The day dragged on for Aelira as she meticulously organized files, completing the seemingly endless list of tasks Arthur had assigned. Just when she thought she could catch her breath, her intercom buzzed, and Arthur's voice filled her headset, cold and demanding.
"Aelira," he said, his tone as sharp as ever. "I need all the departmental reports on my desk by the end of the hour. No delays."
Before she could respond, the line went dead. Aelira stared at the stack of files she was already working through and sighed. There was no time to waste. She grabbed her notepad and hurried off, determined to tackle this latest challenge.
As she moved between departments collecting the reports, she felt the weight of curious eyes on her—people who knew all too well what it meant to be on Arthur Langston's to-do list. His reputation for being exacting and relentless wasn't an exaggeration.
Returning to her desk with the reports piled in her arms, Aelira barely sat down before Arthur's assistant, Edwin, appeared with a smirk.
"You must be Aelira, the new recruit," Edwin said, his eyes scanning the reports in her hands. "Arthur's already giving you the grand tour of tasks, huh?"
Aelira forced a polite smile. "It's definitely... thorough."
Edwin chuckled. "Well, let's make it even more exciting. How about grabbing coffee for the team?" His wink didn't hide the fact that he was testing her patience.
Suppressing her irritation, Aelira simply nodded. "Sure." She had hoped for more from this job than being an errand girl, but she wasn't about to complain—at least not aloud.
After fetching coffee for the team and completing Arthur's latest demand, Aelira finally sank into her chair. Her feet ached, and her frustration simmered. Glancing at Arthur's office, she felt a wave of irritation. There he was, immersed in his work, seemingly unaware—or uncaring—of how much he was piling onto her.
"Humans," she muttered under her breath. "They make everything so complicated." She couldn't help but reminisce about her peaceful life back on her home planet, surrounded by serene landscapes, free of stress. Now here she was—on Earth, running errands for a man who seemed intent on making her life difficult.
She shook her head, trying to refocus. "Why did I even come to this galaxy? Out of all the planets, why Earth?" Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself why she was here. "Come on, Aelira. You have a mission. You need that device back. You've got this."
Her moment of self-motivation was interrupted by Edwin's voice, cutting through her thoughts like a knife.
"Hey, you," he called impatiently. "The meeting room needs to be set up. We've got some big clients coming in, and everything needs to be perfect. Now."
Aelira clenched her jaw but forced a calm response. "On it." As Edwin turned away, she muttered, "They act like I'm some kind of robot."
Tapping into her hidden abilities, Aelira discreetly used her super speed to arrange the chairs, prepare the documents, and set out refreshments in record time. Within minutes, the room was spotless and perfectly arranged. She stood back, hoping Edwin wouldn't find anything to criticize.
As the board members filed into the room, Aelira stood in the corner, ready to assist if needed. Most of the executives barely acknowledged her presence—except for Arthur, who cast her a quick glance that bordered on amusement. She couldn't quite decipher the look but didn't have time to dwell on it.
Moments later, Edwin returned, leaning down to whisper to Arthur, "Sir, there's a woman here asking to meet with you. She claims she has an appointment."
Arthur didn't look up from his notes, his voice low and dismissive. "I'm in a meeting. Tell her I'm unavailable."
Edwin nodded and relayed the message to the woman in the lobby. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr. Langston is in an important meeting and won't be able to see you today."
The woman's eyes narrowed, her irritation clear. "Unavailable?" she repeated, disbelief coloring her tone. "We'll see about that."
Without another word, she stormed toward the elevator and headed to the underground parking garage. Her anger hadn't subsided when she reached a sleek black car near the entrance. Without hesitation, she raised her stiletto heel and smashed the side mirror, the sound of shattering glass echoing through the garage.
Two security guards rushed over, but she held up a hand, her voice cold and commanding. "Touch me, and you'll regret it."
The guards exchanged wary glances, hesitating. Meanwhile, Edwin, pale with anxiety, relayed the situation to Arthur.
"There's... uh... a situation in the parking garage," he stammered. "The woman from earlier... she's breaking things."
Arthur's eyes darkened with annoyance. "Excuse me?" He stood abruptly, leaving the meeting and heading down to the garage.
When he arrived, he found the woman standing defiantly next to his damaged car.
"What on Earth are you doing?" Arthur's voice was cold with barely controlled anger. "Are you out of your mind?"
The woman turned and smirked, completely unfazed by his fury. "Nice to see you too, Arthur. Funny how it takes smashing a car window to get a minute of your time."
Arthur clenched his jaw. "You think this is acceptable? I don't care who you are—this behavior is beyond unprofessional."
She laughed, pulling a blank check from her purse and tossing it toward him. "Here. This should cover the damages. Maybe next time, don't make me wait."
Arthur took the check reluctantly, his gaze hard. "What was so urgent that you felt this… stunt was necessary?"
Her expression shifted, her smirk fading into seriousness. "You need to take a good look at how you're handling things around here, Arthur. Your arrogance isn't charming—it's a liability. And if I have to break a few more windows to get that message across, I will."
Without waiting for a response, she walked away, leaving Arthur standing by his car, seething. As much as he hated to admit it, her words struck a chord. He glanced at his damaged car, frustration flashing in his eyes.
---
Back in his office, Arthur's mind wandered to Aelira. He remembered her unwavering focus, the way she handled the mountain of tasks he'd given her with quiet determination. A plan began to form in his mind. He wanted to push her further—to see if she'd break under the pressure or prove her resilience.
Arthur called Edwin into his office, handing him a folder thick with documents. "Give these to Aelira. I want every file organized, every report alphabetized, and all the figures double-checked by the end of the day."
Edwin raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot for one person."
Arthur's smile was cold. "She'll manage. Let's see how serious she is about working here."
Outside Arthur's office, Aelira caught sight of Edwin approaching, balancing a tower of folders. Her stomach sank as he handed her the stack, smirking.
"Good luck, Aelira. Hope you didn't have any evening plans."
Aelira gritted her teeth, reminding herself of her mission. She wasn't here to complain. She was here for a reason. With renewed determination, she took the folders, her mind set. She'd prove she could handle whatever Arthur threw at her—even if it meant working late into the night.