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font-size: 13px;">The CEO watched as her curious umber hues swept around the room, drinking in the immaculate office that boasted the company's riches. He wondered if she'd ever been in a space so luxurious and wondered how it compared to the internship he'd noticed she'd completed on her resume. Whilst Hugo was openly humble and rather relaxed in nature, he wasn’t afraid to adorn his workplaces with the highest quality furnishings. He didn’t often <i>speak </i>of his wealth, but preferred to simply have nice things to show.<br/>
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“Grazie, Miss Thorne,” Hugo purred reaching forward to accept the coffee she’d brought him. The woman was out to impress, and dare he say, he <i>was </i>mildly impressed by the effort she’d gone to on her first morning. The warm beverage was brought to his lips, allowing the coffee to filter onto his tastebuds. The bittersweet flavour enriched his mouth, flavouring each bud before he swallowed the familiar taste. The baristas wouldn’t dare forget his coffee order, if there was anyone within the building they needed to remember, it was Hugo Lombardi’s. An americano — simple, efficient, hard to forget. “This shall do just fine,” he nodded, setting the recyclable cup down onto his desk.<br/>
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Attention settled onto the olive-complexioned beauty before him. His eyes probed her, exploring her face shamelessly, before wandering over her body, memorising her features. A face he wouldn’t forget — dare he say, <i>couldn’t </i>forget. <br/>
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“It is beautiful,” Hugo agreed, despite the double edged reply that held the notion it wasn’t just the office space he’d found beauty in, “I dare say you should give yourself more credit, Miss Thorne. From what I have heard, your interview was impressive. I wouldn’t exactly call that <i>falling </i>into your lap. It certainly took effort on your behalf.” His fingers linked together as he leaned back into the leather chair, elbows propped up on the armrest. Was her confidence faltering? She was quick to sell herself short. <br/>
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The confident man remained silent, allowing her to express her thoughts and explain her interest in the company. The allure of working with the prestigious was a definite way to draw in applicants. Claudia had mentioned they’d had over 50 applicants after only 24 hours of the role being advertised. If it wasn’t the generous remuneration, it had to be the fact that success bred success. Wasn’t everyone trying to climb the ladder?<br/>
<br/>
The way her lips tugged into a proud smile after summarising her thoughts brought forth a wider grin of his own, satisfied with her response. He was pleased to know she <i>at least </i>had a story prepared and wasn’t stumbling over her words. It was a testament to her organisation skills and confidence, at the very least. <br/>
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“Well, welcome to the team once again. If there is anything I can do to make your experience more pleasurable, please do not hesitate to let me know.” Smooth, calculated. <i>Manipulative. </i>He knew all the right words to say to maintain a level of professionalism, warmth and intrigue. If she were anything like the others, it wouldn’t be long before he had her right where he wanted her — wrapped around his finger. <br/>
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“Come with me. I’ll show you around.” Before he removed himself from the comfort of the office chair, Hugo pried open one of the drawer’s beneath the office desk, hooking a fob with a single key with a golden ‘L’ logo melded onto it into his palm. He juggled the item in his hand briefly, scooping up his coffee cup in the other as he wandered towards the exit of his office. <br/>
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“The elevator is operated based on fingerprints. Yours would have been collected when you pressed floor 15. You’ll have access up here from now on,” Hugo opened the door, gesturing for Persephone to exit first before gently shutting it behind him, “We don’t use swipe cards, keys, and the like. Everything is approved via fingerprints, facial or retina recognition.” Again, a hand gestured to a minuscule black camera tucked into the top corner of the room. It pivoted, following each of their movements as the lens visibly zoomed and retracted; watching. <br/>
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“Your office,” Hugo began, strolling down the corridor of the building. Artworks lines the walls in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes — mostly abstract and obscure in nature. The top floor maintained the same, marble floored theme, highlighting the eloquent ambience of the top floor of the building. <br/>
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“Here.” The man halted, pressing down onto the handle to reveal the impressive interior, stepping aside to allow Persephone to enter and inspect her new space. It was similar to Hugo’s office — marbled interior, gold furnishings and a breathtaking view of the city skyline. Key differences included a space that was smaller in size, fewer seats at the desk and far less personal touches. He’d left it mostly a blank canvas, allowing her to decorate the space with her own preferences if she found it necessary. <br/>
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The CEO allowed her to wander around the room and take in the interior for a moment. The air smelt of fresh paint tangled with the scent of oak, germinated from the smooth, wooden desk placed at the end of the room. He wondered what personal touches she might’ve considered adding — photos, books, candles, plants? With a tilt of his chin, Hugo straightened and slowly roamed towards her.<br/>
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“What type of car do you drive?” Hugo asked. A Kia? A beaten up old Ford? Did she not have a car? Rode a push bike around the city? Palm upturned, his fingers relaxed to reveal the fob he’d selected from his office drawer. It wasn’t outlined in the job description that his personal assistant would receive a new Lombardi vehicle, but the idea of Persephone trekking into the city in a hand-me-down Kia felt… wrong. Especially considering she was now employed by an automotive brand.<br/>
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“It’s yours, as long as you’re here. I’ll take you to the underground car park soon.” A relaxed smile claimed his features as he handed her the car keys. It wasn’t the most expensive Lombardi vehicle, but even the most affordable was pushing the six figure mark.<br/>
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