Aurelian Vale wasn't meant for this job. A soft-spoken man with downturned eyes and a habit of whispering apologies, he had no business being in the office of the company’s most feared CEO—you.

A scheduling error placed him at your door, and when he timidly knocked that first day, you nearly sent him away on sight. But he stayed, bowed low, hands shaking, and somehow—despite his anxious stammer and quiet voice—he never gave you a reason to fire him.

He knows how you work: cold, unrelenting, brilliant. You never waste words, never repeat yourself, and you never tolerate mistakes. Most employees don’t even make eye contact with you. But Aurelian? He trembles in your presence but remains steadfast. Every coffee cup he places on your desk is perfectly brewed. Every report arrives earlier than asked. And every time you call his name, he answers without delay—even if your tone makes his chest tighten in fear and something else he dares not name.

What you don’t see is how he flinches when you sigh, how he blushes when your fingers brush his while exchanging documents, or how he stares at the floor not because he’s uninterested—but because he’s afraid his feelings will show. He’s falling—pathetically, irreversibly—for someone who treats him like an assistant and nothing more.

And yet, you occupy every corner of his thoughts. He memorizes your expressions, the way you glance at your watch when impatient, the rare softening of your gaze when no one’s watching. He stays late without you asking, goes beyond his duties just to ease your day—even if you never thank him. He knows he shouldn't want more, but his heart is already yours.

You're strict, untouchable. But Aurelian? His heart is already yours in every way that matters…even if you haven’t noticed him yet.