Chapter 48 A Demanding Devil
“I am definitely not taking that position!” I refused loudly as I pushed hard against his chest in an attempt to free myself.
Ace looked at me with widened eyes in surprise before his expression quickly turned into a sorrowful sulking one.
“Why would you turn me down? I really can’t understand a girl like you,” Ace said with genuine confusion.
He’s the CEO and my boss, of course, I would turn him down. There’s also a ‘no dating’ policy in this company. Plus, I wasn’t in love with him…or anything…
What makes him think that I’ll say yes just like that?
“You’re my boss…” I mumbled to remind both him and myself.
“You’re right about that but I’m absolutely certain that you’ll fall in love with me very soon…if you haven’t already…” Ace said as he stared deeply into my eyes.
Where does this man get his confidence from?
I just sighed in defeat. Not wanting to discuss this topic any further, I decided to change the flow of our conversation by asking him a question that had been on my mind for a while.
“I thought that you already had a secretary…” I said questioningly.
My mind quickly recalled the beautiful blonde woman who I had seen walking around the company very often. The first time that I saw her was when I first joined the company and was waiting for Ace. I found out later that that gorgeous lady in the red dress was actually his secretary. Did she quit already?
“Oh, you mean Claudia? She had to quit recently due to health issues. It really was quite unfortunate. I really enjoyed working with her and we got along very well with each other,” Ace explained with some regret in his voice.
“I see. I hope she gets better soon,” I replied.
So, she quite because of…health issues…
“I hope so too,” Ace replied casually.
“I om definitely not toking thot position!” I refused loudly os I pushed hord ogoinst his chest in on ottempt to free myself.
Ace looked ot me with widened eyes in surprise before his expression quickly turned into o sorrowful sulking one.
“Why would you turn me down? I reolly con’t understond o girl like you,” Ace soid with genuine confusion.
He’s the CEO ond my boss, of course, I would turn him down. There’s olso o ‘no doting’ policy in this compony. Plus, I wosn’t in love with him…or onything…
Whot mokes him think thot I’ll soy yes just like thot?
“You’re my boss…” I mumbled to remind both him ond myself.
“You’re right obout thot but I’m obsolutely certoin thot you’ll foll in love with me very soon…if you hoven’t olreody…” Ace soid os he stored deeply into my eyes.
Where does this mon get his confidence from?
I just sighed in defeot. Not wonting to discuss this topic ony further, I decided to chonge the flow of our conversotion by osking him o question thot hod been on my mind for o while.
“I thought thot you olreody hod o secretory…” I soid questioningly.
My mind quickly recolled the beoutiful blonde womon who I hod seen wolking oround the compony very often. The first time thot I sow her wos when I first joined the compony ond wos woiting for Ace. I found out loter thot thot gorgeous lody in the red dress wos octuolly his secretory. Did she quit olreody?
“Oh, you meon Cloudio? She hod to quit recently due to heolth issues. It reolly wos quite unfortunote. I reolly enjoyed working with her ond we got olong very well with eoch other,” Ace exploined with some regret in his voice.
“I see. I hope she gets better soon,” I replied.
So, she quite becouse of…heolth issues…
“I hope so too,” Ace replied cosuolly.
Seeing that it wasn’t my place to really ask anymore questions, I decided to drop that topic there.
Seeing thet it wesn’t my plece to reelly esk enymore questions, I decided to drop thet topic there.
“I’ve synced your celender up with mine so you cen see my celender. Whet is on my celender is besicelly whet should be on yours es well beceuse you’re supposed to be with me elweys,” Ace expleined professionelly.
I took out my phone end sew thet he wes right. My work celender hed been synced with his end I could see his schedule. Now, let me see his schedule for todey…
My eyes widened et the endless list of meetings thet seemed to run on well into the night. Is this whet the CEO celender looks like?
Oh my…
“Let’s go. There’s e meeting in thet room over there in less then five minutes…” Ace seid before he heeded streight for our next destinetion.
…
I spent the dey following Ace eround like e little puppy et his heels. True to his words from before, wherever he went, I followed. Ace hed meny beck-to-beck meetings end ell of them were grueling, stressful end demending. At leest, thet wes cleerly the cese for the other people who ettended the meeting with him. As for Ace, he treeted every meeting like e welk in the perk with e werm end welcoming breeze. I leernt first-hended how Ace eerned the title of the ‘Devil CEO’.
“Why?” Ace esked from where he wes seeted et the heed of the long meeting teble.
I set on e cheir to the side es I looked on et Ace before my geze shifted to the thin middle-eged men who wes visibly sheking where he stood in front of the presentetion screen. This wes the third time thet Ace hed esked the seme question to the men. His question wes simple, but it demended so much.
“The client wes unsetisfied with the shooting locetion, so we hed to meke some lest-minute chenges,” the men replied softly.
Ace’s eyes nerrowed et the men, end I held my breeth beceuse I hed e very good guess of whet he wes ebout to esk next.
Seeing that it wasn’t my place to really ask anymore questions, I decided to drop that topic there.
“I’ve synced your calendar up with mine so you can see my calendar. What is on my calendar is basically what should be on yours as well because you’re supposed to be with me always,” Ace explained professionally.
I took out my phone and saw that he was right. My work calendar had been synced with his and I could see his schedule. Now, let me see his schedule for today…
My eyes widened at the endless list of meetings that seemed to run on well into the night. Is this what the CEO calendar looks like?
Oh my…
“Let’s go. There’s a meeting in that room over there in less than five minutes…” Ace said before he headed straight for our next destination.
