**(Aliya's POV)**
As I went through the portfolio that had been handed to me, which contained the profiles of those handling today's evening shoot, I noticed Emily busy with her phone, chatting with her online boyfriends, as she always does.
"Who is Reuben?" I asked.
Emily dropped her phone and stared at me as if I had something on my face. "Tell me you're not serious," she said quickly.
"I am," I replied.
"What? How can you not know the almighty Reuben?" she asked, clearly disappointed.
"Am I supposed to know him? Thinking about anyone other than myself is the last thing I ever do," I told her.
"Well, you shouldn't think about yourself when it comes to Reuben because he is every woman's dream and the kind of man your mother would want you to stay away from," she informed me.
"I've always loved danger, but not in a person. I don't believe anyone is more than I am," I said.
"What? I just can't read you," Emily told me.
"That's what the reverend sister at my orphanage always said," I replied.
"You grew up in an orphanage?" Emily asked, curious.
"Back to our discussion, I need to know about Reuben so I can do my job well today," I said.
"He is the only heir to a multi-billion-dollar clothing and art company. Our fashion brand imports clothing materials from them and is also our largest investor," Emily explained.
"That's huge," I said.
"Not only that, he loves modeling and works for a lot of top companies in creams, accessories, shoes, clothes, and more. He is our top model and a VIP," Emily continued.
"What makes him different is that because of his fame, he is just as normal as any other celebrity I can think of," I said, feeling no excitement.
"I should slap you right now! Don't you ever let anyone hear what you just said, especially the CEO. Reuben is our top buyer; most of our customers come under his influence, and our sales go up significantly in his presence. We need to make sure we don't offend him in any way. You should get on his good side, but there's a problem..." Emily trailed off, looking at me as if she was disappointed about something.
"What?" I asked, listening intently.
"Don't try to act too smart with him. He despises people who challenge him, and many have been fired from this unit by the CEO because of it," Emily warned. "Also, don't try to sleep with him—it's a warning because you will fall into his trap, and you'll end up in a scandal and fired," she concluded.
"Interesting," I said.
"I'm not joking, Team Leader. I really care about you," Emily said, making a childish face at me.
"I've always loved women, so I'll pass," I told her.
"What? That's not fair!" Emily exclaimed in disbelief.
"Exactly. I'm not interested in either gender; I'm asexual, so I won't tick any of his boxes or anyone else's," I explained again.
Emily looked more confused than ever as she stared at me blankly.
"Now that's the facial expression I love," I said with a grin. "We need to get everything ready," I added.
"I just can't read her," Emily muttered.
***
CEO Amanda was thrilled at Reuben's presence. She had made sure each unit at the company performed their tasks properly through her secretaries and team leaders.
"Welcome, Reuben," Amanda greeted.
"You shouldn't stress yourself coming to escort me personally from the entrance," Reuben replied.
"Well, I was already close by when I saw you. I'm glad that you're concerned about me," Amanda responded.
"I'm not worried about you because you are a strong lady. I just don't want my mum scolding me for stressing you out during my shoot," Reuben said without batting an eye.
"Oh, that's sweet of you both," Amanda smiled, forcing her expression, as she hadn't expected such a cold response from him at that moment.
She glanced at her assistant, who was trailing behind them while pretending not to hear their conversation. Reuben had come in with his manager, who was actually his younger sister. She sat there, focused on her phone, chewing gum, completely indifferent to their presence. She had become close to Reuben so she could hang out at expensive places and spend his money—she loved money more than anything. Her kindness only surfaced when there was something in it for her.
Reuben was assigned to a cushion to sit while they prepared for the next step with him.