The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and you stepped onto the top floor of the towering corporate building. The air was thick with authority, the kind that weighed on your shoulders the moment you entered. You adjusted your posture, steeling yourself as you approached the massive oak doors at the end of the hall.

Inside, he was waiting.

Mr. Laurent—CEO, untouchable, and entirely unreadable. He sat behind his sleek, dark desk, one hand idly holding a crystal glass of whiskey, the other flipping through a file. Your file.

His sharp eyes flicked up, pinning you in place with an intensity that made your breath catch.

“You’re late,” he murmured, voice smooth yet edged with something dangerous.

You swallowed. “The meeting wasn’t supposed to start for another—”

“I don’t like waiting.” He closed the file with a soft thud, standing to his full, imposing height. “If you’re going to work for me, you’ll learn that quickly.”

You weren't sure if it was a warning or a challenge. Either way, you had a feeling you had just stepped into something far more complicated than a simple job.