The First Crack in the Facade

‎The smell of coffee drifted through the apartment.

‎I sat on the edge of Lucas's couch, staring into the mug warming my hands. I hadn't taken a single sip.

‎"You going to work?"

‎I looked up. Lucas leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me.

‎"...I have to."

‎He sighed before walking over and placing a folded envelope on the coffee table.

‎"You look like shit."

‎"I've looked worse."

‎"Take it."

‎I didn't need to look inside to know what it was.

‎"...No."

‎"Elias."

‎"I can't."

‎"It won't solve everything," he said quietly, "but it'll help your mum."

‎My fingers twitched toward the envelope before curling into a fist.

‎"You've already helped me enough."

‎Lucas studied me for a moment, then shook his head.

‎"You're too stubborn for your own good."

‎A small laugh escaped me.

‎"So I've been told."

‎He walked me to the door.

‎"If things get worse... tell me."

‎"I'll try."

‎As I stepped into the hallway, I glanced back one last time.

‎The envelope was still on the coffee table.

‎I couldn't take it.

‎Not from Lucas.

‎---

‎The taxi ride to Moretti Corporation passed in a blur. My mind never left the envelope sitting on Lucas's coffee table. Even after I clocked in and buried myself in paperwork, I still couldn't stop thinking about it.

‎By the time I finished one stack of files, another had appeared on my desk.

‎I stared at it in disbelief.

‎"You've seriously got to be kidding me."

‎Contracts, reports and meeting schedules. Every time I thought I was finished, someone handed me something else. By ten o'clock, my neck was already aching.

‎A knock interrupted my thoughts.

‎The HR manager stepped inside carrying several folders and placed them neatly on my desk.

‎"Mr. Hart. Mr. Moretti needs these delivered to his office."

‎I looked at the stack, then back at him.

‎"That's all?"

‎He smiled politely.

‎"For now."

‎I narrowed my eyes.

‎Something about those two words didn't sit right with me.

‎With a sigh, I gathered the folders into my arms.

‎"I'll take them over."

‎The executive floor was quieter than the rest of the building. The sound of keyboards and ringing phones faded with every step until all I could hear were my own footsteps.

‎Balancing the folders against one arm, I stopped outside the large black doors and knocked twice.

‎Silence.

‎"...Sir?"

‎Nothing.

‎Maybe he wasn't inside.

‎I pushed the door open just enough to peek in.

‎The office was empty.

‎I walked over and placed the folders on Mr. Moretti's desk.

‎"There."

‎As I turned to leave, something near the bookshelf caught my eye.

‎A large framed portrait rested against it instead of hanging on the wall. It looked like someone had hidden it on purpose.

‎I glanced toward the door.

‎Still no one.

‎"One quick look won't hurt."

‎I stepped closer and reached for the frame.

‎"Is there something you're looking for?"

‎I spun around so fast I nearly lost my balance.

‎Mr. Moretti stood behind me.

‎I hadn't heard the door open.

‎"I..."

‎The words got stuck in my throat.

‎"I wasn't—"

‎He walked toward me.

‎Without thinking, I took a step back.

‎Then another.

‎He didn't stop until my back nearly brushed the bookshelf.

‎His gray eyes flicked to my hand before meeting mine again.

‎"Curiosity," he said quietly, "...is rarely rewarded."

‎Heat rushed to my face.

‎"I'm sorry, sir. I was only dropping off the files."

‎He looked at me for another second before stepping past me and sitting behind his desk.

‎Without looking up, he opened one of the folders.

‎"Coffee."

‎I blinked.

‎"...Sorry?"

‎He finally raised his eyes.

‎"Coffee."

‎"Right away, sir."

‎I left before he could say anything else.

‎The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I pressed a hand against my racing chest and let out a slow breath.

‎"What is wrong with that man...?"

‎I rubbed my chest.

‎"I swear he walks like a ghost."

‎****

‎The coffee room was empty when I walked in. I grabbed a mug from the shelf and reached for the coffee machine.

‎"'Coffee,'" I muttered under my breath. "'Not good morning. Not please. Just... coffee.'" I shook my head. "What is wrong with that man? He behaves like a ghost trying to haunt people."

‎The door opened behind me. I looked up as another employee walked in.

‎"Morning."

‎"Morning."

‎His eyes dropped to the mug in my hand.

‎"For Mr. Moretti?"

‎"Yeah."

‎He looked at the steaming coffee and chuckled.

‎"You made it hot?"

‎"...Shouldn't it be?"

‎He laughed.

‎"No. Didn't anyone tell you? Mr. Moretti only drinks iced coffee. He can't stand hot coffee."

‎I frowned.

‎"...Really?"

‎"He only drinks it cold. Every single day."

‎"That's... oddly specific."

‎"I've worked here for years."

‎I looked down at the mug for a moment before sighing.

‎"...Some people's tastes really are strange."

‎I poured the coffee into the sink and made another cup. This time, I made it cold.

‎"Thanks."

‎"No problem."

‎I balanced the mug carefully before leaving the break room.

‎The moment Elias disappeared around the corner, the employee looked around then walked into the main office. Marie looked up from her desk.

‎"Did he believe you?"

‎A grin spread across his face.

‎"Completely."

‎A dark grin crossed Marie's face before she leaned back in her chair.

‎"Good."

‎She folded her arms.

‎"Let's see if you're still the CEO's favorite after this."

‎****

‎I knocked twice.

‎"Come in."

‎I stepped inside. Mr. Moretti hadn't moved from his desk. I placed the mug in front of him.

‎"Your coffee, sir."

