Chapter 1 FIRST DAY (Sabrina’s POV)

If anyone had told me that my first day as a secretary for a billion-dollar jewelry empire would feel like preparing for the Hunger Games, I would’ve laughed. Now? I’m sweating through my blouse like my soul is trying to escape.

Peterson Industries—home of luxury, power, and salaries that could fix my entire bloodline—is a 98-story mirrored tower stabbing the New York skyline. From the sidewalk, the building gleams like someone polished it with liquid ambition. Inside, the air smells like wealth, espresso, and expensive perfume I will never afford.

I keep fixing my hair’s loose strands as I follow the HR assistant toward the top-floor penthouse office. My heels click so loud I feel like the whole hallway is judging me.

“Don’t talk unless Mr. Peterson asks you to,” the assistant whispers sharply. “Don’t look too long into his eyes. And for the love of God, don’t ramble.”

“I don’t ramble,” I whisper back.

She gives me a skeptical side-eye.

Okay… sometimes I ramble. When I’m nervous. Or stressed. Or alive.

The elevator stops with a soft chime. My stomach drops.

“This is it,” she says. “Good luck.”

The doors open.

And I forget how to breathe.

The floor is glass. Actual glass. Beneath my feet stretches Manhattan—shiny cars, busy people, skyscrapers—all swaying beneath me like the world is one deep breath from falling apart.

I swallow, my throat tight.

One misstep and I’ll scream myself into a dimension I can’t return from.

His office is at the end of the hall, behind tall black double doors with gold engraving: DRAKE PETERSON, CEO.

Even his name looks expensive.

“Knock twice, enter once, keep it professional,” the assistant whispers.

Then she leaves me alone.

I take a shaky breath and knock.

“Come in,” a low voice calls from inside.

God.

That voice.

Powerful. Smooth. Cold. Aggravatingly sexy.

I open the door.

And the world… stops.

He’s standing behind a massive obsidian desk, suit jacket off, sleeves rolled up, fingers on the button of his cufflink. Tall, broad-shouldered, carved jaw, dark hair, piercing gray eyes that look like winter just learned how to stare.

Drake Peterson.

The man who owns half of Manhattan’s luxury industry… and now apparently owns the oxygen in this room.

He looks up. Our eyes meet.

And I feel it.

A jolt.

A pulse.

A magnetic pull that terrifies me.

His gaze drags down my outfit—white blouse, black pencil skirt, trembling hands—then returns to my face with an unreadable expression.

“You’re late,” he says.

I check my watch.

“I—It’s 7:58. My shift is at 8.”

He arches an eyebrow. “Employees under me arrive fifteen minutes early.”

“Oh.” I swallow. “No one told me.”

“I’m telling you now.”

His voice hits like ice—controlled, emotionless. Yet weirdly addictive.

“Y-yes, sir,” I manage.

He watches me like he’s dissecting my soul under a microscope. It’s unnerving. My skin buzzes.

“Sit,” he commands, nodding to the chair in front of his desk.

I sit so fast I nearly fall.

He notices. His mouth twitches. Not exactly a smile—more like amusement he refuses to show.

He picks up a folder. “Sabrina Mendoza, twenty-two, cum laude in Business Admin, former assistant manager at Diaz & Everly Jewelry.” His eyes lift. “Impressive résumé.”

A warm glow spreads in my chest. “Thank you—”

“But impressive doesn’t mean useful.”

Glow gone.

Shattered.

Dead.

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He steps closer. And oh boy. Oh no. Too close. Way too close. His presence overwhelms the air around me—cologne, mint, and something dangerously masculine.

“Your references say you’re hardworking. Dedicated. Loyal.” His gaze dips for a fraction of a second to my lips. “Let’s hope they’re not exaggerating.”

My pulse spikes.

Why does this man speak like his words are velvet laced with electricity?

“I’m hardworking,” I say quietly. “And loyal. And… willing to learn a lot.”

He studies me again, slower this time. His eyes are sharp, calculating—almost like he’s assessing not just my skills but something deeper. Something I don’t understand.

“Stand up,” he suddenly says.

I jerk. “S-stand up?”

“Yes.” His tone is final. “Stand.”

I rise, confused.

He circles me once—slow, careful, deliberate.

My breath catches.

This feels… intimate. Too intimate.

The air thickens.

He stops in front of me, his face unreadable.

“You have the look.”

“The… look?” I squeak.

“A presence,” he clarifies. “My executives need someone who can represent the company well. Calm. Composed. Elegant.”

Me? Elegant?

I fight the urge to laugh. Or faint. Or both.

“If you can handle my schedule, you’ll be exposed to clients worth billions,” he continues. “You’ll attend meetings with me. Gala nights. Private showings. Press launches.”

My eyes widen. “I—I thought this was a typing-emails, answering-calls kind of job.”

“Not with me,” Drake says. “You will be my shadow. My voice when I don’t want to speak. My eyes when I look away. My control when situations spiral.”

