The Cold Handsome Devil

Ezra looked at the different ties arranged neatly in his drawer while he buttoned the cuffs of his shirt. His finger moved across them until he stopped at a simple black tie.

He didn’t like it, but he felt he had to wear it as the CEO. He believed the tie made him look serious and cold, which he thought was needed for his position.

At work, he rarely smiled, and the only person who ever made him laugh was his sister. She was the only one who could break his tough, quiet attitude.

It had been three years since he last saw her, but the memories were still there. Still, he wasn’t sure he would even recognize her if he saw her today.

When she disappeared, he searched for her non-stop for a whole year. He shared a sketch of the face he remembered, and even went to the police, but nothing came out of it. The face he shared wasn’t correct, and not in the system. At one point, he wondered if he imagined her.

After that, he decided to shut down that soft part of himself. He took Scott’s advice seriously: “You won’t get hurt if you don’t fall in love.”

From then on, he stayed away from emotional connections. Even at the club, he avoided women, even the innocent-looking ones. Especially the innocent-looking ones. To him, they all looked sweet at first but were hiding who they really were.

People at work called him The Cold Handsome Devil, and he knew about the nickname. He didn’t care. He played the role because it protected him from getting hurt.

Ezra found the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” very annoying. He believed that mixing work with fun only led to losing money, and he hated losing money. So he focused on work.

On Fridays, he only went to the club with his friend for a few drinks before going back home to work again. He hated losing money so much that he would end a relationship to protect it. He had done it before and would do it again.

Recently, Queen’s Company needed a new designer. Ezra was tired of hiring people who were already famous in the industry. Those people often refused to follow company rules or didn’t care about growing. So he told his secretary to bring out old resumes his father didn’t get to check out years ago when he was still in charge.

As Ezra checked them one by one, he quickly accepted some and threw out others. But when he picked up a file with the name Emma, he paused.

The name reminded him of someone who had betrayed him before, and it made him want to reject her immediately. But when he saw her design samples, he was surprised. They were good—very good. Her style fit what the company needed. It made him stop and think, and he couldn’t dismiss her so easily.

Ezra told his secretary to gather the names of the applicants he had approved so she could email them about their new positions. Even though some of them already had jobs, he was confident they would leave to join his team at Queen’s.

As the elevator door opened, his secretary walked into his penthouse, a place he had moved into a week before his ordination as CEO. His father had advised him to fully step into his new role, reminding him that a leader must look and act like one.

“Your coffee, sir,” Milan said as she walked toward him in his neat and organized home office. He had a strict rule against eating there to keep the space professional. He preferred meals at the dining table, especially when his sister visited.

She placed the hot coffee in front of him, but Ezra kept his eyes on the files as he asked, “What time is the meeting today?”

“10:00 a.m., sir,” she replied.

He checked his watch and realized they needed to leave soon.

“We should get going,” he said, finally looking up and meeting Milan’s eyes. His ocean-blue eyes always caught her attention. He set the files aside, stood up, and as he left his office, Milan grabbed his bag and followed him.

Milan stayed quiet as they entered the elevator. Ezra never liked when someone stood too close to him or breathed near him. Ever since the incident three years ago, he felt more closed off. He especially hated when a girl leaned too close after a night at the club, even if they ended up in his bed.

He never used his own bedroom for those moments. Instead, he kept one room just for that, knowing no one ever stayed over because he didn't want them to. No matter the time—2 a.m. or 3 a.m.—he always sent them home with a driver.

They reached the car, and Milan held the door for him. He slid into the back seat while she sat in the front. During the ride, Ezra stayed quiet. He didn’t talk much to his staff, but Milan was different. She understood his work well and always knew his schedule, making her the only one he spoke to comfortably.

When they arrived at the garage, the driver parked. Milan stepped out first and opened Ezra’s door. As he got out, he paused and looked at the company building. A smile appeared on his face, proud of how far he had come since becoming CEO.

Ezra stepped into the company, and a strange silence filled the air; it felt like everyone had suddenly disappeared. His presence alone made people nervous. Many employees had heard the rumors about the new CEO. They believed that once you met Ezra’s eyes, you would be drawn to him instantly, but he would always stay out of reach, leaving you with nothing but heartbreak.

Milan followed behind him as he walked toward the elevator. Everyone knew better than to join him inside unless they were ready to lose their job.

“He’s so handsome, and he still looks the same! If he just noticed me, I’d gladly be the mother of his child,” a young woman whispered excitedly to her friend. Both were part of the design team that had been working at Queen’s Company long before Ezra arrived.

Her friend rolled her eyes and said, “Stop dreaming. Do you even know what people call him? The ‘cold, handsome devil.’ Just looking at him could make you lose your mind.” After a moment, she added, “Actually… I’ve never seen him bring a woman into the company.”

The first woman quickly replied, “What about that woman from yesterday? The one in the short silver dress that didn’t even cover her properly? I know this is a fashion company, but people should learn how to dress.”

“Oh, her? She’s a famous actress. Gia, you know the lead actress from The Way We Fell in Love, right?”

Gia’s eyes widened as she remembered. “Yes! Ellie… Ellie McBeth. I’ve watched so many of her movies. But why was she here?”

“She’s in town for the premiere of her new movie. Of course she came here to pick out a dress. Lots of actresses and models get their custom designs from this place.” Floria took a deep breath.

Gia sighed dreamily. “One day, I’ll be part of the elite team making dresses for celebrities. Then maybe Ezra will finally notice me.”

Floria laughed and linked arms with her as they got into another elevator—the one Ezra wasn’t using.

Meanwhile, Ezra sat in his chair and looked over at Milan. His expression showed he was thinking about something as he loosened his tie. Once he pulled it off and tossed it onto the table, Milan quickly picked it up and hung it.

“What’s on your mind, sir?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about the girl who hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Which one, sir?”

“The one named Emma. Are you sure she agreed to our request? It’s been a week.”

Milan corrected him gently, “Actually, it’s only been three days.”

Ezra frowned. “So why isn’t she here? The others have already resumed.”

“She sent a message saying personal issues were delaying her, but she will be in the office by tomorrow morning.”

Ezra turned his sharp blue eyes toward Milan, his expression intense. If she were brave enough, she might have leaned in and kissed him, but she knew she could lose her job.

She understood Ezra well; he didn’t like physical contact, and it always seemed to make him uncomfortable.

“Her work is exceptional,” he said firmly. “I think we should let her design the outfits for the upcoming fashion show. What do you think?”

Milan shook her head, sounding unsure. “S–sir, Miss Facer is just starting. We have to follow the rules. She needs to begin at level 1 like everyone else before making dresses for celebrities.”

Ezra leaned back in his chair, brushing off her concern with a wave of his hand. “Let’s be honest. You’ve seen her designs too. She’s more talented than many of the designers at level 6.”

Level six was the highest rank at Queen’s, where designers created dresses for royalties and Vvips.

He gestured for her to leave. “You can go now. I’ll call you when I need you.”

“Yes, sir,” Milan replied as she left his office.

When she was gone, Ezra glanced at the clock. It was only 9:50 a.m., so he still had ten minutes before his morning meeting. He searched his drawer for a pen and found a file that wasn’t supposed to be there. He pulled it out, opened it, and saw it was Emma’s resume.

“What made me put this here?” he murmured, and looked through her portfolio.

A smile appeared on his face as he admired her work. He was looking forward to meeting her.