Chapter 2 - Problems

As Aurora knocked on the door, her heart pounded. A new chapter of her life was about to begin—and in that moment, she would meet the man who could make it all easier… or much harder.

"Come in," a firm voice called from inside.

She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm Aurora, your new assistant."

"Finally. Took you long enough," he muttered without looking up from his computer. "Come in and sit down."

She swallowed hard and sat in the chair across from his desk. The space was sleek but impersonal. The silence between them lasted only seconds, but to Aurora, it felt like an eternity.

"Did you read everything about your new role?" he asked while typing.

"Yes, sir."

"Any doubts?"

"No, sir."

"Okay. If anything comes up, ask me or HR," he said, finally looking at her.

His dark eyes were serious, and his expression was cold. Aurora felt a chill.

"You'll receive your system passwords via email. Pay close attention to everything you do. I don't tolerate mistakes."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll send you a list of tasks shortly. Confirm this meeting marked as 'important'—preferably for today. Tomorrow at the latest. We need to solve this quickly."

"Understood."

"You may go."

She stood, muttered a soft "excuse me," and left the office. Back at her desk, she rubbed her temple, trying to process the tension. "Direct and tough, no warmth at all," she thought. Shaking off the discomfort, she opened her email.

Her first assignment was to schedule a meeting with the finance department and the managers of a major project—a routine check-up requested by Leandro. She contacted everyone and set the meeting for 9 a.m. the next day.

At 11:55 a.m., Leandro exited his office with purposeful strides.

"I'm going to lunch. You may go too. Be back by 1:30 sharp. No delays."

Without waiting for a response, he walked off. Aurora shut down her computer, grabbed her bag, and headed to the elevator. There, she ran into Sandra and the receptionist.

"Hey, heading out for lunch?" the receptionist asked with a smile.

"Yes," Aurora replied.

"Where do you usually eat? We're going to Adans. Want to come?" she offered kindly, while Sandra's brow furrowed in mild annoyance.

"Sure," Aurora said, smiling politely despite sensing the tension.

At the restaurant, another colleague joined them: the VP's secretary. As they settled in, the women introduced themselves:

"I'm Lara, receptionist. I manage floor access and assist the directors as needed," said the cheerful young woman.

"Sandra, secretary to Director Marcos," she said curtly, barely looking at Aurora.

"Priscila, VP's secretary. I mostly help both when they're in meetings. Welcome!" she added warmly.

Aurora thanked them, and soon, the conversation turned to Leandro.

"He's mysterious, huh?" Lara commented. "Just got back to Brazil and already making changes."

"And very demanding," Priscila added. "Marcos said he has an eagle eye for mistakes."

"Or to crucify whoever makes them," Sandra muttered.

The mood cooled. Aurora quickly sensed Sandra wouldn't be faking friendliness. There was likely some resentment—maybe Sandra had wanted the assistant job herself. Still, Aurora remained courteous.

After lunch, they returned to the office together. In the elevator, Sandra stayed quiet, while Lara and Priscila chatted lightly.

Back at her desk, Aurora was turning on her computer when Leandro appeared.

"Aurora, come to my office. We need to discuss tomorrow's meeting."

She immediately grabbed a notepad and pen and followed him in.

"As you saw in the email, we scheduled a meeting with finance and the construction team."

"Yes, sir. It's confirmed for 9 a.m."

"Good. Officially, it's a progress review, since I've just resumed direct oversight. But I have a feeling something's off."

"What kind of feeling?"

"One of our trusted contractors mentioned that the reports don't match what he sees onsite. Could be a miscommunication—or something more serious. It's too soon to assume anything, but I want you to help cross-check the documents. Digital and print. Costs, materials, timelines—everything."

"Understood. I'll highlight anything that looks inconsistent."

"Great. And keep it discreet. Tomorrow's meeting is just for observation. If we find something, we'll investigate quietly."

"You can count on me."

He nodded, and she left with a sinking realization: this job would be far more demanding than organizing calendars.

Back at her desk, Aurora exhaled deeply and dove into the reports. Using the new credentials, she accessed the central system and opened files related to the Flor Dourada project. It was her first time analyzing such data directly, but she was determined.

As she compared purchase dates, invoices, and delivery logs, some discrepancies stood out.

"Why was this value changed mid-month? And why do two different reports have identical approval codes?"

While jotting down notes, the phone rang.

"Mr. Leandro's office. Good morning."

"This is Álvaro, his father. Is he in?"

The voice was steady, warm with a rural accent.

"Of course, Mr. Álvaro. One moment."

Without hesitation, she forwarded the call directly to Leandro. Moments later, his door opened sharply.

"Aurora. Never transfer calls to me without alerting me first."

She froze.

"I'm sorry, sir. It was your father, I thought—"

"Even so. That's not your decision to make. Every call must be announced first."

She lowered her gaze, cheeks flushed.

"Understood. It won't happen again."

He stared at her a beat longer than necessary, then returned to his office and shut the door.

Aurora slowly released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her hands trembled as she resumed work.

"You're new at this. He's strict. You'll get used to it…"

Soon after, Director Marcos appeared holding a folder.

"Good afternoon, Aurora. I need Leandro to sign these. It's urgent."

"Just a moment, sir. I'll notify him."

She picked up the phone, calm this time.

"Mr. Leandro, Director Marcos is here with documents to sign. May he come in?"

"Send him in."

She smiled at Marcos.

"He's expecting you. Please, go in."

"Thanks," he said with a brief nod.

Aurora sat back down, relieved to have handled it properly this time. The rest of the afternoon felt like a marathon of emotional endurance.

By the end of the day, as she tidied her desk, Aurora's mind swirled with mixed feelings. She was proud to have caught potential report issues, yet disappointed with her earlier mistake.

"Maybe I really belong here—even if I don't feel ready yet."

On the way home, exhaustion weighed on her. But all that faded when she heard the voice that could fix any day:

"Mommy!" Davi shouted, running into her arms.

"My love," she whispered, crouching to hug him tightly. "How was your day?"

"Good! I made a drawing for you—it's me, you, and Auntie Amanda."

She laughed softly, heart full.

"Can't wait to see it. Show me later, okay?"

After saying goodbye to Amanda, she showered and sat down to dinner with Davi. As she watched him eat, her thoughts lingered on the day—on everything she was doing for him.

Later that night, after tucking him in, Aurora lay in bed, her mind racing. She closed her eyes, only to recall Leandro's cold stare… and a strange feeling that something about him seemed oddly familiar.

Just as sleep approached, her phone lit up.

New email from: Leandro Subject: Detailed Review – Flor Dourada

She sat up.

This was just the beginning.

And from now on, nothing would be simple again.