A Challenge.

"Leave!" Mr. Hogan uttered in a suppressed angry tone. He glared at her.

"Where?" Camry raised a brow waiting for a response. All she got was a cold glare and she shrugged. It was not up to her to soothe his early morning angry syndrome.

"Out of my company!" he snapped at her and pointed at the door, he was showing her the way out.

"Oh," Camry looked in the direction he pointed at. She nodded and folded her arms across her chest. This was far more interesting than she thought it would be, she was being thrown out on the first day...

"Did you not hear me? Get out!" He became even angrier, somehow, her nonchalance irked him.

"No," Camry seethed. She raised her chin and met his gaze. What was his problem, she felt irritated by his arrogance. She had not even done anything and the man was treating her with obvious disdain.

He was challenging her and she would not back down...

"Audacious!" Mr. Hogan snapped and hit the table angrily. This made a loud noise but Camry did not blink or wince.

She stared at him like a clown.

He had always been a patient man and handled all of his dealings meticulously, however, something about the lady before him made him impatient that feeling created a spark of anger within him.

The way she could fearlessly meet his eyes and respond to him was what he had never experienced before. And the way she looked at him like he was a stupid person...

Arrgghh! He was so fucking mad that he just wanted to— what did he want to do again? He did not even know what to do to her to make her not look at him that way!

They did not know how much time had passed as they were engrossed in their glaring contest.

His flaming blue eyes that were covered in deep frost locked with her espresso-colored eyes which looked steamy on the surface.

He squinted his gaze and racked his eyes down her body. He took in her dress angrily, he only just understood how much disrespect she had for him. She had not even put him in her eyes at all by dressing in such a manner to work for him.

Other ladies who had been his secretary had been smart enough to dress themselves up beautifully and smartly but she... She was dressed like a hoodlum to work by his side! Blatant disrespect!

He made a vow to punish those who employed a person like her. Perhaps, he had become so lenient that they usher in just anyone to disrespect him in his own company.

While he thought of the best possible ways to deal with the lady, a plan crossed his mind.

"Fine" he suddenly said and she raised a brow.

He looked at her with a narrowed gaze. That annoying brow she was always raising at him! Could she not talk or did she underestimate his authority? He chose to believe the latter than the former. The lady was doing this on purpose, she was angering him by disrespecting him!

If only he could—! He swallowed his threat and stared at her with conceded anger. Two can play this game!

"You get to stay" he announced, there was only one way to win against a person like her... Have her close and show her who the boss is. She would be the first person ever to look at him like he was... stupid!

And she was going to be a lesson for other people who tried to disrespect him ever again.

Camry took her time to let his words sink into her head. She narrowed her gaze and could not help but wonder what made him have a change of heart so easily.

She thought she would be thrown out and even planned to make a show out of it. Who would have thought...

Never mind, it was good enough that she was able to keep the job, for now.

She had no idea of what was going on in his mind and cared less about it. She dropped her hand from her chest and pocketed it. She looked at the man in front of her and said,

"Thank you"

It was an apparent word she spoke but he was shocked. He almost could not believe his ears and for a split second, he thought she sounded... polite?

However, when he saw how expressionless and unruly her face was, he scolded himself for hearing wrong. How could a person like her sound polite? He must be really stupid to think that.

"But for you to stay, there are rules" he pointed out and gave her a narrowed gaze. He was keen on knowing every emotion that crossed her face but was disappointed to find none.

She kept a straight face throughout, her head tilted to the side, and gave a small nod.

"Speak"

"W-what, what was that you said just now?" For the record of it, Mr. Hogan stuttered for the first time, ever.

His hard gaze fell on her but once again, her nonchalance defeated him.

"The rules. Speak" she coldly said, slightly irritated that she had to repeat what was clear enough.

Mr. Hogan's fingers tightened around his pen, his veins popped out. This was probably the first time anyone angered him to this point.

He clenched his fist. He knew that he had to calm down and take control of the situation but he just couldn't. There was something about her that made him flare-up, something about her that made him lose control and impatient.

If only he could stop her rude mouth from uttering another word... He just had to remain in control. He was her boss and not the other way around.

"Listen here, you—" he was interrupted.

"Camry. Have I not said that before? That is my name" She stated.

Mr. Hogan paused, his jaw ticked. He did not know if he could bear with her attitude anymore and he might just do something they'd regret if she spoke any more words.

"I. Do. Not. Care. About. What. You. Are. Called!" He uttered with gritted teeth.

Camry tilted her head and gave him a questioning stare. "Fine," she said. She had no strength to argue with an uncertain man like him.

"Great!" He snapped. "Now listen to me" he ordered.

"Go ahead, speak" she responded with a shrug.

Mr. Hogan took a long and deep breath, one more word from her and he would... he would —

"This is my company and here, I am the only boss, Your boss! If you want to work here, you have to show respect. I will not tolerate any form of disrespect from you whatsoever. You have to mind the way you speak to me, I will not tolerate rudeness from you. You regard me as 'sir' and it is Mr. Hogan to you. I do not appreciate tardiness from my employees. And the most important thing..." He paused.

Camry looked at him expectantly while he ran his eyes over her body. "You cannot dress this way to work for me," he said.

"What?" Camry demanded coldly. Her eyes stared hard at her 'boss', it was covered in a thick layer of deep frost. Her espresso-colored eyes now had the resemblance of a frozen coffee.

"You do not talk to me in that manner!" Mr. Hogan snapped.

"Explain," Camry retorted. She took a daring step forward.

"You. Do. Not. Speak. To. Me. That. Way!" Mr. Hogan pointed.

"My dress, explain" she demanded. She was not being rude to the 'big boss' but she only demanded an explanation. She was okay with whatever she wore and did not need anyone to decide for her.

"Are you dumb?" Mr. Hogan seethed and she narrowed her gaze. He was insulting her again.

"Have you seen a secretary dressed in this manner? Are you simply an idiot?" He spat.

Camry was quiet, she just stared at the man who was her boss like she was staring at a silly child. She sighed, she did not have the energy to talk with this dominating boss of hers.

"You do not have the right to dictate what I wear" Camry pointed a finger at the sitting man, she uttered in a cold small voice, more like a whisper.

"You—!"

Mr. Hogan gripped her wrist in a tight lock. He towered above her in intimidation as he stood up. But she did not seem fazed by his threatening cold glare.

She glared back at him.

There was chilliness in the room, everything around was consumed in a contrast inferno. The two individuals glared ever harder.

A vein popped on Mr. Hogan's forehead. His hand tightened on her wrist. He realized he was getting more annoyed as she maintained her cool. It irked him as she could look him in the eyes. His temper was aggravated that he might even do something...

"Fine," He agreed suddenly, with a strained voice. He tossed her hand aside as it had burned him, and folded his arms across his chest.

"Your office is over there" He hissed as he pointed to a corner.