Chapter 6 He's Not All That Bad

• Brandon left Ethan’s office, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Getting a job at Wings Group had really become a dream come true. He had never intended to stage a protest or force that jerk to acknowledge him, but the situation had turned in his favor.
• His simple goal was to go there, apply, interview, and maybe get rejected. But now, he was a personal assistant to the CEO of Wings Group, Ethan Asher—the exact opposite of what he’d wanted. Yet here he was, a PA to Ethan Asher, CEO of Wings Group.
• The trip to Human Resources turned out to be surprisingly welcoming. Brenda, a nice young woman with a lovely smile and curves, greeted him warmly. Somehow, in the short time between Brandon leaving Ethan’s office and finding the HR department, she already had the contract ready. In any other circumstances, Brandon would have flirted with her, but he was too frustrated now.
• “Wow, you got it done within a short time?” Brandon said, skimming over the contract.
• Brenda laughed a little. “When you work for a big company like Wings, you learn to be highly efficient. Trust me.”
• That… didn’t sound reassuring at all.
• The salary made up for all the inconveniences. Money couldn’t buy respect, but it sure made his life easier. Brandon wasn’t going to pretend that he didn’t care about it. He would work for Ethan for half a year, prove him wrong, and pay for his sister’s college until he could find a job where he didn’t have to worry about losing it. There was nothing else to put on the line.
• “I thought Mr. Noah Asher was the boss, not Ethan,” Brandon said.
• Brenda sighed, a shadow crossing her face. “Mr. Noah Asher retired and gave up his position. Besides, this company solely belongs to Mr. Ethan Asher. He built it from scratch. The interference of his father is just unfair. I learned that Mr. Ethan Asher chose this path in honor of his mother, who was speculated to have committed suicide. He found a passion for buying damaged things and fixing them. That includes individuals, companies, and whatever else has potential. And, this is the major business of the company outside the private aviation and VVIP chauffeuring services to the high and mighty.”
• Out of everything she said, the speculation got his attention. “Speculated, you say?” He pressed for more information.
• “This is first-class information, not known by many. But since we are colleagues now, what harm will it do to share a little?” She peeked around to make sure they were alone and then continued. “Some said that Mrs. Asher was murdered. She was a very nice woman and didn’t have any reason to kill herself. Unless, she had something that she shielded from the world. Who knows? The dirty secrets among the rich are just so unbelievable.”
• Brandon understood what angle she was coming from. If one of the Ashers could be like this, imagine what the rest were like.
• Brandon decided to change the topic as he was starting to get uneasy about the information. “Do you think he is a terrible boss?”
• “What I think doesn’t matter. He needs to be this way for the business to thrive. A soft man can never make a good leader. He is our boss, whether we cherish his attitude or not. Bonus point, he owns eighty percent of the shares here. The remaining twenty is owned by a few board members. You see, you can’t do much.”
• Brandon scrunched his nose, unsure what to think. Then he let out a surprised whistle when he calculated the stock market. Wings Group was worth one trillion, so you can imagine what a rich bastard Ethan was. No wonder the guy reeked of power, wealth, and more wealth. That didn’t give him the right to be an arrogant ass.
• “I see that you’re a manager and administrator,” Brenda said, looking at his file. “But you’ve made a good decision. If you can keep your job for the duration of the contract, anyone in the industry will hire you on the spot.”
• Brandon blinked.
• Probably correctly understanding his confusion, Brenda smiled crookedly. “Mr. Ethan has a… certain reputation in the industry. If you manage to keep the job as his PA for half a year, you’ll prove yourself extremely innovative and adaptive in high-demand situations. It will be the best possible recommendation to any prospective employer.”
• “Wow,” Brandon laughed. “That doesn’t exactly sound very reassuring.”
• “Welcome to the world of business. Things get messier than you can ever imagine,” Brenda said. “Sign here.”
• Brandon signed the contract, trying not to feel like he’d just sold his soul and freedom to the devil.
• “Good luck,” Brenda said. There was a sympathetic, pitying glint in her eyes, which wasn’t reassuring, either. “You need plenty of it.”
• Brandon smiled weakly. “Is he really that bad?”
• She just winced and said nothing for a moment before glancing around. “Mr. Ethan is… difficult to please. I’ll be honest with you: his assistants don’t stay long. He has had a number this year alone. And after the company’s expansion, his workload is insane, which means his PA’s workload is insane, too. You’ll have to travel all the time between countries and the other offices of Wings Group. It will not be easy. And that’s without taking the boss’s difficult character into account.”
• Brandon chuckled. “If that’s your idea of a preparation talk, it’s kind of terrible.”
• Brenda gave him a full smile. She seemed to hesitate before lowering her voice and saying, “It’s not that he tries to be difficult. I think he just can’t help it. He was raised that way.”
• “He was raised to be an ass?” Brandon said doubtfully.
• A chuckle tore out of her throat. She glanced around again before murmuring, “Don’t let his high standards fool you. He has seen the world. He was raised differently, and he has seen a fair share of life. Rumors even have it that he is hated by his father. That is why he tries his best to be the better one among his other siblings.”
• Brandon’s eyebrows drew together. “That’s a lot for a man of his standard. Shouldn’t he be idolized by his family for becoming successful independently?” He didn’t subscribe to the notion that a family should still be segregated. He grew up in an abnormal one, but everyone was treated equally. Then, if he wasn’t from America, where else could he be from?
• “He may also be connected to men of different culture” Brenda said, giving him a look. “Men from Sicily.”