Miss CEO

CHAPTER THREE

ZARA

Oh god , this can't be happening.

This can't be happening to me , not today.

Why did he have to choose today of all days to appear again in my life after three years?

That morning when I left him in his bed and basically ran away from him , I did it for his sake and for mine , he had to go to Tokyo to study , it was a very prestigious scholarship , and given his financial situation , he couldn't afford to turn it down to stay with me.

I knew that was something he was seriously considering , from the moment he asked me why I hadn't asked him to stay , and I know for sure that if I had asked him , he would have stayed with me , but I also know that he would eventually realize how difficult I am , and he would have gotten tired of putting up with my bad temper , not to mention the fact that over time he would have resent the decision to stay , and surely blame me for missing out on that incredible opportunity.

So , the decision to leave without saying goodbye to him , although difficult , was absolutely necessary , he needed to focus on his career just like I did.

For a long time , I imagined what the moment would be like when we met again , I imagined what I would say to him , what he would answer me , the setting , even the time of day , but the reality was completely different and unexpected.

I thought that when he returned , I was going to have at least the heads up from Lucy , maybe she would tell me that he was coming so I could better prepare for my meeting with him , but not only did Lucy not tell me but apparently , my mother also knew and hide this from me.

Her words on the day of Josh and Lucy's engagement echo in my head: “ On Monday when you arrive at the company you might find yourself with a pleasant surprise, ” at that moment I did not make sense of what she said , and then with all the stress and the anxiety of this day , I completely forgot about it.

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When I get off the elevator that I took after leaving the one I was in with Tom , Susan , my personal assistant , comes running towards me as soon as she sees me , she has clear intentions to inform me about something , but when she sees my expression , she stops death in her tracks,

“ Miss Arlington , are you okay? You look so pale! " she tells me with concern.

" I … yeah , I am just a little anxious about the speech, " I lie to her , and she nods apprehensively.

" Would you like me to make you a chamomile tea? " she offers.

" It better be a coffee , strong , I need the energy to deal with this day, " I reply , and she nods before turning to go to the cafeteria.

When I open the office door , I almost have a heart attack to see that it is full of people , and before I can say anything , I hear Susan come running back.

" I forgot to mention that your family is here, " she says sheepishly.

" I can see it, " I reply tightly , "Susan?" I call her before she leaves again.

" Yes , Miss Arlington? " she responds politely.

" Make sure it's an extra - large cafe, " I tell her as I glance at my family , and then narrow my eyes at them.

" So … when were you going to tell me that he had returned and that he now works here? " I say the question out loud looking at each and every one of them.

" Of whom are you talking about? " Joshua asks genuinely confused , and I immediately dismiss his involvement in this plot.

My mother and Lucy look at each other suspiciously , and I cross my arms as I raise an eyebrow at them , waiting for them to respond.

" I found out about his arrival yesterday , but I didn't want to tell you anything so as not to stress you more than you already are , about his new job , I really didn't know anything, " Lucy says defending herself , and I look at my mother.

" You did know , you warned me on Friday, " I say accusingly.

“ Darling , I only knew that he had applied to work here , your uncle told me about it when he was reviewing the new employees as usual , but it was not sure that he would arrive today , after all , he did his interview by video call and did not assure that he could start immediately , I just guessed it, ” my mother tells me.

" My uncle also knew? I mean , everyone knew except me? " I inquire annoyed.

" I had no idea," Ben chimes in with a shrug.

" I know , you would have told me, " I say smiling at him.

" Okay , but I don't understand what the downside is? Haven't you been waiting for years to meet again? I bet you melted the second you saw him, ” Joshua tells me playfully , and I give him a dirty look.

" Do you think it's funny? Did you have to choose this day of all to annoy me like this? I am already stressed enough to add this to my plate! " I exclaim in annoyance , and everyone looks at me with a bit of shock and guilt.

" You don't have to stress over this , you are going to do very well , you were born for this, " Ben tells me comfortingly and the others nod in agreement , but too afraid to say something else.

At that moment Susan returns with my coffee and informs me that in half an hour the ceremony with the employees will start , so the others try as much as possible not to make me angry or stress me even more while we wait for everything to start.

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TOM

It hasn’t been long since I arrived and they began to explain my functions and the way things are handled in the company , before they call us all to a large terrace on the fourth floor , where normally they hold informal meetings and business parties.

