First day at work

Isla stepped out of the taxi and waved cheerfully. “Thank you!” she called out with enthusiasm. As the car sped away, she took a deep breath, her smile broadening as she walked confidently toward the company’s entrance.

Dressed in an ash longline blazer layered over a short black dress that ended just above her knees, Isla exuded effortless style. Her sleek bun, paired with kitten heels and a Saint Laurent bag, completed the polished look. The excitement of her first day at work was unmistakable, reflected in both her lively stride and radiant smile.

“Good morning!” she greeted the receptionist warmly. The receptionist responded with a courteous, professional smile.

Isla strolled toward the elevators, relieved to see them all still operational. A quick glance at her wristwatch told her she was thirty minutes early—no need to rush. While waiting, she opened W******p and started typing a message to Sophie.

"I’m already at the company! I can’t contain my happiness. This is really happening!” she wrote, her grin so wide her teeth gleamed.

Sophie, as if eagerly anticipating her message, read it instantly and began recording a voice note. Seconds later, the notification popped up on Isla’s phone.

She loaded the message and increased the volume to hear it better.

“I’m more excited than you are!” Sophie’s voice rang out. “Baby girl, you get to breathe the same air as Jaxon Waverly! I’d kill to be in your shoes right now. I need a super-hot boss like yours—not one with a protruding belly and a bald head!”

Isla burst out laughing, shaking her head at Sophie’s dramatic enthusiasm. But just as her laughter softened, a new, distinctly masculine scent wafted through the air, catching her attention. Curious, she turned around.

Her heart stopped.

Standing directly behind her, with piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, was Jaxon Waverly himself.

“Shit!” her mind screamed as her heart thumped violently in her chest. “Did he hear the voice message? Why is he staring at me like that?” She quickly plastered on a smile and gave a slight bow.

“Good day, Mr. Jaxon,” she greeted nervously.

The elevator doors opened just then, and the passengers stepped out, bowing and greeting Jaxon as they passed. Without acknowledging her greeting, Jaxon walked past her into the elevator, his hands casually buried in the pockets of his Gucci trousers, his entourage following closely behind.

Isla froze, unsure of what to do. She didn’t want a repeat of her embarrassing moment with Alex. She swallowed hard, watching as Jaxon stood in the elevator, his towering presence commanding the space.

One of his bodyguards leaned forward to press a button, but Jaxon stopped him with a slight gesture. His eyes, still fixed on Isla, narrowed slightly.

“Are you coming in, or what?” he asked, his tone calm but firm.

“Oh!” Isla exclaimed, startled. “Y-yes, I am.” She stammered as she hurriedly stepped inside.

The bodyguard pressed the button, and the elevator doors slid shut.

Standing to Jaxon’s right, Isla felt as if the air had thickened. His cologne, rich and authoritative, filled the confined space, making it even harder for her to breathe. She dared not look at him and instead kept her gaze locked on the door, trying to appear composed.

She cleared her throat nervously and shifted her gaze downward, her eyes landing on his hand. His sleeves were rolled up just below his elbow, revealing a tattoo near his wrist—a bold, striking image of an axe.

The sight fascinated her, but she quickly averted her eyes, afraid he might notice her staring.

After what felt like an endless elevator ride, the doors finally opened on the 30th floor, and Isla stepped out. Her legs felt unsteady as she walked, aware of his gaze following her every move. 

Unsure of where her office was, Isla hesitated, waiting for Jaxon to take the lead. Just then, Alex appeared, looking sharp in his office attire.

"Good day, boss," Alex greeted Jaxon as he entered his office, his bodyguards taking position near the door with practiced precision.

Alex glanced at Isla through the transparent wall of the office. "The new girl rode the elevator with you too?" he asked, his tone laced with disapproval. "This is starting to become a habit. Should I take care of it?"

Jaxon, busy retrieving his laptop from his suitcase, shook his head. "There's nothing to take care of," he replied firmly. "She didn’t want to get in. I invited her." Jaxon’s gaze briefly flicked to Alex as he settled into his chair behind the desk.

Alex cast another glance at Isla, who was now staring nervously in their direction, her hands clasped in front of her. Her soft, tentative smile betrayed her nervousness.

Jaxon followed Alex's gaze and caught Isla’s wide-eyed expression. "Show her to her space," he instructed calmly before turning his attention back to his laptop. "She looks lost."

With a slight bow, Alex left the office and approached Isla. She straightened, her nervous smile still in place, her eyes now focused on him.

"Good morning," she greeted politely.

"Good morning, Isla," Alex replied, his tone neutral as he pointed to a desk and chair just to the right of Jaxon’s office door. "That’s your space."

“Okay,” she nodded enthusiastically and hurried over to her desk. Placing her bag down, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Finally,” she muttered under her breath as she settled into the chair.

On the desk, she noticed a neatly arranged setup: a telephone, a computer, a notepad, a large file, and a pen.

She knew she needed to get to work immediately but wasn’t sure where to begin. Picking up the file on her desk, she skimmed through its contents. Inside, she found a detailed schedule of Jaxon’s meetings, his coffee preferences, and his expectations for his secretary.

“First thing in the morning—coffee. Americano espresso,” she read quietly to herself. Glancing to her left, she spotted the coffee room and decided to start there.

Rising from her seat, she walked toward the room. As her heels clicked against the tiled floor, the sound drew Jaxon’s attention. He lifted his gaze from his laptop, his eyes following her as she moved past the glass wall of his office.

