Date The CEO.com

Kiri purred. 

She slept on Ambryan's lap, leaving him be. The faint voice from the bluetooth earphone flowed into her ears. It sounded like sweet whispers of a lullaby. A comforting warmth blanketed over her, lulling her into slumber.

Ambryan couldn't move. 

Any closer to the desk and the drawer would hit his cat. He stayed about an arm-length away and typed on the keyboard. With an empty and isolated house, he heard the call clearly. The earpiece only occupied one ear while the other stayed alert for any sudden disturbance.

He could almost imagine that they were in the same room. 

His black jacket draped on the backrest of his chair. Only his white dress shirt, matching black vest and trouser were left. The tie hung on a coat's rack in his bedroom. He believed that it avoided wrinkles.

"Oh? You'll share your mysterious life?"

The other line became quiet at his question. He'd notice what she tried to do. Her inquiry came as a surprise. He had planned to do something similar but she beat him to it. Her avoidance only fuelled his determination.

He figured the way to get what he wanted was to play along—so he did and Evangeline fell into her own trap. It caused a bit of smugness.

"What's so mysterious about my life? I'm quite ordinary," she finally replied, laughing off the awkwardness. Her voice sounded loud. It had to be an eternal microphone.

Ambryan hid a smirk. Her half-baked attempt amused him. "You came from a remote town?"

That part caught his interest the most for some reason. The rest seemed expected of her—like her remarks about the photoshoot. It would be rude to say something negative about a brand that gave her the jumpstart for her career.

Athon Luxury launched her above the sky, higher than most beginners.

"How did you hear about that?" Evangeline breathed out.

"I seem to recall that you've done an interview for a magazine. This is public knowledge now—which made me see that these people knew more about you than I do." Ambryan frowned. She should know about it since it had her on the cover. The magazine turned out to be more informative than he thought.

Unlike him who had most of his life exposed, she led a life away from the spotlight.

He'd find nothing if he looked her up.

At least, not with the approved methods of his mother.

"So you were thinking the same thing?"

"I am thinking mother would be upset if I decline with every question that involved you." He brooded. If he knew Avery well, he predicted that she'd conduct those interviews herself. Each wrong answer or lack of one would result in disapproval. It could also lead to another scheme planned solely by her.

He'd rather avoid those altogether.

A chuckle tickled his ear. "She would be, yes."

"And the only way to amend that, without breaking the contract rules, is to talk."

He heaved a sigh. Not even their mutual contacts helped him out. They had taken Avery's side, zipping their lips. His own security team monitored his activities. His mother had included them into the contract and asked of them to keep tabs on his investigations.

Ambryan didn't know whether to praise or to lament over this detailed extent.

"Communication is key so they say." Evangeline said. He could almost imagine her nodding. Her lips would be stretched to smile, making her eyes crinkle. 

"Care to share some insight about that part of your interview?" He asked again. A bit of background check shouldn't hurt anyone. It surely saved some time in contrast to asking. An investigation provided him satisfactory answers, letting him move forward.

His mother merely overreacted about the ordeal.

Unless Evangeline had something to hide, it should be clean.

"It's nothing extraordinary," she began to say. "I came to Maize City because of my studies. I was accepted into a reputable university. They offered a scholarship that could help a lot. I only needed to work 48 hours a week."

"Work?" Ambryan scowled at his monitor. The report contained an error. He changed the font's color to red, noting it down until he finished the document. He felt Kiri roll onto her side. 

His violet eye glances down, checking that she didn't hit anything. The smile on her lips assured him that nothing of the sort happened.

"Yes, I'd work at the library. It's a way for the school to save money on staff. Instead of paying for full-time workers, they offer a scholarship to us in exchange for work."

His brain absorbed the information like a sponge. He did a calculation on the cost-benefit. Workers enjoyed merit increases every year. The company also paid for obligatory benefits stated by the law. They depended on the employee's salary, rising higher along with it.

Compared to that, paying a full tuition costs less. 

It also had fewer paperwork. 

"I can't imagine that you'd be able to understand though." Evangeline spoke after a while, breaking the silence. Kiri stirred at the sound of it. She yawned with her eyes closed and went back to sleep. Her bushy tail swept the chair cushion's edge. 

Ambyran's scowl deepened as he found another mistake. "Maybe not but during my last two years in university, I worked as an intern for Eros. I had to work the same hours."

He'd go to the company in the morning. Then, he'd go to school at night. His classes would start around dusk. By then, his school schedule lasted between 4-5 hours per day. The office would also be closed, leaving him undisturbed. 

"That's probably harder than working for the school." 

"I occasionally attended business meetings, observing the discussion."

"Like a secretary?" Evangeline joked as she muffled out a laugh. It managed to escape for a second and flowed into his ear.

A small smile curled the corner of his lip.

"Yes, my father would tell me to take the Minutes of the Meetings."

"No way!"

Kiri flinched at the outburst. She blinked her purple eyes and glanced upwards. She tilted her head to one side. The laughter caught her attention, waking her up. She wondered what was funny. 

Ambryan didn't seem to notice her.

He shook his head and opened a new document. "Is it that impossible to believe?"

Those memories replayed in his mind. On his first day, he never reached the top floor. His father assigned him to the mail room where he learned about the different documents they received. They came from a variety of groups: the studios, the suppliers, the contractors, the clients… and many more.

They also went to several departments where he delivered them all.

"I'm just trying to picture it," Evangeline laughed, taking most of the space in his head. His other ear failed to drown it since it sensed nothing. Even if it did, Ambryan felt confident that he'd barely hear it.

"Does the image seem funny to you?"

"A bit, yes." She giggled.

Ambryan heard the mockery. His gaze narrowed on the bright spreadsheet. He had done a splendid job on those. His original draft hardly missed a point in the discussion. It had to be since his father demanded an extensive report instead of a summary. 

They'd talk over them and clear out any misunderstandings or lack of insights.

Not a single detail had been overlooked—unlike the current one he read. Luckily, Eve had the same work ethic. Each time he tested her memory, she gave him a straight answer. She would also be able to explain it and emphasize key points.

It would be a shame if she denied the promotion. Although, he probably wouldn't find another secretary that would meet the standards she raised over the years. It wasn't only Madison who wanted to pouch her.

Several executives had tried as well. She always managed to impress during and after meetings. Their subordinates also relied on her whenever they weren't sure about something. She'd given them advice on more than one occasion.

He knew because they'd talk about her to him during social gatherings—if they mustered up the courage.

It was the only time she didn't stand close to him. 

"That's two inquiries about me now. You should share another," Ambryan reminded, changing the topic. That should be enough about his personal life. It could continue on another day. Right now, he had emails to send about the errors he found.

"About me? Um… what do you want to know?"

Ambryan thought about it carefully. His initial idea revolved around the article. The next part of that paragraph talked about her family. If he touched it, it would bounce towards him as well. He wasn't entirely comfortable about the subject.

She already knew his mother. That should suffice.

He reviewed all of the information she'd given him since they met. One topic stuck out above the rest. Although he set it aside, curiosity still lingered at the corners of his mind. 

"What was your last memory with your first love?"