CHAPTER 4: THE CEO EVERYONE FEARED

Sophia's POV

The black Rolls-Royce was still parked outside Harper & Cole Advertising when I stepped out of the building. Its polished body shone under the morning sun, and almost everyone on the street slowed down to look at it.

Inside the office, my coworkers were still gathered by the windows.

"They're still waiting."

"Do you think she'll actually go?"

"I would."

"It's Sterling Holdings!"

I wished the ground would open and swallow me.

Mr. Douglas stood beside me, adjusting his tie for what felt like the tenth time.

"Sophia," he said quietly, "whatever this is about, represent our company well."

"I still don't understand why Mr. Sterling wants to see me."

"Neither do I."

He forced a small smile.

"But men like Ethan Sterling don't arrange meetings without a reason."

That didn't make me feel any better.

Mia walked over and wrapped me in a hug.

"If he offers you a million dollars, don't forget your best friend."

I laughed."I won't."

"And if he's secretly in love with you..."

I nudged her arm."Mia."

"What?" she grinned. "It happens in movies."

"This isn't a movie."

"No," she replied. "It's your life."

If only she knew how impossible that sounded.Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the car.The driver, dressed in a perfectly pressed black suit and white gloves, opened the rear door.

"Miss Hayes."

His voice was polite but professional.

"Mr. Sterling is expecting you."

I climbed inside.

The leather seats were softer than my bed at home, and everything inside the car smelled expensive.

As we drove away, I looked through the tinted window and watched my coworkers become smaller in the distance.

My phone buzzed.

Mia: Don't panic. And don't sign anything without reading it!

I couldn't help smiling.

"If only it were that simple."

Twenty-five minutes later, the Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the tallest building in the financial district.

Sterling Holdings.

The company's name stretched across the glass building in giant silver letters.The building towered over everything around it.

Men and women dressed in expensive suits walked in and out with purpose, carrying tablets and briefcases.

Nobody stood around talking.

Nobody looked relaxed.

Everything about the place screamed power.

The driver opened my door.

"This way, Miss Hayes."

I followed him into the lobby.

My breath caught.

The floor was covered in polished white marble, and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A silver sculpture stood proudly in the middle of the room.

For a second, I forgot to breathe.

The receptionist looked up as we approached.

"Good morning."

The driver nodded politely.

"Miss Sophia Hayes has an appointment with Mr. Sterling."

The receptionist's fingers froze above the keyboard.

She looked at me.

Then at the driver.

Then back at me again.

"Of... of course."

She quickly picked up the phone.

"Mr. Brooks? Miss Hayes has arrived."

A few seconds later, she nodded.

"I'll send her up."

As I walked toward the private elevator, I noticed people watching me.

Not ordinary glances.

Curious ones.

Almost nervous.

Two women whispered near the coffee station.

"Is that her?"

"I think so."

"She's the one the CEO personally requested."

"I've never heard of him doing that before."

My heartbeat quickened.

What exactly had Ethan told these people?

The elevator doors opened.

A man in his early thirties stood inside wearing a navy-blue suit and thin-framed glasses.

He carried a tablet under one arm.

"Miss Hayes?"

"Yes."

"I'm Daniel Brooks, Mr. Sterling's executive assistant."

He smiled politely.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

The elevator doors closed, and we began going up.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then Daniel cleared his throat.

"If I may offer one piece of advice..."

I looked at him.

"When you meet Mr. Sterling, answer only the questions he asks."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't like unnecessary conversations."

"I understand."

"And don't mistake his silence for kindness."

I looked at him in surprise.

Before I could ask what he meant, the elevator stopped.

The executive floor was completely silent.

Soft gray carpets covered the floor, expensive paintings decorated the walls, and at the end of the hallway stood two large black doors.

Daniel stopped walking.

"Mr. Sterling is finishing another meeting."

He pointed toward a leather chair.

"Please have a seat."

I nodded.

Ten minutes passed.

Then fifteen.

Then twenty.

No one came.

I glanced at my watch before looking back at the closed doors.

Was he making me wait on purpose?

Just as I began wondering if he'd forgotten about me, the doors opened.

Three senior executives walked out.

None of them looked happy.

One wiped sweat from his forehead.

Another loosened his tie.

The oldest man shook his head.

"I've worked here for twelve years..."

He sighed.

"And he still terrifies me."

They walked away without another word.

Daniel looked at me.

"Mr. Sterling will see you now."

I swallowed hard.

My palms were damp as I stepped into the office.

The room was enormous.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, while dark wooden shelves filled with books and awards covered one wall.

Everything was perfectly neat.

Behind a large black desk sat Ethan Sterling.

He didn't look at me.

He calmly signed one document after another as though I wasn't even there.

I remained standing.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Then three.

The silence was almost unbearable.

Finally, without lifting his head, he spoke.

"You're thirty-seven seconds late."

I blinked.

"What?"

He placed his pen on the desk and slowly looked up. Those gray eyes met mine.Cold, sharp and Impossible to read.

"I arrived twenty minutes ago," I replied carefully.

"You kept me waiting outside."

For a second, I wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake by saying that.

The office fell silent.

Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"I know."

I frowned.

His expression never changed.

"Most people agree with everything I say because they're afraid of me."His voice remained calm.

"I wanted to know if you were one of them."

I didn't know how to answer.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my handbag.

So this was Ethan Sterling. The ruthless CEO everyone feared.The man who could make experienced executives leave his office shaking.

This meeting had never been about the flowers.

It had never been about thanking me for a conversation.

From the moment I stepped into Sterling Holdings...

I had been taking a test.

Ethan picked up another file, closed it, and finally looked directly into my eyes.

"Now that we've finished the first test," he said calmly, "let's discuss why I asked you to come here."

My heartbeat stopped.

The real reason?

For some reason, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it.