"Carter! If you don’t get your goddamn arse down here in five minutes, you're fired."

Katherine snapped through the phone. Carter wasn't just a driver to her. He was family. He'd raised her since the day she was born. He used to work for Alexander Xavier and had continued to serve Katherine after her father's retirement.

Katherine hated tardiness. It didn’t matter how much she loved someone—nothing and no one mattered more than Xavier Corp. Carter called her when he arrived, and she huffed as she hopped into the car.

"Kate, did you fire your PA again?" Carter asked her with a worried look on his ageing face.

"Yes, I did," she replied curtly.
"He was late again," she added, fuming without lifting her gaze from the laptop.

"You’ve fired six PAs in a month, Kate. Maybe try giving one of them a second chance?" Carter voiced his concern.

"I don’t give second chances. You should’ve already known that—you’re the one who raised me," she said, continuing her work.

"It’s ten a.m. already. I need a new PA by noon, or else you’re fired again," she added dryly.

"This is the sixth time you’ve fired me this morning. Hiring a PA for you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’ve arranged for interviews as soon as I heard you'd sacked the last one," he sighed.

Katherine couldn’t stay mad at Carter for long—he was the only man she trusted without question.

"I can fire you as many times as I like," she declared with an amused smile.

"I’m fifty years old, for God’s sake. Give me some peace of mind, Kate. You really ought to stop being this difficult," he muttered under his breath.

She laughed softly. And when she finally looked away from her screen, they were in front of Xavier Corp. The fifty-storey building stood tall, silently asserting its dominance over every competitor.

"There are six candidates waiting outside your office. More are still arriving," Carter informed her. Despite his age, Carter remained sharp and efficient. His capability was one reason Katherine held her employees to such high standards.

"Wow, look at you—saving the day yet again. I’ve decided not to fire you. Yet," Katherine said playfully.

She heard him mutter something like “Whatever,” but ignored it. The noisy office fell silent the moment she stepped in. Her employees greeted her with a chorus of “Good mornings,” which she returned with only a curt nod. She walked briskly to her private elevator with Carter trailing behind her.

"Please don't scare the candidates away Kate. You have no idea of how many phone calls I had to make to set up an interview with such a short notice. You really need a stable PA to work without any problems. " Carter almost pleaded.

"Alright then, I’ll host a talent show for them. The one with the worst talent gets the job. How’s that for a plan?" she replied with biting sarcasm as Carter shook his head in exasperation.

The elevator doors opened on the 46th floor, which housed her office. As they stepped out, the receptionist stood up and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, ma’am. The candidates are waiting in the lounge area. When should I send them in?" he asked politely.

"Wait for my signal, Mr. Smith," she said, entering her office.

Her office was a reflection of who she was. Sharp, elegant, and unapologetically commanding.
At the heart of the room stood a massive mahogany desk that looked less like furniture and more like a throne carved from wood. Intricate lion heads were sculpted into each corner, their fierce expressions daring anyone to challenge the authority seated behind them. The centre panel bore the carving of a lion’s mane, proud and dominant. The wood was dark, polished to a ruthless shine, and the sheer size of the desk made visitors feel small, almost insignificant.
This wasn’t a workspace. It was a declaration, one that said the woman behind it ruled with precision and didn’t tolerate weakness.

Behind the desk stretched a vast glass wall, making it seem as though she sat upon a throne, always watching the world below with quiet command. A tall potted snake plant stood guard in the corner.

Katherine kept no personal items in her office, no family photos, no trinkets, nothing that hinted at hobbies or sentiment. Just a room where silence spoke louder than small talk, and where people instinctively sat a little straighter.

She sat down at her desk and pressed the buzzer to notify the receptionist.

"Remember what I said—don’t scare them off," Carter warned.

"I’m not some wild animal, Carter. I know what I’m doing. Now kindly wait outside for further instructions, please," she said crisply.

By the end of the interviews, Katherine was bored out of her mind. They were all too eager, too desperate. They agreed to everything she said, and none of them stood out.

"We’ll let you know in a week," she repeated mechanically to each of them.

She picked up her intercom and dialled the receptionist.

"How many more?" she snapped.

"Just one more candidate, ma’am. Shall I send him in?" he asked.

"Fine," she said and hung up.
You can do this, Kate. Let’s see what kind of bastard this one is, she thought to herself.

A sharp knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," she said, trying to mask her irritation.

"Good morning, Ms. Xavier," a smooth voice reached her ears, halting her train of thought. She quickly raised her head, subconsciously curious to see the owner of that voice, only to find herself staring into a pair of stunning blue eyes.