The CEO Wants to See You
"Faith!" Rachel called out excitedly when she saw her, feeling like she'd just spotted her savior.
Faith looked up in surprise at the sound of her voice and saw Rachel standing about two meters away.
Rachel was wearing a loose gray sweater and tight jeans, holding two big bags full of coffee cups, which made her look kinda like Cinderella running errands.
"Rachel! What are you doing here?" Faith asked, smiling as she walked over.
"I'm here to see you, Faith!" Rachel's lips curved into a bright smile.
She wanted to wave at her, but both her hands were full of coffee, so she just stood on tiptoe, trying to make sure Faith saw her.
She had carried twenty cups of coffee all the way here, and her arms were already going numb.
Faith had a classic oval-shaped face, elegant makeup, and her hair was tied neatly behind her head, making her look super professional and confident.
She wore a white long-sleeved blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly.
Her five-inch emerald green heels made her legs look even longer, and the way she walked through the crowd was so graceful, it was hard not to stare.
Rachel honestly felt like Faith brought her own spotlight everywhere she went.
After a warm little reunion, Rachel quickly explained why she was there, and Faith welcomed her with open arms.
"Let me help you carry those," Faith offered, reaching out.
Rachel was already super grateful that Faith even came out to meet her, so she felt bad letting her carry anything.
She politely refused, and Faith didn't push.
"Your manager's so heartless, making you carry all this by yourself," Faith complained as they walked.
As they walked through the corridors, Rachel couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by how fancy and unique the building's design was, everything looked so high-end, but in a subtle, classy way.
Now she was standing in the elevator, surrounded by people in suits who looked super sharp and important.
The girl beside her wore a beige fitted dress and gold-trimmed high heels that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.
She looked like she'd walked straight out of a fashion magazine, elegant and totally untouchable.
Rachel glanced at her own reflection in the elevator mirror.
No makeup, a messy ponytail, twenty cups of coffee in her hands, and that same oversized gray sweater and skinny jeans she wore when cleaning.
She hadn't even had time to change.
Standing there, she felt like a total outside, like the ugly duckling in a room full of swans. She quietly lowered her head.
Finally, she made it to the coffee station near the general office. After setting everything down, she turned to Faith.
"Thank you so much, Faith. I made you late, didn't I? You should go, I'll be fine," she said, grateful but feeling guilty.
Faith smiled and headed off to her own work. Once she left, Rachel let out a long sigh of relief. At least all the coffee had been delivered safely.
"You take these four cups to the CEO's secretary's office. Just turn around this hallway and you'll see it," a middle-aged man in his forties told her.
"Okay, got it," Rachel said, nodding and forcing a small smile.
She really just wanted to get it over with and leave. Carrying two cups of coffee in one hand, she walked quickly with her head down.
Out of nowhere, someone ran straight into her from around the corner. Rachel instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late.
The coffee in her hand spilled everywhere, all over herself and the floor.
The dark brown liquid was dripping from her sweater and splattered across the clean hallway floor.
Secretary Denise heard the noise and came walking over elegantly. Her face was beautiful and refined, but when she saw the mess, her expression immediately dropped.
"The CEO will be back from the meeting soon. We can't let him see this!" she said, adjusting her glasses and shooting Rachel a cold glare.
At the thought of the CEO's insanely handsome face and those cold, ink-black eyes, Rachel couldn't help but shiver. It felt like she'd just been thrown into a freezing windstorm.
She froze at first, but quickly snapped out of it, setting the coffee aside and rushing to clean up the spill with Denise, completely ignoring the stains on her own clothes.
She was squatting on the ground, her loose clothes brushing the floor, looking totally messy.
Denise crouched a bit but backed off fast because of her OCD. Instead, she just stood there complaining.
"Why are you so clumsy? Hurry up and clean it! Quickly, quickly!"
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Rachel apologized over and over, trying her best to wipe the coffee.
Ugh, today was just not her day. She really should've checked her horoscope before leaving the house!
"CEO!" Denise suddenly called out, standing up and bowing respectfully.
Rachel followed her gaze and froze.
He was back.
His face was as perfect as ever, and his eyes were pitch-black, deep, and unreadable.
His cold expression made it impossible to guess what he was thinking, but there was something sharp in the stillness, like a sword hidden in snow.
One glance from him was enough to make people shudder.
Kellan's eyes fell on the coffee-soaked floor. His expression darkened.
The CEO's office was always spotless. It was practically a rule. Nothing was ever out of place, not even a strand of hair.
When had it ever been this messy?
"Um... the coffee delivery person accidentally spilled it," Denise explained carefully, her voice cautious like she was walking on eggshells. "She's cleaning it up right now."
Rachel felt a chill crawl up her back. Her fingers started trembling.
She slowly lifted her eyes from the polished black leather shoes to his long, lean frame.
He wore a custom black suit that looked sharp enough to cut, and his white shirt showed just enough of his chest to hint at firm muscles underneath.
His lips were thin and perfectly shaped, pressed together in a cold, arrogant line.
His nose was tall and defined like it was sculpted by hand, and his eyes... they were like hawk eyes in the dark, sharp, distant, and terrifying.
He had the kind of aura that made people want to bow without even thinking.
It was him.
The man Cora had called "Daddy" was... him?!
Rachel's whole body went cold. Her heart dropped to her stomach.
"I-I'll clean it up right away." Her voice was so soft it almost cracked. She was trying to be calm, but her nerves totally betrayed her.
He glanced at her, completely expressionless. That one look felt like an emperor eyeing a lowly servant.
Without saying a word, he just walked past her and into his office.
But she didn't see the slight pause in his steps.
From his angle, he had a perfect view of her neck, pale and delicate under the loose collar of her sweater.
Her skin looked like cream. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked so nervous, like a little bunny backed into a corner.
It made her look like a ripe peach, sweet and soft and easy to bite into.
And those eyes…
Everything in her file said she was a promiscuous woman, just another fake. But her eyes… they were too clean.
So clear it annoyed him. So clean that he wanted to ruin them.
Her cautious posture, the way she tried not to be noticed, it stirred something in him. Something he couldn't explain.
This wasn't like him at all.
Everyone in the room exhaled silently in relief. It was super weird, but at least the CEO didn't flip out. Denise rushed to bring in a fresh cup of coffee.
"Call her in," Kellan said calmly, his voice low and magnetic, like the strings of a cello, but without any warmth at all.
"Her?" Denise blinked, surprised, but she understood right away. There was no one else out there except the girl who delivered the coffee.
Wasn't she the woman the CEO had asked them to look into a few days ago?
Denise walked out and gave Rachel a strange look.
The CEO never let random women into his office, especially not ones like this.
Countless rich ladies and celebrities had begged for a chance to talk to him, but Denise blocked them all.
This girl was wearing the plainest outfit ever. Her clothes looked like something from a clearance bin.
Why would the CEO want to see someone like her?
"The CEO said to let you in," she said slowly, pointing at Rachel, who was still crouched on the floor, cleaning like a part-time maid.
Seriously? This girl?
Why her?