Chapter 2: Bend or Break

The next morning, Lucy entered Aiden's office with his usual black coffee, trying her best to remain professional.

“Sir, your coffee,” she said, placing it carefully on his desk.

He ignored her completely, eyes glued to his documents. After a long silence, Lucy gathered courage.

“Sir… about yesterday, I’m sorry for what I said. It was unprofessional.”

He leaned back in his chair, finally looking at her. “I didn’t hear anything. But I saw you clenching your fists like a little girl throwing a tantrum.”

Lucy’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Before she could defend herself, two important clients walked in for a meeting. Aiden didn’t dismiss her. Instead, he forced her to stay and take notes.

She placed the report on his desk.

“You should take a look at page three,” she said. “There’s an error in the projections." He didn’t look up.

“Leave it.”

“It’s already been corrected,”  she added.

That made him pause. Slowly, he flipped the file open. His eyes scanned the page. Then lifted to her. “You changed my figures.”

“Yes,”  she said. “Because they were wrong.”

“That wasn’t your job.”

Her jaw tightened. “It was necessary.”

He leaned back slightly, studying her like she had just crossed a line. “You seem to forget your position, Miss Lucy.” Then he closed the file.

The meeting was going well until one client asked a question Lucy hadn’t prepared for. She froze.

His expression turned icy. Right in front of the clients, he smiled mockingly.

“Miss Leo, is this how you work? Spilling coffee on your boss and now embarrassing me in front of clients? Perhaps you’re not cut out for this position.”

The clients chuckled. Lucy wanted the ground to open and swallow her.

Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to cry. The moment the clients left, she turned to him, voice shaking with rage.

“You didn’t have to humiliate me like that.”

He stood up and walked toward her slowly, towering over her. “This is my company. I can do whatever I want. If you can’t handle the pressure, there’s the door.”

Lucy clenched her fists. “I can handle it,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Something flickered in his eyes — surprise? Desire? It disappeared too fast for her to catch.

As she stormed out of his office, Lucy made a silent vow.

Next time, she won’t stay quiet. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

‘Next time,’ she swore silently, ‘I will not keep quiet. I will confront this bastard properly.’

As she turned to leave his office, his cold voice followed her.

“And Miss Leo… don’t ever talk back to me again. Or I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Lucy paused at the door, her back to him. A fire burned in her eyes. She was done being humiliated.

Unbeknownst to her, the man she called Ethan was actually Aiden Fidelis — His identical twin brother. He had been using his brother’s identity for years. He knew exactly who Lucy was. 

That was why he was being so cruel. He wanted her to break. He wanted her to leave.

Because if she stayed… he wasn’t sure he could control himself around her.

Lucy Working under Aiden felt like walking on a road full of thorns. ‎Every little thing pissed him off. ‎Every mistake, even the smallest one earned Lucy a sharp look or a harsher word. ‎He spoke to her as if she was a child

Lucy was reviewing a file when her  phone buzzed on her desk. She ignored it. It buzzed again.

“To my office now,” Aiden ordered through the intercom. The walk to his office felt like she was walking straight into hell. 

She opened the door and took a seat, waiting ...

“Who asked you to sit?” He roared. 

He stood up immediately. “I’m sorry, sir.” 

“I want you to look into this." Turning his laptop toward her.

Lucy frowned slightly. “What is it about, sir?”

He shot her an impatient look. “It’s not going to explain itself, miss lucy. And neither am I.”

She clenched her jaw and stepped closer, bending slightly to read what was on the screen. “Lucy, sit down,” he ordered. She sat immediately, her eyes scanning the screen. mind racing. Don’t say the wrong thing and don’t piss him off, she said to herself. Silence stretched until he ....

“Maybe you’re just too dumb to know what to say.” ‎Her head snapped up. He turned the laptop back toward himself and pointed at the door. ‎“Just get out.” She quietly stood up without a word. 

‎“Useless.” He added.

‎She walked toward the door, her anger rising fast. She reached for the handle, then stopped. Slowly turned back to face him.

‎“Or maybe,” she said, her voice steady despite the fire in her chest, “you’re just an overworked, rich, spoiled brat… and an arrogant boy who can’t figure things out on his own without yelling.”

‎ “How dare you!” she was unshaken. ‎He was actually shocked. And before she could blink

—“You’re fired!”

“Get out of my building at once!” Her breath caught, but she didn’t say a word. she couldn’t bring myself to beg him. I saw it coming.