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. "

Lennox froze as he stepped out of his office, his gaze slipping to his assistant, who seemed to brighten the spot that she occupied. Her smile was radiant, What was she happy about? even after how I scolded her earlier. Lennox looked over at the other workers who were all busy at their desks, except Sophia. She had earbuds on, probably listening to music. Sensing his presence, she looked up, meeting his gaze, her eyes widened as she took out the earbuds in a rush, grabbing her schedule pad. He shook his head, heading towards the elevator, not wanting to hear her say anything that he already knew about. Lennox got in before she could get a word out of her mouth.

The elevator pinged close, giving him some moment of reprieve. She rubbed him the wrong way, and he couldn't pinpoint the reason why it was that way. The business meeting turned out better than he thought it would, the investor hadn't bargained much before they agreed to his terms, but he felt like bricks were being banged on his head.

Lennox returned to his office, ignoring his assistant, but once he got in, he knew something was off. Lennox's heart almost ceased as he saw the glass of smoothie on his desk. Memories he wanted to bury forever crashed around his head, darkening his vision.

"Sophia" he yelled for her, his hands trembling as he rounded his desk, staring at the offending item. The door opened and she came in with her bright smile. It was as if she was glad that he had called for her. It twisted at something deep within him that he refused to acknowledge.

"What is this" he pointed at the drink, his jaw clenched, trying his hardest to suppress the rage that clouded his vision like a fog of smoke. Lennox wanted to smash something. His hands clenched, finding nothing but air to grab onto.

"A mixture of fruit smoothie. Your rule said no coffee, so I decided to get you this instead" she answered like it was common knowledge. Like she'd done nothing wrong.

"I told you not to serve me anything" he gritted out. "You'll obey all my rules, Sophia, if you can't then you get out of my fucking company. Don't try to think, because nothing you ever think to do for me will make me feel better, definitely not your stupid smoothie" he got out, emotions threatening to choke him as he grabbed the glass in fury. He didn't realize throwing the content at her until it trailed down her brightly colored dress. She jerked, gasping in surprise. Those eyes are on me, accusing, blaming me for everything. His hands trembled. "Get out. Get out of my office" he bellowed. She looked like she was going to cry. She rushed out of the office.

It was difficult to breathe. I hadn't meant... Hadn't meant to... To get so mad. The door slamming open sliced through his thought. His eyes snapped towards the intruder. It was Sophia. She looked furious as she approached him, stopping at the front of his desk, the only barrier between them.

"Do you think I'll quit if you treat me like this?, No Mr. Lennox, I am going to serve you with my very last strength, and when my six months is up, I'll walk out that door, and never look back, so do your fucking worst" she grabbed at the glass cup, and walked out of the office, banging the door till it almost shook on its hinges, then quietness enveloped his office, seeping through his bones, eerie In their sudden intensity. She had such determination that It silenced him, telling him to take notice. Goosebumps trailed his skin. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with me? Why did I get so mad whenever I saw her, or if she did the littlest of things? Was it because she was disrupting my life like someone I once knew, someone I tried to change for, someone I let my selfishness kill. He clenched his fist, drowning the thought before it could fester and choke him. The hurt never left. It got stronger, but Lennox would never admit it to anyone, instead, he would let everyone feel and wish they were dead. The thought was comforting, no matter how brief, or was it just wishful thinking.

*****

******

"He's such an asshole!" Andria shot out of her seat like a raging bull about to charge at its prey. "What's he going to do next, hit you across the face for checking his mails". She slammed at the desk, making the rest jump in their seats. Bianka touched her hand gently, eyeing the vicinity, Andria followed her gaze, sitting down after she took in the suddenly interested crowd that glued their eyes to their tables, desperate for gossip.

"Look, if he doesn't want you to do anything, then just sit tight and wait it out". Bianca suggested, her eyes moving towards Sana for support, but she remained quiet.

"I can't do that. You all know how crazy I get when I have nothing to do, and my guts tell me that this is some sort of test I need to pass, plus I can always sue him for assault if he lays hands on me, but I don't think he's that violent."

Andria crossed her arm, her face squeezed like she'd taken a sour lemon. "You can't sue when you're dead" she murmured under her breath.

"I'm sure it won't get to that Andria." Bianca rolled her eyes, before sighing tiredly. "Why are we stuck with such awful bosses. Mine works me like a slave. I wish I work for Mr. Lennox, God knows I won't even bother with doing anything".

Sana grimaced. "Party freak, that's my boss's middle name. He also wants his hands on everything he fancies. The only thing he hasn't asked me to do is play stripper for his business associates. What if I was married, how would my husband feel" Sana's shoulders slumped in defeat. The atmosphere felt stuffed with oppression.

"That's true" Bianca agreed, picking at her salads. "At least they pay us on time" she pointed out, earning their nods of admittance.

"And some of us get a double paycheck" Sana breathed, eyes cutting at Sophia.

"I saw that look Sana. The said double paycheck doesn't cover his rude attitude".

"Our food is getting cold, and all this depressing atmosphere is not helping me" Andria muttered, stabbing at her steak, before bringing it to her lips. She chewed happily, her eyes lightening up. "You need to taste this" she squealed, nudging at Sana's shoulders eagerly. Sana shrugged her off, but conceded, taking a bite of the steak. Her face cheered up when she focused on Sophia and Bianka.

"She's right. This is so good".

"I ain't missing out on this" Bianca got out, taking a huge bite. She moaned in satisfaction, making Sophia roll her eyes, not joining in.

"What are you going to do about Mr. Lennox," Andria asked, after moments of them just savoring the meal, plunging the atmosphere back into despondency.

"I don't know girls. I've tried to be all nice, but it's not working. It's like he's a closed off-island, nothing gets through to him". Sophia wailed, clutching at her hair.

Andria waved her fork around. "One piece of advice, don't do the smoothie thing again. You can't be changing clothes every afternoon".

"You're right about that. Maybe I'll just go early to work, finish my duties and get the hell out of his way".

"Does he live the door open? " Bianca queried, snatching at Sophia's fries.

Sophia mulled it over. His door was always closed during work hours, so what were the odds he left them open. "I think so, but he's so strung up, loves his freaking privacy, and silence thingy, that's why no one knows anything about him."

"Make sure you don't get caught snooping around. He might strangle you to death, and throw your body in the toilet" Andria sings-song when the alarm rang, signaling the end of their free hour. They quickly rushed to put their stuff away, getting up to leave.

Bianca turned to face her. "Heed Andria's advice ok, your boss might low-key be a psychopath, waiting to strike."

"Now y'all are just exaggerating everything, and making me scared".

Sana slung her bag over her shoulders. "I gotta jet, my boss might not be Mr. Lennox, but he's in his evil category. See y'all later ok," she hurried out of the cafeteria before they could say goodbye.

They all took off until Sophia stood in the middle of the emptying cafe. "Ugh. Why me?". She wailed, trudging toward the elevator, she got in, punching in the number to the top floor, which she likened to a grand-looking cage. Sophia sighed miserably. Everything felt almost too hard. I just have to hang in there for six months, make him depend on me to the point that he'd beg me not to leave, she reminded herself. She would achieve her goal, she promised herself. No matter what it took.