Sophia turned to face the worker, quickly unclutching the card from her death grip. She had wrinkled it, adding to more list of offenses he could use against her.

"Why didn't you warn me that he was the director" she whispered yelled, and would have messed up her hair by pulling at it, but she restrained herself. Looking like a ghost after hitting the director was not going to cut it. The workers stared at her like she'd lost her mind. One of them finally deemed it fit to answer her, with a raised accusing finger pointed in Sophia's face.

"We used our freaking eyes to signal you, but you ignored us" she whispered back, looking mad. Sophia worried if they would get in trouble because of her.

Sophia cringed, this was just the worst thing ever. "Someone should have just shouted director" she got out, arms flailing. Talk about the first day at work disasters.

"Our boss hates voice raising. This is probably your last day here, so just get on with it" the girl replied, taking her seat. Sophia read her name tag. Park Tzuyu. She decided that their pheromones didn't rhyme, not with the condescending tone of voice she used with her. Sophia cursed as she walked towards the office, noticing the assistant spot opposite it. A beeper was on the desk, with some documents and a classy-looking laptop. She stepped into the office, Crossing her fingers behind her. Here goes nothing.

*******

Lennox tried not to notice how his cheek tingled from the slap, looking up from his desk as the door to his office opened and the occupational hazard walked in, her head bowed with hands behind her back. Lennox couldn't believe what had happened earlier. She had slapped him, treating him like some low-class worker after she had bumped into him, leading to the loss of his camomile tea. He already felt on edge without it. After going through his file, he realized that she was supposed to be his new assistant.

She met his gaze, opening her mouth to apologize.

"You're fired. Get your things and leave immediately". Lennox got out, but she just stood there, unflinching.

"I'm not leaving. I'm your assistant on a contract for six months. You can't terminate that just because I made an honest mistake".

He couldn't believe her audacity. "I don't need an assistant, especially not one like you. I prefer to do things on my own, and what do you mean by you're not leaving" he asked, feeling frustrated. He wasn't used to talking so much, but the girl had a way of making him lose his temper.

"Just what it means Mr. Lennox Ray. I am so sorry I resorted to violence, it was horrible of me and I regret it, so I'm going to make it up to you by doing my job as your assistant until you forgive me... And don't you think it will look bad on your person if you decide to fire a worker on her first day. It brings bad luck." She meant it too which made him scoff. Lennox took a deep breath, trying to relax his ticking jaw. This was not happening for real, was it?.

"You'll be miserable if you insist on this Miss Sophia.." he addressed, taking notice of her nametag. "Manager of group B textiles, fashion designer" he raised an eyebrow in question, his dark eyes probing.

"Yes Mr. Ray. I've been working here for nine years, I am very good at any task assigned to me, I get things done in time, and I also multitask. You won't find a better assistant".

"A better assistant? I'll have you know that no assistant will do what you did earlier. Physical assault, character defamation, disturbance of public peace, those are weighty charges miss Sophia" he pointed out, watching her struggle between begging and her pride. She lost the battle of acting polite, glaring at him.

"Well, I wouldn't have had to do that if you had just apologized for being wrong" she snapped, then thought better of it. "I'm sorry for that Mr. Ray, please forgive my manners. I thought you were a manager... " She trailed off, realizing that she was still defending herself. "Forgive me for my haughty behavior. I promise to do better and serve you to the best of my abilities Master Len Ray" she shouted, bowing dramatically. Lennox watched her, with no amusement at her theatrics. She raised her head slowly, her looks defeated as she met his unwavering gaze. Lennox tapped his pen against his desk, coming off as bored as he thought it over. He opened a cabinet, bringing out a bundle of files.

"I don't need an assistant, but if you insist, then here.." he flung the papers at her. She inhaled sharply as some of it hit her in the face before pooling around her. Lennox watched her clench her fist, gazing at the paper on the floor, then smiled as she looked up at him. "Those are the rules, read and abide by them. If you break any, you're out."

Her grey eyes sparkled." Really? You're not going to fire me. Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I got this" she agreed, crouching to the floor, and picking up the scattered papers. She stood up, clutching at them. "Do you need me to do anything else"?

"Get out, and refrain from raising your voice," he said coldly, making her smile drain off her face. She walked out the door, closing it gently even when he felt that she wanted to bang it shut.

Lennox found himself unable to concentrate. Why was she persisting, invading his space? He noticed the creases on his shirt where she had grabbed him earlier. Fine, let her stay. She'd leave when he made her life miserable. He watched her through the glass skeptical, a strange feeling clouding his mind. She was trouble.

*******

Sophia took her seat, arranging her stuff on the vast desk. The leader of the team walked toward her.

"Hi, I am Kyle. The team manager. You're going to keep working here?" He didn't fire you" he asked curiously, warily glancing at the office, his voice a low murmur.

