Meet the Gonzalos

Zane's POVI take a seat next to Ash, trying to blend into the background, but it's impossible in a place like this. The dining room is huge—marble floors, a chandelier, the kind of setup that makes my own apartment look like a shoebox. This is wealth on another level.Camila sits across from me, flashing me another friendly smile. "So, Zane, Ash didn't tell us much about you. What do you do?"Oh boy. Here we go. I've barely been here two minutes, and I'm already in the hot seat."I'm his secretary," I reply, keeping my tone as casual as possible.Camila raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Secretary? You don't really seem like the secretary type."I chuckle nervously, glancing at Ash, who is sipping his wine, completely unfazed. "Yeah, I get that a lot.""Zane's very capable," Ash says, his voice calm but with that edge of finality. "He's been doing great work so far."I shoot him a look of gratitude. The last thing I need is for his family to think I'm some bumbling idiot.Just then, another voice interrupts the conversation. "Ah, so this is the new secretary!"I turn to see an older man entering the room. He's tall, distinguished, with silver hair and sharp eyes that immediately size me up. This must be Ash's father, and I suddenly understand where Ash gets his intimidating presence."Yes, Dad," Ash replies, his tone neutral. "This is Zane."Ash's dad approaches the table and shakes my hand firmly. "Alfred Gonzalo. Nice to meet you, son.""Nice to meet you too, sir," I say, trying to sound confident but feeling like I'm being assessed in some way.Alfred takes his seat at the head of the table next to Ash, and I can feel the tension in the room rise a notch. This is the part where I try not to screw up."So, Zane," Alfred says, his voice deep and commanding, "what do you think of working for my son?"I pause for a moment, unsure of how honest I should be. "It's... challenging," I admit. "But rewarding. Ash expects a lot, but I think it pushes me to be better at what I do."Alfred studies me for a moment before nodding approvingly. "Good. My son didn't get where he is by making things easy."Ash doesn't respond, but I catch a flicker of something in his eyes. Is it tension? Annoyance? It's hard to tell, but there's definitely something going on between him and his father.As dinner is served, the conversation shifts to more mundane topics—Camila's recent travels, Alfred's latest business ventures, and a few stories from when Ash and Camila were kids. I try to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, but every now and then, someone directs a question my way, and I do my best to keep up.Through it all, I can't shake the feeling that Ash is... different around his family. He's quieter, more reserved, and there's a tightness in his posture that I don't usually see at the office. It's like he's constantly bracing himself for something.Eventually, dinner wraps up, and Camila suggests we move to the living room for drinks. I'm just about to make my escape when Alfred stops me."Zane," he says, his tone more serious now. "A word?"Uh oh. Here it comes. I follow him to a quiet corner of the room, mentally preparing myself for whatever lecture or interrogation is about to happen."I've been in this business a long time," Alfred starts, folding his arms across his chest. "And I can tell a lot about a person from the way they handle themselves in situations like this."I nod, unsure of where this is going."My son has high standards," he continues. "And he doesn't trust people easily. So, the fact that he brought you here tonight tells me something."I blink, caught off guard by the comment. "I... didn't realize it meant anything."Alfred chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "Everything means something in this world, son. Remember that."I'm about to respond when Ash steps in, his expression unreadable. "Dad, Zane and I should be heading out. It's getting late."Alfred gives me one last look before nodding. "Of course. Zane, it was nice meeting you.""Likewise," I manage to say, still trying to process the whole conversation.As Ash and I walk out of the house and into the cool night air, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. That was... intense."Your dad's... a lot," I say, glancing at Ash."He's always been like that," Ash replies, his tone flat. "Don't take it personally."I want to ask more, but the look on Ash's face tells me that this isn't a subject he wants to dive into. So I let it go, for now.We reach my car, and I hesitate for a moment before turning to Ash. "Thanks for inviting me tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect, but... it wasn't so bad."Ash smirks. "Don't get used to it. My family's not exactly the welcoming type."I chuckle. "Yeah, I got that impression. But still... I appreciate it."There's a brief moment of silence between us, and for the first time, it feels like we're on somewhat equal footing. Not boss and employee, but... something else."See you tomorrow," Ash says finally, his voice softer than usual."Yeah," I reply, feeling strangely reluctant to leave. "See you tomorrow."As I drive away, my mind is still buzzing from the evening. There's more to Ash Gonzalo than I thought, and for some reason, I can't stop myself from wanting to know what that is.