The sun had barely risen over Los Angeles when Alexander Knight strode into the sleek, glass-encased headquarters of Knight Enterprises. The city was alive, but inside his domain, everything operated like a well-oiled machine—silent, efficient, and devoid of chaos. Just the way he liked it.

Dressed in a tailored black suit that fit his tall, athletic frame to perfection, Alex exuded power with every step. Employees straightened when they saw him, murmured greetings that he barely acknowledged, and some even held their breath as he passed. His presence was a force of nature—cold, calculated, and unshakable.

As he approached the executive floor, his assistant, Rachel, hurried to match his long strides. "Your 8 a.m. meeting with the board is confirmed, sir. Mr. Reynolds from the London branch has requested a video call at ten, and the legal department needs your approval on the Parker acquisition contract before noon."

Alexander didn't slow his pace. "Schedule Reynolds for nine. Have legal send the contract to my office in twenty minutes."

Rachel nodded, tapping on her tablet as she followed him into his private elevator.

As the doors slid shut, she hesitated before speaking again. "Sir, there's also the matter of your new personal assistant."

Alexander's jaw ticked. "Find someone competent."

Rachel hesitated. "We've been through five candidates in two months."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Because none of them were competent."

Rachel sighed but wisely didn't argue. Finding an assistant who could keep up with Alexander Knight was proving to be an impossible task. He was a perfectionist, a man who demanded absolute efficiency, and anyone who fell short was promptly dismissed.

"The latest candidate will be arriving for an interview today," she continued. "Should I handle it?"

"No," Alex said curtly. "Send them to my office when they arrive. I'll decide for myself."

Rachel didn't argue, but internally, she pitied the poor soul about to face the Ice King of the corporate world.

The elevator doors opened to the top floor—Alexander's domain.

His office was massive, an expanse of black marble and glass, with a floor-to-ceiling view of downtown Los Angeles. Everything was meticulously arranged, not a paper out of place.

He took his seat at the sleek mahogany desk, already immersing himself in work. The rest of the world faded into the background—exactly how he preferred it.

At least, until a certain disaster-prone woman stormed into his life.

-----------------

Elsewhere in Los Angeles…

Lily Carter sprinted down the sidewalk, barely avoiding colliding with a man carrying a stack of folders. Her long brown hair was a windblown mess, her blouse slightly wrinkled from the chaotic morning she'd had, and the strap of her purse was dangerously close to snapping.

"I am so late," she muttered under her breath.

Her morning had been a disaster. She had woken up to find her alarm had died sometime in the night, thanks to a power outage in her tiny apartment. Her coffee machine refused to cooperate, her only pair of work-appropriate heels had mysteriously vanished, and just when she thought things couldn't get worse, she had spilled orange juice on her resume.

Now, she was speed-walking—half-jogging, really—toward the most important job interview of her life.

Knight Enterprises was a big deal. Everyone knew about Alexander Knight—the brilliant but notoriously cold CEO. He was the kind of man people whispered about, a figure both feared and admired in the business world. And she, Lily Carter, was about to step into his world.

If she didn't die of nervousness first.

She skidded to a stop outside the grand Knight Enterprises building, staring up at its towering glass façade.

"Okay, Lily, deep breaths. You've got this."

With a determined nod, she marched inside—completely unaware that her life was about to turn into an absolute whirlwind of chaos and corporate warfare.

Lily Carter burst into the lobby of Knight Enterprises, slightly out of breath, clutching her resume folder to her chest.

The first thing she noticed was the silence.

The place was nothing like the bustling corporate offices she had seen in movies. Instead, it was sleek, modern, and eerily quiet. The floors gleamed with black marble, and towering floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the space in soft morning light. Employees dressed in perfectly tailored suits moved with precision, their heels clicking against the polished floor.

Everything about this place screamed discipline, perfection, and power.

And here she was—wrinkled blouse, slightly messy hair, and a panicked expression that completely ruined any illusion of professionalism.

Great first impression, Lily. Absolutely fantastic.

She swallowed her nerves and approached the front desk, where a blonde receptionist sat, typing away on a keyboard.

"Hi! I'm Lily Carter. I have an interview for the Personal Assistant position with Mr. Knight," she said, forcing a smile.

The receptionist—whose nameplate read Melissa—barely spared her a glance before scanning her screen.

"Your interview was scheduled for 8:00 AM. It's now 8:07."

Lily winced. "I know, I know, but technically I got here on time, I just—"

"Mr. Knight does not tolerate lateness."

The warning was crisp, final, and terrifying.

