Chloe, who gave her a nod before heading to her office.
As they walked toward the elevators together, Bella risked a sideways glance at him. He carried himself with such ease, every step confident but unforced.
"You know," Raymond said after a mont, his voice warm with amusent, "despite being here for a while, on my first day addressing the board, I was so nervous I tripped and fell flat on my face in front of the entire boardroom. I was supposed to pitch a plan. Instead, I nearly pitched myself onto the table."
Bella blinked, then a laugh broke free, unguarded and bright. "Please, tell you’re joking."
"I wish I was," he said with a chuckle. "It was unforgettable, but... not in the way I wanted."
Her laughter echoed softly as they stepped into the elevator. For the first ti that morning, her chest felt lighter.
The elevator climbed smoothly, and when it stopped at the highest floor, Raymond’s smile returned, gentler this ti.
"Don’t think too much about it," he told her, his voice lower, steadier. "Your boss is a nice person. You’ll be fine."
Bella nodded, her heart thudding. "Thank you."
As the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out slowly, her pulse quickening as her heels clicked against the gleaming floors of the top level.
She drew a deep breath, whispering in her mind a desperate prayer. Please, let him be as nice as Raymond says... not the devil Chloe painted him to be.
Bella’s nerves tightened with every step, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird. You can do this, Bella, she told herself. It’s just a job. A new beginning. Nothing more.
Raymond stopped before a large glass door with a golden plaque etched into its fra:
Jake Stones – Chief Executive Officer.
Bella froze. She hadn’t realized the mont would co so quickly. Her breath hitched as Raymond gave her a small, reassuring smile. "This is where I’ll leave you, Bella. You’ll be fine, don’t overthink it, otherwise you’ll really make a mistake."
She nodded, gripping the handle, her palms slick with sweat. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
The office was vast, bathed in natural light pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline. Everything inside was sleek yet imposing — the kind of room that made a person shrink just by stepping into it. A massive desk of dark mahogany dominated the center, polished to a reflective shine.
And then, her eyes landed on him. Jake Stones.
He was standing near the window, one hand in his pocket, his suit jacket tailored so precisely it clung to every sharp angle of his fra. The dark brown strands of his hair were neatly styled, catching the light, while his strong jaw bore the faintest stubble, as if he hadn’t bothered to shave that morning.
From his figure, Bella could tell her was probably in his middle or late thirties since he looked really young, not like an old or advanced man would look. Her heart was already beating fast, waiting for him to turn so she could know if he’d like her and make working for him easy.
Jake, on the other hand turned at the sound of the door closing behind her, his piercing gray colored eyes locking onto her, imdiately.
Bella’s knees nearly buckled. She’d thought Raymond looked like that man from her past and only waved it off because she’d thought she was just imagining things but this one before her was no mistaking.
Five years hadn’t dulled him; if anything, he looked more formidable, more untouchable and even more intimidating. And in that mont, her world tilted. The air rushed out of her lungs and she felt she was going to fall down any mont.
What was she supposed to do now, standing face to face with this devil? When Chloe had said he was a devil, she hadn’t thought he’d turn out to actually be a devil. One that had ruined her life.
Jake’s brows furrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over her. There was sothing familiar in the way he studied her — cautious, searching, as though his mind was trying to fit her face into a mory that kept slipping away.
"Good morning," he said finally, his voice deep, steady, and laced with authority.
Bella swallowed hard, forcing her lips into a polite smile. "Good morning, Mr. Stones. I’m Isabella Howells... your new assistant."
Sothing flickered in his eyes. He repeated her na under his breath — Howells — as though testing the sound against a mory. He gestured toward the chair across from his desk. "Please, sit."
Bella obeyed, careful to keep her face composed even as her pulse thundered in her ears and every fibre in her scread to run out of that office—run far away from him.
Jake lowered himself into his chair, fingers steepled. His eyes lingered on her face, sharp and curious. The shape of her lips. The slope of her jaw. The timbre of her voice when she introduced herself. Sothing gnawed at him. Sothing familiar. This wasn’t the first ti he was hearing her voice.
He thought and just then he saw it — the faint mole, small but distinct, right at the curve of her nose and that was all it took for him to recognize her.
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