Chapter 5- Arrogant Ariana

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Did I just hear arrogant, insufferable Ariana Miller say she’s the new CEO?

She’s going to start laughing any second now, right? Maybe she’ll say her mom is on the way?

But she wasn’t the type to joke.

The room fell into stunned silence, everyone frozen in disbelief. And then—almost like a delayed reaction—they snapped out of it, hurriedly standing as if she had just announced herself as a queen rather than CEO. I was already standing, but watching them scramble to show her respect made my stomach turn.

Ariana stood there, proud, composed, and every bit the tyrant I imagined she would be. She had the kind of confidence that wasn’t learned—it was inherited, passed down like the empire she was about to rule. And she knew it.

Then, the door opened again, and relief crashed over me.

This was a joke. It had to be.

Mr. Miller walked in. His sharp blue eyes—eyes that had commanded this company for years—landed on his granddaughter. And then, as if dropping a bomb with no warning, he said,

"I'm sure you've met my granddaughter. She’ll be the CEO from now on."

A weight sank in my chest.

No. No. No.

This couldn’t be happening.

I didn’t know Ariana well—aside from the fact that I hated her. She was cold, ruthless, and dangerous in a way that made people step aside when she walked into a room. And I—Hardin Smith—had just signed a contract binding me as her personal assistant.

And the worst part?

I thought I was signing up to work for her mother.

I could feel my pulse hammering as realization sank in. Mr. Miller tricked me. He had me sign that damn contract, knowing full well I’d be working under his nightmare of a granddaughter.

This was insane.

She wasn’t the type of woman you wanted to cross paths with. She’d destroy you.

And I had no way out.

I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, but my fists clenched so tight I felt my nails dig into my palms.

Ariana’s icy blue eyes scanned the room, lingering on each person like she was measuring their worth.

She had that same look on her face—the one that always made my blood boil. The one that said you are beneath me.

The only blonde woman I couldn’t stand.

I remembered the last time we ran into each other. She had looked at me like she expected me to lick the ground she walked on. And now? I was stuck working under her.

Fucking hell.

"Take a seat, everyone."

Her voice was smooth, authoritative, completely unshaken. And like puppets on strings, everyone obeyed instantly.

She took a seat right next to me, leaving the head chair for Mr. Miller. Because of course, he’d always be the head, even if he was stepping down.

"I'm counting on you all to work with my granddaughter just like you worked with me," Mr. Miller said. "Support her, just as you supported me. I want everything to go smoothly. Now, go ahead and introduce yourselves."

And just my luck—I had to go first.

I swallowed the irritation burning at the back of my throat, forcing my voice to remain steady.

"I’m Hardin Smith. Your assistant."

The words felt like a death sentence.

Everyone else went around introducing themselves, but I barely heard a thing. My thoughts were too loud, screaming at me that I had just signed away my freedom.

"Well, since I’ve introduced myself to every department head, I’m going to try settling in," Ariana said, standing. "I hope we can work well together."

Lies.

She didn’t hope for anything. She expected.

We all stood as she linked arms with her grandfather and walked out, leaving the rest of us in the room to finally breathe.

But I couldn’t.

Because my nightmare was just beginning.

---

I followed them out of the meeting room, my pulse thundering in my ears. We stepped into the elevator, the tension between us so thick it could have suffocated me.

And then, out of nowhere—

"It was a last-minute decision."

Mr. Miller’s voice cut through the silence. I blinked, unsure if he was talking to me or Ariana.

"I know you must be surprised, Hardin," he continued. "You were expecting my daughter to take over."

No shit.

I stayed silent.

"I thought about it, and I couldn’t think of a better person to fill the position," he added, his tone decisive. "Ariana was born into this world—she knows what it takes. I hope you don’t mind the surprise?"

I was about to answer, but—

"Why do you have to explain anything to him, Grandpa?"

Ariana’s voice was sharp, laced with amusement.

"If he doesn’t want to work as my assistant, he can leave. I’m sure there are hundreds of people who would kill for the position."

My jaw clenched.

There it was.

Her attitude.

That fucking arrogance that made me want to slam my fist into a wall.

"No, Ariana."

Mr. Miller’s voice was stern.

"He’s the only one capable of this job. I need to speak to both of you."

The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out, walking toward his office. An office that would soon belong to her.

My stomach turned at the thought.

Inside, we sat across from each other, an invisible war brewing between us.

"Ariana, I’m sure you know Hardin," Mr. Miller started. "He’s been my assistant for a long time. When I decided that the next CEO would have an assistant, it was meant for your mother. But things changed. And now, I trust Hardin to assist you just as he did for me."

Ariana stayed silent, her piercing gaze locked onto her grandfather. Then, slowly, she turned to me.

And what I saw in her eyes?

A promise of war.

Then, just like that, she turned back to her grandfather with the sweetest smile.

"If that’s what you want, Grandpa," she said. "I’ll work with him. You always make the best decisions. I trust you."

Liar.

Mr. Miller smiled, satisfied. "I’m glad that’s settled. I can retire in peace. Ariana, enjoy your first day as CEO. And remember, you can trust Hardin."

Her face barely hid her disdain.

We walked Mr. Miller to the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed—

Ariana’s fake smile dropped.

She turned to me, cold and sharp.

"I don’t care how highly my grandpa thinks of you," she said, her voice like ice.

I stayed still, my fists tightening.

"You’ve worked for him. Fine. But I’ll be the one to decide if you deserve those praises or not," she continued. "For all I know, he thinks you’re getting things done when you’re actually doing nothing."

My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached.

"I don’t tolerate lazy people."

She took a step closer, her eyes challenging.

"Get to work."

Then, without another word, she turned and walked into her office, leaving me standing there, fists clenched, pulse pounding.

This was just the first day.

And I already hated her.

How the hell was I supposed to survive years of this?

And worse—

I couldn’t quit.

I was doomed.