2

- Wes! What is this story with Tanya again? Rumbles a deep voice.

I turn around and meet the gaze of the stranger. This one takes my breath away. I feel like I'm falling into a bottomless pit and at the same time really breathing for the first time. Dark brown pupils so dark they could hold all the darkness in the world, a face as square as Mr. Wayland's, hard, chiseled features and that scar under his left eye makes his face even more dark, if that's still possible. Then I pass over in silence his immense stature composed entirely of muscles, a rock capable of splitting my boat in two.

The stranger stares at me in surprise for a few seconds, finally I notice that he is starting to have trouble breathing and a few drops of perspiration escape from his black hair combed back with gel. I vaguely hear Mr. Wayland calls me, but I don't answer, too absorbed by this magnificent and frightening character.

"Thallion?" How are you ? You seem all weird, you scare me.

These are the only words that I manage to pick up outside our bubble and I then notice that the man in question is the CEO of the company. The latter finally squints his murderous eyes and pinches his thin lips, while clenching his fists of an extraordinary size. I then notice that he is dressed in a navy blue suit that looks like it costs a fortune. Thalion Wolfsbane stares at me meanly and I would like to disappear down a hole. Her aura is so overwhelming that I could touch her if possible.

"Is she a candidate for the job?" Asks the CEO, detaching each of his words.

The Vice President replies in the affirmative, while Mr. Wolfsbane does not take his eyes off mine. I don't know if he feels the same attraction as me, but it's really unsettling. I feel like my heart will burn and my body will melt. Only, given the look he gives me, I doubt he's happy to know me. It looks like he would like me to disappear at the bottom of a common grave and that's an understatement.

"Did you plan to keep her?" he continues.

Mr. Wayland explains to him that I'm the first to introduce myself and that he hasn't seen anyone else responding to the ad for the moment, so yes, he has decided to accept my candidacy. But given the character the CEO seems to be, I'm not really sure I want to work for him anymore. It would mean seeing him every day, talking to him, and I feel incapable of it. Quite simply, because it intimidates me enormously. How am I supposed to talk seriously to him if in his presence I am unable to open my mouth to make any sound? It's totally ridiculous.

- It's no. Find another one. She won't fit.

Her voice is as sharp as a knife blade and it goes straight to my heart. As if I had been able to breathe since earlier, my breath is cut once again under the harshness of his words. I don't know how, but I manage to get up to face him.

- Excuse me, but nothing can explain your refusal.

He seems surprised at my audacity, but recovers quickly.

- What are your skills for this position?

His question catches me off guard and I glance at the Vice President for him to intervene, because it is no longer my doing. The latter comes forward and tries to put himself lightly between us. A sort of growl emanates from the CEO, like that of an animal. But this guy is crazy!

- It is I who no longer require competence for the position, because I remind you that all your assistants left because of your bad temper! I even had to increase the salary by twenty percent, otherwise I knew no one was going to show up!

The CEO huffs and glares at his employee and at me, as if I'm responsible for all his misfortunes.

“I don't need her. I'm doing just fine on my own!

His deep voice coils deliciously around my eardrums and repeats its pleasant vibrations over and over. I feel silly thinking about that when he's just treating me like crap. Has he no consideration? I'm here and I hear everything he says. I hear more than I see the door slam violently and I jump once more. The disappearance of the CEO acts as a relief for my freedom of movement and thought. I no longer feel like I'm under his control.

- I'm really sorry for his behavior, I'll try to reason with him. Wait for me here two minutes, please, Kaileen.

I do as he tells me and he disappears for five long minutes. During these last I fought to know if I should leave or not. After all, despite the lovable Mr. Wes Wayland, Thalion Wolfsbane is a complete asshole. Worse still, it is with him that I will have to work every day! Is it only humanly possible?

- Forgive me, I took longer than expected. But everything is settled, you start tomorrow.

He gives me a broad smile that can only lend itself to that of an employer. I'm uncomfortable, because his gaze has changed. There is at the bottom of his clear pupils a kind of adoration which I do not understand.

"Why work for a boss who obviously doesn't want me?" I ask calmly.

His smile fades immediately and I know I hit the mark. It's true after all, he hasn't shown a desire to have me work for him. If it's to make me come tomorrow and fire me the same evening, I don't see the point.

'Thalion has had a very bad day, I apologize. It's not fair, because you paid the price. It will not happen again.

I feel that he is sincere, but I don't know if these are his own words or those of the CEO. I would rather go for the first option. I most certainly want to refuse, but I'm thinking of my father, our debts and the two thousand dollars in salary that will fall every month for this job. It's a substantial sum for me and I could easily save almost a thousand dollars to pay off our debts if I manage our finances well. I blow. Do I have the strength to support an insufferable boss to pay my debt? Of course yes, I've endured worse than that and would do it again in a heartbeat. So I shake the hand presented to me, promising to come first thing the next day to start.

