CH 2

HER POV ~

I barely had a moment to breathe.

The second I stepped into the small apartment my father had arranged for me in the city, exhaustion slammed into me. Every muscle in my body ached, my head throbbed, and my fingers were stiff from typing nonstop.

Yet, despite all of that… I wasn’t defeated.

Lucian Blackwood had thrown me into the fire, expecting me to burn. But instead, I adapted. Survived. Fought back.

Collapsing onto my couch, I stared at the ceiling, my mind replaying every moment from today. The way he had sneered at me, the way his cold, sharp eyes had watched me like I was nothing more than a nuisance.

It should have angered me. Maybe even broken me a little.

But all I felt was determination.

If he thought I would crumble just because he wanted me gone, he had no idea who he was dealing with.

A sharp buzz from my phone pulled me out of my thoughts.

Dad: How was your first day, sweetheart?

I sighed, my fingers hesitating over the keyboard. Should I tell him? Should I let him know how his so-called ‘future son-in-law’ had treated me?

No.

Because that would mean admitting that Lucian had gotten to me. And I refused to give him that power.

Me: It was fine. Just a lot of work.

A second later, the typing bubbles appeared.

Dad: That’s expected. Lucian is one of the best in the business. Learn from him, Eleanor. You’ll thank me later.

I scoffed, shaking my head. Learn from him?

Lucian wasn’t some wise mentor. He was a storm—reckless, destructive, and impossible to control.

But fine. If my father wanted me to learn from Lucian Knight, I would.

I would learn everything. His strengths. His weaknesses. His limits.

And when the time came… I’d prove that I wasn’t someone he could break.

With that thought, I grabbed the reports from my bag, set them on the coffee table, and got back to work.

Because if tomorrow was going to be another battle, I’d be ready.

THE NEXT MORNING

Sleep? I barely got any.

By the time I finished reviewing the reports Lucian had dumped on me, it was already past 3 AM. And even then, my mind wouldn’t shut off. His words, his piercing glare, the way he made it so obvious he wanted me gone—it all replayed over and over again.

So when my alarm blared at 6 AM, I wasn’t surprised that I felt like death warmed over. But giving up? Not an option.

With sheer willpower, I dragged myself out of bed, took a quick shower, and threw on a fitted navy-blue dress that screamed professionalism. Look the part, play the part—even if your boss is the devil himself.

By 7:30 AM, I was out the door, coffee in one hand and my bag in the other. The city was already alive with traffic, but I was too focused to care.

Today, I had one goal—prove to Lucian Blackwood that I belonged in his office. That no matter how much he hated it, I wasn’t going anywhere.

When I arrived at Blackwood Enterprises, I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and walked inside.

The receptionist gave me a small smile, already aware of who I was. "Good morning, Ms. Hayes. Mr. Blackwood is already in his office."

Of course, he is. The man practically lived there.

I nodded, forcing a polite smile. "Thank you."

As I stepped into the elevator, I mentally prepared myself for whatever hell awaited me today.

But nothing—nothing—could have prepared me for what happened next.

Because the second I stepped onto the executive floor, before I even made it to my desk, Lucian's office door swung open.

And there he was.

Towering, ruthless, and looking like he hadn’t slept either. His cold, stormy eyes landed on me instantly, and for a brief second, something flickered in them—something unreadable.

Then, his jaw tightened.

"You’re late."

I blinked. Late?

I quickly glanced at my watch. 7:55 AM.

I was early.

My eyes snapped back to him, and for the first time, I let a slow, defiant smirk curl on my lips.

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Blackwood," I said, stepping closer. "And for the record, I’m an hour early!."

He crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "You're late if I say you are."

Ah. So this was his game. Control. Power. Making sure I knew he was the one calling the shots.

Fine. If he wanted to play, I’d play.

I tilted my head slightly, keeping my voice calm. "Noted. Next time, I’ll arrive at sunrise to avoid upsetting your delicate sense of time."

His eyes darkened. "Watch it, Hayes."

I smiled sweetly. "Of course, sir."

A muscle ticked in his jaw, and for a brief moment, I swore I saw something else in his eyes—annoyance? Amusement?

Before I could figure it out, he turned on his heel. "Inside. Now."

And just like that, the battle for the day had begun.

HIS POV ~

The door clicked shut behind her, sealing us in my office. I didn’t bother looking up from the file I had just picked up. If I did, I might lose whatever patience I had left.

I could feel her standing there, waiting, probably with that smug look still on her face.

"Take a seat," I said, flipping a page.

"I’ll stand."

Of course, she would.

I finally lifted my eyes, meeting hers across the room. She had crossed her arms, head tilted slightly—like she was studying me, like she was amused.

I set the file down. "You think this is a joke?"

"No, Mr. Blackwood," she said, voice smooth. "I think this is a waste of my time."

That made me smile—cold and sharp. "Your time? That’s interesting. Because as far as I know, you don’t have a choice in this."

Her expression flickered, just for a second, before she masked it with indifference. "Neither do you."

A direct hit. My fingers curled into a fist.

She was right. This wasn’t my choice. My father had backed me into a corner, and now she was my problem.

"Let’s get one thing straight, Eleanor." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. "You might have been handed this job, but that doesn’t mean I’ll make it easy for you."

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t shrink.

"I never expected it to be easy, Mr. Blackwood." Her lips curved into a smirk. "But you should know—I don’t break easily either."

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