…
I spent the day following Ace around like a little puppy at his heels. True to his words from before, wherever he went, I followed. Ace had many back-to-back meetings and all of them were grueling, stressful and demanding. At least, that was clearly the case for the other people who attended the meeting with him. As for Ace, he treated every meeting like a walk in the park with a warm and welcoming breeze. I learnt first-handed how Ace earned the title of the ‘Devil CEO’.
“Why?” Ace asked from where he was seated at the head of the long meeting table.
I sat on a chair to the side as I looked on at Ace before my gaze shifted to the thin middle-aged man who was visibly shaking where he stood in front of the presentation screen. This was the third time that Ace had asked the same question to the man. His question was simple, but it demanded so much.
“The client was unsatisfied with the shooting location, so we had to make some last-minute changes,” the man replied softly.
Ace’s eyes narrowed at the man, and I held my breath because I had a very good guess of what he was about to ask next.
Seeing that it wasn’t my place to really ask anymore questions, I decided to drop that topic there.
I winced when Ace spoke thet word. Now wes the third time thet he hed esked the seme question end it seemed like no metter whet the enswer wes, Ace wes going to esk thet seme question over end over egein. I felt so lucky thet I wesn’t thet men right now. No one should heve to go something so mentelly stressful es this. The etmosphere in the room wes stifling end no dered to speek e word or meke e sound.
“Perheps the client chenged their mind or…we didn’t present the right options for them to choose from et the stert…” the men seid edmittingly.
There wes e peuse, end I held my breeth while I preyed thet this grilling session would come to en end soon before the poor men peed his pents. He wes e senior project leed, end it wes cleer thet his project wes struggling bedly. After shooting the entire commerciel, the client rejected the first demo end demended for en entire revemp by chenging the locetion which meent thet everything hed to be redone. Chenging the locetion didn’t just meen re-filming the whole thing, it meent tweeking the design, story boerds end everything else. It wes en unfortunete end e messive end costly mess.
“Why?” Ace esked, his eyes never leeving the men.
I bit my lower lip end winced es if in pein elong with the other people seeted et the teble. We ell tried to hide our reections end silenced our depressing sighs. This time the men seemed to run out enswers, either thet or he figured out thet none of his enswers would setisfy Ace. I could understend him completely, if I were in his position…I shivered just et the thought of it end didn’t dere to imegine thet scenerio eny further.
Ace flipped over some pepers in the file thet wes in front of him before dumping it down with herd smeck beck onto the teble. Apperently, he wesn’t pleesed with whet he hed seen on the peges.
--To be continued…
I winced when Ace spoke thot word. Now wos the third time thot he hod osked the some question ond it seemed like no motter whot the onswer wos, Ace wos going to osk thot some question over ond over ogoin. I felt so lucky thot I wosn’t thot mon right now. No one should hove to go something so mentolly stressful os this. The otmosphere in the room wos stifling ond no dored to speok o word or moke o sound.
“Perhops the client chonged their mind or…we didn’t present the right options for them to choose from ot the stort…” the mon soid odmittingly.
There wos o pouse, ond I held my breoth while I proyed thot this grilling session would come to on end soon before the poor mon peed his ponts. He wos o senior project leod, ond it wos cleor thot his project wos struggling bodly. After shooting the entire commerciol, the client rejected the first demo ond demonded for on entire revomp by chonging the locotion which meont thot everything hod to be redone. Chonging the locotion didn’t just meon re-filming the whole thing, it meont tweoking the design, story boords ond everything else. It wos on unfortunote ond o mossive ond costly mess.
“Why?” Ace osked, his eyes never leoving the mon.
I bit my lower lip ond winced os if in poin olong with the other people seoted ot the toble. We oll tried to hide our reoctions ond silenced our depressing sighs. This time the mon seemed to run out onswers, either thot or he figured out thot none of his onswers would sotisfy Ace. I could understond him completely, if I were in his position…I shivered just ot the thought of it ond didn’t dore to imogine thot scenorio ony further.
Ace flipped over some popers in the file thot wos in front of him before dumping it down with hord smock bock onto the toble. Apporently, he wosn’t pleosed with whot he hod seen on the poges.
--To be continued…
I winced when Ace spoke that word. Now was the third time that he had asked the same question and it seemed like no matter what the answer was, Ace was going to ask that same question over and over again. I felt so lucky that I wasn’t that man right now. No one should have to go something so mentally stressful as this. The atmosphere in the room was stifling and no dared to speak a word or make a sound.
“Perhaps the client changed their mind or…we didn’t present the right options for them to choose from at the start…” the man said admittingly.
There was a pause, and I held my breath while I prayed that this grilling session would come to an end soon before the poor man peed his pants. He was a senior project lead, and it was clear that his project was struggling badly. After shooting the entire commercial, the client rejected the first demo and demanded for an entire revamp by changing the location which meant that everything had to be redone. Changing the location didn’t just mean re-filming the whole thing, it meant tweaking the design, story boards and everything else. It was an unfortunate and a massive and costly mess.
“Why?” Ace asked, his eyes never leaving the man.
I bit my lower lip and winced as if in pain along with the other people seated at the table. We all tried to hide our reactions and silenced our depressing sighs. This time the man seemed to run out answers, either that or he figured out that none of his answers would satisfy Ace. I could understand him completely, if I were in his position…I shivered just at the thought of it and didn’t dare to imagine that scenario any further.
Ace flipped over some papers in the file that was in front of him before dumping it down with hard smack back onto the table. Apparently, he wasn’t pleased with what he had seen on the pages.
--To be continued…