The Billionaire's Achilles Heel: The Assistant's Rule

Fire her right now! It's her or me! my billionaire boss's new girlfriend screamed, hurling her ridiculously expensive crocodile-skin bag straight at my face.

Before the leather could make contact, Silas's massive frame blocked me. He grabbed her wrist with ruthless precision and shoved her backward.

"Do you really think you're in any position to compare yourself to her?" Silas looked at her like he'd just stepped in something filthy. "Girlfriends are replaceable. Astrid is not. We're done."

Sienna stumbled back, the color entirely draining from her perfectly contoured face. Her jaw practically hit the floor. Just yesterday, he was calling her baby. Today, he was treating her like absolute garbage.

Chapter 1

I graduated from an Ivy League university and was fluent in six languages. My only religion was the constantly multiplying numbers in my bank account and standing at the pinnacle of power.

Silas, the CEO of his family's massive corporate empire, was my old college classmate. Back then, he was the eternal second-place to my first. He really lived up to that runner-up energyafter graduation, he threw an obscene amount of money at me to become his executive assistant.

Now that he was my direct boss, I suspected he just wanted to flip the power dynamic and finally have me under his thumb. But I was magnanimous enough to let it slide. Why? Because the zeros on my paycheck were simply too astronomical to refuse.

To give credit where it's due, Silas was a ruthless operator. It took him less than two years to completely seize control of the entire conglomerate. Over the next three years, he crushed the competition, turning the company into the undisputed apex predator of the city's business world. He was the absolute dictator of the boardroom.

By extension, I comfortably secured my position as his second-in-command, holding the reins of real power. Silas trusted me implicitly, and his generosity reflected it.

His only flaw? A notoriously messy love life that frequently spilled over into my airspace.

Case in point: his brand-new flavor of the week, Sienna, was currently perched at my desk like a vulture waiting for its prey. One look at that smug, entitled expression plastered across her face, and I knew she was here to pick a fight.

"So, you're Astrid?" Sienna's hostile eyes raked over me from head to toe, practically dripping with a toxic cocktail of jealousy and insecurity. "You're fired!"

The rest of the secretarial pool stared at her like she belonged in a psych ward. Had this girl watched too many cheap soap operas? Did she honestly think she could just dismiss the CEO's right-hand woman with a snap of her manicured fingers? What did she think HR was doing all dayknitting?

Even if this billionaire CEO actually lost his damn mind over a trophy girlfriend, I wasn't exactly sweating about an exit strategy. Elite headhunters from Silicon Valley and Wall Street bombarded my LinkedIn inbox on a daily basis. If I slammed my resignation letter on Silas's desk in the morning, a rival conglomerate's private helicopter would be waiting on the roof to whisk me away to my new corner office by the afternoon.

I let out a low, amused scoff at this little girlfriend's delusion, casually handing the stack of folders I was holding to a junior secretary behind me. I pulled out my phone and dialed security.

"This is Astrid. Send a team up to the executive floor. There's an unauthorized woman sitting at my desk, potentially committing corporate espionage."

"Right away, Astrid! We're on it!"

Half the staff in this building might not even recognize the CEO who choppered in and out, but every single one of them knew exactly who I was.

I ended the call. From the corner of my eye, I caught the junior secretaries discreetly flashing me thumbs-up.

"What the hell do you mean? Who's stealing corporate secrets?!" Sienna shot up from my chair, the fabricated arrogance instantly crumbling into sheer panic.

My eyes dropped to the leather-bound notebook clutched in her hand. It contained Silas's master itinerary.

Realizing what she was holding, Sienna dropped the notebook like it was radioactive.

"I was just flipping through it! I didn't see anything! Besides, it's just a bunch of gibberish anyway!"

I actually believed her. My shorthand was brutally minimalistic, seamlessly weaving between multiple languages. No one on earth could decipher it but me.

I picked up my iced Americano from the edge of the desk, took a slow sip, and stared down at her with the icy detachment reserved for stepping in trash. She wanted to replace me? She didn't even have the IQ to comprehend the crumpled drafts in my wastebasket.

Chapter 2

Under a minute, six security guards swarmed the executive floor. Sienna was the only one without a corporate badge.

Target acquired.

Seeing the guards actually moving in to grab her, she started thrashing, violently swinging her crocodile-skin bag like a weapon. "What the hell are you doing?! Do you know who I am? I'm your CEO's girlfriend! Touch me and I'll have your jobs!"