Sophia gleamed. "Of course not. He was nice about my mistake, he told me to be more careful next time. Plus, I'm good at my job".

Kyle watched her in admiration. "Wow, you're so confident. We were all sure you wouldn't last here. Tzuyu placed a bet on it" he confessed. Sophia shook her head at the piece of information.

"I'd place a bet on me too if I worked for Mr. Lennox Ray. But I thought the owner was more older".

"That's his son Lennox junior. He just came back from a trip. He's taking over everything, but we're not sure if it's going to be permanent. There have been rumors that he has spies among the workers. He plans to weed out all incompetent employees".

Sophia was baffled by the news. "But he just got here, why is he taking such drastic measures? ".

"I'm not sure" he answered shrugging. "If you need help with anything, just ask me ok".

"Sure. Thank you, Kyle". He nodded, walking back to his desk, on the lower deck.

Sophia stared at the laptop, exhaling tiredly. When Mr. Sanchez had said he was difficult to work for, and that she'd be running in a month, she hadn't taken him too seriously. Now she was paying for it.

Dozens of Half dressed hot guys dancing and mingling with her colleagues that now occupied Sana's backyard was her idea of a barbeque party, of course with drinks and grilled meats. Seeing people she hadn't invited was not. Sana watched the newcomers in surprise as they trooped into the yard

Bianca and Andria joined her, watching the new guest mingling with the hired dancer.

"Sophia's done it again. Now we have to order double of everything, and there aren't enough guys anymore" she grumbled, sipping at the wine she held.

"Told you guys she always ruins a party. She invited her whole freaking team for our barbeque gets together" Bianca uttered, turning to see Sophia coming through the door. "Talk of the devil".

Sophia smiled, both hands held out in front of her. "I'm so sorry I got here late" she rushed out, as they took in her appearance.

"What happened to your top?". Santa asked, pointing at the stain.

Sophia glanced at it. She had forgotten about the incident that almost led to her getting fired, due to working throughout the day, trying to learn Mr. Lennox's schedules. It was not easy, considering that Mr. Lennox hadn't offered to provide the information.

"My new boss spilled his drink on me. Couldn't text you all cause I'm an assistant now" she announced. The trio watched her, amusement in their eyes as they tried to catch the joke she was throwing. Sana noticed her serious expression.

"You're not joking?".

Sophia nodded. "I am not. Mr. Sanchez recommended me for it, so I started work today".

Sana almost dropped her wine flute. The other gaped at her in disbelief

"You got demoted? How's that even possible. You've slaved your whole life for that company and this is how they choose to pay you back" Bianca huffed, going to hug her. "I'm so sorry boo. You don't deserve this".

Sophia pulled out of the embrace. "I know I don't, but I'm getting paid double, and it's only for six months." She squealed, her mouth widening in a blinding smile. Andria didn't catch on.

"How are you going to adjust to taking orders... Wait double paycheck?" Andria retracted, her eyes widening.

Sana rolled her eyes. "Life's not all about money Andria".

"It does go a long way tho" she retorted.

Sophia cleared her throat, catching their attention. "Hey I got this. You two don't need to fight over my problem".

Bianca patted her shoulder. "You've got this Sophia. Welcome to the assistant club. We're all in the same profession now. But we have an issue. You invited all your teammates to our party. Sana has had to place extra orders that didn't make her smile at all".

Sophia chuckled, her eyes cutting at Sana who frowned as age crossed her arms. Sophia moved towards her, pouting her lips before throwing her arms over her shoulder. "Forgive me best friend, I just wanted my team to have fun... And you always throw party large scale and we end up wasting, so I decided to bring more people". She batted her lashes in apology, earning an eye roll from Sana.

"Fine. The party already started, let's get you into a more comfy dress so we can enjoy the night" she said, striding back into the house, expecting the three of them to follow. They did, muttering under their breath about how bossy she was.

Changing her dress didn't take long. They all came out to meet the others dancing, eating steaks, and just having a good time. They stood in pairs like couples.

"Where'd you get all the studs," Sophia asked, noticing the handsome guys strolling around.

"I hired them" Sana answered, all smug. "But they've paired up already since your ass decided to show up late. Whose your new boss?".

Sophia watched them as they all looked at her eagerly. "The director. Mr. Lennox Ray" she answered. Bianca choked on her drink. Sana and Andria gaped at her with wide-open eyes.

"The beast? Girl, you're in for a tough time. He's had like a hundred assistants, guess how long they lasted, the next freaking day".

Sophia's ears perked up at the piece of information.

Sana scoffed, sipping her wine." If he's that bad, then I should stop complaining about my boss. But Mr. Lennox is an old man, how hard can it be to tolerate him".

