Chapter 1: The New Hire

The beginning of the end started with a name on a glass door and a voice that made his pulse stutter.

Eli Carter stood in the elevator of Cross Enterprises, trying to remember how to breathe.

Thirty-seven floors above the chaos of the city, the air was cleaner, colder, and full of expectations. He smoothed the front of his blazer for the third time and checked his reflection in the mirrored walls. His tie was straight. His expression was calm. His resume—flawless.

But none of that mattered here.

Not when the man he was about to work for was Adrian Cross.

The elevator dinged softly. Top floor.

As the doors slid open, Eli was hit with silence—dense and deliberate. Everything gleamed: the polished black marble floor, the sleek glass walls, the silver lettering on the door that read CROSS ENTERPRISES – EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

And just beyond that door: him.

He didn’t need to announce himself. They were expecting him.

A woman with sharp red nails and sharper cheekbones glanced up from the reception desk. “Mr. Carter. He’s ready for you.”

He wasn’t ready. But he nodded.

The door opened soundlessly, and the first thing Eli noticed was the view—an entire wall of glass overlooking the skyline. The second thing was the man standing in front of it.

Adrian Cross.

Tailored suit, hands clasped behind his back, silhouette bathed in morning light. He didn’t turn when Eli entered. He didn’t need to. His presence filled the room.

“You’re early,” Adrian said, his voice smooth and measured. “That’s better.”

“I thought punctuality mattered,” Eli said, careful.

Adrian turned then, slowly, like a king surveying a subject. Grey eyes met brown, sharp as frost.

“It does,” he replied. “But eagerness can be... revealing.”

Adrian’s gaze lingered too long. It felt like being dissected. Or claimed.

Eli straightened. “I’m here to work, Mr. Cross.”

Adrian’s mouth quirked. “Good. I don’t need another lapdog. I need precision. Efficiency. Obedience—without stupidity.”

A test. Already. Eli stepped forward and placed the file of onboarding documents on the desk. “Then I think we’ll get along fine.”

Adrian’s eyes flicked down at the file, then back to Eli. “You don’t flinch when spoken to. I like that.”

“I’m not easily intimidated.”

“That’s a lie,” Adrian said casually, walking past him, close enough for Eli to catch a trace of something warm and expensive—leather, smoke, cedar. “Everyone’s intimidated. The trick is hiding it.”

They walked through the office. As they passed, staff straightened, conversations died mid-sentence. People watched them. Or rather—they watched Adrian. Eli was merely the question mark trailing behind him.

Adrian led him into a smaller conference room, minimal and spotless.

“You’ll sit outside my office,” he said, pointing to the assistant’s desk visible through the glass. “You’ll manage my schedule, screen my calls, and keep your mouth shut unless I ask for your voice.”

“I understand.”

“You don’t yet,” Adrian said, turning fully to face him. “But you will.”

A long pause. Their eyes locked again—Eli’s heart skipped.

And then, Adrian’s tone changed, lower, amused.

“I expect coffee on my desk by 8:05. I drink it black. If it’s sweet, you’ll find yourself reassigned to the basement—digitally.”

“Digitally?” Eli raised a brow.

Adrian smiled thinly. “The IT department. Fluorescent lights. No windows. Very tragic.”

“Got it. No sugar,” Eli said. “High stakes for caffeine.”

“Everything in this building is high stakes,” Adrian replied. “Even you.”

That night, back at his apartment, Eli tossed his blazer onto the couch and dropped onto his bed, exhausted. He hadn’t even started the real work yet and already felt like he was playing chess with a king who didn’t follow the rules.

He reached for his phone, intending to scroll the stress away, but a new message appeared from an unknown number.

> You handled yourself well today. – A.C.

Eli stared at the screen.

Just seven words. No emojis. No punctuation beyond the period. And yet, it said everything. Said too much.

He typed a reply.

> Thank you, sir.

He hovered over send. Then deleted it. Instead, he powered off the phone and lay back in the dark, heart racing.

There was something dangerous about Adrian Cross.

But the real danger wasn’t working for him.

It was how Eli already wanted to impress him.

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