Chapter 1
In a family where excellence was the standard, Gianna was the outlier. She wasn’t unintelligent, but in a lineage of prodigies, being average felt like a fatal flaw. Her oldest brother was the CEO of their family’s massive electronics empire, a visionary leader admired in the corporate world. Her second brother, a brilliant lawyer, had topped the bar exam and was already making waves in the legal field. Her older sister, an engineer, worked alongside their eldest sibling, pushing the company to greater heights.
Gianna, however, was different. She had the kind of beauty that made heads turn—flawless skin, striking features, and a statuesque figure. In school, she reigned as the campus queen, later earning a prestigious beauty title. But instead of praise, her family saw only disappointment. To them, her looks were a fleeting advantage, a meaningless asset compared to intellectual brilliance. Their disapproval sharpened into scorn when she chose entrepreneurship over Accountancy. To them, it was a reckless decision, a childish rebellion.
The weight of expectations became unbearable. Gianna wanted to breathe, to live without the suffocating pressure of comparison. So, she made a choice—she ran away.
With nothing but her savings and a suitcase, she set out to build a life of her own. But reality hit hard. Jobs were scarce, and the ones she found left her vulnerable. One boss, under the guise of friendliness, attempted to take advantage of her. She barely escaped, her dignity intact but her funds dwindling fast. Desperation loomed.
Then she found it—a secretarial position at a prestigious corporation. It was a long shot, the most ambitious application she had ever submitted. If she wanted a chance, she had to be strategic. She shed her glamorous image, trading designer dresses for modest office wear. A pair of oversized glasses framed her face, dulling the radiance her family always deemed superficial. She tied her hair in a simple bun, ensuring nothing about her appearance screamed “beauty queen.”
To her astonishment, she was hired.
As she stepped into the towering glass building on her first day, a mix of excitement and trepidation settled in her chest. She was in unfamiliar territory, far from the runways and flashing cameras, far from her family’s shadow. Here, she was no longer the overlooked daughter or the dismissed beauty queen.
Here, she had a chance to prove them all wrong here…
Gianna became the assistant to the CEO’s secretary, assuming it would be a simple job—organizing files, answering emails, and running minor errands. But she was wrong.
Mrs. Collins, the ever-efficient and formidable secretary, was a force to be reckoned with. She ran the CEO’s office with military precision, ensuring that everything operated like a well-oiled machine. No detail escaped her notice, no mistake went uncorrected.
From the moment Gianna stepped into the role, she was thrust into a whirlwind of schedules, meetings, and high-stakes decision-making. Mrs. Collins expected perfection—emails had to be drafted flawlessly, reports compiled within minutes, and phone calls screened with expert judgment. She knew the CEO’s schedule better than he did, reminding him of appointments before he even had to ask. She coordinated with executives, handled crises without breaking a sweat, and navigated corporate politics with sharp intellect and unwavering composure.
Gianna struggled to keep up. The workload was relentless, the pressure unyielding. One wrong move—mishandling an important client call or misplacing a critical document—could mean disaster. But Mrs. Collins wasn’t just demanding; she was a master at her craft, and she made sure Gianna learned.
“Efficiency is key,” Mrs. Collins would say, barely glancing up as she typed at lightning speed. “Anticipate his needs before he even realizes them. Stay ahead of the game, and you’ll survive.”
Under Mrs. Collins’ rigorous training, Gianna slowly adapted. She learned how to juggle endless tasks, read between the lines of corporate negotiations, and manage the unpredictable demands of the CEO.
But just as she was finding her rhythm, Leon Cade—the very man she’d desperately tried to avoid—began to notice her. And this time, he wasn’t about to let her fade into the background.
She had erased her past—or at least, she had tried to.
Gone was the name that carried weight, privilege, and suffocating expectations. She was no longer Gianna Graff, the overlooked heiress of a powerful family. She had shed that identity the moment she walked away.
Now, she was Gianna Jackson.
A simple name. A name that carried no legacy, no burden, no impossible standards to meet. A name that allowed her to exist on her own terms.
No one in this company knew the truth, and she intended to keep it that way. Here, she wasn’t the disappointing daughter of the Graff dynasty—she was just another employee, working her way up with nothing but her own merit.
Gianna stood outside the executive office, her pulse racing. The summons had been unexpected, and the weight of it pressed heavily on her chest. She smoothed her skirt, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The office was a statement of power—sleek, modern, and intimidatingly vast. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one side, offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline. A massive, polished mahogany desk sat at the center, a symbol of authority, with only a few essential items placed on it—an open laptop, a crystal pen holder, and a single glass of whiskey, barely touched. Behind the desk sat Leon Cade, the man she had been desperately trying to avoid.
Mrs. Collins was already there, standing with her usual poised demeanor. Her presence was a silent reassurance, but the unreadable expression on Leon’s face unsettled Gianna.
Leon leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. “Ms. Jackson,” he said, his deep voice smooth yet commanding. “I’ve summoned you today because you’ll be replacing Mrs. Collins.”
Gianna stiffened. “What?” The shock rendered her momentarily speechless.
“But sir—”
Leon raised a hand, cutting her off effortlessly. “Mrs. Collins will be handling our branch in Canada.” His gaze never wavered, locked onto hers with an intensity that made her uneasy.
Gianna turned to Mrs. Collins, expecting protest, but instead, the older woman gave her one of her rare, approving smiles. It was a small gesture, yet it carried weight.
“Gianna will be the right person for the job,” Mrs. Collins said, her voice calm and certain.
The words sent a jolt through Gianna. The right person? Had Mrs. Collins truly believed in her all along?
“You’ll start tomorrow,” Leon stated, finality in his tone. Then, just like that, he dismissed them with a flick of his hand, already shifting his attention back to his laptop.
Gianna walked out in a daze, her mind spinning. She had come into this office as an assistant—but now, she was stepping into the shoes of the most powerful secretary in the company. And worst of all, she would be working directly under Leon Cade.
But as she stepped into her new role as the CEO’s personal secretary, she realized one terrifying truth:
Leon Cade wasn’t just her boss now. He was a man who saw beyond disguises.
And sooner or later, he would uncover everything she was trying to hide.
Avoiding him would no longer be an option.