Sophia sighed. " He isn't old, and it's not Mr. Lennox, it's his son Lennox junior. His dad owns the company but now it's under his control. Mr. Sanchez told me he might be difficult, but I didn't take his warning seriously. I reported for work, and let me tell you, the top level is freaking paradise but with stuck-up rude workers... Moving on, this guy bumped into me, spilled his drinks on me... "

"Oh my gosh, you don't even have to finish this story. You hit your boss right, tell me you struck him right across the face" Sana asked, almost jumping out of her seat.

Sophia paused for effect, their eyes almost comical as they focused all their attention on her, waiting for the bomb.

"You're right. I kinda lost it for a second. I slapped him".

Sana squealed unbelievably, her green eyes blown out of proportion. "Oh, my fucking Salad. That is the best thing I've heard all day. Was he pissed off? Forget about that for a minute, but since he's young, was he hot when pissed off?" She asked, clasping her hands. Sophia thought back to their encounter. His sharp glare came to her mind, those lush lips of his that seemed to sneer out every word he spoke... Kissable lips, hell yeah.

"He was. You should see him in person. He's a high heat kinda guy, except for the horrible attitude and controlling tendencies" she got out then frowned, remembering how he'd dismissed her earlier.

Andria held up a bottle of vodka. "Let's get drunk ladies, cause we need to celebrate badass Sophia.. but be careful, you might not be so lucky next time, he could have taken your ass to jail you know" she warned with a knowing look.

Sophia raised her empty glass. "That is duly noted. I'm on my A-game from now on" she crossed her heart as her glass was filled up. She tossed the drink down her throat. It left a burn in its wake but it also made her feel alive. She just hoped that after getting shitfaced drunk, she'd be able to wake early for work. "Time to party" she yelled, earning enthusiastic screams that matched hers.

The party proceeded late into the night, but she called it quits and headed home after two more drinks. Sophia entered her apartment, turning on the light switch. The house was neat, and in the proper order that she had left it. Sophia plopped down onto the couch, bringing out the file he had thrown in her face.

"Here we go. What are your rules Mr. Lennox Ray" she held the paper up, squinting to make out the words through her alcohol-induced brain? It gave her a migraine but she pushed through it.

Rule number one: Do not go through my emails. Do not make loud noises. No heels allowed. Do not step into my office without permission. Do not answer my calls. Obey all orders without complaint. Do not put on crinkling accessories. Do not change the settings of anything in my office. Do not serve me coffee. Do not raise your voice. Do not... Do not... Do not... It was never-ending. There was a clause that stated that she'd be taking care of hiring cleaners for his house, taking care of their payment, going on long business trips, making extensive research to better their production batches, learn to sort between relevant and irrelevant calls.

"Ugh, this is so repressive," she complained as she read. Gum chewing wasn't allowed, she wasn't allowed to take the elevator. Her eyes widened at that. That was such a dick move. Sophia squeezed the papers together, tossing them into the wastebasket.

"Such an asshole... You've got yourself a challenge, Lennox Ray. I'm going to do my very best to please you, that when it's time for me to leave, you'll be begging me to stay with a triple increase in my fucking salary". She flopped back onto the bed grinning. "I'll be the best he's ever had".

Sophia, Bianca, Andria, and Sana stood outside the company, staring up at the vast complex of it. The breathtaking way it looked in the early hour of the morning grabbed the attention of the onlookers. They snapped out of their trance, almost simultaneously.

"Well here goes nothing. Wish me, luck guys."

Bianca touched her shoulder assuring. "You've got this Sophia. If you're in a bind, just text us. We'll help you out" she looked at the other, who nodded in support.

"Yeah, you should text me. I've been doing this for years" Andria bragged, making the others roll their eyes.

Sophia smiled. "I'll make sure to do that ma'am". She hugged each of them in turn. They all walked in, separating only at the elevators leading to their different department.

Sophia made sure not to wear heels, feeling grateful for that particular rule. She put on a darker shade of clothing, making sure to look trim and proper, she watched her reflection on the glassy wall smirking. "Not bad at all, I mean I even washed my hair, and that's something all by itself". The said hair was parked up neatly, and only some strands escaped, curling at the side of her face. Sophia hummed as the ride ascended. Once the elevator opened, she came face to face with Lennox, remembering the elevator rule all of a sudden. She bowed in greeting, almost breaking her back, at how quick it was. She looked up only to hear his faint footsteps as he walked into his office. The jerk. She straightened, relaxing her back muscles. Tzuyu stepped towards her, looking hostile like she always seemed to be. Was there a chip on her shoulder or something?. Sophia pushed the thought aside, giving her a friendly smile.

"Don't bother with doing anything. He finds faults, no matter how perfect you think you've done a job" she advised, boredom written all over her tired eyes. Didn't she get enough sleep? "You also need to be quiet once that Bell dings. I don't want you getting us Into trouble as you almost did yesterday".

