***Copyright © 2022 by BlueDragon95***

I eyed the stack of files that were piled up on my office desks. I averted my eyes from it as it had to start to give me a headache. I blew the air out of my mouth and slumped my shoulders while looking back at the file which I was currently working on. I was now going through the tenth file but the stack looked as tall as it was while I was working on the first file. Hazel, stop eyeing the piled-up file, or else you will feel your headache growing even more. Taking my inner voice advice I nodded my head in understanding. I concentrated back on it and in no time I got immersed in my work. In twenty minutes I was done with the tenth file.

I decided to take a short break by cracking my fingers and rotating my head. The day I shifted to our headquarter office in New York work has always been this much. But it increased even more from the day Mr Adams, my boss's dad, announced that he is going to step down from his current position and my boss Zanvil Adams is going to be the new CEO and me secretary of the new CEO. I can't even imagine I would be in this place one day. I joined the Boston branch of Adams cooperation as an intern but I was put on as temporary secretary of Zanvil's Adams as he fired his secretary who tried to control him and act as if she was his girlfriend. That's what I heard from other employees.

I even heard that he was rude and doesn't tolerate even a single mistake. He doesn't even think twice before firing you if you take a single leave as he doesn't take any. I was scared to work as his employee because I didn't want to get fired. I needed this job very desperately. I had a family to take care of so I couldn't lose my job which I got after many difficulties. It was not easy to get a job in Adams cooperation and I got in as my professor recommended me as I was a hard-working and A grade student of my university. So I gave an interview and I got selected. It was the happiest day of my life. I'm always going to be thankful to my kind professor because of his help while I was standing here. I enjoyed working here but when I joined as Zanvil Adams secretary I used to work like my heart was in my throat trying hard not to make any mistakes until he found a new secretary.

I always got afraid when I saw him looking at me with his sea coloured eyes. I have seen many men who made me feel fear but his gaze had dominance and authority which I have never seen before. He was cold to me in my initial days but as he saw my work he got impressed by me and he made me his permanent secretary. I was over the moon as my salary was going to double. Slowly I started to understand he was a very caring man. Even if he shows his cold face to you inside he has a very soft heart who doesn't know how to express his feelings. Whenever I saw him staring at the portrait of a beautiful woman with long brown locks in our old office I could see love, adoration, and logging. I knew he was a man who had lots of love in his heart but didn't know how to convey it.

For the past two years, I have been working as his secretary and I can say I know him very well. I was beyond shocked when he asked me to come and join him as his secretary in New York. It was hard for me to move out leaving my mom and younger brother. I knew I have to take this job for our better future but I had never stayed away from them and on top of that my younger brother was soon going to leave home to go to college and mom will be alone. I didn't want that but they encouraged me. My mom was always the person who taught me to be strong and keep moving in my life and she said she would be sad if I left this golden opportunity for her. She said I have been working all my life for them but this time she wanted me to work for my future. Their encouragement gave me the courage to come here for my future.

I looked out of the transparent glass wall to find lots of tiny people walking on the street and some cars and buses. I slumped back into my rotating chair and kept looking out of the transparent glass. I was seated in the biggest skyscraper in New York. I never imagined I would be sitting here one day. The past and my present are two different lives a person could live. At a very young age, I knew the more I worked hard the luckier I became. So I kept this in mind and kept working.

I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the fresh air of achievement. I was proud of myself that I chose to be different and work hard to be in this place. I heard my office phone ringing. Taking one more deep breath I took the phone and I was greeted by my boss's little stressed voice. If I say I have lots of work, he has lots of infinite work left to do.

"Are you done, we should leave now, it's almost time?" he said in the same voice but I could hear a little eagerness in his voice. Strange I have never seen him being eager to go home this early. It was not even closing time. Back in Boston, he was the one who left the office late at night and sometimes even stayed to complete imported files.

"Nope, I still have lots of work left," I said, trying to tease him even though I still had work left. I could do it tomorrow. Today we were going to his house for dinner as his mom had invited me.

"You can do it later, we are leaving now, wrap it up fast and meet me at the elevator," he said with the same eagerness in his voice.

"Zanvil but" I tried to tease him more so I had a bit of idea behind his eagerness. I call him Zanvil because he doesn't like me calling him sir or boss. Our relationship was not only the boss and secretary but good friends too.

"No, if and but Hazel comes fast," he said in his boss's voice.

"Ok boss," I said and kept the phone back as I heard his grime filled voice. As he asked me I wrapped up everything and met him at the elevator.

"So what's waiting for you at home," I asked as I saw him looking at the digital numbers on the floor while tapping his one foot as if he couldn't wait to go home.

"You will see it once we reach home," he said with a mischievous smile on his face. I don't know what has been cooking in his mind. Riding his car for less than twenty minutes we reached his house and as soon as I stepped out of the car my eyes widened as I saw his house. In better words, his mansion. It was beautiful no matter from which angle I looked. "Let's go in," Zanvil said while I was still busy looking at the mansion. I nodded my head and walked in with him still looking here and there as it was my first time in such a big beautiful house. But as I took my next step my forehead clashed with hardback. Why did Zanvil stop in the middle like a stone statue? It made me move my head and look from the side as his stiff back was stopping my view. I saw a girl standing with a man and they were laughing sometimes. I couldn't see her face clearly as her long brown locks cascaded on her face as the man was holding her from behind lovingly tackling her. They looked like good friends. I moved my eyes from them to Zanvil and he was looking at them with a clenched jaw. He was fisting his hand tightly and I saw emotions of threat never seen before on his face.

Even when he was on the verge of losing imported deals he didn't bring this emotion on his face but women with brown hair. Interesting! He cleared his throat, not able to take it anymore, and that was when I saw the woman's body going stiff as she heard a familiar voice. That's when she turned her face with a shocked look on her face and I immediately recognized her. She was a portrait woman from his old office. She looks the same age as me. She immediately moved out of the man's hold but the man still grabbed her arm. I thought it was a perfect time so I moved. I saw her face fall as she saw me coming from Zanvil's back.

"Meet Hazel Smith" he introduced me to her in his mad voice. Even though the light from her looked dim after seeing me she still said hello to me with a bright welcoming smile. Zanvil pulled me to him and I looked at him with wide eyes.

"I have told her I was going to bring my girlfriend today so help me," he said while still looking at her and at that man. I moved my head in amusement as I found myself caught in between them and soon his mom welcomed us.

Now we're having dinner and his mom was talking to me. She was a nice lady and not like other snob-rich women I met in my past. Zanvil kept looking at Jane with the same mad eyes and her glaring at him the time when she looked at him. Both were trying to show off but I was not able to see her troubled expression on her face. I knew the man sitting beside me had a special place in her heart but she was far away from knowing it. When I said Zanvil was like my elder brother her face lit up even without her knowing. Looking at them made me think, will I ever feel what they are feeling. Will someone ever look at me like Zanvil looks at Jane lovingly when she is not looking? ng. A bitter smile caressed my lips as I knew the one truth of my life very clearly.

I'm not made for love.