The Lonely CEO: The Salamander, #1

Chapter 1

Afragile young woman in an evening gown stood at the enormous window covering the entire office wall. She looked out at the evening lights of the metropolis. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripped onto her dress, and disappeared in the sequins of the fabric. Behind her, the party was buzzing. Her colleagues were celebrating the coming Christmas and New Year.

The woman’s name was Ella. She clutched a handkerchief in one hand and tried to find something in a small evening purse with the other. Finally, pulling out her lipstick from her bag, she tried to put on lipstick with a trembling hand. She stepped away from the window and looked at her reflection in the dark glass, from head to toe. Then, Ella slowly turned her gaze to the reflection of a group of people in the back of the room.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stood in the middle of the office. Graham spread his legs wide, and his hands were in his pants pockets. His gray jacket was unbuttoned, and his white shirt was untied. He swayed back and forth on his toes and discussed with other men, who wore identical boring gray business suits. However, his suit was three times more expensive than the other men in the room. The jacket fit him very well. The pants easily fit his slender, muscular legs and fell elegantly over his expensive leather boots.

His colleagues surrounded the handsome Graham. The men reached out to him, hoping his success would give them a keen sense of rivalry. They had to be near him to assess the situation and step aside when they realized Graham was outplaying them.

Women looked at Graham with adoration. His exceptional charm, sex appeal, and top position in managing a colossal corporation worked for them, as did the smell of valerian on cats.

All of Ella’s hopes that Graham had changed were dashed. Did it matter how revealing her dress was? He did not even look in her direction!

Suddenly sobbing, the young woman abruptly discarded her lipstick, turned, and ran out of the room. As before, no one noticed her absence or presence.

The young woman rushed through the long, dark corridors of the corporate building. She hated herself, her mediocre appearance, her desire to be independent, and her dependence on this man.

Ella remembered their first meeting at the job interview.

Usually, the interview was conducted by the personnel department. Still, this time, they immediately presented the already-approved candidate for the trainee position to the top management. Her fate for the next couple of months was being decided. Earning at least some income was necessary. Ella’s property owner would kick her out of her apartment in the city center. However, living Downtown was so much fun for a young woman! There were clubs, museums, exhibitions, and lots of friends. Though Ella’s friends did not like her very much, she was such a deep introvert that everyone thought she was painfully shy. Ella blossomed only when she could enjoy nature.

Ella did not turn around at the rustling of the door to their room. Instead, Ella shuddered when the figure of a tall, muscular man obscured the light of the window opposite. He smelled of an expensive cologne and something else tart. The young woman did not see his face against the light. Still, with the smell of his cigar and the powerful silhouette of his figure, his scent had already drawn her attention.

Ella did not know who she was before her, but she knew it was someone important. The ladies, who had questioned her sternly only a few minutes before, suddenly straightened their backs and pulled their bellies in. They fixed their hair and smiled.

The man stood against the sun for a while with his hands in his pants pockets, then crouched sideways on the windowsill and asked,

Hello, my name is Graham, Graham Anderson. I am the CEO of this company.

His tone revealed that he was more used to ordering than asking or just asking. But it did not seem impolite of him. Instead, he exuded a power that high responsibility gave to his appearance and demeanor.

Ella finally got a look at his face. Blond hair, thick dark eyebrows, and unusually blue eyes framed by long black eyes seemed to oppose this man’s face with an eagle nose, a sensual mouth, and a strong-willed chin. Part of his countenance was as if from a delicate prince from a fairy tale, and part was from a satyr from an ancient epic.

What is your name?

Ella flinched, awakened from her stupor, and answered, looking straight ahead,

My name is Ella, Ella ...

Before she could finish her last name, Mr. Anderson impatiently interrupted her.

Thank you. That is all I need. I know your last name; it is right there.

He nodded toward the questionnaire on the table in front of one woman.

I just wanted to hear your voice since you said nothing about our company, he continued.

Ella straightened her back, lifted her chin higher, and, as if in class, replied,

I don’t know your company yet; I hope to get a job here. Yes, I hope I am the right fit for this company. I’ll really try to meet your requirements.

The man tilted his head slightly, straightened up, and replied in a somewhat mocking tone,

My requirements or those of the company?

Without waiting for an answer, satisfied with the blush that flooded the young woman’s cheeks, he continued,

I hope you will like it here. Of course, if our esteemed colleagues will accept you on our team.

He rose from the windowsill and hurried out of the room with a springy gait. Without him, Ella felt the room seemed much emptier than before he arrived. Only the smell of his cologne and expensive cigars remained.