The lead guard shot me a quick look. I gave no signal to stand down. He turned back to her, completely unbothered. "Ma'am, we need you to cooperate."

"Cooperate with what? You want to illegally strip-search me?! I didn't take anything! You have no right to treat me like this!"

Sienna swung the bag again, trying to hit anyone in range. "Astrid! Tell them to back off right now, or Silas will destroy you! I'm his future wife!"

"Handle her politely," I instructed the guards, my tone deadpan.

"Understood, Astrid." The highly trained security detail closed in like a moving wall of iron. They flawlessly sealed off all her escape routes with cold efficiency. The sheer, suffocating pressure of their presence caught the scream right in her throat.

"What's going on?" Silas appeared in the doorway, looking obnoxiously perfect in a sharply tailored black suit.

"Silas!" Sienna shoved past the guards and threw herself at him, instantly turning on the waterworks. "They're bullying me! You have to do something!"

"What's happening?" Silas blocked her advance with one solid arm, his dark eyes locking instantly onto mine.

Terrified I'd get a word in first, Sienna scrambled to speak. "It's your assistant, Astrid! She actually accused me of stealing corporate secrets! Look how toxic she is! Everyone here practically worships her, and she thinks she runs the whole show. You need to fire her right now before she forgets who really owns this company!"

"Astrid said you were stealing corporate secrets?" Silas shoved her away, utterly ruthless. The temperature in his eyes dropped below freezing.

Sienna visibly shrank under his icy glare. All that previous arrogance vanished, replaced by a pathetic stutter.

"II didn't! I just sat at her desk for a second! I didn't touch anything! She's setting me up!"

Silas had sharp, chiseled features. When he went still like this, he radiated the suffocating pressure of an apex predator. He just stared at her in dead silence. He didn't buy a single word.

Realizing she was losing ground, Sienna decided to play the ultimate victim card. Huge, pristine tears started rolling down her perfectly contoured face. "Silas, you actually believe her over me?! Which one of us is your girlfriend?!"

Silas wasn't buying the helpless act today. "How did you even get past the lobby without a badge?"

Her crying glitched for a second. "Director Lin is my uncle. He brought me up.

I heard Astrid spends literally day and night glued to your side. I was worried she was trying to seduce you, so I came to check on things."

If I didn't have basic professional etiquette, my eyes would have rolled so hard they'd get stuck in the back of my head. Seriously? Did she think I had that kind of free time?

I ran back-to-back board meetings twelve hours a day. Me, seducing Silas? Absolutely hilarious.

Silas let out a dark, mocking laugh. "Who the hell gave you the right to mess with her?"

Sienna stared at him in utter shock. "What do you mean?! I'm your girlfriend! I don't even have that right?! She framed me, and you're still taking her side!"

"Who else's side would I take?"

Sienna sobbed harder. She was a spoiled heiress, handed everything on a silver platter since birth. She wasn't used to anyone telling her no.

She pointed a perfectly manicured finger right at my face. "It's her or me! Make your choice!"

"Do you really think you're in any position to compare yourself to Astrid?" His voice was cold, completely devoid of empathy.

"Girlfriends are replaceable. Astrid is not. We're done."

His brutal verdict hit Sienna like a freight train.

The color drained from her face. She never expected him to drop her that fast, without a single second of hesitation.

Chapter 3

"You're going to regret this, Silas!" Sienna shot me a venomous glare before turning on her heel and sprinting out of the executive suite, her dignity entirely in tatters.

The junior staff didn't even try to hide their burning curiosity. Everyone knew I was the boss's right-hand woman, but nobody expected him to pick his assistant over his actual girlfriend without a microsecond of hesitation. Was this really just a platonic college buddy dynamic?

I ignored the staring contest. I was just as much a victim of his chaotic dating life as anyone else. Silas went through women like monthly subscription boxes.

Sienna had lasted exactly thirty-three days, which apparently convinced her she was the chosen one, destined to become the future lady of the empire. Hence today's little territorial pissing match.

She just picked the wrong target to assert dominance over. While I knew Silas would back me up, even I didn't expect him to sever ties that ruthlessly. The man didn't just have ice in his veins; he was a glacier.

