Chapter Four: Disobedience and Consequence

Rhea presses cash into the taxi driver’s hand and moves fast, heels striking marble as she cuts through the lobby. She bows to the receptionist without slowing, veers toward the elevators.

Her first day.

Work. Or whatever this is.

She’s late.

The elevator doors slide shut as she slips inside, breath tight, heart thudding harder than the ascent. Mr. Ashcroft won’t know, not yet.

She’ll still be made to wait. He always makes her wait.

Still…

Her fingers twitch toward her glasses. She stops herself.

By the thirteenth floor, the elevator empties. She stands alone, staring at her reflection in the mirrored wall.

8:07 a.m.

She chose trousers today. A high-necked blouse. No room for correction. No invitation for scrutiny.

She’s learned enough to know his calm is the dangerous part. His anger, she suspects, would be unbearable.

The doors open at nineteen.

She steps out, bows slightly to the receptionist and freezes.

“Mr. Ashcroft asked that you come straight in.”

Her pulse spikes.

She nods, crosses the floor, and knocks once.

“Come in.”

The voice isn’t his.

She steps inside.

Her gaze sweeps the office quickly. Mr. Ashcroft sits at the couch corner with two older men, both suited, both deferential.

He’s dressed as usual, white shirt, sleeves clean, no tie, unadorned. Like he refuses armor because he doesn’t need it.

“Good morning, sirs,” Rhea says, bowing.

The men return the gesture politely.

Mr. Ashcroft lifts his head.

Their eyes meet.

The look is sharp. Measured.

She knows.

She’s late.

“Let’s continue this later,” he says to the men.

They stand immediately and leave without question.

The door closes.

He picks up his tablet, scrolling. “What time did you arrive, Fragile?”

She shifts. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ashcroft. Traffic….”

“That wasn’t the question.”

Her throat tightens. “Seven minutes after eight.”

He lowers the tablet slowly. Looks at her.

“Are you testing me?”

“No,” she says quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Sit.”

She does.

“You’ll remain seated until I tell you otherwise,” he says, already turning away.

He crosses to his desk and begins working.

He doesn’t look at her.

Minutes stretch. Then an hour.

Her legs ache. Her back stiffens. She shifts, then stills, afraid movement itself might count as another infraction.

This isn’t neglect.

It’s punishment.

Two hours pass.

She considers apologizing again, but he hasn’t acknowledged her existence.

The silence is deliberate. Precise.

The receptionist enters, tall, blonde, composed, she sets a coffee on his desk. He murmurs something Rhea can’t hear. The woman nods and leaves.

She returns minutes later with water, snacks, and places them gently on the table near Rhea. A brief bow. Gone.

Rhea doesn’t touch any of it.

Three hours in, her muscles throb.

Being scolded would have been easier.

“Follow me.”

The command snaps her upright.

She stands too fast. Pins and needles bite her feet, but she follows him out, keeping pace despite the discomfort.

At the reception area, everyone rises instantly.

“This is Rhea Voss,” he says. “My executive assistant.”

The words settle heavy in her chest.

“I’m Julian,” a man says with an easy smile. Mid-thirties, handsome, confident, disarming. “Deputy Executive Assistant.”

“I’m Tessa,” the receptionist adds. Her gaze is sharp, curious.

Rhea bows to both.

“Julian,” Mr. Ashcroft continues, “handle her onboarding.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ll report to me every morning,” he says to Rhea. “Then you’ll work with them.”

She nods.

Her hand lifts instinctively toward her glasses - she stops midway.

He notices.

A faint nod. Approval, maybe.

Then he turns and walks away.

Relief loosens something in her chest she hadn’t realized was locked.

Julian gestures toward a seat. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”

By the end of the day, Rhea’s head is full of procedures, access points, and schedules.

Julian is patient. Kind. Almost too normal.

He hands her Mr. Ashcroft’s schedule list.

And as Rhea holds it, one thought steadies her breathing.

If she’s lucky,

Julian’s warmth might balance the danger she faces every morning.

Because Mr. Ashcroft is calm.

And calm, she’s learned, is where the real threat lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day

Rhea arrives ten minutes early.

She learned that lesson the hard way.

The building greets her with its usual stillness, the kind that watches rather than welcomes. At the reception desk, Tessa glances up, then gestures toward the corridor.

“You can go in.”

No waiting today.

That alone sets Rhea on edge.

She smooths her gown as she approaches his door, breath measured, posture careful. One knock.

“Good morning, Mr. Ashcroft,” she says as she walks inside, bowing slightly.

He looks up from his desk.

“Morning, Fragile.”

His gaze moves over her, not lingering, not rushed. Assessing.

She chose the dress deliberately. Long sleeves. Modest neckline. Nothing to correct.

“Do you have my schedule?” he asks, already turning back to his screen.

“Yes, sir. Julian briefed me.”

“And?”

She straightens nervously. “Executive meeting at ten. Lunch engagement at one.”

He types for a moment, then stops.

“Fragile.”

She stiffens. “Yes, sir?”

“I need you to stop being nervous.”

The words are calm. Observant. Worse than reprimand.

She nods. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Her hand lifts instinctively toward her glasses and she pushes it up.

Too late.

She presses her palms against the fabric of her gown, grounding herself.

He stands.

The movement alone tightens something in her chest.

“Come here.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she says again, softer now but she steps forward.

She stops a foot away, unsure what he expects. The space between them feels intentional. Measured.

He leans back against the desk, arms braced, eyes steady on her face.

“That nervous habit of yours,” he murmurs, “will get you into trouble.”

She swallows.

His hand comes to her waist, not lingering, not gentle.

A firm pull that closes the space between them. Rhea gasps, heart dropping hard into her ribs.

His mouth is near her ear when he speaks.

“Next time,” he continues softly, “I won’t correct you with words.”

The meaning settles slow and heavy.

He releases her and steps back as if nothing happened.

“Be careful what signals you send,” he adds. “I take them seriously.”

Rhea realizes she’s been holding her breath. She exhales, shaky but silent.

“You can go,” he says, already turning back to his desk.

She nods and leaves without another word.

Only when the door closes does she realize her heart is racing.

Not from fear.

From the quiet certainty that he sees far more than she ever intended to show.

And that next time,

He won’t just comment on it.