From his seat, Jaxon had a clear view of the coffee room. He watched as Isla stepped inside and began to prepare his coffee. A smirk played on his lips before he turned back to his laptop, refocusing his attention. On the screen were high-resolution images of exquisite firearms—some of the rarest and most coveted in the world—that Wommie had shown him the night before.

Intrigued, Jaxon picked up his phone and dialed Denmark, one of his most trusted business associates. Rising from his chair, he walked over to the window, gazing down at the bustling streets of Rome below as the call connected.

"Denmark," Jaxon greeted as he heard the familiar voice on the other end. "Do you have answers for me now?"

"Yes, I do," Denmark replied, his tone confident. "I must say, you’re about to make a move on some of the most sought-after items in the market."

"Tell me more," Jaxon urged, his interest piqued.

“These guns, particularly the Colt Model 1847 Walker Revolver, are in high demand—especially by the Chinese market. That piece alone costs around €1.8 million, and competition for it is fierce."

"Great. And the others?" Jaxon asked, his curiosity growing.

“Similar story to the revolver,” Denmark continued. "The others exceed a million each, with the VO Falcon Rifle being a slight exception—it’s priced at €850,000. All of them are excellent investments."

Jaxon nodded to himself, his mind racing. "Thank you, Denmark. I’ve got everything I need to know."

As he was about to end the call, a knock on the door caught his attention. Turning, he saw Isla stepping inside, balancing a cup of coffee in her hand.

"I brought your coffee," she said softly, her voice low and polite.

"Talk to you later," Jaxon muttered into the phone before hanging up. His sharp eyes shifted to Isla, watching as she approached.

"Put it on the table," he instructed, heading back to his desk. Isla carefully placed the coffee mug on the table and stepped back, her hands clasped nervously in front of her as she waited for him to take a sip.

Jaxon glanced up at her. "Anything else?" he asked, his tone neutral.

Startled, Isla’s brows lifted slightly. "Oh… yes. You have a meeting with—"

"Cancel it," he interrupted firmly. "I have an important auction to attend at noon."

"Oh," she replied with a quick nod, turning to leave. She hesitated, then added, "I’ll notify Mr. Roger about the change in plans."

"Good," Jaxon replied, his attention returning to the screen. As Isla began to walk away, he called out, "And…"

She paused and turned back toward him, her curiosity evident.

"You’ll be coming with me to the auction," he said, his gaze meeting hers briefly before returning to his work.

"Yes, sir," Isla replied, doing her best to conceal her excitement. As silly as it might sound, she had always dreamed of attending an auction. There was something thrilling about watching people wield their wealth to claim things that might not even hold much value.

She had never had the chance before, but now here it was. She couldn’t wait to share the news with Sophie. As she walked back to her desk, she grabbed her phone and quickly typed out a message to her.

"Guess what??! I'm going to an auction with Jaxon Waverly! This is a dream come true. Going to an auction for rich people like him."

She hit send, but Sophie didn’t respond right away. ‘She’s probably too busy with work,’ Isla thought, setting her phone aside.

A moment later, she felt Jaxon's gaze on her through the wall. She turned and saw him staring. Unsure of what to do, she offered him a nervous smile.

‘What’s with the stare?’ she wondered.

*

It was time to leave for the auction, and Jaxon made his way out of his office. Isla quickly stood up, eager to follow him.

He gestured to his bodyguards. “I need only two of you,” he instructed, and immediately, two stepped forward, falling in line behind him.

When they reached the parking lot, Jaxon’s driver was already waiting by his Mercedes-Benz. The driver opened the door, and Jaxon slid inside. The two bodyguards got into the car next to the Mercedes.

Isla stood frozen for a moment, unsure whether she would be riding with Jaxon or with the bodyguards. Jaxon glanced at her, his patience clearly running low.

“Get in,” he ordered. Without hesitation, Isla opened the door and climbed into the back seat of the car. The driver shut the door behind her.

As the car began to move, an uncomfortable silence filled the space. Jaxon stared out the window, and Isla lowered her head slightly, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. As usual, his cologne lingered in the air, and his presence alone made the atmosphere feel tense.

Isla hadn’t expected to be riding with him. She thought she would be taking a cab or some other form of transport.

Suddenly, her phone began to ring in her bag. “Grrrr! Grrrr!” It was Sophie calling.

"Sorry," Isla muttered, scrambling to unzip her bag and silence her phone. She pulled it out, seeing that it was Sophie calling. She knew it was probably a bad idea to answer it, so she decided to let it go, but before she could, Jaxon’s voice cut through the quiet car.

"Answer it," he commanded firmly. "I don’t mind."

Isla looked at him hesitantly, then slowly nodded. ‘I can’t dismiss the call after he told me to answer it,’ she thought. Her mind briefly flashed to the stern reminder of his expectations in the big file. ‘I’m big on obedience.’

She answered the phone and brought it to her ear, praying Sophie wouldn’t say anything embarrassing.

"Girl!" Sophie’s voice blared through the speakers. "That is no normal offer. Men don’t just take a random woman to an Auction– I think Jaxon Waverly likes you! I told you he would be swept off his feet the moment he laid eyes on you..."

Isla’s face flushed with panic, and she quickly hung up the phone. She glanced over at Jaxon, hoping he hadn’t heard what Sophie had said, but the way his forehead was furrowed told her otherwise.

“It’s not what you think,” she said quietly, trying to explain.