Chapter 4

Ethan sat in his office long after everyone had gone home. The city outside glowed with restless lights, but his focus was on the files spread across his desk. Daniel’s files.

At first, Ethan told himself it was curiosity—his assistant had been pulling off miracles in the company, solving issues before they even reached Ethan’s desk, managing people without showing an ounce of arrogance, and making decisions that saved the firm millions. It wasn’t normal. Not for an assistant.

He had to know who Daniel really was.

The first surprise came too quickly. Daniel’s academic records—impeccable. Top of his class. Scholarships. Degrees earned faster than most. But that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking part was how little noise he left behind. Someone that brilliant should have been celebrated, mentioned in news articles, on lists of “rising stars.” Yet, his trail was almost like someone had deliberately erased it.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, tapping a pen against the desk.

“Why hide brilliance?” he muttered.

The second surprise landed harder. In the employee background checks, Daniel’s previous positions looked… too ordinary. Receptionist. Clerk. Junior assistant. Jobs far below his capability. And yet, in every record, his employers gave glowing feedback. Loyal. Dedicated. Efficient. Every single time.

It didn’t add up. A man this talented should be sitting where Ethan was, not quietly standing behind him.

But what unsettled Ethan most was the last file he uncovered. Not a professional file this time—something personal.

Daniel had no listed family. No emergency contact. No siblings. Not even an address that matched his current profile. It was as if he existed only within the walls of Ethan’s company.

Ethan closed the folder, closed his eyes.

Who are you, Daniel? He whispered loud.

The next morning, Daniel walked into the office with his usual calm smile, placing Ethan’s coffee on the desk before he could even ask. He adjusted Ethan’s schedule like clockwork, pointed out a mistake in a legal contract, and reminded Ethan about a board member’s upcoming birthday.

Perfect. Too perfect.

“You’re full of surprises, Daniel,” Ethan said, watching him carefully.

Daniel paused, giving a soft smile. “I just do my job, sir.”

“That’s exactly what bothers me,” Ethan replied. “You do more than your job. Far more.”

For a moment, Daniel’s gaze flickered. Then, just like that, his composure returned. “Should I stop?”

The question disarmed Ethan. “No,” he admitted. “Just… keep doing what you’re doing.”

But inside, Ethan’s suspicions only grew.

Later that day, Ethan decided to test him.

“Daniel, I need the Henderson deal figures from last quarter. On my desk in thirty minutes.”

Daniel nodded, calm as ever. “Of course.”

Ethan knew those numbers weren’t easy to find. They were buried in a separate archive system, which even most senior managers struggled to navigate. He timed him, waiting.

Exactly twenty-five minutes later, Daniel returned with a neatly bound report, complete with graphs, summaries, and projections Ethan hadn’t even requested.

“How—” Ethan caught himself, swallowing the question. He didn’t want to show how impressed he was.

Daniel only tilted his head. “Is there anything else, sir?”

Ethan’s suspicions turned into fascination.

That night, Ethan called in a favor from an old friend in cybersecurity. He wanted a deeper background check on Daniel—something beyond public records.

“Careful, Ethan,” his friend warned. “If your assistant’s as clean as he looks, digging deeper could be… risky. People don’t usually hide unless there’s something dangerous to hide from.”

“Just do it,” Ethan said.

Two days later, the report came in. And that was when Ethan’s world tilted.

The name Daniel Reyes wasn’t his real name.

The man currently running Ethan’s schedule and saving his company wasn’t the man he claimed to be. His real identity had been buried five years ago, linked to a major corporate scandal overseas. Not as a criminal, but as the whistleblower.

Ethan stared at the report, stunned.

Daniel hadn’t just been hiding brilliance. He had been hiding survival.

The next morning, Ethan couldn’t look at Daniel the same way.

“Sir, your meeting with Mr. Grant has been pushed to three,” Daniel said, setting papers on the desk.

Ethan nodded, his eyes scanning Daniel’s every move. A whistleblower? A man who took down corporations? What the hell is he doing here… working for me?

He wanted to confront him. He wanted answers. But something held him back.

Instead, he tested him again. “Daniel, do you ever think you’re too good for this job?”

Daniel froze for just a second—so small most wouldn’t notice. But Ethan noticed.

“I’m exactly where I need to be,” Daniel replied.

The answer sent a chill down Ethan’s spine.

Days passed, and Ethan’s fascination deepened. He watched how Daniel diffused tensions in meetings without anyone realizing, how he seemed to know what Ethan needed before Ethan even spoke, how he spotted weaknesses in contracts, mergers, even people.

It wasn’t just skill. It was strategy.

And then, the twist came.

One night, working late again, Ethan received an anonymous email. No subject. Just one line and an attachment.

“Your assistant isn’t who you think he is. Open your eyes before it’s too late.”

Ethan’s hand trembled as he opened the file.

Inside were surveillance photos. Daniel. Meeting someone in secret.

