The Bartender Is A CEO?

"And lastly," Merrick added, tapping the thick manila folder on the polished conference table to firmly gather her attention. "If the boss needs anything at all, you must attend to it immediately. You will essentially act as his personal assistant while you live under his roof."

Liana bit her lower lip. The daunting prospect of residing under the same roof as a man she had never met stirred a sudden, heavy knot of anxiety in her chest. Back when she was dating Garrett, he had practically begged her to move in with him. She had stood her ground and flat-out refused every single time. The dynamic of a man and a woman sharing a secluded, intimate space had always felt like a dangerous boundary she was unwilling to cross.

Sensing her profound hesitation, Merrick quickly leaned forward and offered a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, Miss Monroe. You are in excellent hands. Your new employer is Mister Kellan Sterling, the revered CEO of the Sterling Onyx Corporation. He is a very reputable, deeply honorable man. You will have your own private quarters and plenty of personal space away from him."

Liana took a slow breath, inwardly mocking her own escalating paranoia. What was she even worrying about? The man was a powerful billionaire. He ran a massive global enterprise and likely spent his days surrounded by supermodels and wealthy heiresses. Why in the world would a man of his staggering status harbor any inappropriate or romantic interest in a broke, struggling college student who was currently on the verge of eviction?

*Dream on, Lia,* she chided herself silently, forcing a small, self-deprecating smirk. *You are definitely not his type.*

She focused instead on the miraculous reality sitting right in front of her. The staggering benefits attached to this position were simply too good for a desperate girl to decline. She mentally ticked off the insane list of perks: free luxury accommodation that instantly solved her housing crisis, a jaw-dropping monthly salary of five thousand dollars, a personal on-call driver to shuttle her to and from campus, and a work schedule tailored around her university classes.

"Let me just get this straight," Liana said, tracing the edge of the printed pages as if afraid the words might disappear. "I get a massive room for free, all my meals covered, my schedule will never conflict with my studies, and I get paid five thousand dollars a month on top of that?"

"Correct," Merrick confirmed smoothly, clasping his hands together. "Plus the driver, ensuring you are never late for your classes or your domestic duties at Mr. Sterling's home."

Liana felt her jaw go slack. A personal driver? Was this even a real job? The sheer relief of finding a golden lifeline out of her current misery washed away every last ounce of caution.

"I am in," she declared eagerly, her voice bright with innocent excitement. "Where do I sign?"

Merrick let out a brief chuckle. "Congratulations, Miss Monroe. You have the job. Your official duties begin this Friday."

He flipped right to the final page of the thick document and pointed to a blank signature line. Liana did not waste a single second. She grabbed the black pen from the table and scribbled her signature across the binding paperwork, sealing the deal with eager enthusiasm.

The exact moment the ink dried on the page, Merrick pulled the original copy toward himself and handed her a duplicate folder. His tone suddenly dropped its friendly warmth, shifting into something heavy and severe.

"Just a fair warning, Miss Monroe," he stated, his gaze locking intensely onto hers. "Under section 4.3 of this agreement, you are forbidden from breaking the contract for any reason. If you choose to terminate this arrangement early, you will be liable for a ruinous fifty thousand dollar termination fee."

All the color drained from Liana's face. Fifty thousand dollars? That astronomical sum hit her like a physical blow to the stomach. She had barely skimmed the penalty clauses in her frantic rush to secure the lucrative salary. Panic flared hot and bright in her chest, but she forcefully pushed it down. She had zero better options. If she walked out now, she would be sleeping on the cold city streets by the end of the week.

She swallowed the thick lump of fear forming in her throat and offered a weak, trembling nod. "I understand. I am committed to the year-long agreement."

"Excellent," Merrick said briskly, standing up from his chair and adjusting his suit jacket. "Now, are you ready to meet Mr. Sterling?"

Liana blinked, startled by the sudden pace of events. "Wait, right now?"

"Yes, right now," Merrick replied, gesturing toward the door for her to follow him. "He is very much eager to see you."

Merrick suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening briefly as if realizing the massive blunder he had just made. He frantically cleared his throat to correct his slip-up. "What I mean is, the boss simply has an urgent need for reliable penthouse management. His residence has been empty for a while. He looks forward to meeting the person keeping his home in pristine order before you officially move in."

Liana nodded, though a faint line formed between her brows. It made perfect sense that a boss would want to vet his live-in employee, even if the assistant's manic enthusiasm felt a bit strange.

