[Third Person's PoV]
Janice checked her watch before saying, "I've got a meeting to get to in a few minutes. Something last-minute came up—nothing to worry about, Mr. Parker. Do you mind?"
"No, not at all. Go ahead," Peter said, waving her off. "I'll use the time to get to know our new assistant secretary."
He offered a polite smile toward 'Natalia.'
Janice leaned in close to Natalia, placed a hand on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Remember what I told you, do not underestimate him, I'm saying this for your own good" Janice said before hurrying out of the room.
"So, Ms. Beumen," Peter began, leaning forward and interlocking his fingers beneath his chin, "how did you and Janice meet? It's rare for her to trust someone so quickly—especially enough to make them assistant secretary."
'Natalia' kept a professional smile as she replied, "We don't have any history together, if that's what you're implying, Mr. Parker. I simply submitted my resume and demonstrated my capabilities. As they say, actions speak louder than words—and it seems mine left an impression."
"Your resume, huh?" Peter mused, watching her closely. "That must've been one hell of a resume. Janice has grown quite desensitized to impressive credentials, working at Parker Industries. For her to take notice, yours must've been something special."
He noted the slight lift of her posture at the compliment—a touch of pride. But Peter, with his enhanced senses, could tell it was all for show. Still, he played along and smiled.
"I'd love to see this resume of yours, if you don't mind." He turned to his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. A few clicks later, the file opened.
The soft hum of the computer filled the brief silence as Peter scanned the screen, then began reading aloud with a casual tone—though his eyes remained sharp.
"Name: Natalia Beumen. Age: 28. Graduated from the University of Zurich—double major in Political Science and Cybersecurity. Impressive. Fluent in German, Russian, English, French, Spanish, and Mandarin. Specializes in high-pressure environments and damage control."
He glanced up with a raised brow and a smirk. "Quite the overachiever, aren't we?"
Natalia gave a light laugh. "I find versatility opens more doors, Mr. Parker."
Peter returned to the file. "Former experience: intern for the European Parliament's security advisory board, consultant for several unnamed think tanks, temporary attaché to a private sector military liaison..." He paused, then looked at her again. "That's quite the list."
"Thank you, sir," she replied, offering a pleasant grin.
Peter chuckled. "Looking at all this, I feel like I already know you. That doesn't seem fair, does it? Since I'll be your boss, I think it's only right that we get better acquainted. So here's the deal—I'll give you one free question. Anything you'd like to know about me. Social security number, favorite food, even the order I get dressed in. Your call."
He spun slightly in his chair, grinning.
Natasha gave him a slightly confused look, prompting Peter to laugh.
"Think of it as an icebreaker."
'Geniuses really do have their quirks… This one's just a bit of a weirdo,' Natasha thought to herself.
"That's not very nice..." Peter said suddenly, his smile fading slightly into a mock frown.
"What?" Natasha blinked, startled.
"You just thought of me as a weirdo, didn't you?"
"Wha—no, I didn't!" she quickly denied.
Peter leaned back and gave her a look. "There's no need to lie. I can read minds, you know. How do you think I made it this far... assuming 'Beumen' is even your real name?"
The color drained from Natasha's face. "What?" she asked, stunned.
"Phttt—wow, you're gullible," Peter snickered, turning away with a grin. "You should work on that."
Natasha stared at him, baffled. 'Did he seriously just play me? Then how—'
"And now you're wondering how I knew what you were thinking earlier, right?" Peter said, grinning again.
Her eyes widened further in disbelief.
"I'm just bullshitting you," he said with a chuckle. "Your thoughts are just that predictable, honestly. If you fell for that so easily, I'm a little worried someone might scam us one day."
Feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed, Natasha forced a smile. "It's not my fault, Mr. Parker—you're just so convincing. A good actor, really. Hard not to believe you."
"I can be pretty convincing, can't I?" he said, nodding with a smirk. She nodded along.
"So, would you like to use that question?" Peter asked, more seriously this time. He was curious—curious about what Fury really wanted by sending her.
"Anything I want to ask?" Natasha raised a brow.
"Absolutely anything. No judgment. Could be business-related, personal, private—whatever you want. I like to be an open book for my employees. Builds trust."
Peter smiled warmly, just sincere enough without overdoing it.
Natalia placed a hand under her chin, tapping her lips thoughtfully as she looked slightly upward.
'What a performance,' Peter inwardly scoffed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"If you don't mind," she began with a teasing smile, "I'd like to ask a business-related question. You're so young, yet it seems you already have your life figured out. How far do you truly plan to take Parker Industries? I can't help but be curious—what sort of ambition does my young boss possess?"
'Ah, I see. So they're wary of me. How paranoid. Honestly, what else would I expect from little Nicky?' Peter mused.
"Hmm, a business question? A little boring, but alright," Peter said with a shrug. "As for how far… I don't know." He smiled, answering sincerely.
Natasha blinked, slightly taken aback. "You don't know?"
"That's right. I'm not a fortune teller," Peter said, rolling his eyes. "For all I know, we could go bankrupt tomorrow or the world could end next week. I'm taking Parker Industries wherever the future leads."
He chuckled. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is: I want Parker Industries to become what the world needs right now. And what the world needs may change. We're all blind to the future after all. The best we can do is navigate the present."
Natasha studied him, genuinely surprised. 'How… endearing,' she thought.
"I see. So, you could say you're a man of the people, Mr. Parker," she said with a sly smile. "Or rather… a boy of the people."
"Har har. Yes, go ahead and make fun of my age," Peter said, rolling his eyes again.
"Contrary, Mr. Parker," Natasha said, smiling. "I admire how far you've come at such a young age. That kind of talent is rare."
"Why, thank you~" Peter replied cheerfully. 'She's buttering me up… and I'm all here for it!'
They continued chatting for a while longer before finally deciding to wrap things up. Peter stood and extended his hand.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Buemen," he said with a nod.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Parker. I'm glad to have someone like you as my boss," she replied, shaking his hand before he led her out.
Once the door closed, Peter immediately grabbed his phone and started typing.
>You guys will never believe who I just ran into
He texted, giggling to himself as he kicked his feet up on the desk. He reached into his drawer, pulled out a lollipop, and popped it into his mouth, happily texting away.
Then, he casually reached under his desk and ripped out the microphone and other recording devices Natasha had planted, crushing them without a second thought.
A few minutes later, a message popped up from an unknown number.
> We need to talk…
Peter read it aloud, raising an eyebrow.
>It's not mine!
he replied instantly
>I wore a condom, I swear!
He continued before another message followed.
> Motherfucker, be serious.
Peter's face lit up with a grin. "Nicky!"
"Nicky! My baby boo! It's you! How are you?" Peter muttered, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he texted back.
Just then, the unknown number called. Peter picked up instantly.
"What is up, NF?"
"I'm in need of your assistance," Nick Fury's voice said flatly. "Meet me on the closest rooftop from where we first met. One hour."
"If you were going to call, why send a text?" Peter asked, grinning. "You missed me, didn't you~"
"No. Texting was easier at first, but you're too annoying. I didn't realize how inconvenient texting you would be. By the way—delete my number." Fury hung up.
Peter laughed. "What a tsundere. He's so kawaii, though."
He popped the lollipop out of his mouth and stood up. As he exited his office, eyes glued to his phone, he nearly bumped into someone around the corner.
"Janice? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the meeting?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.
Janice sighed. "They postponed it. It won't be until tomorrow, I'm afraid."
"I see, I see," Peter nodded slowly. Then his expression shifted—his face slowly darkened, and his eyes narrowed coldly. "Quick question though… Who the hell are you, and what have you done to the real Janice?"
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