Ethan zoomed in on the images. Daniel’s expression wasn’t calm, wasn’t composed. He looked tense. Angry. Almost dangerous.

The final photo made Ethan’s blood run cold.

Daniel wasn’t just meeting someone. He was meeting with one of Ethan’s biggest competitors.

The next morning, Ethan couldn’t sit still. His chest tightened each time Daniel walked in, each time his calm voice filled the office.

“Sir, here’s your presentation notes.”

“Sir, should I confirm dinner with the investors?”

“Sir, your brother called, he wants to meet next week.”

Normal. Too normal.

Ethan forced a smile. “Daniel, let’s talk after work today. In private.”

For the first time, Daniel hesitated. His lips curved into a smile, but his eyes… his eyes carried something else.

“As you wish, sir.”

That evening, the office was empty. Ethan sat at his desk, the folder of surveillance photos in front of him. Daniel entered quietly, shutting the door behind him.

“You wanted to see me?” Daniel asked.

“Yes.” Ethan pushed the folder across the desk. “Care to explain this?”

Daniel’s eyes lowered, scanning the photos. No flicker of panic. No denial. Only silence.

Finally, he looked up.

“So, you know.”

The calmness in his tone made Ethan’s stomach twist. “You’ve been meeting with my competitor? Why? Are you spying on me?”

Daniel stepped closer, placing his hands on the desk. His voice dropped.

“You don’t understand, Ethan. It’s not what it looks like.”

“Then tell me what it is!” Ethan snapped.

Daniel leaned in, his gaze locking with Ethan’s. “If I tell you… everything changes.”

Ethan’s pulse raced. “Try me.”

Daniel’s lips curved. “I didn’t come here to work for you by accident. I came here because… your company isn’t what you think it is.”

Ethan’s breath caught. “What the hell are you talking about?”

But before Daniel could answer, the office phone rang, breaking the tension.

Ethan stared at it, torn. Daniel stood perfectly still.

The ringing continued. Relentless.

Finally, Ethan grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

A cold voice crackled on the other end.

“Mr. Ethan Richard. Step away from your assistant. He isn’t your ally. He’s your downfall.”

The line went dead.

Ethan slowly lowered the phone, his hand trembling.

When he looked up, Daniel was already watching him.

“Now you see, you’re in far deeper than you realize.”

Hours later, Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring at Daniel through the glass wall of his office. His assistant was buried in files, typing with calm precision, unaware of the storm his presence had created inside Ethan’s mind.

Days had passed since Ethan began his private digging. Every detail he uncovered only reinforced one truth: Daniel was no ordinary assistant. He wasn’t ambitious in the usual way. He wasn’t manipulative like others Ethan had dealt with. Instead, Daniel was… dangerous in a different sense. The kind of danger that pulled a man closer rather than pushed him away.

For the first time, Ethan began to wonder—was Daniel truly just an employee, or something far more personal to him?

Ethan closed his laptop and stood, his decision sudden. He walked out into the open office.

“Daniel,” he called.

Daniel looked up, his eyes blinked, but his smile calm. “Yes, sir?”

“Come inside.”

Inside the office, Ethan motioned for him to sit. Daniel hesitated, then sat, his posture straight.

“You’ve been hiding something;”

Daniel didn’t flinch. “I’ve been working.”

“Not just working.” Ethan leaned forward. “You’ve been saving this company in ways no one else could. Your strategies, your solutions—they’re not accidents. They’re calculated. Almost as if…” He paused. “...as if you care about this company more than I do.”

Daniel smirked. “Maybe I do.”

That answer hit Ethan harder than expected. “Why?”

Daniel’s eyes darkened. “Because I don’t want to see it destroyed. And because…” His voice lowered, “…I can’t stand seeing you lose.”

The room thickened with silence, Ethan sighed.

His chest tightened. Was this admiration? Loyalty? Or something else entirely?

“Daniel,” Ethan called slowly, “you’re starting to sound like someone who wants more than just a job.”

Daniel didn’t deny it. He leaned forward, his voice firm. “Maybe I do want more.”

Ethan froze. The words rang louder than any rival’s threats. He should have pushed Daniel away, reminded him of boundaries. But instead, he felt his resolve weaken.

Before Ethan could speak, his phone rang. He grabbed it. A message flashed across the screen.

We know about your assistant. Keep him close—or lose everything.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

He glanced up at Daniel, who was watching him carefully, as if he already knew.

“Daniel…” Ethan began, but his voice broke.

Daniel tilted his head, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at his lips. “Now you see, Ethan. You’re not the only one keeping secrets.”

The tension snapped like a wire pulled too tight. Ethan realized, with a rush of dread and fascination, that Daniel wasn’t just his assistant. He was the key to survival—or destruction.

And suddenly, Ethan knew one thing for certain: his craving for Daniel had just become a dangerous obsession.