Shoving the drama into a mental locked box, I fell right back into a perfectly sterile, professional cadence. "You have a multinational Zoom call in exactly ten minutes. The main board meeting is at ten-thirty. Lunch is booked with CEO Wang. And at two o'clock sharp, CEO Liu from Shengshi Group is flying in to negotiate the Moon Lake resort project"

Silas didn't even blink over the freshly severed relationship. He just adjusted his cuffs and strode toward his office, listening to my rapid-fire rundown. The security detail cleared out smoothly, and the secretarial pool snapped instantly back into work mode. Hearing my brutal schedule rundown was enough to kill any lingering gossip.

The afternoon negotiations went smoothly, but a few critical clauses remained up in the air. That meant an evening dinner reception was mandatory.

CEO Liu of Shengshi Group was notoriously heavy-handed with his liquor. His conglomerate was the undisputed titan of the neighboring state, holding just as much market share as we did. We had to play his game.

Despite Silas's massive, intimidating build, the man had the alcohol tolerance of a lightweight freshman. One strong glass and he was done.

I, on the other hand, possessed a liver made of titanium. I could drink seasoned executives under the table without breaking a sweat. It was one of the main reasons Silas dragged me to these high-stakes dinners.

The second the premium appetizers hit the private dining table, CEO Liu raised his glass. "To a highly lucrative partnership!"

Out of the four of us in the VIP room, only two actually held liquor. Silas and CEO Liu's secretary were holding water glasses.

"Not willing to drink with me, Silas?" CEO Liu kept the smile plastered on his face, but a sharp, testing edge crept into his eyes.

"You're joking, Mr. Liu. Silas is highly allergic to alcohol. We're incredibly invested in this partnership with Shengshi Group.

Consider this a toast to our mutual domination of the market. I'll drain mine; take it at your own pace."

Without missing a beat, I snatched the shot glass straight from Silas's place setting, tilted my head back, and downed the harsh liquor in one go. The liquid fire scorched down my throat, but I didn't even flinch.

Silas's eyes instantly darkened. Beneath the heavy tablecloth, his massive, warm hand clamped firmly over my thigh. The sheer heat of his palm seared right through my tailored skirt. With his free hand, he pushed a steaming bowl of truffle bisque right next to my plate.

"Eat something hot," he ordered, his voice dropping an octave into a low, husky register. "Don't ruin your stomach."

CEO Liu erupted into a booming laugh. "Damn, Astrid! Now that is how you drink!" He enthusiastically tossed his own shot back. "You're a lucky man, Silas. Your assistant isn't just stunning, she's practically a lethal weapon in a boardroom."

My words carried the exact same weight as Silas's signature. CEO Liu had figured that out during the afternoon negotiations, so he was more than happy to take the out I just handed him.

Silas slowly traced the rim of his water glass with his thumb. He raised it toward Liu with a faint, predatory smirk. "I couldn't agree more."

I set my empty glass down and zeroed in on the woman sitting across from me, nursing a sparkling water. I arched an eyebrow. "Is Secretary Wang sticking to water tonight too?"

"Sorry. I don't drink." Secretary Wang was apparently trying out a rebellious persona tonight. She offered zero excuses, just tossing out the flat refusal.

If you didn't drink, what the hell were you doing at a high-stakes corporate dinner? Were you just here for the free food? Or did she actually think she held the same rank as the billionaire CEOs sitting at the table?

Chapter 4

CEO Liu looked visibly cornered. He forced a strained laugh, trying to smooth things over. "Secretary Wang is a new hire. She's still learning the ropes. I'll take this shot for her."

"Doesn't exactly scream 'good faith partnership,' does it?" Silas leaned back in his leather chair, his posture lazy but his eyes lethal. "Handing a multi-million dollar project to a rookie?"

"To be completely honest with you," CEO Liu admitted, clearing his throat, "she's my fiance. I brought her along to gain some real-world experience. But don't worry about the partnership. Shengshi Group never torpedoes its own reputation."

CEO Liu had just finalized a messy divorce last year. Rumor had it he'd been keeping a mistress on the side. Clearly, the mistress was now sitting right in front of us, masquerading as 'Secretary Wang.'

She had some baseline competence, sure, but she carried herself with this insufferable, holier-than-thou attitude. But hey, if that was Liu's type, who was I to judge?

He was actively using our massive resort project as a stepping stone to build up her resume. I guess that counted as 'true love' in this circle.

