Chapter 4 - FIRST DAYS IN THE LION'S DEN
Stepping onto the tenth floor of Sterling Capital as an employee was entirely different from entering as a nervous candidate.
My new office was a corner suite with expansive glass walls overlooking the bustling harbor.
A sleek mahogany desk,
a leather ergonomic chair,
and a stack of pending financial reports awaited me.
Yet,
despite the luxurious workspace,
I felt the heavy weight of scrutiny from day one.
Word travels with terrifying speed in corporate skyscrapers.
By noon on my first day,
rumor had already circulated among the junior analysts that the new senior hire had been hand-picked by Alexander Sterling himself.
Envy and curiosity hung thick in the air around the communal coffee machine.
“So,
is it true?
” whispered Marcus,
a senior associate who had been eyeing my position for months.
“Is what true,
Marcus?
” I asked calmly,
stirring a splash of oat milk into my dark roast.
“That you and Mr.
Sterling have a history outside of work?
He rarely looks twice at anyone during interviews,
let alone grants them a corner suite on the executive floor on day one.
”
“We met briefly at an airport,
” I replied smoothly,
refusing to give him any juicy gossip to chew on.
“An airport,
” Marcus scoffed lightly,
though his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Right.
Just make sure your numbers hold up during tomorrow's audit meeting,
because the boss doesn't tolerate mistakes,
no matter who you ran into at baggage claim.
”
I walked back to my office,
my jaw clenched.
Marcus was right about one thing.
Alexander Sterling was a perfectionist who demanded absolute excellence.
As if summoned by my thoughts,
the connecting door between my office and the executive suite clicked open.
Alexander stood in the doorway,
rolling up his shirt sleeves slightly to reveal strong,
tanned forearms.
“Are you settling in alright,
Eve?
” he asked,
leaning casually against the doorframe.
“Yes,
Mr.
Sterling,
” I replied,
standing up straight.
“The office is wonderful.
”
He walked over to my desk,
glancing down at the open financial spreadsheets.
“Drop the formal title when we are behind closed doors,
” he instructed quietly,
his gray eyes fixing on mine.
“It feels a bit too distant for people who have shared tears in an airport terminal.
”
“I’m not sure HR would approve of calling the CEO by his first name,
Alexander,
” I countered,
testing the boundary.
He chuckled softly,
a deep,
resonant sound that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.
“Let HR worry about compliance,
and let me worry about office protocol,
” he said smoothly.
“Now,
bring those European portfolio files into my office in ten minutes.
May you like
We have a lot of work to do.
”