Ella felt hopeful and excited about the unusual job interview. Ella missed Graham's slight nod and odd smile as he exited the interview room. However, the women who interviewed Ella looked him over and understood that this candidate was right for him. With so few employees around in the summer, Graham, used to the attention from the women on his team, was bored stiff. So, he got acquainted with the new trainee. And - oh, my goodness! - it turned out to be such a strange young woman.

The ladies first froze, looking after him, then seemed to fade and rustled with papers again. Then, finally, one of them adjusted her glasses on her nose and said in a meaningful tone,

We think you are a good fit for the trainee position in the quality assurance department. If you are satisfied, you can start work tomorrow. Please go immediately to room 309a for explanations. You will receive all further information and the first instructions for your work. Congratulations, you got the job!

Despite such positive words for Ella, the woman’s voice was not enthusiastic. But Ella was not concerned about that. Instead, she just froze with happiness. She had a job! A job!

Ella took her papers and stumbled out of the interview room. She stopped for a moment, sighed her chest, and resolutely walked down the building’s endlessly long, dark gray corridor. Ella hoped to find room 309a tomorrow. She hoped tomorrow would be the start of her happy working life.

Graham was walking down the long hallway on the other side of the corporate building, pondering the trainee he had just hired. This Ella was hardly a woman. She was so boyishly angular, with a mop of dark, medium-length curly hair falling over her eyes. Graham found nothing interesting about the new employee except that this young woman was as fresh as a rosebud. Or she was as innocent and defenseless as a puppy. Or so she seemed.

Well, Graham was going to have a little fun, as usual. However, he thought that this woman did not react to him as he had expected. Graham did not notice her apparent interest in him, which somehow hurt him, though he did not want to admit it outright.

Usually, the women would immediately melt away at his charms. It was an effect to which he was already accustomed. But this young woman... He thought she was uninterested in men or had not gained experience in such a relationship. Usually, the candidates for the role of his mentee for the summer looked much more attractive and had a clear life experience. This one was like an ugly duckling.

Graham stopped and, with a predatory smile, snickered.

"Yes, watching her explore our company’s ‘realities of life’ will be much more interesting under my tutelage. This summer will pass, and this Ella will be gone from my life as easily as all her predecessors have gone."

His new game was ready for the summer.

Chapter 2

Ella spent a couple of weeks of the summer taking care of business, learning computer skills, and getting to know her coworkers. Everything was great, but there was still something that bothered her. After a couple of weeks, the young woman realized that everyone in the company was talking about the affairs of their boss, Mr. Graham Anderson.

It is unknown who spread such rumors, but they reached all the newcomers. To the men, the boss’s exploits on the love front were like a red flag to a bull. They immediately felt competition with Graham. However, these men naturally could not show their success on the personal front of the company. It was forbidden at the corporation to enter personal relationships with colleagues and subordinates. However, Graham somehow eluded the apparent violation of his rules, and no one could understand how he managed it.

The women in the company talked about Graham with a gasp, but just in case, they added something like, No, no, I am not like that woman who liked him! Of course, I will not fall for his charms.

In fact, many women who worked under Graham were eager to be the center of attention of this prominent, prosperous, unmarried man. Of course, women wanted to capture his attention. If a woman conquers such a man, it proves her solvency. However, none of them has subdued him, and such a man could not proudly show the wedding ring to those around him.

Not having any experience in her love affairs, Ella soon almost stopped paying attention to all this talk about her boss’s love affairs. Instead, she considered it all fantasy.

One day, Ella arrived at work early in the morning. She put her stuff on the desk and saw a note. The note was from the CEO’s secretary, asking her to come to Mr. Anderson’s office at nine o’clock in the morning. Thinking about what she did to get such an invitation, Ella rushed to the upper floor, where the CEO’s department was.

Ella entered the office that preceded the boss’s office and saw a pretty, middle-aged woman sitting at the office desk. The woman was not young but in great shape, and her business suit fit her like a glove.

Being unfamiliar with the CEO’s department employees, Ella thought it was just another manager she needed to meet in this department.

The woman approached Ella and introduced herself as Paula, Mr. Anderson’s secretary. Smiling sweetly, Paula walked around her desk. She invited Ella into the boss’s office, opening the door to another room in front of her.

Ella timidly entered the office and stopped. A huge floor-to-ceiling window flooded the spacious room with light. A small desk stood against the wall opposite the front door. The room seemed disproportionately large compared to the desk. Sitting at the desk was the CEO of their company, Mister Anderson. The man