Charles's towering figure stood before her, completely engulfing her smaller frame.
The pressure created by his presence was almost suffocating, and without the shield of her glasses, Janet instinctively reached up to touch her face. She felt completely exposed, as if her vulnerabilities were on full display.
The sudden wave of insecurity made her take a step back, wishing to hide in the most inconspicuous corner.
But before she could retreat any further, Charles swung his arm back, tossing her glasses into the air.
One of his bodyguards, with perfect precision, caught them mid-flight.
He reached out with one hand, grabbing Janet, who seemed like a lost, helpless deer standing before him, while he was the hunter holding all the power of life and death. In her eyes, he saw fear.
The intense heat of the jealous stares from every direction nearly scorched her. Janet just wanted to escape from this man, this almost sinister figure before her. He felt... different from the cold, aloof CEO she had heard about in the rumors.
Then, with a single hand, he reached toward her chest. Just as she thought he was about to do something, Charles merely adjusted the ID badge hanging from her neck.
"Assistant to the designer Amos, Janet," Charles's deep, magnetic voice echoed, laced with a power that left no room for argument. He softly murmured her name, and then, with a smile barely noticeable at the corner of his lips, he released her, turned, and walked confidently toward the elevator.
"Oh my God, was that ridiculously handsome man really our CEO? Someone pinch me, am I dreaming?"
"So perfect!"
"He's like a god on Earth…"
"But why would our handsome CEO pay attention to Janet, of all people?"
"The CEO likes perfection. Anything imperfect would catch his eye. Maybe that's Janet's way of getting his attention?"
"How rude! But the CEO said he doesn't like anything imperfect… oh my God, my spring has come!"
"..."
As soon as Charles left, the lobby erupted into heated discussion as if a world war had broken out. Unfortunately for Janet, the "ugly woman" they were talking about had become one of the main subjects of conversation. Without the glasses to hide behind, even though she wore an oversized suit, her beauty was hard to conceal.
Back at her desk on the sixteenth floor, Janet quickly retrieved another pair of black-rimmed glasses from her office drawer and put them on. She didn't like drawing attention to herself, and even though the earlier incident had caused a brief stir, it didn't change her instinctual need for self-protection.
"Janet!" As Janet sat at her desk, lost in thought, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She looked up to find Amos staring at her side profile, his handsome, refined face displaying a look of surprise and admiration.
Amos had always known that Janet, the assistant who had only recently joined, was incredibly capable.
He admired the calm, indifferent aura she carried, but after working together for some time, he never realized just how beautiful she was.
Today, it was just a casual glance at the mysterious CEO, and he had easily seen through her disguise. Was it just a coincidence?
"Yes, Amos?" Janet quickly stood up from her seat, adopting the proper posture of an assistant, ready to listen to whatever he had to say. Their relationship was professional—supervisor and subordinate—with no room for anything else.
"Well, actually... you're very pretty," Amos remarked casually, then turned and walked into his office, leaving Janet staring at his retreating figure, her face filled with confusion. But despite her thoughts, there was no noticeable shift in her expression.
She had already grown accustomed to enduring and hiding her true feelings.
The CEO's office, spanning over 100 square meters, was dominated by sleek black tones. From the dark leather sofas and the desk furniture to the blinds, everything was a shade of black or dark brown.
The room was enveloped in a somber atmosphere, even the brilliant chandelier couldn't fully lift the shadowy vibe.
As Charles settled into the large chair that hadn't been used in quite some time, its smooth surface allowed him to swivel once before coming to a stop at his desk. He raised his wrist, his long fingers tapping rhythmically on the mahogany surface. Soon, Giles and Novia entered, standing side by side at a respectful distance, just across from him.
The aura of authority around the man was undeniable as he reached out and took the file from Giles. It wasn't a report on Black Rock Co., but rather information about an unknown company.
"The owner of this company is named Manfred. Coincidentally, he and August both graduated from Chicago's finance program, though this rising star has rapidly built connections in the past two years," Giles explained, handing over the documents Charles had asked him to gather earlier.
Charles barely glanced at the papers before raising an eyebrow. Upon seeing the name of the legal notary, he instinctively felt there would be more interactions with this person in the future. After all, wasn't that person returning soon?
"When is he coming back?" Charles closed the file and absently stroked his chin as he leaned back in his chair. By "he," Charles was referring to his cousin, August, the son of his second uncle, Norman.
"His flight arrives tomorrow. The chairman has arranged for someone to pick him up. You just need to show up at Snowpeak Villa," Giles responded, meeting Charles's deep gaze with unwavering calm.
"Got it," Charles nodded with a composed demeanor. After Giles took a step back, Novia moved forward to place a stack of employee records on his desk. Although Charles was already well-versed in the company's financials, he wasn't as familiar with the internal staff. After Novia provided a detailed breakdown, his fingers paused on an inconspicuous document among the papers.
"Mr. CEO, should we start recruiting a personal secretary?" Novia asked, aware that with Charles now taking a more active role in the company, he would not only need someone to work closely with him on business matters but also someone to manage his personal needs.
Charles was a man of high standards when it came to his lifestyle. He never drank instant coffee, disliked the scent of perfumes on women, and even had a bit of a cleanliness obsession.
His personal belongings were never to be touched by anyone. To work as his secretary, one had to be perceptive—able to read his needs with just a glance.
Naturally, the requirements for selecting a secretary were high, but none of these were difficult challenges.
"No need for an outside hire. I'll just transfer someone from within the company. This way, the adjustment period will be shorter. I value efficiency," Charles said, his gaze landing on the personnel file he was pointing to. He picked up his pen and made a decisive mark across the page.
"Understood," Novia responded, somewhat surprised by his unusual choice, but she quickly complied with his request. The emotions in his eyes were often difficult to read, even for her.