I'm not exactly the kind of woman who turns men's heads. I don't have long blonde hair, nor do I possess striking sky-blue or green eyes. My body isn't like those runway models, and I don't have pronounced curves that highlight my hips or waist. I don't come from a family with a well-known last name, much less from a privileged socioeconomic background.

In short, I'm an ordinary girl… or at least that's what I think.

I won't start by narrating my life from the very first day in this world, of course not. I'll skip all those childhood, early years, and teenage details and focus on the beginning of my adult life.

I live in an apartment with my best friend: Oriana. We split the expenses and the cohabitation is peaceful.

The rest I can sum up by saying that my first jobs were somewhat complicated. I have a degree as an executive secretary and yes, thanks to that, I had several good positions with more than decent salaries, but unfortunately, I had the bad luck of having the worst idiots as bosses. Each one worse than the last because they didn't just treat me like a “maid”—some of them even tried to cross the line with me, and yes, I mean sexual harassment. Thank God none of those guys ever went beyond verbal sexual innuendos; if it had gone further, this would be a very different story.

After quitting my last job, I spent several months looking for a new one. Then one day Oriana mentioned she saw an ad in the newspaper looking for a secretary (a personal administrative assistant), so I called the number in the ad and went for an interview. Two days later they called to tell me the position was mine. So yes, for the past two years I've been working at a renowned company in the automotive industry.

I work as the personal assistant to one of the country's most important CEOs, and I love my job. I enjoy making CEO Tanner's life easier. He's a good man and I respect him… a lot. Of course, I'm keeping proper boundaries because, Jesus, he's hot too—even though he's quite a bit older than me—but I know how to behave and our relationship has always been strictly professional… or so I thought until, by mistake, I came across a very private email… And suddenly, everything changed.

(...)

How do I even begin to describe my life?

If I tried to go into every tiny detail, this would turn into a last will and testament—and that’s not the point. So I’ll keep it brief…

As the famous saying goes, something like “born with a silver spoon in my mouth.” Yes, I come from a family with far more than just comfortable means. My father built Chrome Machine from the ground up—a company that’s now prestigious and well-respected in the automotive industry. I was that kind of kid: diligent in school, a bit of a loner. That stayed with me from early childhood all the way into adulthood.

During my final year of university, my father fell seriously ill. From that moment on, I started helping him with all kinds of responsibilities at the company. Naively, I thought it would only be temporary—the next in line to take over was supposed to be my older brother. I was completely wrong.

After a year and a half fighting a terminal illness, my father took his last breath. My mother was devastated, my brother too, and I was the one sensible enough to keep both the family and the business afloat. A month after his passing, his last wishes were read, and it hit like a thunderbolt: I was the one left in charge of Chrome Machine. Of course, it came as a huge relief to my brother—honestly, he’s not exactly the kind of man built for that level of responsibility and pressure. That’s the big difference between Francis and me. Still, it’s never been a source of conflict between us; on the contrary, we have an excellent relationship.

It took me a full year to learn every little detail of the company. During that time, my mother developed a rare respiratory illness. Sadly, she passed away too.

The years that followed brought new lessons, experiences, and hard-earned wisdom. I turned into someone completely devoted to work—so much so that I sidelined my personal life almost entirely. Yes, I’ve had several relationships along the way, but no one ever truly understood my dedication and passion for what I do…

I’ve seen it all in this life. It comes with the territory when you’re the man at the top. After nearly twelve years running the company, honestly, the hardest thing these days is being tempted by my highly efficient, stunningly beautiful, and very young assistant. Things start to twist when someone from my past shows up with some kind of blackmail… and suddenly, my assistant is right there by my side. That’s when everything changes.