chapter 0

•Benjamin Walker•

I rubbed my temples for the millionth time this minute, the more Brodie talked, the more annoyed I got. "What do you mean you haven't finished your report?" I raised my voice, once again, at the poor female that was inside my office with red cheeks and teary eyes. Brodie rolled his eyes before walking closer to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. The kind gesture pissed me off even more. I was supposed to send Ivanov a document with the monthly sales report, a document she had to do and hadn't, so of course, I was pissed, I was going to get scolded for something that wasn't even my fault. "I understand that needing time to master the report art is needed, and I'm sorry that Benjamin Walker here can't understand that, but next time please try to ask for help." He said to the female —whose name I think was Emily— in an all too understanding voice, then, he moved to open the door and let her out.

I raised my eyebrows at that, we needed her to do the report and this idiot just made her leave. I opened my mouth to talk before Brodie stopped me by lifting his hand up, just the way I did. If it had been any other person I would have exploded, but being Brodie, who knew I couldn't get mad at him even if he ruined my day, he was safe, so I let him speak. "I know the perfect person you need for this, he is one of the best employees you have and he is quick with his job." He said as if that was supposed to give me a fucking clue of who he was talking about. At my lack of words he sighed and tried again: "Kyle", once again I stayed quiet, keeping my poker face on and making the male groan. "Okay, I will get him for you." He informed me before I could even decide whether I needed him or not.

It was clear I could make the report tonight and send it tomorrow, but Brodie sounded so confident about this 'Kyle's' work, that I felt kind of curious about him. Did we really have someone that was as good as they said? I couldn't wait to see him fail and Brodie having to admit he was wrong when he didn't tell the female to do the report, and so, while I waited I proceeded to write an email to the man I had to meet with soon informing him I would be sending the files tomorrow morning.

•Kyle Kuznetsov•

I was peacefully working —notice the sarcasm, my colleagues were being really loud despite being in an office, — when my desk phone began ringing, which meant a client. I answered it quickly and prepared my professional voice, despite doing that, I wasn't given the chance to welcome the person on the other line since a hand grabbed the phone and placed it back down with force. At first, I thought it had been a friend of mine who was trying to be funny, despite not being so. But when I turned around, ready to lash out at whoever had the fantastic idea of doing that, I was cut short by a pair of cold, green eyes that stared at me like I was the worthless piece of shit they had ever seen.

I quickly changed my demeanor, relaxing my facial expression and offering a small yet polite smile at the male —as polite as I could make it be when I wanted nothing else but to shoot his fucking brain out— "Can I help you with anything, sir?" I asked as I began dialing the number of the person that had just called, just to have the man press a button to cancel the call. At that point, my annoyance had evolved to anger, and I was going to make sure the male noticed, it was not like I was staring right at Walker's eyes.

"No, I'm okay, I don't need help, but I'm sure you will be able to help Mr. Walkers." Just as he said that I mentally facepalmed, why would I even think about my boss when I had his closest friend in front of me? I slowly nodded my head, knowing I didn't have any option but to agree and followed behind him towards the elevator. When we entered it and clicked the floor above us, I was already feeling the lack of oxygen. "Relax, we just need your services, we encountered some trouble with....Emily, I think it's her name, she couldn't finish the report due to still not being fully used to our way of doing them." He said.

"Actually, her name is not Emily, it's Esther, but close enough, and second, the poor woman just transferred a couple of days ago from a company where all she had to do was send emails, it's completely normal for anyone in that situation to feel misplaced when you need Mr. Walker," I said. I wasn't sure why I opened my goddamned mouth in the first place, but his eyes told me to shut the fuck up and listen, so I did just that.

"Whatever, I have seen your work, I know you can fill a report in just an hour and it being completely perfect, I told Benj- Mr. Walker, that you would do the report for him so he doesn't have to get stressed overnight." He explained as if I had just said I would do anything for that man. Again, before I could even open my mouth, the elevator door opened and we had to get out, the man — whose name I couldn't remember— kept talking until we reached the office door I very much hated. "Don't let him down if you don't want both of us fired." He said, and with that being said he knocked on the door, gave me a friendly pat on the back and walked back to his own office all the way down the hall, leaving me there to face Satan alone. I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what was going to come, reminding my mind that it was my boss, not a mafia gang, and he couldn't do anything else but to fire me, and maybe get me killed, but that was less likely to happen.

I hoped.

After trying to calm down, failing miserably and just managing to stress, even more, I finally swallowed the nerves and knocked. Then I waited, and waited, and waited. And despite knowing it hadn't even been a minute, the wait was becoming longer than expected.

