Chapter 1

PRESENT

SELENE’S POV:

“Oh, fuck, no!”

The words came out louder than I intended, and I felt heads turning towards me. But I couldn’t look away from the scene unfolding in front of me.

Like watching a car crash in slow motion.

The elevator doors slid closed with a ping that shouldn’t have sounded as loud as it did to my hypersensitive ears, and I bit back a string of curses resting on the tip of my tongue.

I could not believe my luck. It was my first hour of my first day of work at the most prestigious firm in all of Manhattan, and I was already thinking of the best way to format my resignation letter with enough grace to preserve what little dignity I had left.

Aurum Holdings wasn’t a job. It was the job. The one people schemed and sold their souls for—especially women.

Partly because it opened doors to some of the greatest opportunities Manhattan had to offer but mostly because it meant working under the infamous “hottest, most ruthless bachelor in corporate America,” as the Daily News so obnoxiously put it.

Being the dumb little bitch that I was, I hadn’t even bothered to look up this man before I went ahead and applied to a position as his PA.

I just saw the ad, saw the obnoxious sum of money they were offering, saw how my qualifications had aligned perfectly with their requirements, and applied.

No research, no preparations, just sheer fucking dumb luck.

And now here I was, forced to watch the man from my nightmares walk straight towards me.

He looked exactly like I remembered him yet nothing like the boy from high school all at once.

Wind ruffled hair that somehow also looked perfectly styled. Those ice-cold blue eyes that had flashed with cruelty and lust and loathing whenever they’d focused on me.

Eyes that felt too much and not nearly enough.

Grayson Vexley had always been dangerous in a way only sinful things ever were.

Only now, he'd grown into it. He wore that look like a second skin, like something only earned through years of practice and bloodwork.

Back then, he was just a cruel boy with dreams of becoming more.

And now he was more. So much more. Enough to send my pulse into a frenzy.

Enough to make my breath stutter in my chest.

Grayson finally looked up from the sleek silver watch on his wrist, sweeping a lazy look across the lobby and I swear, for a moment, the world held its breath.

The people stopped moving and an unnatural hush fell over the room.

A small frown decorated Grayson’s brow, as if the air had somehow offended him by moving too close to him.

And that wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was that he looked like he could mold even the air around them according to his whim, should he wish. Like the universe would fall in line if he simply decided it should.

A frantic-looking man rushed to his side, his glasses askew, his blond hair sticking out at odd angles, and a folder of papers clutched tightly to his chest as if it were armor.

With a jolt, I realized the blondie was Jack. The man I was replacing. Grayson's ex-assistant.

Fuck.

I missed my chance to run. 

Like I said, a goddamn car crash.

And now all I could do was brace for impact.

“You’re late,” Grayson’s voice reached my ears, and a shudder ran down my spine.

For a second, I felt like I was back in high school. In the corridors where sounds of lockers slamming shut echoed for far too long, where the smell of cheap disinfectants overpowered any other scent. 

The place where I first heard that deep, cold cadence. Like a sharp-edged weapon wrapped in temptation. You could never know how dangerous it was until you were close.

Fatally close.

“I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t aware I had to show up now that your new assistant is here,” Blondie stuttered, eyes too wide to be taken seriously.

Grayson turned to him slowly, his icy gaze settling over Blondie like a frigid curse he couldn’t escape.

“You’d think showing up on her first day would be the bare minimum,” he said, voice deceptively smooth. “How else is she supposed to figure out how things run around here?”

Blondie blinked but didn’t look much rattled by the condescending tone. He only adjusted his glasses and gave a frantic nod. I supposed it was something he must have gotten used to by now, but it sent a jolt of fury through me.

Ten years later, and he was still the same bully he was back in high school. Different title and different position but at the core, Grayson Vexley was still a fourteen-year-old boy sneering at kids younger and ‘lesser’ than him.

And I would rather swallow acid than let him pull that shit with me again.

“Of course, sir,” Blondie said, trying to sound calm but his voice came out too high-pitched and I tried not to cringe.

“Mr. Vexley is here.”

I turned my neck so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.

She was standing close. Too freaking close. I didn’t even notice because I wasn't able to take my eyes off Grayson. 

“I hope you’re ready…”

She was the woman from the HR department with whom I had been in contact throughout my application process, including the interviews, and up until the signing of my acceptance letter. Natalie—her name was Natalie.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Could she not see I was not fucking ready?!

And that bloody woman hadn’t even given me any warning—hadn’t even used Grayson’s name in the entirety of all that time. Always referred to him as ‘boss’ or ‘your employer.’

“Nope,” I said firmly, head snapping back to Grayson as if he were a magnet and I were an entity made of solid steel.

“I’m not ready. I’m quitting.”

I glanced towards Natalie just in time to see her blinking at me like I’d grown an extra head.

“What?” she demanded, the blood draining out of her face. I would’ve felt bad for her if I weren’t already so consumed by my misery of having walked so blindly into this nightmare.

“You heard me,” I said, reaching for my bag. “I’m quitting.”

“You can’t—” she gasped at me, then threw a terrified look towards Grayson and Blondie, who were almost next to us now. “Selene, you can’t quit like this.”

“Watch me,” I said, slipping past her and heading straight towards the elevator.

Unfortunately, Grayson was very much in my way.

I pulled in a sharp breath and reminded myself that this was a professional environment and I was a twenty-eight-year-old who’d once very boldly and loudly insulted her old boss in front of the entire office because he’d thought putting down a new, terrified girl would make him look cool.

I could handle Grayson Vexley.

I kept my head down and walked, even as I felt him approaching from the other side. The hallway was just wide enough for three people to fit and Grayson was on the outer end so even if I managed to cross them unnoticed, our arms would still brush.

I tried not to focus on the way my palms grew clammy and my heartbeat became a war cry against my ribs.

One.

Two.

Three.

I exhaled. Just like that, we’d crossed. I somehow managed to not touch him and he hadn’t even looked up from his phone the entire time.

I was safe.

I exhaled sharply once more, just to calm my frantic heart as I reached up a shaky finger and pressed the elevator button.

But before the elevator had even reached me, a voice rang out in the hallway. Cold and loud and detached.

Grayson’s voice. My heart stuttered to a stop.

“Selene Hale. Running already?”