Sophia nodded, choosing to just ignore her jab. "I'll be quiet as a mouse. You won't even know I'm here".

Tzuyu shrugged, her face in a perpetual scowl like the words coming out of Sophia's mouth were poison to her ears. She sauntered back to her seat.

Sophia walked towards her section, muttering under her breath. Tzuyu didn't seem to like her, she wondered why. Was she threatened by me, or was that just her attitude with everyone? She pushed the notion aside, focusing on doing a flawless job that would lead to no query. Lennox's door looked like it was locked, the shades were drawn up, blocking the world out. It felt like a cage. Was he happy locking people out, or was It because he was a sad person?

Sophia waited after doing the little work that got through her desk. The beeper on her desk remained silent, no phone calls came through either. It was like everything went straight to his office. The others worked until their fingers were numb. Maybe that was why Tzuyu was hostile. The thought could be accurate. Who wanted to work like a slave, then watch someone else do nothing, yet receive double of everything you earned. Sophia shuddered at the feeling. The muteness was also getting to her. A constant buzz in her head made it hard to concentrate. Sophia got off her seat. She needed a commotion, something to give the suffocating atmosphere some sparks.

She tripped on her feet, falling to the floor with an exaggerated Yelp. Tzuyu was the first to get to her before the others rushed toward her. The quiet rule was all but forgotten. Sophia smirked inwardly.

"Oh my gosh, are you ok? Did you twist an ankle" she asked in concern, surprising everyone as she felt around her leg? Sophia faked a pained groan, shaking her head.

"I think I dislocated my knees" she got out, earning a sympathetic gasp from Kyle.

The abrupt swish of the door opening got their attention. Lennox came out, a palpable dark aura hovering over his entire being. She couldn't look away once he pinned his cold eyes on her, it was reprimanding. It was like he knew that she had done it on purpose to defy his rules and get his attention. He crossed his arms, the muscle straining the white shirt he wore. Sophia didn't realize when her gaze had slipped. He had that pull to him, which made it hard to look away. He was hypnotizing. His voice was a rumbling storm when he spoke.

"What's the commotion about".

Tzuyu licked her lips nervously before she attempted to speak, Kyle beat her to it.

"Sophia tripped and dislocated her knees".

Sophia didn't like the intense gaze that he fixed on her. It made it difficult for her to breathe. What was this feeling, she asked herself, forcing herself to speak.

"Something must have been in the way. It hurt" she moaned in pain, just to make sure the disbelief in his eyes faded to concern. It doesn't. Mark got up from his crouching position, taking out his phone.

"Don't move, I'll call the hospital. You'll be fine".

"Don't call anyone" he ordered, his voice loud and clear making everyone stop what they were doing. Lennox walked towards her, then grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her sharply onto her feet. She was too surprised to respond in a way that a person with fractured bones reacted. His gaze was cold, disappointment coming off him in waves, almost overwhelming her senses. Sophia felt small. "I prefer when my rules are followed, Miss Sophia. The next time you pull a stunt like that, you'll be out of here. Try to take notice of your surroundings any time you decide to become an actress" he pointed at the installed cameras.

Stupid, so freaking stupid. Of course, there were surveillance cameras. She looked at them from the corners of her eyes, not daring to raise her head all the way, her hands squeezed behind her back.

"I'm sorry Mr. Lennox, it's just that everywhere was so quiet. But you must be an awesome person. You might be strict, but you care about us. You even came out here to..."

"Shut it, that won't work on me" he fired, making her flinch. He took her hand, startling her. Sophia looked at him, as an unbearable flutter started in the pit of her stomach. He placed a receipt on her open palm, then let go, and she looked through the bill gasping. The others watched the unfolding drama, not understanding, yet not daring to go back to their desk without his permission.

"What's this for... This is ridiculous. Forty thousand dollars" she almost waved it in his face but stopped herself in time.

"You trashed my car. The red car you spat on, then dented with your heels. I had to repaint it. That's what it cost". He cocked his head, watching her. Sophia's eyes widened comically, once the memory clicks.

"That's outrageous. There's no way that little dent amounted to this much". She cussed in her head. I should have known the asshole owned the car... A very apt contrast for someone who was all about quietness, driving such an automobile. She felt like pulling out her hair. He watched her calmly as if nothing could shock him.

"It's the latest model. Be happy you didn't break anything, or else you'd have been in debt for the rest of your life. Get back to work" he ordered, facing the rest. "And I hope this never repeats itself".

They all nodded, bowing a bit to avoid the harsh gaze he directed toward them. Tzuyu threw a glance filled with hatred at Sophia, making her feel awful. Lennox walked back into his office, without spearing her a backward glance.

Sophia clutched the bill until her knuckles turned white. "That darn jerk. "