Great in some ways; terrible in others.

She'd been anxiously working at her desk all morning while she waited for her turn. She couldn't imagine he'd have a lot to say given that he had just got here. Most people thought it was just a guise for him to meet the team and see who to cut.

As Fred, Chloe's husband, left Cassian's office, the despair on his face was impossible to miss. Chloe shot up and ran over to him. "I got fired," he said, doing his best to keep it together.

"What? But you've been with the company just as long as I have! You do great work!" Chloe shot back, her hands resting on his arms. She wanted to calm him down and soothe him, but this was a big deal. That was a significant source of income that they suddenly wouldn't have. "Did he say why?"

Fred turned to look away from her for a moment, his face a bit red. "No. He's just a dick."

"I'll handle it," Chloe replied as she felt the anger well up inside of her. She hated Cassian and this only solidified it. She gave Fred a quick peck on the lips and stormed into her new boss's office.

"Ah, there you are," Cassian said with a smirk as Chloe closed the door behind her. "Come take a seat."

"I'll stand, thanks, boss. Why did you fire my husband?" She decided to ask right out of the gate. Chloe didn't want to play games or run in circles with him.

"He was redundant," Cassian shrugged, unbothered by her tone. "We have a few of those here that I will need to lay off. People that do jobs other people do, but worse. Fred's team can and will function without him and they'll all enjoy the pay bump that comes with him being gone. And, speaking of that," he reached into his desk drawer and tossed out a small stack of papers.

Chloe raised her eyebrow at that. It seemed like such a random interruption in his thought. "I'm looking for a right-hand man. More than just a secretary. I'm a busy fast-paced man with many needs. I need a woman who can keep up with me. Of course, you will be rewarded. Benefits, pay raise, trips... with less people, we can afford to pay the good ones more and give them incentives to stay."

It wasn't a terrible theory. Chloe wasn't sure how it would work in practice, but it was an actual reason beyond Cassian just being a dick. "And you want me to be your secretary? Right after you fired my husband?"

"Check the salary," her new boss said as he leaned back in his chair.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the stack of papers. "Holy shit—" that was a lot of zeroes. That was almost eight times her current salary! "There's no way that's right."

"It is. I've worked everything out with the board and, well, they're onboard. But do make sure you read over the entire contract before signing; I don't need you complaining about the stipulations." He sighed and looked at her expectantly.

Skeptical, Chloe began to read through the contract. Standard stuff... Be on time... Handle tasks when asked... Dress code... What? And... She continued reading; her eyes growing wider and wider as each line passed by. For the duration of this contract, (1) year, I, [Employee Name], will give myself entirely to the CEO to help him achieve his goals. I will use my mind, my heart, and my body to please him and improve the company. I will be his property to do as he pleases until the end of the contract...

The more she read, the more disgusted she felt. He would essentially own her as a **** for a full year. Granted, the over a million-dollar contract did make it seem very tempting. No, this is ridiculous. "You can't honestly think I'll sign this."

"I do. It's one year and upwards of two million dollars. Don't get confused: this has nothing to do with our history. These are the rules I would have for any of my secretaries. You happened to be the best fit with your work history... and you're not too bad on the eyes. But don't think too long; if you leave without signing it, I'll end up giving it to someone else." He was resolute and seemed quite serious about the whole thing. This didn't seem to be some kind of joke or scheme.

It had always bothered her that Cassian asked like he was better than everyone else. Even in this conversation, he made it sound like these were things he deserved. But the money... With Fred laid off, this would be incredibly helpful. And it was only for a year. Hell, they could retire after it. She wasn't selling her soul; just her body. Fred would have to be okay with it. Resigning herself to her fate, Chloe filled out the paperwork and handed it over.

"Great. Very glad to have you on the team. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other meetings to attend. You may have the rest of the day off, but be in here tomorrow, bright and early, and in dress code." Cassian sat back upright, finished with their discussion.

She'd expected him to be... worse. But he seemed pretty pragmatic. Sure, he was kind of a dick, but he didn't demean her or her husband— at least not directly. For now, she left his office. Her mind was running wild with all of her thoughts, not to mention how Fred would respond to this...