Thanks to Liu's little conflict of interest, he compromised heavily on the final contract clauses. Every single revision leaned massively in our favor.

By the time we wrapped up the dinner and saw CEO Liu off, it was dead of night. The biting winter wind slashed through the air like literal ice. I couldn't stop a violent shiver from racking my spine.

A split second later, a heavy, tailored coat draped over my shoulders, radiating intense body heat. "It's freezing. Wear a damn coat next time."

I didn't bother being polite. I pulled his coat tighter around myself and nodded. The alcohol had kept me numb until the wind hit me.

"The car's here. I'm dropping you off." Silas said.

"Silas? What a coincidence." A sickeningly sweet female voice cut through the freezing air.

Silas turned. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his stoic face. "Daphne? You're back in the country?"

"I am. I was actually planning to track you down tomorrow, but running into you tonight guess it's fate." Daphne's tone was dripping with calculated intimacy, ignoring my existence. "It's been way too long, Silas. You've gotten even more gorgeous."

"Have I? You've grown up."

"Prettier than when I was a kid, right?"

"You were cute back then."

"You always know exactly how to tease me."

After a few more seconds of this nauseating banter, Silas checked his watch. "It's late. Do you need a ride home?"

"No need, Silas. My driver and security detail are waiting out front." Daphne casually adjusted the limited-edition luxury watch on her wrist. Her eyes swept over me with a dismissive, calculated gaze, radiating that suffocating, arrogant entitlement unique to old money.

"Alright. Stay safe on the road." Silas finished the conversation and immediately pulled open the passenger door of his Maybach, motioning for me to get in.

Daphne's eyes finally locked fully onto mine. She kept that flawless smile plastered on her face, but the air around us practically dropped another ten degrees.

I suppressed a heavy sigh. Working for a billionaire with a limitless rotation of admirers was a massive occupational hazard. Completely sober, Silas drove me back to my apartment himself.

"Good work today. Get some sleep." Silas stepped out into the cold just to open my door like a perfect gentleman.

I slipped his heavy coat off and handed it back, running my fingers through my wind-tangled hair. I flashed him a brilliant, predatory smile. "Just make sure it shows up in my year-end bonus." For that kind of payout, I'd wrestle a bear.

Silas let out a rough, exasperated sigh. "Is money literally the only thing you ever see? Don't worry. Your check is safe."

"Thanks, Boss! Have a good night!" I waved him off and turned around, walking steadily up the steps to my place.

"Your boss drove you back again?" The second I unlocked the front door, I saw my dad sitting on the living room sofa, wrapped in a thick cardigan, waiting up for me.

"Yeah." I kicked off my brutal stilettos and practically threw myself onto the plush cushions. In this house, I was still just their little girl.

No matter how late I worked or how ruthless I was in the boardroom, my parents never stopped treating me like I needed protecting. No matter the hour, one of them was always awake. The warm, amber glow of the living room lamp was always left on, waiting for me to come back.

Chapter 5

Because of the endless corporate dinners with Silas over the years, my parents always kept a pitcher of honey lemon water ready. They were open-minded, never using their life experience to micromanage my career. Their only concern was whether I was exhausted or actually happy.

I downed the mug in one go, leaning my head against my dad's shoulder and closing my eyes. "Thanks, Dad."

"Alright, enough acting spoiled. Go wash up and get some sleep. When you actually get a day off, we'll crack open a real bottle."

"Deal."

I inherited my titanium liver directly from him. Mom always joked that she lived with two bottomless barrels. I had paid cash for this luxury penthouse last year, specifically converting one entire room into a floor-to-ceiling wine cellar. Whenever we had downtime, my dad and I would easily kill a few bottles.

I had locked down several massive contracts this month, cementing our annual revenue targets. Back in the day, to ensure I'd stay, Silas hadn't just thrown an exorbitant salary at me; he had handed over actual equity in the conglomerate. Barring an act of God, I was perfectly content to reign at this company until retirement.

"Astrid, here are the personnel changes from the Boyu Entertainment subsidiary. They need your signature." Secretary Zhou, who was accompanying me on today's inspection tour of the subsidiaries on behalf of the CEO, handed me a sleek folder.

I flipped it open and frowned. "What is this? Why was Hayes's agent swapped out?"

Hayes was the absolute undisputed ace of this year's idol trainee batch. His popularity was off the charts, and he was slated for his official debut next week. The company had deliberately paired him with a top-tier, veteran talent agent to guarantee a massive launch.

