Eve took the drink and felt the blood drain from her face. “President Madison, I can explain—”
“No need. I won’t put it on your record.”
Ambryan scowled. “Madison, that is unprofessional.”
“A killjoy as always.” Madison sighed with an eye roll, grabbing the secretary’s shoulders and looking at her in the eye. “Eve, just say the word and I’ll take you as my subordinate.”
Instead of a concerned look, Eve stared at a pleading one. It would be wrong to say that she wasn’t flattered by the President’s favor towards her. They always had a good relationship. There was never any pressure for her to do better than she could.
It seemed like the work would be a breeze, a piece of cake or a walk in the park.
Unfortunately, it opened little growth on her part as an employee.
“And the unprofessionalism continues.” Ambryan exhaled sharply. He rolled his chair closer to the computer monitor. His fingers typed on the keyboard, composing an email reminder for the department heads.
Madison squinted in his direction, feeling irritated.
Eve was a model employee. She was patient, kind, diligent and gorgeous. Anyone would be lucky to have her. She deserved a favorable treatment. It tugged the President’s heartstrings to see her struggle.
She wasn’t even that late—even HR knew her tardiness was within the acceptable range. She also had a perfect record before this. It wouldn’t be right to overlook them like they didn’t exist.
A warning should be enough but this was Eve they were talking about. She already knew her actions and reflected on them. It probably drove her crazy along the way.
There wasn’t a need for a lengthy lecture anymore.
“Thank you for the constant offer, President Madison, but I am content working with Sir Hathaway.” Eve smiled. It felt tight on her lips. She always faced the same generosity from the President. The rejection became harder to say as time went by.
She wished that the topic would end.
Madison turned towards her, wearing a hurt expression. “Are you sure?”
“I am sure.” Eve nodded. She stayed firm and ignored the angelic face.
The President let her go and marched over to the work desk. A hand slammed on the table. Luminous green eyes darkened at the CEO. “What kind of magic potion did you feed her? Why is she so loyal to you?”
Ambryan stopped typing. He leaned back on his chair and looked up. Despite the current height difference, he didn’t find Madison intimidating. Silence surrounded the office. If one looked closely, the person might see a storm brewing overhead.
Eve inched towards the exit.
But then, Ambryan spoke, making her stiffen.
“How insulting, King,” he sneered and tilted his head to one side, “Why would I need a potion to make someone loyal to me?”
Eve gulped and glanced at the President. She rarely heard anyone address Madison by his first name. He always preferred his surname for unknown reasons. When she asked Darryl about it, the security guard had one answer.
It seemed that the President enjoyed it whenever strangers mistook him for a woman.
If Eve didn’t know any better, she would have thought the same.
“Oh, my poor heart. Don’t call me that.” Madison groaned. He flopped back onto the chair and hung his head. His albino hair fell behind the backrest. The sunlight glowed on his skin, highlighting his high cheekbones.
“I feel less of a ‘king’ whenever you’re around.”
“Maybe if you cut and dye your hair, people would see you as more respectable.”
“But I love my hair!” The President exclaimed with a pout. He pointed an accusing finger towards Ambryan. “And that is discrimination. We work in a creative industry. Freedom of expression should be practiced everywhere.”
Ambryan ignored his preachings and went back to work.
Madison frowned. He twisted his neck towards the door. “Don’t you agree with me, Eve? Also, why don’t you sit down? You’re making me dizzy by just standing there.”
Eve grabbed the knob behind her. “Alright. I will go sit on my desk.”
“What? It’s still early. Come and enjoy this breakfast meal I bought. It would be rude to refuse.”
The last statement made her halt. It glued her feet to the floor. Considering how Ambryan hadn’t given a comment on her punctuality yet, she’d rather avoid him for now. She would make up for it with her work—finishing faster than usual if possible.
She had to think of something fast.
Her brown eyes landed on the croissant. Its crispy golden brown skin captivated her gaze. She could almost smell its buttery taste. Her mouth watered from the thought, rumbling her stomach.
“If it makes you feel better, President Madison. I will take a piece back with me.”
“Alright, fine.” Madison sighed after a while. He reached for his warm hibiscus tea. “I’ll be chatting with your boss anyway. You’d have to substitute him for a while.”
“Understood.” Eve beamed as she grabbed the croissant. The skin cracked under her touch. It almost made her squeal. She couldn’t wait to bite into it. She’d savor every bite.
This day might not turn out that bad after all.
Madison watched her with a smile. He had picked out their favorites: croissants for Eve, scones for Ambryan and cinnamon rolls for yours truly. Her happy expression was exactly the reason why he bought them.
It delighted him to know that she appreciated the food—unlike a certain someone.
Eve spun on her heel and avoided peeking towards Ambryan’s direction.
The door closed noiselessly behind her.
...
...
...
Madison set his paper cup on the desk.
The smile on his face vanished, replacing it with an impassive expression. He crossed his arms over his chest and observed his colleague. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks. Yet, things seemed to have changed around here.
His green eyes narrowed.
“Late night, Ambryan?” He teased, noticing the under eye circles. They seemed faint especially on warm beige skin. Their color looked neither purple or blue—more like light shadowing.
“What makes you say so, King?”
“I told you to stop calling me that,” Madison grumbled. The name brought up memories he’d rather not remember.
“I never said I agreed, President King Madison.”
A deadpan expression washed over his face. Any trace of humor had drained away. His voice became low and jarring. “Sometimes I wish the media could see your arrogance behind that cold mask.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“...”
Madison wiped his hand over his face. Well, one thing certainly didn’t change. Ambryan still had his passive-aggressive tone. Shouldn’t people be nicer after getting into a relationship?
If the news hadn’t told him, he wouldn’t believe that his colleague had a girlfriend.
“Anyway.” He exhaled sharply. Despite his behavior, he had come for a reason. “That leads me to why I’m here.”
“And here I thought you have the kindest heart in all of the country as the media puts it.” Ambryan said, implying that the President came for a favor instead of a casual visit. The food he brought now became bargaining chips.
“Very funny. Ha-ha.” Madison laughed. Sarcasm laced every syllable. “I came here because I haven’t had breakfast. I had to help the PR Team because a mob of reporters decided to band together and camp out of our building.”
It had to be one of the biggest media gatherings they ever had. Because of the company’s power and influence, reporters decided that more manpower meant a higher chance of getting their way. The quantity of them would even out the playing field.
Something that he thought of as stupid.
Their security team still managed to clear them out.
“Have we faced a major scandal?” Ambryan frowned. He pulled up the web browser, typing in their company name. Wen mentioned nothing of the sort. “Is our stock price going down? Has a new competitor emerged? Have we been swindled?”
“It’s not business related.” Madison clarified. Did he really not know? “This is about your relationship, Mr. Coldest Person on Earth. The media wants your comment on this subject.”
Since the launch, the topic had stayed on top trending. Countless articles, posts and videos flooded the internet. The masses joined in on the bandwagon. Support, criticisms and various opinions sprouted as if weeds in a garden.
Their PR Team kept a close eye on the tides, catching inappropriate activity. There was only so much they could do. If not careful, they’d dabble into violating freedom of speech.
“I fail to see why it is necessary.” Ambryan glanced at the President. The results of his web search seemed manageable, nothing that needed immediate attention.
None posed as a threat to their company.
Public statements helped but they also didn’t last long. He had never spoken about his love life before and he wasn’t about to do so now. Acting out of character would raise more suspicion than calming them down.
Madison rubbed his temple. “Ambryan Hathaway, you know very well that you are the face of this company. Anything about you indirectly affects the business.”
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