Office Jackpot
A Note to My Readers: This translation was generated by an AI. While it allows me to share this story with you quickly, it may result in some issues with the text’s natural flow, rhythm, or unique style. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Liam Sheridan’s scent always reached my office before he did. A blend of cedar and cold leather that made my stomach knot. At exactly 8:02 AM, his imposing silhouette cast a shadow against the frosted glass of my door. He didn’t wait for me to look up from my screen.
“Miss Jenkins. In my office. Now. And bring the Dubai acquisition file.”
The sound of my heels echoed through the hallway in firm, hurried clicks. It took me barely thirty seconds to cover the distance between my desk and my boss’s office, even if the stack of files in my arms and my four-inch stilettos made the task harder. I barely suppressed a scathing retort.
I hated this job.
“You’re twelve seconds late, Miss Jenkins,” he said, without looking up from his tablet. “Set that file down and come here. I have a… particular mission for you tonight.”
His voice was like his management style: smooth, yet sharp as a scalpel. I bit back the insult that nearly escaped my lips and settled for carefully placing the stack of folders on his desk, as if it were a mere formality. Liam Sheridan wasn’t just my boss; he was the most demanding, arrogant and, unfortunately, the most fascinating man I had ever met.
For six months, he had been testing my limits. Midnight meetings, coffee served at exactly 149°F (65°C), and that look… that look that seemed to read right through my clothes every time I handed him a document.
Mr. Sheridan lifted his stern gaze toward me. Liam Sheridan was the most coveted billionaire bachelor in the city. Perhaps even in the entire region. He had taken over the family business following his father’s passing and led the company with a master’s touch, nearly tripling the revenue. Outside of work, however, he was known for his somewhat rakish reputation. He was handsome, he knew it, and he played it to his advantage. Moody and unpredictable, it was impossible to know exactly what he was thinking, and I had lost count of the number of assistants who had walked out on him. Yet, I was still here. I loved a challenge. And Liam Sheridan was a massive one.
“Here is the report from the last meeting. Mrs. Lawyer would also like you to handle the security for her new hotel over there.”
The company specialized in security—physical, but primarily cybersecurity. Publicly traded and world-renowned, requests were piling up in the president’s office.
“Keep it safe; you’ll need it. I have an important appointment tonight. Clear my schedule and take my place at the meeting.”
His stature forced me to take a step back. He moved closer, invading my personal space until I could feel the heat radiating from his body beneath his bespoke shirt. He tilted his head, his grey eyes searching my face with a haunting intensity.
“Very well, sir.”
I left without looking back, leaving the echo of my heels on the floor of his office. I knew he hated that sound—that rhythm that said: I am here, and I will not submit. It wasn’t going to be an early night after all.
“Hello, thank you, please, goodbye, Your Majesty,” I grumbled once I was safely tucked away in my office. “Would His Highness like me to sprinkle his emails with caviar too?”
I hated this job. I hated these damn stilettos clicking on the floor and the tight blazers that restricted my every move. I could have done without them, but I knew the noise drove him crazy, and nothing gave me more pleasure than knowing that.
“What a pretentious little prick!” I fumed even more before collapsing heavily into my chair.
At that exact moment, the door swung open, and I couldn’t help but let out a yelp of surprise.
“Sir! You scared me,” I stammered awkwardly.
Liam remained in the doorway, one hand on the handle, his gaze sweeping across my office with calculated slowness. He took a step toward me, closing the distance until his shadow covered my desk. He leaned in slightly, his lips approaching my ear—close enough for me to feel his warm breath.
“I forgot to mention that I’m leaving on a business trip in two days. Pack your bags. You’re coming with me.”
“Huh? Uh, yes, noted.”
Liam watched me for a moment before turning around. He stopped briefly.
“And I don’t need caviar in my emails, Miss Jenkins.”
My breath hitched. Cheeks turning a deep tomato red, I caught my boss’s smirk just before he finally stepped out of my line of sight.
Dear God.
He had heard everything.
“It’s not funny!” I exclaimed later, as Isobel nearly choked with laughter in our apartment’s living room.
“Yes, it is. It’s hilarious,” Isobel shot back. “Anyway, you hate that job. Why don’t you just quit?”
“Maybe because it pays well and we need the money for our project, Iso.”
Isobel, Elena, and I shared a deep friendship that started in high school. This was our dream: Aegis. An AI focused on healthcare. Isobel was a tech prodigy; she coded as naturally as she breathed. Elena was a nurse. She worked night shifts, mostly for the salary and the bonuses. She was the sweetest, funniest, and most joyful of the three of us. We were a team—but a broke one.
Suddenly, Elena burst into the room, her eyes wide, clutching a crumpled ticket in her hand.
“Look!” she screamed. “Look at the numbers!”
“Elena! What—”
“The Lottery!! The one we bought yesterday!! We hit the jackpot!”
“What… what? Are you sure?”
“Yes!!! The jackpot! We won, Tam! Iso! Thirty million euros!”
The silence that followed was deafening. Then, screams of joy shook the entire building. I didn’t dare believe it. Yet, there it was. Black and white on the paper. Thirty million. Ten million each.
It wasn’t quite Sheridan’s fortune yet, but it was enough to never have to serve him his coffee at exactly 149°F again. Almost enough to buy his own tower out from under him if I wanted to.
A wave of hysterical laughter washed over me. I could leave now. I could text him my resignation and fly to the Bahamas. But thinking back to his business trip in two days, a much more exciting idea sprouted in my mind.
If he wanted an assistant for his trip, he was going to get one. But this time, the terms of the contract had changed. He had no idea that his “insolent” little employee no longer needed him to survive.
It’s time to prepare your pink slip, Mr. Sheridan!