Secretary Zhou leaned in, a gossipy glint in her eyes. "Astrid, Hayes's agent got poached."

One look at her face, and I knew exactly what kind of corporate drama this was. "Spill it. Who exactly thinks they have that kind of leverage?"

"A brand new trainee. But she's the boss's newest girlfriend." Zhou slid the girl's profile across the desk.

"Girlfriend?" I stared at the glossy headshot, fighting the urge to rub my temples. It had literally been a few days since Sienna.

Silas already had a new flavor of the week? The man was a menace to my peace of mind.

"Assign Warren to Hayes." I had to give the CEO his meaningless playground victories, which meant I needed to find Hayes a new anchor. My memory was photographic; I knew the subsidiary rosters backward and forward. Warren was an elite, highly respected veteran in the industryarguably a significant upgrade from the agent who got snatched.

"Done. You see potential in Hayes too, Astrid?"

"Too?"

"Oh, come on! I'm a huge fan. The way he sings and dances is just illegal."

Secretary Zhou was a few years younger than me, practically vibrating with excitement over her celebrity crush. Her simple, unfiltered joy was contagious. I let out a low chuckle. "I just believe in giving raw talent a fighting chance."

After burning through the morning signing off on endless compliance checks, I grabbed my coat.

"Astrid, do you want to swing by the training studios and check on the new batch?" Zhou's eyes were practically sparkling with anticipation.

"Let's go." I knew she just wanted an excuse to ogle Hayes. I wasn't about to crush a fangirl's harmless dream.

"Thank you, Astrid! You're literally the best!" She spent the entire walk down the corridor singing my praises.

We hadn't even reached the studio doors when the chaotic, echoing sound of shouting spilled into the hallway.

"Wow, Hayes, you really are something else! What kind of filthy tricks did you pull to climb the ladder so fast? Actually getting Astrid's attention to assign Warren to you?"

"What gives a disgusting creep like you the right to even stand in this room?"

I instantly recognized the shrill, entitled voice. I had just memorized her profile an hour ago. Stella.

Silas's brand-new girlfriend. Clearly, word of my recent administrative override had already reached her ears.

Chapter 6

The guy who had been keeping his head down and taking her abuse suddenly snapped his head up. "I have nothing to hide. Stop making baseless accusations. Is your definition of assault the fact that I held your waist during a partner choreography routine?"

This was Hayes. Tousled ash-blonde hair, striking pale skin, broad shoulders, and endlessly long legs. He radiated that raw, untamed youthful energy. But his real weapon was his facesharply contoured, devastatingly flawless features that practically guaranteed him a cult following.

"You're lying! You used the routine as an excuse to grope me!" Stella shot back.

"You were the one who insisted on adding the waist hold," Hayes countered, his voice steady. He clearly didn't care about the corporate blowback anymore. "Or are you just throwing a tantrum because I turned down your other extracurricular requests?"

"Hayes! You never fought back before! But the second I bring up Astrid, you suddenly find your spine? And you still claim you two aren't hooking up?!" Stella was visibly losing it. Her pristine facade was cracking under the public exposure.

"What the hell is going on here?" Secretary Zhou stepped forward, her face a mask of strict corporate authority. Not a single trace of the giddy fangirl remained.

"Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!" Stella whipped around, instantly redirecting her venom. She was stunning, but unhinged. She raked her eyes over Zhou, her lip curling in absolute disgust. "What, are you just another pathetic fangirl trying to play the hero for him? Know your place!"

Zhou had only been in the corporate grinder for two years. Intimidated by Stella's status as the CEO's girlfriend, a flush of anger crept up her neck. "You don't get to dictate my place."

"Oh, really? Do you even know who I am? Do you know who my boyfriend is?" Stella tilted her chin up, radiating toxic arrogance. "If I say you're trash, you're trash."

I patted Zhou on the shoulder and stepped past her. "Stella, wasn't it? Is your little temper tantrum supposed to be a formal complaint against my executive decisions?"

"Great, another one. And who the hell are you?"

"You were just screaming about Hayes sleeping his way to the top with me." I arched an eyebrow. "What? Can't even recognize the person you're slandering?"

"Youyou're Astrid." The color drained from Stella's face. Panic flickered in her eyes. She had clearly heard the rumors of how I operated. She knew exactly what happened to her predecessor