My lungs forget how to function.

His shadow?

Before I can reply, his phone buzzes.

He picks it up. “Yes?”

His jaw tightens. “No. I told him not today… Tell him to wait.”

He hangs up, annoyed. Then faces me again.

“Let me make one thing clear,” he says softly, stepping closer—so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. “My world is not gentle. Not slow. Not forgiving. If you crumble easily, walk out now.”

I straighten my spine.

Run?

Or prove myself?

I meet his eyes, chin up.

“I don’t crumble easily, Mr. Peterson.”

A slow, dangerous smile touches his lips.

“Good.”

He gives me a quick tour of the office. I try focusing on his words, but my eyes keep drifting.

His hands—strong.

His voice—heavy, controlled.

His presence—intense enough to set off every alarm in my body.

He shows me his private conference room, lounge, and the secretary area just outside his office—my future battlefield.

“This is where you’ll work,” he says. “You’ll coordinate with executives, screen calls, prepare presentations, monitor my schedule, and remind me of things I forget.”

“Got it,” I say.

“And Sabrina?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t let anyone into my office without asking me first. Ever.”

His tone shifts—colder. Darker.

Like a warning.

“Why?” I ask before my brain can stop my mouth.

His eyes drop to mine.

A flicker of something—pain? Memory?

Gone in a heartbeat.

“Because the last person who broke that rule no longer works in this building.”

My stomach tightens.

Message received.

“Understood,” I say.

Hours passed.

The office buzzes with life. Executives run around. Phones ring. People stare at me—some curious, some skeptical, some whispering.

But the worst distraction is Drake.

Every time he passes by, the temperature shifts.

Every time he speaks, the room listens.

Every time he looks at me… I feel it in places I shouldn’t.

When he’s angry, the entire floor goes silent.

When he’s focused, his jaw clenches in a way that should be illegal.

When he reads documents, he rolls his sleeves higher, and I swear my soul evaporates.

I’m not supposed to notice.

I’m not supposed to feel anything.

But God, this man is a walking sin wrapped in a billionaire’s suit.

Around noon, he calls me in.

I practically sprint inside, hoping I don’t look like someone who’s been mentally cursing at his beauty for the past four hours.

“Yes, Mr. Peterson?”

He gestures to the chair. “Sit.”

I sit.

He leans back, fingers steepled. “Tell me, Sabrina. Why did you apply here?”

“I… needed a better job,” I say quietly. “My last one didn’t pay enough. I have responsibilities.”

“Family?” he asks, tone softer.

I nod. “A younger brother. School fees. Rent. Life.”

He studies me for a moment.

Not cold.

Not harsh.

Just… observant.

“You’re driven,” he says. “Good. I don’t hire people who lack hunger. Hunger creates ambition. Ambition creates results.”

I swallow. “Thank you.”

He leans forward. “And tell me… are you afraid of me?”

The question hits like a punch.

I blink. “Should I be?”

He smiles, slow and devastating.

“Everyone else is.”

I should lie.

I should say yes.

I should pretend to tremble.

But the truth slips out like a reckless confession.

“No. I’m not afraid of you.”

His expression shifts.

He wasn’t expecting that.

Then something flashes in his eyes—interest. Sharp. Focused. Almost… dangerous.

“Good,” he whispers. “Fear clouds judgment.”

He stands.

I stand too, confused by the sudden shift.

He steps closer.

Too close.

My heart thunders.

His hand lifts—not touching me, just hovering near my face, fingers inches from my cheek.

“Let’s see,” he murmurs, voice low enough to burn, “how long you can last in my world without breaking.”

My breath catches.

His gaze drops to my lips for a split second—

A knock interrupts everything.

He withdraws his hand instantly, jaw locking.

“What,” he snaps.

Jenny, one of the senior assistants, pokes her head through the door.

“S-sir, you have a visitor. He says it’s urgent.”

Drake’s eyes frost over.

“Who?”

“Mr. Klein. He didn’t schedule an appointment.”

Drake mutters a curse under his breath.

Then he turns to me.

“Sabrina. You’re with me.”

“With… you?”

“Yes.” His gaze burns into mine. “You’re about to learn rule number one.”

My pulse flips. “Which is?”

He opens the door, voice low and sharp:

> “Never let anyone see you panic—no matter how dangerous the situation is.”

Before I can respond, he takes my wrist—not gentle, not rough, just firm—and leads me out of his office.

My skin ignites.

His grip tightens.

And as we step into the hallway…

I see the “urgent visitor.”

A man in a dark coat.

A man with cold eyes.

A man staring at Drake like he’s something he wants to crush.

Drake stops walking.

My heart slams against my ribs.

“Sabrina,” he murmurs without looking at me. “Stay close.”

The man smiles.

It’s not a friendly smile.

And the first words he speaks send a chill down my spine—

> “Drake Peterson… did you really think you could ignore me forever?”