Mr. Wayland walks me to the elevator and wishes me a good day. He seems so happy that I wonder if he too isn't a little crazy. Maybe the company makes drugs that they carry in the statues and they all do drugs together during their meetings. Phoebe, my best friend would love this idea and I'll be sure to let her know. I laugh to myself and get a few worried looks. What ? I'm trying to fit into the mould!

When I get home, I tell my father about my new job. He is delighted and wishes me a lot of success. He promises me once again that he won't play anymore. I can't believe it, so I keep in a little corner of my head that the money I'm going to earn will be hidden somewhere in the house that he won't know about. I don't like lying to her, but I couldn't bear to lose all my hard-earned money again. I love my father more than anything, not only because he is my only family, but also because despite all his faults, he is the kindest man I know. He always wanted the best for me. He didn't want me to work after high school, but to go to college. Only, I couldn't afford to go and study in another state away from him and leave him alone with his problems. We've always been a team, supporting each other whenever one of us faltered. I couldn't do this to her. Family is the most important thing in life.

The next day, I get up early with a fairly significant fatigue. Before going to bed, I had to call my former employer to tell him that I will no longer be working in his bar. He tried to make me change my mind, but he knows my situation, or rather that of my father, so he understood. I dress in a black skirt, a burgundy blouse that belonged to my mother, like a lot of fancy clothes that Dad and I couldn't bring ourselves to throw away or sell. I'm also wearing the same pair of shoes as the day before and I think these are the ones I'm going to wear every day, because I can't afford to buy any more. Then it is useless if they are still in good condition.

I arrive on the top floor of the Wolfsbane Entreprise building and I am greeted by the HRD in person. The latter is called Tanya and looks like a model that we see on Instagram. The kind of fitness influencer. Annoying at will by its beauty bordering on perfection. Tall, slender, toned, just my opposite. I am small and very thin. She has an oval face, no skin blemishes, blue eyes and blonde hair reaching to the level of her loins. She looks angelic. However, it is quite the opposite of his character; she is cold as ice.

“All that's missing is your signature, Miss Silver.

His voice is as sharp as a needle and I see my employment contract in his hands. She shows me the chair in front of my future desk and waits for me to sign. I then notice that there is her name inscribed on the left of the Tanya Wayland sheet. Could this be Wes Wayland's wife? No, they look too much alike, so his sister maybe? I sign without reading and she takes a copy, satisfied.

- Well, now I will quickly show you the places that will be useful to you in the company.

We go through the different floors "quickly" as she said so well. I was introduced to many people and couldn't remember a name or even remember a face. I barely had time to say hello that she had already moved on. I almost had to run to follow her and my feet are sore now.

Here we are in her office, which is filled with paintings and sculptures representing men, dogs or wolves, I'm not sure. She seems to collect them. Even more than his "brother". I wonder if this is the case for all the other employees of the company. I know that Wolfsbane Enterprise specializes in works of art, but does that mean that we necessarily have to own them?

— Sit down.

Her tone is still cold and I feel like I'm disturbing her. I already know that I would not take my lunches with her. I hope they're not all like that, for example, Mr. Wayland's secretary seemed very nice.

- GOOD. As you know, Wes chose you because you were the first to show up. The company will take care of your training, because I imagine that you have no skills for the position?

She won't let me answer and goes straight on, so I understand that wasn't really a question she was asking me.

— Your job will consist in assisting Thalion in his meetings, seminars, trips and whenever he expresses the desire. You must be available at all times. He may even call you for a meeting an hour later. In addition to that, you will have to write meeting reports. Yes, because your job is not just to follow him like a little dog wherever he goes. Every morning, he'll leave you a to-do list for the day or week, depending on the nature of the task. Do you know how to use basic word processing software on a computer?

This time, it's a question. I put my bad mood aside, because she did a good job of pissing me off by talking to me like that, making me feel like the worst idiot.

- Of course.

She gives me a smirk, but on her face it looks like an insult.

- Perfect. I think I've done the trick. In any case, you will find binders on your desk explaining most of the software to use for this or that task. Because we have a way of presenting each document differently. Try not to make mistakes, do your job well and maybe you will survive. You can dispose now.

I give him a smile as fake as his and hurry out of his office. Once in the corridor, I can take a deep breath and call the elevator to go back to the top floor, the CEO's office. At this time of the morning, everyone is at their post, so I don't have to wait long. Once at my destination, I notice how calm everything is. I'm going to be alone with him on this floor and I don't feel comfortable. I didn't like how my brain and body reacted the last time I was in his presence.

I observe the modern wooden desk which is mine, the shelves just behind, the computer which is similar to the one I have at home, except that this is a landline. The pencil pot filled with new pens, the binders quietly awaiting my arrival. As on the left, a few clear armchairs for visitors. This floor seems similar to the one just below Mr. Wayland, but there's an aura of power there that I can't ignore. Also, the silence gives me goosebumps.

Without waiting, I settle into my comfortable leather chair and a smile appears on my face. I have an office of my own! I work in a company ! I have a real job! My heart races when I notice how lucky I am, but I recover quickly. I need to be operational as quickly as possible before I get fired. I begin to open a filing cabinet as the elevator opens and Thalion Wolfsbane appears.