Useful tool

Alexander saw how Emily stared at the portrait and without thinking straight, he went to stand besides her, staring at the portrait with her. 

"No similarities at all... Not a tiny one!" He observed inwardly as he stole glances at Emily and also at the portrait. 

"Oh..." Emily cleared her throat awkwardly as she finally noticed what he was doing. 

Then she quickly stepped quickly away from the portrait. 

"I'm sorry for staring, Mr. Grey. I didn't mean to." She muttered. 

But Alexander was too lost in his own thoughts to reply. He was staring sadly and longingly at the portrait, as if it held the answers to questions he couldn't bring himself to ask.

"Mr. Grey, if I may ask - why did you hire me? Surely there must be more qualified candidates for this position." Emily finally blurted out after a moment of watching him stay silent. 

That got Alexander's attention. 

He blinked and finally tore his gaze away from the portrait, turning to face her, his expression shifting from wistful to professional. 

"Because I ..." Alexander was about to say that it was because he needed him around but he changed his mind as he reminded Maxwell's gentle warning. 

"You need to accept this, Alexander, this new woman is her own person not your beloved Charlotte. You have to be careful so you don't scare her away." 

"I have to be careful to understand this mysterious connection I feel towards her..." He concluded inwardly and decided to reply professional. 

He went to sit at his desk and motioned for Emily to take the seat opposite him. 

"I hired you because I couldn't properly express my gratitude for you saving my life that night." He began.

Emily was taken aback. She didn't understand why Alexander was suddenly being gentle and appreciative, when he had been so rude to her that night. 

"So, that is really why you hired me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you deserve more than this, by the way. You saved my life, and I wanted to show my appreciation." Alexander responded. 

"And I am sorry for behaving that way that night. I was so out of my wit." He added. 

"What a way to show gratitude after being so rude!" Emily thought to herself. 

"Why do I feel like there is more to this than he is letting on?" She wondered inwardly as she stared at Alexander who was staring right back at her, intently. 

After a moment, Alexander cleared his throat as he sensed her hesitation. 

"So, I believe you won't take this for granted and do your best in delivering your role?" He said. 

Emily breathed in and out quietly to collect herself and was able to provide a small smile after that. 

"Whatever this is about, I should just grab this opportunity first and find out later. I need this job." She concluded in her mind. 

"Definitely, Mr. Grey. I am going to do my best." She replied the man. 

"You are welcome on board, Miss Hart. You should go meet Jake so he can put you through on your duties and responsibilities." Alexander told her. 

"Yes sir." Emily replied and stood up. 

 ~~~~~~~~~

"Let me not be too bothered. I just have stay level headed and see what this is really about." Emily thought seriously as she made her way to Jake's desk, feeling a sense of unease. 

"Emily! Come, let me show you around and get you settled in." Jake called out with his usual smile immediately he set eyes on her. 

"It is like this man has no care in the world with his bright smile!" Emily stated inwardly before replying the cheerful, charming man. 

"Thanks, Jake." She said, forcing a smile then followed him. 

"Now, let me share some details with you..." Jake continued, leading her through the bustling office.

"Mr. Grey is a very strict, no-nonsense kind of boss. He expects nothing but the best from his team, and he won't hesitate to let you know if you are not meeting his standards." 

"You are expected to listen to him carefully and attentively as he doesn't like to repeat himself. He also don't like being stared at, he will be angry." Jake added. 

Emily nodded, making a mental note of Jake's warnings.

"Well, he wasn't always like that. He has been... really different since the incident." Jake added, lowering his voice. 

"What incident?" Emily asked curiously. 

Jake glanced around, as if ensuring no one was listening. 

"Yeah, it happened about a year ago. Mr. Grey lost his fiancée in a tragic car accident, and he has never been the same since." Jake divulged. 

Emily's eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. 

"The woman in the portrait in his office... that was his fiancée?" She asked. 

Jake nodded. 

"Yes, her name was Charlotte. They were supposed to get married, but... It was a devastating loss for him. They were so in love." Jake said, shaking his head solemnly. 

Emily couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the CEO. 

"Life can be unfair sometimes..." She mumbled. 

Before Jake could proceed with his explanation, a voice called out from across an office. 

"Jake! Can you spare me a moment? I am actually planning to come over to your office." 

"Excuse me, Emily. We will continue this later, okay?" Jake said. 

And with that, he rushed off, leaving Emily to ponder on the revelations she had just learned. 

As she made her way to her desk, a sudden realization struck her.

"If the woman in the portrait was his fiancée, and she looks so much like me... What does that mean?" Emily whispered to herself, a shiver running down her spine. 

 ~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, at another part of the company, in the privacy of the bathroom, a male voice spoke quietly into a phone. 

"You were right. She looks just like her. No similarities at all."

The person on the other end chuckled dryly. 

"I know. Keep your eyes on her and Alexander. She is going to be a very useful tool." The person said. 

A sinister smile spread across the first man's face, at that. 

"On it!"