I have been so distracted by my encounter with Zara , that I think my supervisor is already beginning to question my abilities , and also those of the person who hired me , he must be thinking that I am an i***t who knows nothing.

His cavalier and arrogant attitude towards me changes completely the moment Mrs. Arlington , accompanied by her son Joshua , her now fiancée Lucy , who is also one of my best friends , and Ben , her little brother , come over to greet me in a warm and friendly way , which makes the other employees look at me curiously , and start whispering among themselves.

Lucy gives me a big hug that makes Joshua tense next to her , and I laugh mockingly , before shaking his hand as well.

" Easy there stud , she is all yours , that huge stone on her finger proves it, " I tell him as I take Lucy's hand to examine the engagement ring , but before I can congratulate her , Zara passes by us , and after looking at us with a frown , she says:

" She is nobody's property , she is only engaged to him, " and then she takes a position on a small platform arranged in the center of the terrace.

" I see her attitude hasn't changed, " I tell Lucy , and she nods while smiling sadly.

" In fact , it's gotten worse, " she replies.

" What do you mean? " I ask her , as a person I have never seen begins to give a speech about Zara and Joshua's uncle's journey as CEO.

" You know that Zara has always been a bit ... " Lucy starts to say , and Joshua intervenes, " Cold and heartless? " He says , which makes his mother scowl at him and he shrugs.

" Yes , a little, " Lucy says , but before I can answer , she continues: " Well , everything has gotten worse since the funeral , she has become even colder and more distant with the vast majority of people , except Ben , of course , she has devoted herself entirely to her career , and has put aside even one of her greatest passions: horseback riding , she hardly ever goes to the stables anymore , she spends the whole time with her nose buried in books , or in the computer , she stays working until very late , and although she is kind to people , she is still quite cold and distant most of the time , it almost seems that she has no other hobbies , she just works and works, ” she finishes telling me , and I look at her standing in the small platform with her fingers interlaced in front of her , and a steady gaze.

" Well , she must have time if she was able to find a boyfriend, " I tell Lucy with a hint of jealousy , and she gives me a confused look.

" Boyfriend? " She asks me

" Yes , that's what she told me , that she had a boyfriend, " I answer a little more relaxed , thinking that Zara could have lied to me.

But at that moment Lucy's eyes widen slightly as she looks at something behind me , I see Zara direct her gaze to the same place and then look at me briefly , so I look back and see a tall man with dark brown hair , almost black , gray eyes with a calculating gaze , sharp features , dressed in a gray suit that does little to hide his muscular body.

The guy stands on the other side of the stage , next to Zara and she gives him a tight little smile.

I look at Lucy curiously and she bites her lip nervously before speaking:

" I think she was referring to him, "

" Is that her boyfriend? " I ask incredulously because he seems like an arrogant and smug guy with delusions of grandeur , I know it's stupid to conclude that just by looking at him , and it may be my jealousy speaking , but he really has an aura of superiority that is difficult to ignore.

" Well sort of , they have been dating on and off for the last year,  but I have never heard Zara address him as her boyfriend, " Lucy explains , and I nod as I examine him some more.

“ And what does he do or what? What it’s his name? " I ask her.

“ His name is Dominic Pemberton , he is a lawyer , one of the most famous in the state , he is a founding partner of Barker , Chapman & Pemberton , one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, ” Lucy explains to me.

" Couldn't they add more last names to that stupid firm? " I ask sarcastically and Lucy laughs.

" Besides , isn’t he too young to be the founding partner of such a prestigious firm as you say , if they are prestigious at all, " I ask , and Lucy purses her lips guiltily before answering.

“ He is very good , he was top of his class at Oxford , he has a Yale master’s degree in criminal law , and his father is quite a renowned judge in the UK , I guess that helped his career take off so quickly , plus , he is older than Zara , he is thirty - two now, ” Lucy tells me , and I frown.

" How do you know so much about him? " I ask her , and right now Joshua is also looking at her with curiosity and annoyance.

" Yes , how do you know so much? " he seconds my question , and Lucy rolls her eyes.

" You , more than anyone should know , if it was you who hired him along with his team to defend my father, " she answers with an annoyed tone , and Joshua seems to want to hide his head under a stone.

“ Oh yeah , well , it was actually Zara who was in charge of looking for them and convincing my father to pay them, ” Joshua explains.

" I guess that's when they met, " Lucy explains to me , and I purse my lips , as that happened before she spent the night with me.

What if that is the reason she left without saying goodbye? I guess I will have to find out.

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