Lily felt her stomach drop. "So... am I disqualified already?"

Melissa finally looked at her—and smirked. It was the kind of smirk that said, Oh, honey, you don't know what you're in for.

"Take a seat," she said smoothly. "Mr. Knight will see you shortly."

Lily exhaled in relief and turned toward the waiting area.

As soon as she sat down, she took a deep breath, gripping her folder tightly. She needed this job. Badly. If she didn't get hired today, she'd have to move back in with her overly dramatic, passive-aggressive mother, and that was NOT an option.

So, she needed to impress Alexander Knight.

But judging from every single employee in this building acting like they were terrified of him, that would be easier said than done.

------------------------

Just as Lily was starting to feel the nerves crawl up her spine, something shifted in the air.

A faint ding echoed from across the lobby as the executive elevator doors slid open.

Instantly, every employee straightened in their seats, lowered their voices, or stopped typing altogether. The energy in the room changed—from routine workplace chatter to tense, suffocating silence.

Lily didn't need to guess why.

Because there he was.

Alexander Knight.

She had seen pictures of him online—every business magazine had covered his rise to power—but nothing had prepared her for his presence in real life.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly intimidating, dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than her entire year's rent. His sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes could've belonged to a runway model, but the sheer power radiating off of him made it clear—he was no pretty boy. He was a shark, a man who built an empire through sheer ruthlessness.

His expression? Cold. Unreadable. Lethal.

He didn't acknowledge anyone as he walked across the floor, his strides purposeful and unwavering. The employees practically held their breath as he passed, afraid to even look at him wrong.

Lily felt her pulse skyrocket.

This is my future boss?!

Melissa, the receptionist, gestured toward Lily with a knowing smirk.

"Mr. Knight, your interview candidate has arrived."

Alexander Knight finally turned his gaze on her.

The moment their eyes met, Lily felt her stomach flip.

His icy blue eyes swept over her in one swift motion—assessing, calculating, unimpressed.

Without saying a word, he turned and started walking away.

Melissa gave Lily a pointed look. "Follow him."

Lily scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, gripping her folder for dear life.

------------------------

Lily rushed inside just as the elevator doors slid shut, sealing her alone with the most intimidating man on the planet.

The silence was thick.

She tried to sneak a glance at him, but the moment she did, he spoke.

"You're late."

Lily jumped slightly at the deep, smooth yet sharp voice.

She turned to him, blinking. "I—uh—technically, I arrived at eight!"

Alexander gave her a blank stare. "Your interview was at 8:00. You arrived at 8:07."

She gulped.

"I—okay, yeah, but seven minutes isn't that late."

His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was trying to decide whether she was stupid or just reckless.

"In my world," he said, his voice cool, crisp, and authoritative, "seven minutes is the difference between sealing a deal and losing a billion-dollar contract."

Lily stared. Did he just compare my tardiness to losing a billion dollars?!

She opened her mouth to respond, but the elevator dinged, and he was already striding out.

Lily let out a silent scream of frustration before chasing after him.

------------------------

Alexander's office was a masterpiece of modern design—black marble floors, sleek glass walls, and a panoramic view of Los Angeles.

It was as cold and meticulously organized as the man himself.

"Sit," he said, already lowering himself into the imposing leather chair behind his massive desk.

Lily sank into the chair across from him, feeling like a criminal on trial.

He extended his hand. "Resume."

She quickly handed it over, watching as his piercing eyes scanned the document. His expression remained unreadable, but the slight raise of an eyebrow told her he wasn't impressed.

"You have no PA experience," he noted.

Lily sat up straight. "No, but I'm a fast learner! And I've worked in fast-paced environments before."

His gaze flicked back to the paper. "Marketing degree. So why are you applying to be my assistant?"

"Because I need a job."

For the first time, his eyes lifted to hers.

There was a long silence.

Then—**to her complete and utter shock—**he smirked.

It wasn't a friendly smirk. It was the kind of smirk that said, Oh, this will be fun.

"You're persistent," he murmured, closing the folder.

Before she could respond, he pressed a button on his desk.

A tall woman walked in.

"Rachel, draw up the paperwork. Miss Carter is hired. Probationary period: one month. If she's still standing after that, we'll reconsider."

Lily's jaw dropped.

Wait. WHAT?!

Rachel nodded and left.

Lily turned back to Alexander, still processing what just happened.

"I—I got the job?" she asked, stunned.

His smirk deepened.

"Let's see how long you last."

Lily Carter stood in front of the elevator doors, clutching a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and her new employee ID in the other.

Her heart thumped.

She still couldn't believe she got the job.

