Just like me
"Sir?" James asked unsurely. He couldn't believe he heard his boss clearly.
"Did I stutter, James? I said you have to find her and bring her to me!" Alexander said firmly.
"Besides, Why didn't you employ her in the first place?" Alexander snapped at the recruitment manager.
James shifted uncomfortably.
"Sir, I'm afraid Miss Hart's qualifications did not meet our minimum requirements. The positions we have available call for more advanced degrees and certifications." He explained.
Alexander narrowed his eyes on him.
"This is my company. I decide the requirements, not some arbitrary HR policies. Rewrite the job descriptions if needed, but I want her hired. Immediately." He maintained sharply.
James opened his mouth to protest, but the stern look on Alexander's face silenced him.
"Yes, sir. I will make the necessary arrangements." James replied obediently instead of protesting.
"That would be good for you." Alexander said coldly thenstrode out of the office.
James let out a heavy sigh. Sarah, his colleague, who had been silently watching the exchange leaned in and whispered.
"Don't take it personally. You know how he has been since the accident."
James scoffed.
"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier. He has become so..." He trailed off as if he didn't know the perfect word to use in describing his attitude.
"Ruthless? Obsessive?" Sarah offered then sighed deeply before continuing.
"It is like he has lost a part of himself. We just have to try our best to weather the storm." She added thoughtfully.
James nodded, resigning himself to the task at hand.
"I have no choice but to make the arrangements that he has demanded." James muttered helplessly as he picked his phone with determination.
~~~~~~~~~
The following morning, Emily hurried to get dressed, the events of the previous night weighing on her mind.
"This is so unbelievable..." Emily muttered as she fastened the buttons on her blouse, recalling the unexpected phone call.
*FLASHBACK*
Emily's phone had been ringing non-stop, as she walked to the bus station.
The persistent caller finally won against her decision to not pick when it became too much.
"Hello?" She answered, sounding frustrated. She had thought it was the loan organization again.
"Miss Hart, this is James from Grey Enterprises. I'm calling to inform you that you have been hired for the position of personal assistant to the CEO, Mr. Alexander Grey." She was informed.
Emily's jaw literally dropped.
"Hired? But... I thought I didn't qualify for any of the positions." She was too curious and found herself asking instead of jumping for joy.
"It seems there has been a change in the requirements. Mr. Grey himself has requested that you be brought on board immediately, preferably starting tomorrow. Will that be possible for you?" James asked her.
"I..." Emily stammered, too surprised to form a coherent sentence. Then she breathed in and out to compose herself.
"Yes, of course, I can resume immediately. But... personal assistant to the CEO? How is that possible?" She asked.
"I'm afraid I don't have the details, Miss Hart. Mr. Grey simply insisted that you be hired for this role. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me or Mr. Grey directly. We look forward to having you join the team." James said.
With that, the call ended, leaving Emily in a state of shock and disbelief.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Emily shook her head in wonder as she finished dressing.
"Personal assistant to the CEO? This has to be some kind of mistake. But I will just have to go and find out." She said then grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room, determined to get to the office early.
"Emmy, are you ready? It is still early. You should stay for breakfast." Her father said to her as Emily stepped into the living room.
"No, Dad. I want to get there as early as possible." Emily replied.
David noticed how nervous his daughter seemed and he took her hands softly.
"You can do it, Emmy. Go show them what you are capable of doing." David said encouragingly.
"Right! I can do this even though it is my first proper job." Emily affirmed, nodding gratefully at her father.
"Of course. Don't thank otherwise. I trust you, my dear." David said confidently.
"Thanks, Dad. Bye." She said and rushed out.
~~~~~~~~~~
When Emily arrived at the imposing Grey Enterprises building, she couldn't stop her nerves from worrying.
"I am just anxious about how everything will play out, nothing more." She tried to calm her nerves down as she approached the entrance.
Then, a young man with a warm smile fell in line besides her. He was also just arriving.
"Good morning! You must be Emily Hart. I'm Jake Collins, the CEO's secretary." He extended his hand, and Emily had already taken it gratefully before a realization struck her.
"Wait, how do you know me?" She blurted out.
Jake's smile grew bigger.
"Don't worry about that. What matters is that we are colleagues. The two of us are working closely with the CEO so we should be closer." He told her.
"I... Right!" She drew out reluctantly.
"Why do I find this somehow?" Emily thought to herself as she stared at the man with the sweet smile before her.
Jake chuckled at her reaction and they started walking into the company.
"Now, as your colleague, let me share some details with you..." Jake began.
Emily furrowed her eyebrows as she listened.
But before Jake could elaborate, the sound of footsteps approaching drew their attention. Then, they had gotten to the top floor and reached Mr Grey's office.
"What? You..." Emily was shocked as she turned around and recognized the tall, imposing figure of Alexander Grey walking towards them.
"Good morning, sir." Jake greeted.
"Miss Hart, follow me." Alexander commanded, without replying Jake, his gaze fixed on Emily.
Emily was too stunned to talk so she just followed him.
As they entered the grand office, Emily's eyes were immediately drawn to the large portrait that dominated the wall.
The woman in the painting bore an uncanny resemblance to her, down to the color of her eyes.
"Who is this woman that looks just like me?" Emily murmured in shock, unable to tear her gaze away.