14 1.12 The CEO

Frowning, Sonja picked up the phone. Since when did he know her phone number? She herself only knew who it was due to her system, who was incessantly clamoring for her to answer the phone ever since it rang. Sonja suddenly shook her head, since when did she ever care about anything. All she's ever felt since she came to this world was annoyance and a bit of sweetness. Other emotions don't mean anything if they don't tie into the plot.

Casually answering her phone, she put it on speaker phone and put it on the counter, not caring to stop making the salad. "May I help you?"

Sebastian actually felt surprised. He wasn't expecting her to actually pick up an unknown number so casually, especially since he knew she hadn't given anyone besides her parents her new number. Conveniently unaware of his own unusual train of thoughts, he responded to the careless question. "I expect you've read the email that was sent this morning?"

"And what of it?" Sonja didn't care for this conversation to begin with and had the increasing want to hang up the phone so she wouldn't slice her finger off. Just because this body has made salad before doesn't mean she knew how to. This is when muscle memory is useful.

"I shall take that as a yes. Since you already know what's going on, have you finished the assignments that I've tasked you with?"

Sonja froze, stopping her knife mid-air. Since when did a confirmation email have tasks to complete? Was this something exclusive to his company? No, that's not right; no matter how domineering Sebastian may be in the plot, he at least had some common sense to give an employee work with a confirmation email. So why the hell was he calling her about this, even more, why the hell did he even call a new hire in the first place?!

"Pardon me for any rudeness, but did you just say 'finish the assignments'? You do realize that I had only received a confirmation email today that I was granted a position in your company Mr. Iliescu. You seem to have gotten the wrong number."

On the other end of the phone, Sebastian smirked. "I think I have the right to call my assistant to check in on her work, Ms. Moreno. Oh well, since it is technically your first day on the job, I'll cut you some slack. Go and get another device and bring up your email and I'll explain to you your duties from now on."

If one of Sebastian's employees heard what he had said, they would have coughed up blood. Since when did this devil actually accommodate to the circumstances of one of his new employees?! It was hard to finish the work that was needed to be done years after being hired; when they were first hired, some of them seemed to have aged five years from the stress. The lady must have bewitched the boss somehow, to make him this understanding of a newbie.

The hand which gripped the knife, which had been put down a while ago, tensed at his words. Assistant? Since when did this happen?! Abandoning her half-done salad for a while, Sonja walked to her room to grab her laptop, not being slow in case she gets reprimanded by her brand-new boss apparently, but not to fast either since she doesn't really think this was happening. After heading back into the kitchen and opening up her email, Sonja finally read the email through and through.

"What assignments? I don't see any files attached nor any directions in the email. Are you sure you haven't gotten the wrong email?" After reading it three times, the email still didn't offer any directions to what she would be doing, just that she was now the personal assistant of Mr. Sebastian Iliescu. The system wanted to help it's host understand what the email was saying, but it was just as stumped as Sonja. Isn't this just a confirmation email? What does he mean my assignments? Humans are weird!

"That's why I called you. If you had actually read the email like you were supposed to, you would know that it just tells you your position, not any assignments you have to do. It seems like you don't value this offer, Ms. Moreno."

The teasing voice coming from the phone nearly drove Sonja into a fury. What do you mean that this was the reason you called? Who in their right mind would expect that you had just gotten a new job that carried so much weight! After taking several breaths, Sonja regained her calm composure. "It seems like you enjoy making fun of me, Mr. Iliescu. If that's the case, I expect you to find someone who you can take seriously."

Before she could hang up, Sebastian cut in. "Since it seems like you do value this offer, then I expect for you to accompany me to for a business social to help me handle some affairs and deflect pests. It is in two days, so I'll have someone send you what you need to know later."

Sonja froze for the second time that day, this time talking rapidly to her system. "System, didn't you say that there wouldn't be anything for two months? This is in two days, and since it's a business social, it has to be important enough to warrant an entrance by the female lead!"

The system was just as confused as it's host. "The plot said that they wouldn't meet until another social in two months! I don't know how this event came up either host! Wuwuwu, don't be mad at me!"

"Then analyze the plot further you waste of code!"

As the system and host duo were having a heated conversation that took all of five seconds, they did not realize that Sebastian had also said to deflect pests. If they even used half a brain cell to analyze it, they would have found that Sonja would most likely be glued to him all evening, but that's their punishment for having selective hearing at this time.

Finally collecting herself, Sonja replied to Sebastian, who had surprisingly stayed quiet this whole time. "If the social is in two days, then I won't have any time to do anything besides review the information that will be given to me, so if you can, have another assistant or, even better, have a secretary do and other work that needs to be done."

"That won't be a problem, as your work would depend on what I would be doing. Anyways, I'll leave you to what you were doing. Make sure to pick me up and don't forget to wear appropriate clothing in accordance with some guidelines that will be sent. You will be partially representing me after all." Only Sebastian knew those clothing rules were complete bull, but the thought of Sonja attracting attention from pests in a dress that would show off any bit of unnecessary skin would make him drink vinegar for no good reason, so it was better to avoid it altogether.

Sighing at the multitude of rules the rich and those associated with them had to follow, Sonja reluctantly agreed and ended the call, tossing her phone onto the couch, which was quite a feat to accomplish as her emotions were all over the place. It would have been more probable if she had thrown her phone at the wall instead. She wasn't angry, per se, but rather confused at this turn of events. The system had just gotten back to her when she ended the call and said that there was indeed a social that the female and male lead went to and saw each other again, but they merely exchanged a few glances before going to their respective groups, not even being able to increase each other's favorability rating. Since this was the case, the system had said, the plot didn't really go into much detail of it. This event's only purpose was for the iconic "weren't you the lady at the social a few months ago" line, and that was at the beginning of their relationship.

Turning back to finish her neglected salad before her parents got home, Sonja hoped that this social would only be a minor event like it was in the plot.