Chapter 2

Xander's eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly as he caught Abigail blatantly staring at him. As the CEO of Zane Corporation, he was accustomed to receiving attention from women. However, even without his title, his chiseled features alone were enough to make many women fall head over heels for him. He despised these types of women. Cleona nudged Abigail gently, "What are you waiting for?" Abigail snapped out of her trance, composed herself quickly, and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Zane. I'm Abigail Renee. I've only been transferred to the Zane Corporation headquarters for less than a year." Xander repeated her name silently, feeling a sense of familiarity. He took another glance at Abigail and realized that she was no longer staring at him. He found her much more pleasant to look at and said, "Let her stay." Cleona acknowledged and led the three of them out of the office. She then instructed Abigail, "Go get your things and move into the executive assistant's office." "Okay," Abigail said as she headed back to her desk to pack up her belongings. Working alongside the CEO would mean at least a double salary. The three of them were excellent candidates who had survived several rounds of selection, each vying for the same position. Despite having the least experience, Abigail landed the job which left the other two feeling somewhat dissatisfied. However, Luna quickly realized that it was not right to think this way and recognized Abigail's capability. She knew she couldn't deny Abigail's strength just because of her young age and limited experience. With a smile, Luna gave Abigail a hug and warmly congratulated her. "Abigail, congratulations!" Abigail replied, "Thank you!" As Luna spoke, David couldn't resist making snarky comments. "Luna, I have no doubts about your competence, but it takes more than just being competent to get promoted. You also need to have the ability to seduce men," he remarked, insinuatingly without calling out anyone in particular. If Abigail were to respond to his comment, it would mean she felt guilty. Therefore, David believed that Abigail would only endure his sarcastic remarks. However, Abigail turned to him with a frigid stare and said, "David Cooper, are you trying to defame Mr. Zane?" With a single sentence, Abigail made David understand the full implications of what he had said, causing his face to turn white with fear. Luna chimed in, "David, you've really got no class. Attacking the credibility of a woman whose work surpasses yours is just malicious." "Luna, I'm stepping out now." Abigail gave Luna a grateful look before grabbing her box and heading toward the executive assistant's office. When Abigail reached there, Cleona eyed her up and down before warning her, "Although Mr. Zane chose you today, whether or not you can stay by his side long-term will depend on your work capabilities." Voicing her concern, Cleona lowered her tone, implying that it was not in Abigail's favor to make any advances toward Mr. Zane. "Remember, he really despises subordinates with motives. Don't destroy your own future," she cautioned. Xander had never publicly shown his face to the media, leaving the public unaware of his physical appearance. Nevertheless, he had consistently ranked as Florivera's most wanted bachelor for several years. While Abigail had no romantic feelings toward Xander, it was unlikely anyone would believe her if she did. She realized that excelling in her job was more important than justifying her intentions. "Ms. Sander, thank you for the warning. I'll keep that in mind," Abigail replied. Cleona seemed pleased with Abigail's response, her gaze softening. "I'll leave the tasks to you now," she said. The Zane Corporation had a large team of executive assistants, but only two of them, Cleona Sander and Keith Jackman, were special aides to Xander. They each had specific roles to play. Cleona was like a personal assistant, taking care not only of Xander's work, but his daily life as well. Abigail had memorized everything there was to know about Xander's personal preferences, habits, and taboos, all of which were a mandatory course for executive assistants. Abigail spent the morning exchanging work details with Cleona, knowing that in the afternoon, she would be facing the CEO on her own. During the lunch break, Abigail brewed an authentic iced Americano coffee and knocked on the CEO's office door. A deep, pleasant male voice from inside said, "Come in." Abigail walked in and saw Xander sitting at his desk, reading documents. She placed the coffee thirty centimeters to his left, and said, "Mr. Zane, you have a meeting with EdgeTech at two ten, which is in ten minutes." Without looking up, Xander reached out his hand and accurately picked up the coffee, taking a sip and saying, "Mhmm." Ten minutes later, Xander was accompanied by his two assistants, Keith and Abigail, to attend a meeting. Keith was responsible for taking notes while Abigail prepared the materials that Xander needed. Xander spoke very little during the meeting and mostly listened to his subordinates and the other party. Occasionally, he would interject with a succinct statement that precisely pinpointed the key points. Whenever he lifted his hand and made a slight change in his gaze, Abigail knew exactly what he needed and promptly handed him the required documents. Their seamless teamwork during the meeting was so impressive that even Keith, who knew that Abigail had just been promoted to special assistant, thought that she had been working with Mr. Zane for many years. After more than three hours, the meeting ended without a hitch, and Abigail and Keith followed Xander back to the office. They were about to report their next tasks when Xander's private phone rang. When Xander answered the call, he heard Margaret's feeble voice on the other end, "Xander, since you're back in the country, please pick up my granddaughter-in-law and bring her home. She can't keep living alone outside. If you don't take her home, I'll just die in Southcrest Residence and not go back home anymore." Xander pushed up the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose and replied, "You didn't have to say it. I was already planning to pick her up today." The old lady's excitement made her forget her act, and her voice suddenly rose a few degrees, "I'll send you her address. Go pick her up after work!" Xander agreed and hung up the phone before listening to Abigail and Keith's work reports. After listening to his subordinate's report, Xander didn't ask about work. "What do you think we need to prepare to meet a girl?" No one expected this question. Keith had been by Xander's side for many years and usually spoke casually. "Well, it depends on what girl we're talking about." Xander smiled. "My wife." Last year, when Xander and his wife registered their marriage, there were some problems at the Alvonia branch of Zane Corporation. After completing the registration formalities with her, he immediately flew to Alvonia and was busy for a year. During that time, she did not contact him and he was too busy to contact her. If it weren't for his grandmother's constant reminders, he would have forgotten that he was married. Now that he's back, he's ready to live a good life with her and make up for the year he owes her. Keith knew that his boss, Mr. Zane, had gotten married to a woman a year ago, but they hadn't been in contact since then. He had assumed that the marriage was just to appease the old lady in the Zane family. But now, it seemed like there was more to it. Suddenly, Keith had a thought. "Mr. Zane, did you buy the 'Astre Eternel' necklace for two hundred million in Paridale just to give it to Mrs. Zane?" Xander gave him a "no duh" look and reminded him, "You haven't answered my question yet." Keith had never been in a relationship and didn't know how to give good advice. He answered, "Well, if you already bought a two hundred-million-dollar necklace, you probably don't need to prepare anything else." Xander glared at Keith. Keith shuddered and pushed Abigail forward. "Mr. Zane, if you want to know what girls like, you should probably ask a girl."