003: Summoned by the acting CEO

A few months later.

Woken by her 5 AM alarm, Sophia lingered in bed for a few more minutes, still tired from the previous day's work, occasionally checking her phone to ensure she wouldn't oversleep.

When the alarm sounded again at 5:30 AM, Sophia quickly jumped out of bed, surprised at how fast time had passed. She muttered to herself, "Oh, sh*t," as she headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for herself. She needed sustenance before leaving her small apartment on the bustling streets of Queens for her job at Wexa Media Group HQ in Times Square.

With a plate of reheated leftovers in her hands, she took bites of food while making her way back to her room, finishing the meal there. Afterward, she rushed to the bathroom to prepare for the day.

Leaving her apartment slightly after 7 AM, she hurried to the train station. There, she caught a train directly to her company's HQ in Times Square, a 30 minute journey.

Arriving at HQ a few minutes before 8 AM, she glanced at her wristwatch, relieved to have made it on time. Wexa Media Group had strict policies against lateness, and Sophia couldn't afford to lose her job, especially given her current financial predicament. She understood how challenging it was to secure a position at this multi-billion-dollar news media firm. She quickly entered the building, her employee ID hanging from her neck, as mandated by company policy.

She exchanged morning greetings with Mr. Mark, a familiar face and the security guard on duty. Displaying her office ID card hanging from her neck, she greeted him, "Good morning."

The security guard, who had a secret crush on Sophia, responded with a smile, "Morning, Miss Sophia. How was your night?"

Sophia, smiling as well, replied, "It was fine."

With a hint of confidence, Mr. Mark asked, "How about tonight?" hinting at a date night, a question he'd posed every morning for the past three months when Sophia walked in.

Stepping away from the security guard, Sophia replied in a tone loud enough for him to hear as she was about entering the building's elevator, "My answer remains the same; it's against the company's policy."

The security guard, not giving up, retorted, "Well, that means I'll keep trying until you say yes."

With a considerable distance between Sophia and the security guard, she spoke in a higher tone so he could hear her as she stepped into the elevator, "My answer will always remain the same."

Once she reached her office floor, she stepped out of the elevator and made her way to her desk. exchanging greetings with her fellow colleagues in the building, settling in for the day. About an hour later, she received a call from the CEO's office, and it was the assistant to the acting CEO.

"Hello, is this Miss Sophia Johnson?" inquired the CEO's assistant.

Sophia confirmed, "Yes, it's me."

The assistant then told her, "The acting CEO would like to have an audience with you in his office."

Stunned and overwhelmed with myriad questions regarding the reason the acting CEO wished to see her, Sophia stammered, "Um, pl-ple-please, can I know the reason?"

The assistant responded, "I'm not certain, ma'am, but I would say it appears to be important."

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing these words, and with great courage, she made her way to the CEO's office.

When Sophia reached the CEO's office, she nervously knocked on the door and heard a feminine voice from within saying, "Come in." It was the same voice she had heard on the phone, confirming that this person was the acting CEO's assistant. She entered the office with her heart still racing.

Sophia addressed the assistant, "You mentioned the acting CEO wanted to see me?"

The assistant replied, "Yes, that's correct. Please take a seat, and I'll let him know you're here." She gestured toward the empty chairs in the office.

The assistant then went through the door behind her desk into the CEO's office. Shortly after, she returned and said to Sophia, "He's ready for you."

With those words, Sophia stood up and entered the CEO's office. As she walked in, she noticed that the acting CEO, Harry Stone, was intently looking her up and down, examining her for some reason. This made her even more anxious, and she began to visibly shake. To break the silence that had taken over the room, Sophia stammered, "Yo-you asked f-for me, si-sir."

Harry, with a smile on his face, motioned to the chair directly in front of his desk and said, "Please have a seat." He continued, "Do you know why you're here?"

Panicking, Sophia responded, "N-no, sir," while thoughts raced through her mind, considering if it had something to do with what transpired between them a few months ago at his dad's retirement party, perhaps something she had said to him in her inebriated state.

At that moment, a phone call came into the CEO's office, interrupting their conversation. Harry excused himself, telling Sophia, "Please give me a minute, don't go anywhere," and left the office to take the call.

The expression on his face as he left indicated that he meant business, which further heightened Sophia's anxiety. Lost in thought about why she had been summoned, she was snapped back to reality by Harry's deep voice as he reentered the office, apologizing, "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Sophia responded, "It's not much of a wait, sir."

Seated back in his chair, Harry continued, "Now, where were we?"

Sophia stammered, "Y-you asked me if I know the reason I was here?"

Harry replied, "Oh, that's true."

"Yes, Miss Sophia, the reason I summoned you here is because..."

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Sophia interrupted, "Please, sir, is it because of what happened at the party? I'm sorry, sir."

Harry paused and stared directly into Sophia's eyes with his piercing blue gaze, making her uncomfortable. It felt like he was peering into her soul, and she couldn't maintain eye contact. She lowered her gaze and looked at her hands resting on her lap.

Breaking the silence once more, Harry's voice remained firm but oddly gentle. "You know, it's considered rude not to maintain eye contact during a conversation."

Sophia nervously mumbled an apology, "I'm sorry, sir."

Harry quickly hushed her, "Shh, you don't speak until I ask you to. Understood? Now, look up."

Sophia, too scared to look up, kept her eyes fixed on her lap, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.

Harry repeated, "Look up. I won't ask again."

In her fearful state, Sophia managed to lift her gaze.

Harry then continued, still maintaining direct eye contact with Sophia.

"There you go. Wasn't that easy?"

Sophia nodded in response, her fear palpable.

Harry went on, "You're right; this has to do with what happened at the party."

Sophia offered another apology, "I'm genuinely sorry. It won't happen again."

"I said shush. Didn't I tell you not to speak unless I ask you to?"