‎Without a word, he picked it up and took a sip. A second later, he placed it back on the desk. His gray eyes lifted to mine.

‎"Why is it cold?"

‎I blinked.

‎"...You don't drink it cold?"

‎"No."

‎"Oh."

‎My smile stiffened.

‎"I'll make another."

‎Five minutes later, I returned with a fresh cup.

‎Extra hot.

‎I set it down.

‎Mr. Moretti took another sip.

‎

‎"...Too hot."

‎I stared at him.

‎It was coffee.

‎How hot could it possibly?

‎"...I'll make another."

‎The third time, I walked back into the office carrying another mug. By now, my patience was hanging by a thread. I set the cup on his desk with a little more force than I meant to.

‎"There."

‎Mr. Moretti looked up from the file in front of him. His eyes settled on me as he picked up the mug.

‎One sip.

‎He placed it back on the desk.

‎"...Better."

‎Before I could relax, his gaze met mine again.

‎"You seem angry, Mr. Hart."

‎"I'm not."

‎The words came out more sharply than I intended.

‎Silence settled over the office.

‎Dante's gaze drifted to the fists clenched tightly at Elias's sides before returning to his face. A hint of amusement crossed his mind, though his expression never changed.

‎"Is that so?"

‎I held his gaze.

‎"...Yes."

‎Behind Elias, Enzo quietly turned his head away, hiding the smile threatening to escape.

‎A sharp knock interrupted the silence.

‎"Come in."

‎The door opened, and a man in a black suit stepped inside. He walked straight toward Mr. Moretti without sparing me a single glance. Leaning down slightly, he spoke in a low voice.

‎I couldn't hear most of what he was saying. Only a few words reached me.

‎"...shipment..."

‎"...warehouse..."

‎"...someone tipped them off..."

‎Mr. Moretti listened without interrupting. His fingers tapped the desk once before he spoke.

‎"Find out who it is."

‎The man gave a single nod.

‎"Yes, Boss."

‎Boss?

‎I frowned. Wasn't everyone supposed to call him Mr. Moretti?

‎Before I could think about it any longer, Mr. Moretti's gray eyes lifted and settled directly on me.

‎"That'll be all."

‎I blinked.

‎"...Sir?"

‎"Leave."

‎"...Yes, sir."

‎I quickly gathered the empty coffee cups and headed for the door. The moment it closed behind me, I let out a long breath.

‎"What is his problem anyway?" I muttered as I walked down the hallway. "Always so cold... and so confusing."

‎I shook my head and kept walking. "...Boss... shipment... warehouse..." The words stayed in the back of my mind for a moment before I pushed them away.

‎"They're probably just talking about company business," I muttered.

‎After dropping the empty mug off in the break room, I stood there for a moment, staring at the coffee machine.

‎What was that about?

‎Mr. Moretti had barely spoken ten words to me all morning, yet somehow he'd managed to irritate me anyway.

‎I shook my head and headed back into the hallway. Sophia had asked me to pick up a file from the lobby before lunch ended. The problem was... I couldn't remember which elevator she'd told me to use.

‎"There are only two," I muttered to myself. "How different can they be?"

‎I walked to the nearest one and pressed the button.

‎A second later, the doors slid open.

‎Just as I stepped forward, a large hand blocked my path.

‎I glanced up.

‎One of the bodyguards stood there, his face completely blank.

‎"You can't use this one."

‎I blinked.

‎"...Sorry?"

‎"It's private."

‎I glanced inside the elevator.

‎It looked exactly like every other elevator I'd ever seen.

‎"...They all look the same to me."

‎The guard pointed farther down the hallway.

‎"The employee elevator is over there."

‎"Oh."

‎I rubbed the back of my neck.

‎"I didn't know."

‎Without another word, I turned and walked in the direction he'd pointed.

‎As I waited for the other elevator, my mind drifted back to Mr. Moretti's office.

‎The way he'd suddenly appeared behind me.

‎The strange conversation I'd only caught pieces of.

‎"...Shipment."

‎"...Warehouse."

‎"...Boss."

‎Now a private elevator?

‎I frowned.

‎"...This company is really weird."

‎After picking up the file Sophia needed, I made my way back downstairs.

‎By the time I got back to the office, Sophia and Caleb were standing near the reception desk, talking quietly. Sophia looked up when she saw me.

‎"There you are," she said. "Did you find the file?"

‎I held it up. "Eventually. This building is way too big."

‎Caleb chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

‎"I almost got lost trying to find the elevator," I admitted. "Actually... I nearly used the wrong one."

‎Sophia frowned.

‎"What do you mean?"

‎"The one on the executive floor." I shrugged. "I thought it was the normal elevator until one of the guards stopped me."

‎"What did he say?" Caleb asked.

‎"That it was private."

‎Sophia's expression changed.

‎"...Wait."

‎I looked at her.

‎"He let you get that close?"

‎"...Yeah."

‎She exchanged a quick glance with Caleb.

‎"That's strange," she said quietly. "Those guards don't usually let employees anywhere near Mr. Moretti's private elevator."

‎Before I could ask what she meant, the intercom crackled to life.

‎"Mr. Hart, please report to the executive office."

‎I sighed.

‎"What now?"

‎A second later, the receptionist spoke again.

‎"Mr. Moretti has requested that you remain after working hours."

‎I stared at the speaker.

‎"...Remain?"

‎Caleb gave me a sympathetic look.

‎Sophia only smiled.

‎"Congratulations."

‎I frowned.

‎"Why are you congratulating me?"

‎"You're the CEO's personal secretary now."

‎I looked toward the executive floor and let out a slow groan.

‎I suddenly regretted accepting this job.

‎