CHAPTER 7 ~ ARRIVAL

ALEXANDRA’S POV

I stared at Maximilian Volkov in absolute disbelief. The heavy silence in the massive penthouse hallway stretched between us for several long seconds. My brain struggled to process the exact words he had just spoken. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Volkov Industries. He was the sole owner of the massive corporate skyscraper where I worked every single day. The man standing directly in front of me, who had just cooked me a plate of bacon and eggs in his kitchen, was the most powerful billionaire in the entire city of Chicago.

I took a large, physical step backward. My bare feet sank deeply into the soft carpet of the floor. I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest, suddenly feeling incredibly exposed in the dark red silk nightgown.

"You are the CEO of the company," I whispered loudly, shaking my head slowly from side to side. "You own the entire data analytics department."

"I do, Alexandra," Maximilian replied. He kept his deep voice very calm, but he took a small step toward me. "And that is exactly why you do not need to worry about your attendance record this morning. I will personally escort you into the corporate building through my private underground garage. You will ride in my personal car, and no one will ever question your arrival time."

"No," I said loudly, my voice echoing slightly in the large hallway. I took another immediate step away from him and away from the racks of expensive designer clothing inside the open closet. "Absolutely not, Maximilian. I cannot ride to the office in your personal car, and I cannot walk through the private executive garage with you."

Maximilian stopped moving forward immediately. A look of genuine confusion crossed his handsome face. He pulled his large hands out of his tailored pants pockets and looked directly into my brown eyes. "Why would you refuse my help? I am offering you a completely secure and simple solution to your attendance problem. You are visibly panicking about losing your data internship."

"Because I am a lowly data intern, and you are the billionaire owner of the corporation," I explained, keeping my voice firm despite the rapid beating of my heart. "Volkov Industries is a ruthless corporate environment. The employees on my floor gossip constantly about everyone and everything. If any of the senior analysts or the other interns see me stepping out of the Chief Executive Officer's personal vehicle wearing brand new designer clothes, they will completely destroy my professional reputation. They will immediately assume I slept my way to the top. They will think I traded sexual favors for my job security."

I paused and took a deep, shaky breath. I forced myself to maintain direct eye contact with him. "I have worked incredibly hard to earn my position in the data analytics department. I spent four entire years studying complex mathematics at my university. I refuse to let the entire office think I am just a wealthy man's secret mistress. I need to maintain my strict professional boundaries."

Maximilian stared at me for a long time. I watched his facial expression change completely. The confident, commanding attitude of the powerful billionaire vanished entirely from his posture. He looked down at the carpeted floor, let out a slow breath, and ran his right hand through his dark hair. When he looked back up at my face, his gray eyes were filled with sincere apology and genuine understanding.

"You are absolutely right, Alexandra," Maximilian said softly, stepping backward to give me much more physical space. "I completely apologize for making such an arrogant assumption. I am so used to controlling every single situation in my corporate life that I completely ignored your personal perspective. I moved way too fast, and I blatantly overstepped your professional boundaries. I am deeply sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

I relaxed my tense shoulders slightly. I was completely shocked by his immediate, verbal apology. Powerful men like David never apologized to me. My ex-boyfriend always blamed me for misunderstanding his cruel intentions.

"Thank you for understanding," I replied quietly, dropping my arms back down to my sides. "I just need to take the public transit train to the office today exactly like I do every other morning. It is the only way I can protect my professional integrity and keep my internship secure."

"I fully respect your decision," Maximilian stated firmly. He gestured toward the open closet doors with his open hand. "I will leave the master bedroom area right now so you can have complete privacy to get dressed. Please, just choose one of the warm professional coats from the closet so you do not freeze while you wait for the public train outside. I will see you at the office later today."

Maximilian turned around and walked out of the hallway. He entered the main living room and pulled the heavy wooden bedroom door shut behind him, leaving me completely alone in the quiet space.

I turned back to the massive closet. I reached out with a trembling hand and carefully touched the soft fabric of a dark navy blue pencil skirt and a crisp white silk blouse. I pulled the wooden hangers off the metal rack and quickly changed out of the red silk nightgown. The tailored skirt zipped up perfectly over my full hips, and the white blouse fit comfortably across my heavy chest without pulling tightly at the front buttons. I slipped my feet into a pair of comfortable black leather heels that rested on the bottom wooden shelf.

I walked slowly out of the closet area and stood directly in front of the full-length mirror attached to the bedroom wall. I looked at my physical reflection under the bright lights. The expensive clothes looked incredibly professional, but my anxious mind immediately supplied a series of dark, toxic thoughts. I felt a sudden, painful memory surface in my brain.

I clearly remembered standing in the narrow hallway of my childhood home when I was exactly twelve years old. My mother was kneeling on the hardwood floor, using metal pins to adjust the waistline of a yellow dress for my older sister, Chloe. I remembered my mother looking up at me with a deeply critical expression on her face. She explicitly told me to suck my stomach in, and she loudly complained that I was growing too wide to share clothing with my perfectly thin sister. She praised Chloe's narrow waist and told me I needed to stop eating bread if I ever wanted a handsome boy to look at me.

I closed my eyes tightly and gripped the edges of the wooden mirror frame with both of my hands. A heavy sensation of deep shame spread through my entire body. I felt like a complete imposter. I was just a heavy, insecure woman wearing incredibly expensive clothes purchased by a billionaire. I felt that I did not belong in this luxurious penthouse, and I definitely felt that I did not belong in these beautiful garments.

I forced myself to open my eyes. I refused to let my mother's past words ruin my current morning. I grabbed a warm black wool coat from the closet rack, picked up my leather purse from the floor, and walked out of the penthouse suite. I rode the private elevator down to the ground floor and walked out of the luxury hotel lobby.

The freezing Monday morning air hit my face instantly. I walked three long blocks down the busy Chicago sidewalk until I reached the underground train station. I swiped my plastic transit card at the turnstile and boarded the crowded, noisy train car. I stood in the exact center of the aisle and wrapped my hand tightly around the cold metal pole to keep my physical balance as the train accelerated forward. Dozens of exhausted commuters bumped into my shoulders, but I barely registered their physical presence.

My stomach twisted into painful knots, and my hands continued to shake against the metal pole. I was currently riding a public train toward the towering Volkov Industries skyscraper, and I was absolutely terrified of walking into the corporate data department to face the intimidating man who owned the entire company.