Savannah's heels clicked against the shiny marble floor, with a steady rhythm. She followed Asher down the long hallway.
Everything about this building screamed wealth and authority.
Asher walked in front of her, His dark suit fit him perfectly, giving off an aura of power.
Savannah focused ahead, but her thoughts were anything but calm.
She was nervous, it showed as she held the strap of her bag tighter.
Asher stopped in front of a black glass door that had her name on it—Savannah Lucas. He opened the door and waved her in.
Savannah entered, momentarily breathless. The office in front of her looked so real, official, and spacious.
The walls were colored beige, and the walls were decorated with art—like the phrase, "Everything begins with an idea."
In the center of the office stood a brown L-shaped desk. At the front of the desk, her name and position in the office were already engraved. Was this normal, or did every new worker experience this?
"Thank you," she said gently. The desk was plain yet elegant and the leather chair behind the desk exudes luxury.
She walked toward her desk, her fingers glided over the chair and then over her desk surface which felt smoother than any furniture she had ever owned.
She looked to her right which had a built-in brown bookshelf, and on the left, a glass panel offered a view of Asher's office, which had white walls that felt imposing and secretive.
"This office is yours," he said, as he put his hands in his pockets. His tone was calm and professional. She glanced at him for just a moment.
That same face.
That same voice.
But there was no acknowledgment.
She felt it.
"It's beautiful," Savannah managed to say, as she smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Asher nodded slightly. "You'll report directly to me," he stated. "You'll get a schedule for all morning meetings, executive meetings, call summaries, and file preparations. I expect the best from you, especially since your work directly affects mine."
Close to him.
She nodded to show her understanding and reminded herself that this wasn't about her past. She was here for Liam— for her survival.
"I need someone passionate about work, someone who can think quickly, handle every challenge and pressure that comes her way, and keep things private. Do you think you can handle all the work given?"
Savannah nodded a smile on her face. She lifted her chin slightly. "I will handle all the work given to me and I'm not afraid of hard work."
He looked at her for a moment longer than necessary. "I believe you. You'll get your schedule soon."
"I like everything to be organized," he said, his hands together. "My meetings, call logs, and preparation materials. I prefer structure."
She met his gaze. "Understood."
He studied her again for a bit too long. It was not inappropriate, just attentive
He coughed a little then pointed to the top of the bookshelf where a stack of files were loaded. "Start by sorting through that. I need the company names organized by priority investors."
Asher was about to leave but paused, his expression looked like he wanted to say more. He finally said, "If you need anything, talk to Ms Milly. She's my head of internal communications. And don't work too hard or get overwhelmed on your first day."
He encouraged her with a nod, then walked out of her office and strode down to his.
Savannah deeply inhaled immediately and she exhaled loudly, then looked out at the view. Skyscrapers towered like giants, and from where she stood, cars looked as tiny as ants.
She settled on her chair. She was kind of glad to have all this professional space to herself. Her eyes looked across the office one last time. She noticed the new monitor, the pen holder, the files, and a single pink tulip in a glass vase.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Then, her phone vibrated quietly. It was a message from Elena.
"Liam is doing well. He asked about you a few times. He drew some pictures in his notebooks, ate his pancakes, and is currently watching cartoons. He says, 'Tell Mommy I miss her.' We've had a few customers too."
Savannah's smile widened. At least some part of this chaos felt genuine. Now she could concentrate on her tasks.
She went through the file and organized the list of priority investors. It was simple for her thanks to a sample she found on the computer.
After a while on the computer, a lady walked into Savannah's office. She wore red stilettos, a navy blue shirt, and a fitted black skirt. Her shiny black hair was neatly pinned into a bun.
"Milly Benson," she introduced herself with a straight smile. "Executive administrator. I assume you're the new... charity hire?"
Savannah felt a jolt of irritation. "I'm the new personal assistant."
"Right," Milly replied, her voice dripping with insincerity. "Just so you know, your boss doesn't tolerate mistakes."
Savannah forced a smile. "Neither do I."
Milly stepped closer, her smile fading slightly" I'm here to help if you make mistakes" she said sarcastically as she walked out.
Savannah was almost done with her work. She looked up and noticed something odd through the glass wall of Asher's office.
He stood by his desk, as he stared at a file in his hands. His expression was troubled, his brows folded in confusion, perhaps even concern or perhaps it was the sense of recognition.
She narrowed her eyes. The logo on the file was barely distinguishable from where she sat. But on the edge of the folder, she noticed a very bold familiar initial.
E.D Group Holdings.
Her heart raced.
E.D., that name again. The one she had found in an old dusty box filled with books in her mother's cafe storage area. But the one in the cafe had— E.D. Accident Confidential written in red.
A file her mother always kept locked away.
Was it just a coincidence?
But her gut told her it wasn't.
She looked back at her screen and tried to concentrate, but the uneasiness was already dwelling in her mind. What were the chances? What did E.D. stand for? She took a deep breath in and then out, then faced her screen again and began to type, but the distraction lingered.
The name.
The cafe.
Accident.
Confidential.
A loud knock on her door startled her. She heard a knock before but her full focus was on Asher and the file he held
"Coffee?" A young girl, probably in her late teens, and maybe an intern offered a tray with two steaming mugs. "For you and Mr. Maximilian. He likes his espresso black and without sugar."
"Thanks. And who are you?" Savannah asked as she took the tray from her.
"I work in the office cafe," the girl replied politely.
"This office has a cafe?" Savannah didn't get an answer because the young girl had already left the room.
Why was Mr. Maximilian in my cafe if there's one here? She wondered.
"Ms. Lucas, can you please come to my office," Asher said through the intercom.