Alexander Knight actually hired me?

To be fair, the man didn't exactly seem thrilled about it. In fact, his smirk before dismissing her yesterday still gave her goosebumps—not the good kind, but the what-have-I-gotten-myself-into kind.

Still, a job was a job, and she needed this one.

Squaring her shoulders, she inhaled deeply and stepped inside the elevator. The smooth jazz music did nothing to calm her nerves.

Today was the start of her new life—and she was determined to prove Alexander wrong.

What's the worst that could happen?

-----------------------

The 47th floor of Knight Enterprises was a whole different world.

It was nothing like the lower floors, where employees bustled in open cubicles. Up here, the atmosphere was colder, sharper, more powerful.

The executive offices were lined with floor-to-ceiling glass, and everything—from the black leather chairs to the marble desks—screamed wealth.

Lily's heels clicked against the polished floor as she walked toward her new workspace, which was a sleek desk just outside Alexander Knight's office.

She dropped her bag onto the chair and admired her new domain.

It was all neat and organized, stocked with expensive-looking stationery and a high-tech computer monitor. There was even a tiny espresso machine in the corner.

"Okay, not bad," she murmured.

But before she could bask in the excitement, the door to Alexander's office swung open.

And there he was.

In a flawless navy-blue suit, looking every bit the cold, ruthless CEO he was known to be.

"Miss Carter," he greeted coolly, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. "You're late."

Lily blinked.

She glanced at the time. 8:00 AM sharp.

"But I'm right on time!" she argued.

He lifted an unimpressed brow. "Your desk should be set up, your computer on, and my schedule prepared by now. In my world, 'on time' is already late."

Her stomach sank.

Oh, this job was going to be hell.

-----------------------

Determined to redeem herself, Lily jumped into action.

She hurried to grab the printed schedule she had prepared the night before, smoothed it out, and handed it to him.

"Your schedule for the day, sir!" she said cheerfully.

Alexander took it without a word and scanned the paper.

For a brief second, he looked impressed.

Then his expression turned unreadable. He lifted his icy gaze.

"Why is there a lunch meeting with 'Chris Hemsworth' at noon?"

Lily froze.

Wait. What?

She snatched the paper back and gasped.

Monday, 12:00 PMLunch Meeting with Chris Hemsworth

Her face burned.

"I—I didn't write that! I swear! I must have—"

She checked her laptop, frantically scrolling through the document. And that's when she saw it.

At some point last night, while half-asleep, she must have auto-filled the schedule and somehow replaced a name with her own personal fantasy.

Because right under the 'Chris Hemsworth' lunch meeting, she found:

4:00 PM: Board Meeting with Iron Man

7:00 PM: Dinner with Captain America

Her soul left her body.

Alexander exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Miss Carter."

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you aware that I do not run Marvel Studios?"

Lily wanted to die.

"That was a mistake," she babbled. "A—a complete accident! I must have—oh my God, I swear I didn't mean to put—"

"Fix it."

His voice was calm. Deadly calm.

Lily nodded rapidly. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"

Alexander sighed, rubbing his temple. "And bring me coffee. Black. No sugar. No cream. No nonsense."

"Of course! Absolutely!"

Desperate to redeem herself, Lily grabbed the coffee cup from her desk—the same one she had been holding since she walked in—and spun around too quickly.

The next few seconds happened in slow motion.

Her foot slipped.

Her grip failed.

And in a horrifying, cinematic disaster, the entire cup of coffee went flying through the air... straight toward Alexander Knight's crisp, expensive suit.

A second later, a hot brown stain spread across his once-perfect white shirt.

The room went silent.

Lily froze.

Alexander just stared at her.

His face gave away nothing, but the tension in the air could have crushed her soul into dust.

Melissa, the receptionist, happened to walk by at that exact moment, took one look at the scene, and whispered under her breath:

"...She's dead."

-----------------------

Silence.

Lily gulped.

"...Would you believe me if I said this was also an accident?"

Alexander inhaled deeply.

Then, in an eerily calm voice, he said:

"Miss Carter."

"Y-Yes?"

"Leave."

Lily panicked. "L-Leave as in 'go home for today'? Or leave as in forever?"

His jaw clenched.

She stepped back. "Right. Okay. I'll—uh—I'll just go get you a clean shirt, shall I?"

Before he could respond, she spun on her heel and bolted out the door.

As soon as she reached the hallway, she leaned against the wall and let out a breath.

Her first day was going spectacularly bad.

And judging by the murderous look in Alexander Knight's eyes, it wasn't going to get any easier.