Ryke’s POV
So one thing was clear to me. Lilac Evans, the woman who just left the conference room, was the same Lilac from the club last night.
Because of the dim lighting in that club, I was never able to get a proper look at her face for the entire time we were together. Consequently, back then on my private office floor, when Lilac crashed into me and messed my clothes up, that scene could have ended so much worse because I didn’t recognise her immediately.
Eventually, I did. Not even in my dreams could I mistake those baby blue eyes, and that voice that sounded like a siren’s. But it wasn’t before I’d already lashed out at her.
Of course, I wasn’t completely sure it was Lilac. I made the decision to attend her interview, something I’d never done in my history of heading this company, just for another chance to get close to her to confirm my suspicions. Hell, even my employees were shocked when I showed up. That’s exactly the sort of irrational thing this woman I’d only known for barely a day had me doing.
But Lilac did not recognise me. Not for one moment did her eyes light up with familiarity every time they lay on me and I struggled to come to terms with the feeling of disappointment in my gut.
“Mr. Kolynsky?” The lead interviewer questioned in confusion as I stood up.
“Handle the rest. I have a meeting right now.” I did not have a meeting, of course, but I had no intentions of sitting through boring as fuck interviews. I was only here for Lilac and she’d basically confirmed it was her when I called her by her first name I should have had no way of knowing and she responded.
The rest of my long week was filled with thoughts of Lilac. The woman had consumed every of my waking moment to the point that it was torture not seeing her. Even distracting me as I spoke to my mother on the phone.
“Ryke. Ryke, are you listening?”
Blinking rapidly, I snapped out of my thoughts. “Uh… Yes, ma’am.”
My mom sighed. “Okay. Spill.”
“What?” I replied, confused.
“Spill. There’s clearly something on your mind, enough to zone out like your own mother is too unimportant to listen to.”
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I’ve been so stressed these days, it causes me to zone out sometimes.”
The older woman was silent on the other side of the phone for a moment. If not for the sound of her breathing, I’d have thought she hung up. Soon she spoke, “Do you need a break? I could have Reece visit again to take over while you do so.”
I growled at her suggestion and prayed my father wasn’t anywhere around her. I didn’t need to hear him point out how apparently incompetent I was. I worked so hard to convince him to let Silvercrest’s Bayview branch become the headquarters and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that from me, not even the founder himself.
“I’m fine, I can handle it. You take care of yourself, mom.”
“Whatever you wish, son. You’ve always been so stubborn, I don’t expect you to start listening to me now. The annual company gala is coming up in a few months so we can see then and maybe I’ll be able to convince you to rest then.”
I chuckled at her words. “I’m looking forward to it.”
***
As the CEO, I usually kept from interfering in the affairs of other departments. I wasn’t controlling in any sense of the word and preferred to let them have their autonomy. This precisely was why I didn’t explicitly demand that my hiring team choose Lilac to become my assistant.
I assumed they’d pick her, the obvious candidate who probably outshone every other. At the very least, I’d shown my satisfaction and approval for her when I left the conference room that day.
So imagine the look I had on my face when I arrived at work the Monday of the next week to a strange face.
“We’d like to introduce you to your new assistant, sir.” Helen, my hiring manager had said. “This is Dallas, the successful candidate after we concluded our hiring process.”
I was so speechless I could only level the two women with an icy glare. “Get out of my office.” I growled. Ever since then, Daria, or Deana, or whatever her name was had been walking on eggshells around me. But I didn’t give a fuck.
That same morning, I asked her to make me a coffee. Simple task, right? But once I took a sip, I knew immediately that she’d fucked it up.
“I told you,” I ground out with barely contained irritation, “One cream and two sugars only. This is at least three creams. Throw it out.” I shoved the coffee mug back into her hands and sank ungracefully into my office chair while the woman scurried out of the office with tears in her eyes.
Fuck. What was she crying for? She was being paid an obscene amount of money for doing the least work. She should be carrying out every task with a smile! Besides, it’s not as though she had no idea the type of person she’d be working with. I had no sympathy to give.
I picked up my phone and made a call.
The contact name ‘Helen’ lit up my screen for a few seconds before the woman picked. “Hello, sir? Is anything the-”
“Did you sit through the same interview session with Ms. Evans that I did?”
“I- Huh? Who?”
Lord, give me strength, I muttered to myself and drew on a deep well of patience I stored in my heart for moments like this.
“Ms. Evans, the woman’s whose interview I attended last week. If I remember well, she performed exceptionally. Her responses to your questions showed her amazing capabilities and a willingness to dedicate a lot of effort to Silvercrest. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes, I do! She was an outstanding candidate, I remember her interview well!”
“Great! So why did you make the decision to send some bumbling fool to be my assistant?”
“Sir?”
“Fire her so I don’t have to do it myself. She’d probably burst into tears if I said so much as one more word to her.” I murmured the last part more to myself. “I want Ms. Evans here by tomorrow, latest the day after.”
“Yes, Mr Kolynsky.” Helen sighed and I cut the call.
Now, all I had to do was wait for my angel to come to me.