Finally, the door opened, revealing the one and only Benjamin Walker A.K.A. my boss.

We stayed in silence for a couple of seconds, him staring down at me, standing at his 1'87 stature, it wasn't hard to get intimidated. Unlike him, I was staring at the tiles on the ground, waiting for him to study me and actually allow me to get in to start working. Or at least to be told what to do, I wasn't expecting to stay in his office while working either.

"Right, where did Brodie go?" he asked, and when I didn't reply he asked again, clicking his tongue in irritation and making my skin crawl. "I don't know who that is, sir," I said honestly. I was brave enough to raise my eyes to him, and I regretted that immediately. His eyebrows had shot up in surprise, and I could tell he was having a hard time trying not to crack a smile. In order to compose himself, he cleared his throat before speaking again. "It's incredible you don't know his name," he uttered, this time making me raise my eyebrows at him.

"For starters, you don't know your assistant's name, it's not Emily, it's Esther, and second, you don't know my name," I stated. I probably should have just sealed my mouth shut, but I couldn't help it, this man was just being a hypocrite and I couldn't stand that.

"Right," He said simply before ushering me inside his office. I sighed slightly and nodded my head, biting down on my lip gently before I stepped inside. It was so tidy it was hard to believe he tidied that himself. The room, in general, was big enough for four persons, even though there was so much space, he didn't have every single inch of it covered with things, the table had some papers scattered around, probably files he had been using. On one side there was a bookshelf, books organized by colors, giving an aesthetic vibe I could stare at all day. And the last thing I noticed — which apparently it was what most people noticed first— was the glass pane behind the working desk, it gave sight of the city, and I had to admit it was beautiful.

The peace was ripped away when his voice echoed in the room, I had just then noticed he was sitting down and offering me a seat, which I kindly took. I placed my hands on my lap and waited patiently, which he also seemed to be doing. He eventually spoke, but not what I was expecting to hear.

"Are you going to start working?" he asked as he leaned back on his chair. I was sure my face was describing how much hate I felt at that moment, the grin that played on his lips told me so.

•Benjamin Walker•

To be honest, when the kid --because he didn't look much older than a teenager— appeared in my vision field, I couldn't even remember having contacted him, but it was not like I knew half my workers, so I didn't get too worried and allowed him inside the office.

Esther? I had an assistant called that? What was wrong with me? Putting that aside, he was right, I didn't know his name, and I wasn't too interested in knowing it either, he just looked like an average worker to me. I gawked at him when he admitted not knowing who Brodie was, I mean, everybody knew who Brodie was, well, everybody but him.

As I waited for him to start working I rummaged through all the files until I found his picture, then I read his name, Kyle. I didn't even know I had Kyle in my business. When I raised my eyes back up at him, I noticed he hadn't moved an inch, he was sitting there, staring at me, but when we made eye contact he looked away quickly, and so, I talked.

But that was not what he had been waiting for me to say since his expression not only seemed to be filled with hate and annoyance, but it also filled me with impatience. "How am I supposed to start working if I don't even know what I'm supposed to work?" He snapped, quickly trying to keep his cool. I scratched my neck slowly, hadn't Brodie explained to him? "I just know there were some issues with Esther and that you need me for an urgent report thing." He said before he slumped in his chair.

How unprofessional of him to do that.

"First of all, watch your mouth, and second, I wasn't aware Brodie hadn't told you. You are right though, I need to send a report before tomorrow and Emi- Esther, hadn't done it and I didn't want to stay awake overnight, my co-assistant told me of someone that could do that, is that you?" I asked, receiving a nod in response. So I asked again "I repeat, is it you?" that only seemed to fuel his annoyance, but he calmed down and replied.

"It is me."

That was better, so I nodded my head and then I proceeded to explain to him what he had to do, I kept my rate slow in case he couldn't understand something.

"You don't have to talk slowly or use easier terms, I can take it" he joked, and I had to admit that eased the atmosphere a bit, so I nodded my head and resumed my explanation, trying to ignore the boiling anger that was creeping in me from his interruption and his easy tongue, which I so badly wanted to cut off at that moment. WhenI finished explaining he didn't seem stressed, he made sure he understood what I had said by summarizing it, and after getting my approval he stood.

I stared at him confused about where he was going, and he seemed to get the silent question since he pointed to the door with his thumb. "My office" and then I started laughing.

"Oh, no, no, when you work for me, you stay with me, I need to make sure Brodie hasn't brought me a traitor," I said. Okay, maybe that wasn't true at all, Kyle seemed to know what he had to do, but then again, I wasn't sure why I didn't mind him that much either, maybe making him annoyed entertained me.