Falling For My Billionaire Savior - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

This time, I had unintentionally intimidated the HR department without even trying. After all, I'd barely been here two weeks and had already taken down a marketing manager, then openly clashed with the general manager.
My reputation for being ruthless had spread fast. Naturally, the HR department didn't dare treat my request lightly.
Thus, a dramatic, large-scale recruitment campaign began—all for a single position: the deputy general manager's assistant.
To my surprise, the HR department moved fast. By the time I arrived at work the next morning, there was already a long line stretching outside the company building, easily a few hundred people.
As per my request, every single one of them was a woman. From twenty to sixty years old, those applicants were all waiting expectantly.
I frowned and said to my bodyguard, "Go find out what these women are doing—Wait, no need."
I just wanted to order my bodyguard to check out what was happening when I remembered the request I'd made to the HR manager yesterday. A bad feeling surged through me. I had a feeling that they were all for my assistant position.
As I expected, the moment I stepped into the building, Carl came over with a cheerful grin. "Ms. Gordon, good morning. These ladies are here to interview. How would you like to proceed?"
His smile was sweet—sweet as poison.
All this fanfare for hiring a single assistant looked like they were taking my request seriously. But in truth, it only reinforced my reputation as a domineering and temperamental general manager. He easily conveyed the message that I was difficult to work with.
Even the chairman wouldn't have received such a spectacle when hiring a personal assistant.
I knew full well Carl had done this deliberately to embarrass me, but I couldn't lash out. After yesterday's very public conflict with Xander, if I picked a fight with the HR manager today, I'd become the official company villain.
I forced a smile and said, "Thanks for your effort. Please send me the resumes of the applicants between twenty and thirty years old. You can tell them to go home now. We'll contact them if needed."
Truthfully, this wasn't a recruitment drive. It was a staged protest.
Among the applicants were women in their sixties or even older, some with gray hair and walking canes. Carl thought this was a serious applicant pool? I was pretty sure that Carl got Xander's approval to do this.
Back in my office, Carl soon arrived, personally handing over a thick stack of files. "Here you go, Ms. Gordon. Please take your time. I'll leave you to it."
"Wait." I casually spread the stack across the table, stirred the papers with both hands, and pushed over half of them straight into the trash bin beside my desk.
I looked up with a pleasant smile and said to him, "Have a seat. This won't take long."
Carl looked puzzled. "W-What does this mean?"
"Oh, I'm just reviewing the ones still on the desk. The rest have been eliminated," I explained.
"But you haven't even read them. How are they already out?"
"They are unlucky."
Carl blinked and then quietly took a seat on the sofa. But this time, his gaze toward me carried something new: respect. He sat upright, silently watching me flip through the files of the "lucky" ones.
I offered a very generous salary, so many of the applicants had impressive academic backgrounds. But I didn't care about that. I didn't need someone smart. I needed someone loyal, steady, and obedient.
Then, as I opened the eighth file, a familiar face jumped out at me. I nearly shouted in surprise.
The name on the resume read: Elena Peterson. Female. 23 years old.
There was no mistaking it. The girl named Elena was my high school classmate and my childhood bestie. We grew up together. But after I married Oliver, Amelia disapproved of me having my own career, and over time, we drifted apart.
I was about to finalize the decision on the spot, but then I hesitated. I was worried that Elena would recognize me. The fewer people who knew about my real identity, the better.