Lia sat stiffly in the chair across from Leo's desk, clutching the folder he'd handed her earlier. She still wasn't sure why he wanted her here—or why he was looking at her like she was a puzzle he intended to solve.
Leo leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled.
"Before you accept the assistant position, there are terms you need to understand," he said.
"Terms?" Lia repeated, puzzled.
He slid a thick document towards her.
"A contract."
She hesitated, then opened it. The pages were filled with rules: strict schedules, confidentiality clauses, and expectations of behavior. Everything was formal, intense, and… surprisingly personal.
"This is… a lot," she whispered.
Leo didn't blink. "Working directly with me requires discipline. You will follow me into meetings, deal with information considered confidential, and travel if that is required.
"Travel?" Her voice cracked.
"If needed," he affirmed.
Lia swallowed. "But… why me? There are dozens of qualified assistants.
His gaze gentled a fraction. "Because they don't challenge me."
Her breath hitched. "Challenge you? I wasn't trying to—"
"I know," he said quietly. "But you did. You're unfiltered. Honest. And you don't pretend around me."
Then, after a pause:
"I need someone like that."
Her heart thudded painfully. She looked down at the contract again, the words blurring before her eyes. This job could change everything—her career, her life. But working this close to Leo Grant? That was dangerous in a completely different way.
"You can think about it," Leo said. "But I'll need your answer by tomorrow." Lia closed the folder slowly. A contract. A choice. And a CEO who was becoming far more complicated than she could handle.