High Stakes

Ethan chuckled at Nora's internal struggle, his eyes gleaming with a knowing amusement.

"The offer is too tempting to overlook, isn't it, Miss Hayes?" He said smoothly, expecting her to immediately say yes.

However, Nora did otherwise. She lifted her face, gathering what remained of her pride. 

"I won't work with someone like you." She said sharply. 

Ethan's expression hardened at that. 

"Someone like me? Would you rather let your judgment of morality take your grandmother's life?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. 

Nora gasped, taken aback but recovered quickly. 

"Wow! You really dug up everything about me, didn't you? Maybe you even know what I had for breakfast today! Or you know what I am planning to have for dinner!" She snapped, then scoffed in annoyance.

"I know whatever I want to know, Miss Hayes. Things that concern me not irrelevant things like what you eat or not." Ethan said firmly and chuckled darkly.

Nora sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Then she shook her head and walked toward the door, muttering to herself.

"Working with this kind of a man would be like selling my soul to the devil. He would be controlling, manipulative..." 

"Maybe he would even ask me to kill for him!" She thought and faked a shudder. 

But as she reached for the doorknob, she paused. Her grandmother's pale face flashed in her mind. 

"Well, I said I would do anything for Grandma. Maybe I should... No, I need to do this for her." She decided reluctantly. 

After a moment's hesitation, Nora turned around and walked back to Ethan's office. His knowing smirk made her skin crawl but she knew she couldn't do anything to wipe it off. 

"I... I will work with you. As long as you keep your end of the deal with the salary you proposed." She said through gritted teeth. 

"Of course, I don't make promises that I won't fulfill." Ethan nodded, sounding satisfied. 

Nora exhaled deeply. 

"I just need to adjust to this cutthroat environment until Grandma gets better." She thought to herself.

"I need you to start tomorrow." Ethan stated firmly.

"Could you..." Nora hesitated, then pressed on. 

"Could you give me part of the salary now? For my grandmother's hospital deposit?"

"That won't be a problem." Ethan replied simply, surprising her. It was as if he had been waiting for her to mention it. 

"Oh, he is human enough for that!" Nora observed inwardly, relief flooding through her, but she kept her expression neutral, remembering who she was dealing with.

"Now, let me be clear about what I expect from my personal assistant." Ethan's voice turned stern as he began. 

"Punctuality is non-negotiable. You will be here by seven AM sharp. Unless in some arrangements, whereby you are asked to come and meet at my house first." 

"Yes, sir." Nora said respectfully, instantly switching to a professional mode. 

"Your phone will be on 24/7. When I call, you answer. I don't call twice." Ethan continued. 

"But, how about if or when I am..." Nora was about to make a point but he cut her off. 

"No exceptions, I must not call you twice. Moving forward, you will handle my schedule, meetings, and personal affairs with absolute discretion." He went on. 

"I understand, sir." She said. 

"Dress code is formal business attire only. And you will need to sign the employment contract where you will also sign that you won't refuse punishment if you mess up."

The requirements kept coming, one after another, overwhelming her. But Nora nodded firmly. 

"I will give it my best." She maintained. 

"You better. It was your resilience and quiet strength that drew me to you in the first place." He said firmly. 

 ~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening, Diana sat on Nora's worn couch, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Let me get this straight." Diana said, shaking her head. 

"Ethan Black, as in the well-known business tycoon who owns one of the biggest corporations in this city, offered you a job as his personal assistant?" She asked, gesturing with her hands dramatically. 

"Yes." Nora replied, pacing the small living room.

"With a salary that is absolutely insane?" Diana questioned further. 

"Yes." Nora replied quietly. 

"Then, girl, why are you even thinking twice about this?" Diana exclaimed.

Nora stopped pacing and faced her friend. 

"Because he is dangerous, Diana! I saw his ruthlessness firsthand." Nora said. 

"Maybe he is not as bad as people say." Diana suggested hopefully.

Nora scoffed at her friend's naivety. 

"He admitted to killing someone right in front of me. 

"Okay, that is... concerning." Diana conceded, shaking her head in disapproval. 

"Di, that guy is cruel. He is all shades of bad. You should have seen the stoic expression he always has on. I mean, I have never seen him smile happily before." Nora told her. 

Diana heaved a heavy sigh. 

"Well, I don't think you should conclude on that, you have only met with him twice... Briefly at that." She pointed out thoughtfully. 

"No, I don't think that guy is capable of smiling. His overall vibe is scary." Nora insisted. 

"Okay, if you insist. But think about the money, Nora. Your grandmother needs that treatment." Diana said. 

"I know, and that is why I accepted." Nora said then collapsed onto the couch beside her friend. 

"But now that I'm thinking about it... something feels off." She confessed. 

"What do you mean?" Diana asked, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. 

"Why me?" Nora began. 

"I mean, he is a ruthless businessman who definitely won't engage in anything that won't favor him."

"Maybe he sees potential in you?" Diana offered.

"No... There has to be more to it." Nora maintained, shaking her head slowly. 

"Which is?" Diana inquired cluelessly. 

But instead of replying her friend, Nora stood up and walked to her window, staring out at the city lights, with furrowed eyebrows.

"What are his real intentions for employing me?" She wondered aloud as she wrapped her arms around herself. 

"Or better still... what truly awaits me in the high-stakes world of Ethan Black?"

The question hovered in the air, unanswered.