She grabbed her purse and followed Merrick out of the meeting room. They walked down the sprawling, brightly lit executive hallway. As they passed several glass-walled cubicles and open-plan desks, Liana noticed the confused stares of the corporate staff tracking her every move. She kept her head down, desperately ignoring their quiet whispering and judgmental gazes, focusing solely on Merrick's confident stride.

They stopped in front of a towering set of heavy mahogany double doors. Merrick knocked once before pushing them open.

"Mr. Sterling," Merrick announced clearly into the spacious room. "Miss Liana Monroe is here. She has officially signed the paperwork to manage the penthouse."

"Let her in," a deep, resonant voice commanded from within the room.

Liana stepped past Merrick and walked into a breathtaking, spotlessly clean office. The space was a masterpiece of modern luxury, boasting spectacular, panoramic views of the sprawling city skyline through massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The dark tiled floors gleamed so brightly she could almost see her own reflection with every step she took.

She stood near the center of the vast room, her hands clasped nervously in front of her as Merrick quietly exited, pulling the heavy door shut behind him.

Behind a massive, polished oak desk, a man sat in a high-backed leather chair, facing the sweeping city view. Liana waited patiently, holding her breath. Back at the media company, her former coworkers used to constantly gossip about the elusive CEO of Sterling Onyx. They claimed the man possessed a face to die for, a mythical level of rugged handsome that the cameras rarely caught.

The imposing leather chair slowly turned around.

The moment Kellan Sterling came into full view, Liana felt the air punch right out of her lungs. The rumors were brutally accurate. His features were impeccably chiseled—a sharp, commanding jawline, thick, well-shaped brows, and dark, intense brown eyes that radiated pure authority.

She internally marveled at the striking eye candy sitting before her. Yet, right beneath the sudden awe, a nagging sense of familiarity began tugging at the corners of her mind. She knew those deep eyes. She knew that sharp jawline.

Pushing the confusing thought aside, she forced her professional facade into place. She pasted on a cheerful, brilliant smile and stepped forward, extending her right hand.

"Mr. Sterling, it is so nice to meet you," she greeted, her voice ringing with genuine gratitude. "Thank you so much for this life-saving job opportunity."

Kellan reached out and accepted her hand. His grip was firm and steady, his demeanor the perfect picture of strict, intimidating professionalism.

"Miss Monroe," he said smoothly, his deep voice vibrating in the quiet office. "I have incredibly high expectations for the pristine maintenance of my home. But as long as you possess a sharp eye for cleanliness and strictly follow the rules, you will do a fine job."

He released her hand and leaned back into his rich leather chair, gesturing for her to take the guest seat opposite his desk. Liana sat down, nervously smoothing the fabric of her skirt over her thighs.

Kellan continued speaking, calmly outlining his strict household rules and the boundaries she was expected to maintain. But Liana could barely hear a single word leaving his lips. She found herself distracted, staring deeply into his intense dark eyes and tracing the harsh angles of his face.

*Where have I seen him?* she screamed internally, desperately digging through her scattered memory banks. *Was it on television? A business magazine? A news segment at the media company? Why does he look so unbelievably familiar?*

She tilted her head slightly to the left, studying the broad, powerful span of his shoulders beneath his impeccably tailored dark suit.

And then, without any warning, the puzzle pieces slammed into place.

Liana audibly gulped. The polished, terrifying CEO sitting in front of her suddenly morphed perfectly into the tall, broad frame standing by the dimly lit lobby bar of the Second Onyx Hotel just days ago.

Her mouth fell wide open in silent, paralyzed shock.

*Oh my god.*

Her internal monologue shrieked in sheer, suffocating panic. This was the exact same bartender she had kissed out of nowhere. She had grabbed his crisp collar, dragged his handsome face down, and forcefully pressed her lips against his just to spite her cheating ex-boyfriend.

Her heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird desperately trying to escape its cage.

Unable to control her sudden trembling, Liana slowly cast her gaze downward, staring at her own clothing in sheer horror. Her panic skyrockets to critical levels, crashing right through the ceiling of her mind.

She was wearing the exact same sapphire blue dress from that fateful night at the hotel bar.

Her mind spiraled into irreversible chaos. She had just forcefully assaulted a billionaire CEO with a kiss, signed a legally binding document with a fifty thousand dollar penalty, and was now contractually trapped into living alone with him for an entire year.

*Did I just… kiss my boss?*