Chapter Four: My Boss is a Handsome Lunatic

Nara's POV

I woke up at 6:15 AM even though my alarm was set for 6:30. My brain wouldn’t let me sleep as today was day one of the new job, and after yesterday’s disasters, I refused to mess this up.

I took a quick shower, dried my dark hair, and stood in front of my closet for way too long. I finally picked a crisp white blouse with a fitted black pencil skirt that reached just below my knees, and my only decent pair of black heels.

I kept my makeup natural nothing too much. I wanted to look professional, not like I was trying too hard. After tying my hair into a clean bun, I stared at myself in the mirror, my light amber eyes staring right back at me.

“You need this job, Nara. Keep your mouth under control.” I told my reflection.

I grabbed my bag and headed to the kitchen, hoping for something quick to eat. The moment I opened the fridge, I already knew it was empty. Just a few sad condiments and an almost finished carton of milk.

Jake walked in right then, scratching his stomach under his old t-shirt. He opened the fridge too and sighed dramatically. “There’s literally no food in here. You didn’t cook yesterday, Nara. What am I supposed to eat?”

I didn't respond to him. So he waved his hand. "Hello. Can you hear me?"

I closed the fridge door slowly. “I keep hearing this annoying little mosquito buzzing around the kitchen. It’s so loud and useless. I can’t see it, but it won’t shut up.”

Jake’s mouth fell open. “Wait… did you just call me a mosquito?”

I grabbed the last granola bar from the cabinet, unwrapped it, and took a bite. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just saying there’s a buzzing sound I can’t get rid of.”

“You’re actually unbelievable,” he muttered, shaking his head. “After everything I did for you—”

I cut him off. “Everything you did? Like cheat on me and then kick me out with three weeks’ notice? Yeah, real hero behavior.” I shoved the rest of the granola bar in my mouth and headed for the door. “Enjoy your empty fridge, Jake.”

He shouted something behind me, but I was already out the door. I didn’t even look back.

On the bus ride to the office, I finally checked my phone properly. Then I saw an unread email from HR with a giant red warning icon. The subject line was in all caps: IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ BEFORE YOUR FIRST DAY. DO NOT START WORK UNTIL YOU HAVE REVIEWED ALL DOCUMENTS.

I opened it and gasped out. Hundred pages. Actual hundred pages of PDFs.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered. I scrolled through the first few pages quickly. It was all rules, warnings, and legal stuff. My brain was not ready and I hadn’t even had coffee yet. “I’ll read it properly when I get there. No way I’m doing this on a moving bus.”

The building looked even more intimidating in the morning rush. People in suits moved fast with everyone looking important. At the security desk, the guard scanned my new ID badge and gave me a sympathetic smile.

“New assistant for Mr. Blackwood?”

“Yes. First day.” I say with excitement.

He handed me a thick stack of files. “These need to go straight to him. Take the elevator up to the 80th floor. And… good luck.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Good luck? One would think I was walking into a war zone?”

The guard just chuckled and waved me on.

I rode up to the 80th floor and the elevator was quiet. I caught myself thinking about the crazy guy from yesterday and rolled my eyes. “If I never see that rude asshole again, it’ll be too soon.”

The doors opened into a sleek, cold hallway. Everything was dark wood, glass walls, and expensive art. It was long with no one in sight.

Weird.

I took a deep breath, and knocked on the huge imposing door. I heard a deep "Come in," and pushed open the heavy double doors stepping inside.

The office was huge. Like, stupid huge. One whole wall was glass with a view of the city. But what caught my eye first was the desk. It wasn’t normal. It sat on a raised platform, like a stage. You had to climb six or seven wide steps just to reach it.

Keegan Blackwood sat up there like some king looking down on everyone.

What kind of dramatic bullshit is this?

I walked forward slowly, heels clicking loudly in the quiet space. He was writing something with his head down and looking very focused. He wore a perfectly tailored black shirt, and even from here I could tell it was expensive.

“Good morning,” I said, keeping my voice clear and confident. “I’m Nara Quinn, your new executive assistant.”

I counted one, two, three, four and then five seconds before he looked up and the second his eyes met mine, everything froze. His face went tight with shock and then pure annoyance.

“You,” he growled.

My stomach dropped straight to my feet. It was him. The crazy elevator guy.!It was the same sharp jaw, same blue intense eyes and same cold expression that made him look like he wanted to murder someone.

I pointed at him before my brain could stop me. “Crazy elevator man?”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

I glanced at the big silver nameplate on the front of his raised desk: Keegan Blackwood – Director.

Oh. My. God.

This rude, handsome, clearly unstable man was my boss? The mysterious Keegan Blackwood that nobody ever saw? I was 100% screwed.

“You’re Keegan Blackwood?” I asked, still in disbelief.

He was way younger than I expected and well frankly speaking, very handsome.

He leaned back in his big leather chair, glaring down at me from his throne. “And you’re supposed to be my new executive assistant. This has to be a joke.”

I swallowed hard. “Look, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I had the worst day of my life. My boyfriend of two years told me he was cheating and kicked me out right before my interview. I was tired, angry, late, and you were acting super weird in that elevator. I didn’t know who you were. I was just trying to get home.”

He didn’t say anything, he just kept staring at me with those cold eyes.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Hand me the files.”

I nodded and started walking up the marble steps toward his desk.

“Stop! Are you mad?” he barked.

I froze on the third step. “Sorry?”

“Get down. Now.”

I stepped back down slowly. “You told me to hand you the files. That’s what I was doing.”

Mr Blackwood stood up, towering over me from the platform. “Did you read the documents HR sent you?”

I opened my mouth and almost lied, but then thought better of it. I shook my head. “No. Not fully. It was hundred pages and I was rushing this morning.”

He let out a long, tired sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Go sit on the couch, right this instance.”

I walked over to the big leather couch near the window and sat down. This is ridiculous. Am I on time out? “I was just trying to do my job.”

“You don’t understand the rules yet,” he said coldly. “And until you do, you stay down there. Six feet minimum, no coming up the steps, no touching anything on my desk and no sudden movements. Read every single page of that document before you do anything else today.”

I looked at him, then at my phone. “You want me to sit here and read hundred pages right now? On my first day?”

“Yes.” His voice left no room for argument. “And don’t test me, Miss Quinn. I don’t tolerate people who can’t follow simple instructions.”

I opened the email and started reading. Page after page of strict, almost paranoid rules. No physical contact of any kind, no getting closer than necessary, no loud talking, no personal questions, no entering his private areas, no touching his belongings, etc.

The list felt endless.

Every few minutes I glanced up at him. He was watching me like a hawk, making sure I was actually reading.

In my head, the same thought kept repeating louder and louder:

What the hell did I just walk into?

This wasn’t a normal billionaire boss.

This man had serious issues and now I was stuck working for him.