Accidental Night with the Boss

The Regent Grand Hotel, Suite 2801Isabella Rossi woke to the scent of bergamot and expensive linen, her body humming with a bone-deep ache. For a moment, she floated in hazy contentment, nestling into the solid warmth beside her. Zachary. After two years of careful restraint—every fumbled kiss in his vintage Mustang, every time she’d gently pushed his hands from the hem of her dress—she’d finally given him everything. Last night hadn’t just been surrender; it was a sacrament. Her 25th birthday. An act she hoped he'd come to know how much it meant to her.He feels different, she mused, sliding a hand over lean muscle beneath the sheets. Firmer. Broader. Had training for the London Marathon sculpted him like this? She’d teased him about his "dad-bod" just weeks ago—“Mmm…you’re awake?” A low, sleep-roughened voice vibrated against her temple. “I may have been… overzealous last night.”This voice!Ice flooded her veins. She jerked upright, scrambling back as the man beside her turned.

Upper Manhattan, Early MorningWinter had settled over the city like a silent decree. The first rays of sun were powerless against the bitter wind that knifed through the streets. Manhattan in December was brutal, a stone-and-glass tundra glazed in frost.A row of black luxury sedans idled in front of the Regent Grand's main entrance. The lead car, a custom midnight-blue Bentley Flying Spur, waited with solemn stillness. Standing beside it was a tall, immaculately dressed man in a charcoal wool overcoat. His dark eyes—sharp and unyielding—remained fixed on the gilded hotel doors.They opened.Footsteps echoed, crisp and deliberate.A cluster of aides and assistants emerged first, their breath fogging the air. Then came the man himself. His features were refined, sculpted—aristocratic without being cold. He wore no scarf or gloves, just a smoke-gray jacket over a black turtleneck. Even in the punishing chill, he exuded unshakable composure. The air around him bent slightly, as though i

"Wasn't he supposed to come next week?" Isabella put away her phone and lifted an eyebrow. "If he's here, then he's here. What are you so pointed about?" Isabella caught a whiff of perfume from Zoe and added with a dry laugh, "You even put on perfume?"Zoe Finn giggled playfully. "It’s about making a good first impression. Come on, we need to hurry back to the office."But Isabella replied, "It’s still our break. Even if our new boss is here, we don’t need to sprint.""No way. Jen just called. Everyone’s already gathered. We have to go back." Zoe tugged at her arm, but didn’t expect to come face-to-face with Zachary Grant near the company’s main doors."It’s Zachary Grant," Zoe said quickly. She gave a polite nod, then looked at Isabella. "Make it quick. I’ll head back up."Once Zoe left, Isabella’s entire expression changed."Why are you here?"Zachary and Isabella had started dating in high school. By college, they had met each other’s families and even discussed marriage. Zachary

Vincent Sinclair heard her explanation and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, studying her with a gaze that gave away nothing. His expression was unreadable—a painting half-finished in shadow. Then, after a tense pause, his brow lifted slightly and he gestured toward the elevator panel."Going up?"Elliot Shaw, standing awkwardly near the mirrored wall, exhaled quietly. The tension drained from his face as he watched the silent exchange.So the two knew each other?Seeing Chairman Sinclair so calm, even conversational, Shaw felt the blood drain from his face. He'd almost reprimanded someone the chairman appeared familiar with. His mind reeled with quiet panic.Isabella stepped aside gracefully. "Chairman Sinclair, I can take the employee elevator. I sincerely apologize for earlier. I wasn't paying attention."She gave a polite nod and moved toward the side exit of the elevator lobby.It was a wise move. After graduating, she had come to Halycon&Co through Chloe's recommendation, but ever

"I apologize, Chairman Sinclair." Isabella's voice trembled slightly as she stood straighter, mentally flipping through every figure, every subtotal. "I’m not sure where the problem is. The numbers in the report were based on data forwarded from the marketing department.""There’s a significant discrepancy in the second data point for Spring," Vincent said, his voice low but edged with scorn. "You didn’t notice it was twenty percent higher than Summer’s? How long have you been with Halycon&Co? And you're still making errors this basic?"He leaned back slowly into the wide executive chair, one hand resting on the tabletop with pointed ease. His stare raked across the room."I don’t care what your habits were before. From now on, you follow my expectations. Rigor. Accuracy. If anyone in this company delivers mistakes like this again, they won’t be working here. Halycon doesn’t keep incompetence."The silence that followed was suffocating.Several department heads exhaled cautiously, whi