CHAPTER SEVEN:FIRST DAY 

Monday morning came too fast and too slow.

I stood outside Thorne Industries at 7:45 AM, staring up at the building.

 Glass panels reflected clouds. My stomach twisted, but I pushed the feeling down. Deep breath. Shoulders back.

The revolving door spun me into the lobby. Marble floors. High ceilings. People everywhere—suits, briefcases, everyone moving fast. A man bumped past me without apologizing. A woman shouted into her phone about quarterly reports.

Nobody looked at me twice.

I walked to the elevator bank and pressed the button. The doors opened immediately. Three people filed in behind me. I pressed forty-two.

The elevator climbed. My reflection stared back from the steel walls. Charcoal dress. Hair pulled back tight. Silver watch. I looked like everyone else here.

Good.

The doors opened on the executive floor.

Silence hit me first. No buzzing phones. No shouting. Just thick carpet and glass walls and that sterile smell of expensive air freshers.

Patricia appeared from around a corner. "Right on time."

"Good morning."

"Follow me." She walked briskly down the hallway. Her heels barely made a sound. "Your desk is here, right outside Mr. Thorne's office."

The desk was empty. Clean. A computer monitor. A phone. A small plant that looked fake.

"Mr. Thorne arrives at eight," Patricia said. "He expects coffee waiting. Black, no sugar, extra hot. Break room's down the hall,I'll show you where everything is."

My chest tightened but I nodded. "Understood."

She showed me the break room. Stainless steel everything. A coffee machine that looked like it belonged in a laboratory. "Premium beans are in the container. He's particular about it."

"I'll make sure it's right."

"Good." She glanced at her watch. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything. Any questions before I go?"

"No. I've got it."

She left.

I stood alone in the empty break room. The clock on the wall read 7:51.

I opened the container. The smell of coffee beans hit me immediately. My hands moved 

automatically measuring, grinding, checking the water temperature. 

Aurora used to make his coffee every morning. He'd kiss her cheek and tell her nobody made it better.

I poured the finished coffee into a white ceramic mug. Carried it carefully back to my desk.

7:57 AM.

I sat down. Logged into the computer. His calendar filled the screen,meetings stacked from nine to six. I scanned through them, memorizing names and times.

The elevator dinged.

My spine went rigid.

Adrian Thorne stepped onto the floor.

Navy suit. Crisp white shirt. Phone pressed to his ear. He walked fast, his jaw tight.

"I don't care what their offer is," he said sharply. "We're not interested." His voice had that edge I remembered. That coldness that meant someone was about to get fired. "Their technology is outdated and I won't"

He walked right past my desk without glancing at me.

I stood. Picked up the mug. "Mr. Thorne."

He stopped mid-sentence. Turned.

His eyes landed on the coffee, then on me.

"I'll call you back." He ended the call. Slid the phone into his pocket.

"Good morning," I said. "Your coffee."

He took it from my hand. Our fingers didn't touch.

He lifted the mug. Inhaled. Took a sip.

His expression didn't change. No surprise. No recognition. Just a man drinking coffee.

"Thank you," he said. Then he walked into his office and closed the door.

I sat back down.

My hands were steady. My breathing was even.

He didn't know.

The morning moved fast. Phones rang constantly. I answered each one with the same tone. "Mr. Thorne's office, this is Reina speaking."

Transferred calls. Took messages. Updated his calendar when meetings shifted.

At 9:30, his door opened. "Reina. I need the Morrison file. Active contracts."

I found it in thirty seconds. Brought it to his office.

He took it without looking up. "Close the door on your way out."

I did.

Back at my desk, I answered more emails. Scheduled a conference room for Thursday. Ordered lunch for a client meeting.

Normal work. Nothing that would raise suspicion.

At 11:45, Adrian buzzed my desk. "Conference room. Ten minutes. Make sure the Hartley presentation is loaded."

"Already done."

Silence.

Then: "Good."

The line went dead.

---

Lunch came and went. I ate a salad at my desk while answering emails. People passed by—other assistants, executives, someone from accounting.

Nobody stopped to introduce themselves.

At 2:15, Adrian returned from a meeting. He dropped a stack of papers on my desk. "These need to be filed by the end of the day. 

Alphabetical, cross-referenced with the digital system."

"I'll get it done, sir."

He was already walking away when he stopped and turned back.

“You’re doing a good job.”

I looked up from the papers, waiting for something more, a nod, a smile, anything that made it feel genuine.

“Keep it up,” he said, then went into his office and shut the door.

I stared at it for a moment, then filed the papers, answered six more calls, and updated tomorrow’s schedule when a meeting got moved.

The afternoon felt like it would never end. My shoulders ached from sitting straight. My jaw hurt from keeping my expression neutral.

At 5:30, people started leaving. Doors closed. Voices faded. The floor grew quiet.

I stayed. Finished filing. Double-checked tomorrow's calendar. Prepared the conference room for an eight AM meeting.

At 6:15, Adrian's door opened. He had his jacket over his shoulder, briefcase in hand.

He stopped when he saw me. "You're still here."

"Just finishing up."

He looked at my desk. At the organized files. At the computer screen showing tomorrow's perfectly arranged schedule.

"Tomorrow. Eight AM."

"I'll be here."

He walked to the elevator. I watched him press the button. We stood in silence. The elevator dinged. Doors opened.

He stepped inside. Turned to face me.

His eyes met mine.

My heart hammered but I kept my face blank.

The doors started closing.

Then they stopped. His hand shot out, holding them open.

"That coffee this morning."

My blood went cold.

"Yes?"

"It was exactly right." His head tilted slightly. 

"Patricia showed you how to make it?"

"She told me how you like it. I just followed instructions."

He studied me. Five seconds. Ten. His eyes never leaving my face.

Finally, he nodded. "See you tomorrow, Reina."

The doors closed.

I stood frozen. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

My phone buzzed. Marcus.

*How'd it go?*

I stared at the screen. My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

*Fine.*

Three dots appeared. Then: *Does he suspect anything?*

I thought about the way Adrian looked at me in the elevator. The way he stopped the doors. The question about the coffee.

*No. Nothing.*

I grabbed my purse.Shut down the computer.The building had emptied out. Just cleaners, pushing carts down hallways.

I took the elevator down. Walked through the lobby. The receptionist from this morning was gone. A security guard nodded as I passed.

Outside, the air bit at my skin. I pulled my coat tighter and started walking. 

My phone buzzed. The babysitter. Leo's bedtime was in an hour.

I hurried towards the subway entrance, swiped my card,and passed through the turnstile.

The station was crowded. I squeezed between a teenager with headphones and a woman carrying shopping bags.

The train pulled into the station and the doors opened. I stepped inside and grabbed a pole. As it lurched forward, buildings flashed past the windows.

 I watched my reflection in the dark glass.

 A stranger stared back.

The plan tightened in my chest.

Tomorrow the performance continues. Make his coffee. Answer his calls. Be perfect. Be invisible.

Until he trusts me.

Until I am close enough to destroy him.

The train plunged into darkness.