The CEO's Assistant

Rage was emanating off Eleanor, her secretary Cheryl thought she was about to explode. That was the fourth designer today who cancelled their contracts for the upcoming men's fashion week and other events.

"WHAT THE F.U.C.K IS GOING ON?!" Eleanor was furiously pacing back and forth in front of her desk, when suddenly the door flung open, standing in the dimly lit doorway, was tall, lean elder, even more enraged than Eleanor. The man marched into Eleanor's office like he owned it.

"Daddy?" Eleanor looked fearfully at the old man. Cheryl took this moment to excuse herself, leaving the father and daughter pair to talk.

"What did you do?" Eleanor's father was furious, she'd never seen him like this before, it terrified her.

"W...what do you mean?" She asked innocently, surely he couldn't have found out about the cancelled contracts, she hadn't even told her models yet.

"Don't act stupid, you know exactly what I'm talking about!" He pulled out his phone and opened the stock market, their share values were rapidly decreasing by the minute. Eleanor's eyes widen in shock, she hadn't crossed her mind to check the stock market. She bit her fingers nailed furiously.

"It's that stupid woman's fault!" She violently pushed everything off her desk.

"Who's fault?" This caught her father's attention, he knew she'd been talking about going to see Joan Richard, but surely she didn't really go and offend her.

"That stupid assistant of Joan's" She stomped around her office, "can you believe the audacity of that pesky little assistant, I'll have her fired for this."

"You didn't?" Her father pinched the bridge of his nose, as he thought about his daughter's arrogant attitude. "Please tell me you didn't offend the ice queen's heartless daughter?"

"Daughter?" She recalled Arianna had said that too, but she didn't take it seriously.

"Yes, daughter, Arianna Richard, who's worked closely as her assistant for the last 11 years." His rage was almost uncontrollable, he couldn't comprehend how his idiotic daughter had no idea who Arianna was.

"But father 15 years ago when I modelled for Joan, she didn't have an children, how can she suddenly have a 20-something year old daughter?"

"You idiot, she grew up abroad, where were you 8 years ago when it was made public?" He yelled, storming out of the office, he couldn't handle her stupidity anymore and needed to go and save what was left of his company.

~ ~ ~

Meanwhile at Aimer La Mode.

"President Clair?" Alexandra was shocked to see her boss' father standing outside Liam's office as she exited the room. His dark green eyes narrowed as he looked down at the young british-chinese woman, her long black hair tied in a neat bun, she wore a tight black pencil skirt and navy blue blouse with a few buttons undone, to the average person, she would appear quite professionally looking, however, to the well trained eye, she was dressed rather seductively. "I...I wasn't aware you were coming in today?" She straightened her back, putting a gentle smile.

"Do I need to ask your permission every time I wish to see my son Miss Ning?" He looked down at her with a cold and emotionless glare, it wasn't a mystery where Liam got his personality from.

"No... of course not President Clair," She bowed her head in apologies as she stepped aside allowing the father to enter his son's office.

William could smell her intense perfume as walked past her he stopped and whispered "Less of that perfume, it's too intense... And perhaps Miss Ning you could learn to do up a couple more buttons while you're at it." He didn't give her another glance and walked into see his son.

Alexandra rolled her eyes as he closed the door behind him and reluctantly did up her buttons.

"Must you keep that skank around?" William made a point of speaking while the door was slowly closing behind him, to ensure Alexandra heard him.

"She the most competent secretary I've had since I started, if she wants to spend her youth stuck in an unattainable reality that not my problem." Liam didn't look at his father as he spoke. Liam was well aware of Alexandra's seductive effort over the last month since his engagement had been cancelled.

"That's how you get traitors." William sat on the black leather seats in front of his son's large wooden desk.

"How 'bout we skip the small talk and you tell me why you're really here father?" Liam's eyes didn't leave the report in his hands, as he chewed on the tip of pen, a habit he knew irritated his father to no end.

"Well Liam, it seems I've heard a rumour," William crossed his arms, leaning back into the chair and glared suspiciously at his only son. This caught Liam's attention, he put down the business report and looked up curiously at his father.

Does he know about Arianna? No, or at least he doesn't know its her, he'd be furious.

"And just what is this 'rumour' you've heard dad?" Liam put down his pen and leant over his desk.

"Well supposedly you brought a girl covered in blood to St. Louis hospital, paid for all her medical bills and spend the whole night there with her, but surely my heartbroken wouldn't be doing that right?"

Shit, he heard about that? There's financial evidence to confirm that so I aren't possibly deny it. "No I did indeed do that, I caused her accident, so I took her to the hospital and paid her hospital bills, and stayed to make sure she woke up." Liam wasn't sure how much of it his father would believe, but knew that, that should satisfy his father for a little while. "I wanted to settle the matter privately, rather than getting caught in a specticial, giving the press a field day."

"Oh well..." William wasn't stupid, he knew his son was lying to him, but if wasn't ready to tell him then he'd have to investigate for himself, afterall it may be more complicated than he thinks, perhaps she's blackmailing Liam or she has something Liam wants. "Well very good then. I see I've taught you well then."

Liam went back to his report, hoping his father would see himself out, but much to his disgust, William just sat there. The two men sat there in a long, eerie silence.

"Is there something else you want?!" Liam put down his report and gave his father a frustrated look.

"Well now that you mention it, I heard that little brat of Joan's Adrianne..."

"Arianna?" Liam curiously raised his eyebrow at his father.

"Whatever her name is..." the CEO waved his hand in dismissal. "I heard she blacklisted Gold Models, modelling agency because CEO Eleanor Harris offended her."

"What? Arianna really did that?" Shock covered Liam face. That's my baby girl, you go babe. He silently cheered her on.

"I didn't realise you were that familiar with Miss Richard?" William questioned his son suspiciously.

"Oh not personally, but of course I've heard a lot about her, especially lately, you know with the announcement." Liam looked down at his report hoping his father won't see the lies in his eyes.

"Announcement?!" William looked at son in confusion. "What announcement?"

"That Arianna will be succeeding her mother, and become the next CEO of RF, it was announced last week, how'd you not know? Have you been living under a rock?"

"WHAT?!" William's body emanated with anger. "Damn it!" He threw his phone on the floor, he'd place John Thompson there more than 13 years ago in hopes that when Joan retired, he'd have indirect control of the company.