Chapter 3 – The Offer

Everyone was leaving the conference, Papers shuffled, polite laughter echoed. Camilla gathered her notes, trying to calm her shaky hands. Her presentation was over. Somehow, she got through it.

She glanced at Adrian Harrington, he was composed as ever, his dark suit sharp against the polished wood. His eyes, though, were not on his laptop or the departing managers. They were on her, through out the presentation.

That look made her heart skip.

“Miss Hart,” Adrian’s deep voice cut through the air, smooth yet commanding. “Stay behind,I want to discuss with you.”

Her pen nearly slipped from her hand. She looked up, startled.

“Yes, sir?”

The last two board men exchanged curious glances, but didn't say anything. They all left, until it was just the two of them in the big room. The door was closed, and there was silence.

Camilla holds her file tightly to her chest. “If it’s about the slides, I can...”

“It’s not about that” Adrian interrupted, sits in his chair. His gaze pinned on her. “Sit.” pointing to the seat opposite.

Camilla hesitated a little. His tone wasn’t rude, but it wasn’t kind either. He wasn’t asking,he was commanding her.

She pulled out a chair opposite from him and sat, her palms sweating.

Adrian studied her for a moment, like he was memorizing her face. Finally, he spoke. “You handled yourself well today. Better than I expected.”

Camilla blinked. Was that… a compliment? From him?

“Thank you,” she said carefully. “I worked hard .”

“I could tell.” His lips curved , though it wasn’t a smile. More like amusement. “Not many people have the mind to talk back at me the way you did yesterday.”

Her cheeks heated. The memory of the coffee shop came rushing back. The spilled coffee, his anger, her sharp reply. “I… I apologized,” she muttered.

“And I refused it.” He turns his head a little. “Most people would have begged for forgiveness. You didn’t.”

Camilla met his gaze, stubbornness sparking inside of her. “Maybe because I don’t like begging much.”

For a moment, there was silence between them. His eyes darkened, and unreadable, before he leaned forward.

“Good. I don’t need an assistant who begs much,it irritates me.”

Her breath caught. “Assistant?”

“Yes.” He said it simply, like he could control thing in the world. “You will be my assistant.”

His words hits into her like a storm.

“What?” She laughed nervously, shaking her head with disbelief. “I think you’ve got the wrong person. I just came here for a presentation.”

“You presented well,” Adrian said, with a flat tone. “But that’s not the only reason.”

Camilla frowned. “Then what?”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You are brilliant. You are not scared easily. And you are courageous, even if you try to hide it behind politeness. That’s rare in this building.”

Her mouth went dry. This had to be a joke. “So you just… decide things like this? Offer jobs to people you barely know?”

“I don’t barely know you,” Adrian replied smoothly. “I have already read your background. Business degree. Scholarships. No family connections to pull strings for you. You got here on your own.”

Camilla stiffened. “You… read about me?”

“Of course,” he said simply. “I don’t make careless choices.”

Her purse hammered.The idea of him looking into her life made her uneasy. “And what if I don’t want to be your assistant?”

Adrian’s lips curved again, this time into something close to a smirk. “You will want to work for me.”

Her eyes widened. “You are unbelievable.”

“Maybe.” He didn’t look the least bit offended. “But I’m also offering you the kind of opportunity most people would kill for.”

She shook her head quickly. “You don’t even know if I’m qualified.”

“I do know.” His voice cut her off . “You’re overqualified. I’ve seen the way you work under pressure. I’ve seen how you argue without flinching. That’s exactly what I need.”

Her chest rose and fell with unsteady breaths. “Why me?”

He held her gaze, steady and piercing. “Because you don’t look at me like everyone else does.”

Camilla blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Most people,” Adrian said slowly, “look at me with fear. Or greed. You don’t. You look at me like I’m just a man who ruined your morning coffee.”

Camilla swallowed hard. She wanted to argue, but he wasn’t wrong at all.

Adrian leaned back again, giving her space but not loosening his grip on the moment. “So. Assistant. My office. Every day. Starting tomorrow.”

Her mind spun. “You can’t just”

“I can,” he said firmly. “And I did.”

She stared at him, heat rising in her chest with anger, disbelief. “You’re impossible.”

“Get used to it.”

Silence again. Camilla sat frozen, trying to steady her breathing. Part of her wanted to run out of the room. Another part was traitorous and curious, wanted to know what it would be like, working beside him.

Adrian tilted his head, watching her. “What’s the hesitation for , Miss Hart?”

She bit her lip. “I… I already have plans. Other applications. Other interviews.” she lied

He shrugged. “Cancel them.”

Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Adrian said calmly. “You won’t need them. Not after this.”

Camilla’s fists clenched in her lap under the table. “Do you always assume people will do whatever you say?”

“Yes,” he said plainly.

She exhaled sharply, almost a laugh. “At least you’re honest.”

“I’m always honest,” Adrian replied. His voice lowered, softer but no less firm. “Think about it. You will learn more at my side in one year than you would in ten anywhere else. If you want a future in this field, this is it.”

She hesitated, her heart drumming. His words weren’t entirely wrong. This opportunity could change everything. But working under him?

“You’re staring again,” Adrian said suddenly, breaking into her thoughts.

Camilla blinked. “What?”

“You’re staring.” His eyes shone with a little amusement. “Do you find me distracting?”

Her face flushed “Absolutely not.”

“Good,” he said smoothly. “Then you will have no trouble focusing tomorrow.”

Camilla shot to her feet. “You are unbelievable”

Adrian didn’t move, only lifted his gaze to meet hers. “And you’re hired.”

Her breath hitched. She opened her mouth, closed it, then finally whispered, “You are serious.”

“Dead serious? Yes.”

For a moment, the room seemed to mute around them, air thick with tension. His confidence filled every corner, but beneath it, Camilla sensed something else like challenge.

She gripped her file tighter. “Fine. I will take it.”

His brow arched slightly, as if amused at her defiance. “Of course you will.”

“But...” she added quickly, her voice sharp, “don’t think for a second that I’m going to roll over and worship you like everyone else.”

Adrian’s lips curved again. “I wouldn’t want you to.”

Their eyes locked, fire meeting steel. The silence crackled, heavy with something unspoken.

Camilla turned abruptly, gathering her things. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow,” Adrian repeated, his voice low, almost satisfied.

She walked toward the door, every step heavy and unstable. Before leaving, she paused, her hand on the handle. Without looking back, she said quietly, “You are still the man who refused my apology.”

There was a beat of silence, then his reply, smooth and sharp:

“And you are still the woman who refused to beg.”

Camilla’s heart jumped. She pushed the door open and left before he could see the way her cheeks burned.

Behind her, Adrian leaned back in his chair, a rare smile formed on his lips.