Chapter 10 - A Brand New Office, A Dangerous Promotion, and the Hidden Janitor's True Corporate Queen
The massive and luxurious corner office on the fiftieth floor now belonged entirely to me,
a surreal,
terrifying,
and completely unearned promotion that I had absolutely never actually asked for.
The huge space was previously occupied by Richard Hale,
but Ethan's efficient men had already completely cleared out every single trace of the former executive,
leaving the beautiful room completely pristine and ready for a new occupant.
Ethan stood quietly by the massive floor to ceiling glass windows,
looking down thoughtfully at the sprawling and busy city of Chicago that he completely owned from the shadows.
The bright afternoon sunlight caught the faint gray hairs at his temples,
reminding me briefly of the humble janitor I had defended just yesterday morning,
a seemingly innocent man who actually controlled an entire criminal empire.
"I am completely unqualified to be a chief financial officer,"
I said nervously,
setting my cheap leather tote bag down on the massive polished mahogany desk.
"I merely check routine invoices for simple mathematical errors,
I do not know how to manage a multibillion dollar corporate laundering operation."
Ethan turned around slowly,
the warm sunlight casting long and dramatic shadows across his strong and handsome face.
"You are the only person in this entire building who possessed the incredible courage to stand up for a lowly janitor,
and you are the only accountant brilliant enough to spot a highly sophisticated embezzlement scheme hidden within thousands of routine pages,"
he argued passionately,
walking slowly across the soft and expensive carpet to stand directly in front of my new desk.
"I possess plenty of ruthless men who can easily break bones,
Claire,
but I desperately need a fearless woman who can completely fix my broken numbers."
I looked down at the massive pile of highly confidential ledgers placed neatly on my desk,
the undeniable weight of my dangerous new reality pressing heavily down on my shoulders.
"If I actually agree to do this highly illegal job for you,
Ethan,
I am officially crossing a line that I can absolutely never return from,"
I whispered honestly,
my voice trembling slightly with the terrifying knowledge of what I was about to become.
He reached across the wide desk,
his large and warm hand gently covering my small and shaking fingers,
his dark eyes blazing with an intense and undeniable protective fire.
"You crossed that dangerous line the very second you bought me a cup of black coffee,
Claire,"
he said softly,
his deep voice vibrating with absolute sincerity and a hint of dark romance.
"You are completely under my personal and absolute protection now,
and I swear on my life that absolutely nothing in this city will ever harm you."
Just as the heavy tension in the quiet room reached an absolute peak,
the secure private phone on my new desk began to ring loudly,
shattering the intimate moment completely.
Ethan's face instantly hardened into a mask of pure underworld authority,
his sharp eyes narrowing suspiciously at the blinking red light on the expensive console,
signaling an incoming call on the highly encrypted private line.
"Answer it immediately,"
he instructed coldly,
stepping back slightly to give me the necessary space to operate.
May you like
I took a deep and shaky breath,
picking up the heavy receiver with trembling hands,
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