Elias Rourke was more than a billionaire he was a tempest in a custom-fitted suit. As the CEO of Rourke Enterprises a bachelor, he was known for his icy effectiveness, merciless transactions, and total absence of emotion. Everyone referred to him as “Ice King” when he wasn't around. Up until her. Chloe Hart had worked as his secretary for slightly more than two weeks. Timid, kind-hearted, and excessively courteous, she was the type of woman who kept track of birthdays, tended to plants, and uttered "please" to the coffee maker. Elias hardly paid attention to her,until the morning she entered his office unannounced. “I apologize for the interruption,” she said, her voice shaking, “but you haven’t had anything to eat today.” "It's nearly four." He looked at her, irritated. “That’s none of your business.” “I prepared a sandwich for you.” She places it on his desk and walks away before he has a chance to reply to her. Even with how rude he is to her, she brings him homemade meals everyday and lavender tea after tough meetings. He started to notice little details about her, the way she played with her necklace when anxious, she shows no emotions even when he yells at her. One day, he sees himself approaching her desk not to order her around, but to ask her about her well being. When a scandal almost destroys Elias’s empire. She stays by his side, not out of obligation, but because she trusted him. He looked at her and whispered, “You are the gentleness in my whole existence." "I don't know how to show emotions, but I will learn just for you." Chloe smiled, looking at him and said "Steel is capable of melting, Elias." "Even kings can experience love."
View MoreThe elevator ride to the top floor took longer than it should have, even though it only took a few seconds
Chloe Hart held her planner to her chest, her palms sweaty from being nervous. This was her first day at Rourke Enterprises, the largest private equity firm in the city, and arguably the most Deadly. People didn’t just work here. They survived.
She adjusted the collar of her cream blouse, trying not to look nervous,as she tapped her heels against the marble floor as she waited for the elevator doors to open.
“The top floor,Best of luck,” the security guard had told her downstairs.
She wasn’t sure if he was serious or joking .
The top floor was cold and quiet, this made shivers run down her spine. Everything was polished clean.As she walked into the quiet hallway no receptionist, no chatter, Just tension she looked at the little sunlight coming through the shining glass window.
Her desk was already set up just outside the office of Elias Rourke. The name alone had made her stomach flip when she accepted the offer. He wasn’t just the CEO,he was the most ruthless CEO. The youngest self-made billionaire in the country. Brutal in the boardroom.Rumor had it he once fired a VP for taking a personal call during a meeting.
“Miss Hart?”
Chloe jumped,a bit scared as she turned toward the voice.
A man in a black suit stood behind her. Elias Rourke,In the flesh. Tall, dark-hair, gray eyes and a nice structured body. He wasn’t just handsome,he was charming, in a way that felt unfair.
“You’re early,” he said, looking at the clock . His voice was low, bringing her out of her thoughts.
“I ummm…I like to be early,” she said, stuttering. “Just to make sure I’m prepared.”
He didn’t respond to that. He looked her up and down, assessing her like she was a presentation slide.
“Have you read the confidentiality agreement?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then come inside.”
She followed him into his office. The walls were lined with shelves of financial reports. The only decoration was a simple silver sculpture on the window shelf.
“I don’t do small talk,” he said, sitting behind the desk without looking at her. “You’ll keep my schedule. Filter my calls. Do not speak in meetings unless I ask you to. I hate being asked if I’ve eaten or slept. And if I’m working late, you don’t stay unless I say otherwise.”
Chloe blinked. “Understood.”
“And if anyone from the board asks to see me without informing me, you shut them down.”
“Of course.”
Elias finally looked up at her again. His eyes were steel-gray. Cold, focused, impossible to read.
“I don’t have time for emotional employees, Miss Hart. If that’s going to be a problem, speak now.”
She met his gaze, steady despite how terrified she was. “It won’t be a problem.”
He nodded . “Good.”
With that, he turned back to his laptop. She stood there for a while, confused if she was supposed to leave. But he didn’t look up again, so she left quietly and shut the door.
She went back to her desk,as she let out a sigh of relief. Her heart was still pounding. But she’d made it through the first conversation without fainting or quitting. That counted for something, right?
Three hours later, the phone on her desk rang.
She nearly dropped her pen.
“Yes, Mr. Rourke?”
“I need the 3rd quarter reports printed and on my desk in ten minutes. And tell security to expect a delivery from Ridgewell Partners.”
“Right away.”
She stood up immediately to find the reports in the hard drive, printing them out.She placed them on his desk and took a step back, he barely looked up.
“Next time, double-sided. Save paper.”
Chloe nodded. “Of course.”
As she turned to leave,his voice stopped her.
“And Miss Hart?”
She looked back.
“Don’t apologize for everything. It wastes time.”
She swallowed. “Right.”
“...That was one of them.”
Later in the day, she looked at him through the glass door of his office. Elias was still at his desk, he had taken his Jacket off and rolled up his sleeves.Jaws tight, no emotions, all his focus was on his laptop. He hadn’t moved in hours.
Chloe hesitated at first. Then, she stood up and made a cup of green tea. She walked into his office and placed it on his desk without a word, then returned to her desk.
He did not raise his head up from his laptop nor did he say a word to her.
But ten minutes later, the cup was empty.
She walked in to check if he needed anything but he gave no response. She walked back to her desk. She kept thinking about why he was so cold.
“Hey girl” she heard a voice, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She looked up to see Nina, the VP of the marketing department, her best friend, walk towards her desk.
Chloe offered a small smile. “Hey”
“ Oh my, you look horrible and terrified” Nina said, with concern in her voice.
“Nothing serious, just really nervous” Chloe replied
Nina snorted. “Classic Rourke, Makes everyone nervous by breathing.”
Then came another voice teasingingly
“Ladies,” said Gavin King, VP of Strategy, with a slow grin and his jacket walked towards us. “If you’re going to talk about the boss, at least let me know.”
Chloe smiled. Gavin always looked like he belonged on a magazine cover instead of a boardroom. He was the only one Elias seemed to tolerate in long stretches.
“Morning, Mr King,” she said softly.
He smiled. “Don’t let him make you nervous too much , Chloe. He’s just rude but not evil.”
“You’ve never seen him go silent mid-sentence because someone stapled a document wrong,” Nina muttered.
Gavin chuckled. “He’s charming in his own way.”
A door creaked open
His eyes scanned the room.
When his gaze landed on Chloe, her breath cut, her palms became sweaty.
“Miss Hart.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Another Coffee with no sugar. Folder prep for the eleven-thirty with Harrington. Move my one-thirty meeting. And send a reminder to Ridgewell that I don’t negotiate through lawyers.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, already scribbling notes.
He turned without another word and vanished into his office.
She exhaled slowly.
Nina reappeared with a grin. “You’re still standing. That’s more than most.”
ELIAS' POV The image stared up at me from the desk,but the photo was new.Not Chloe this time.It was my father.He was sitting in what looked like a dimly lit room. Alive, but clearly restrained. His face was swollen on the left side, a split lip bleeding, bruises everywhere. Beneath the photo, in the same red ink, one word had been scribbled on the white border.“Next.”My pulse pounding. For a moment I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My father and I didn’t have the warmest relationship;hell, he had barely looked at me like a son in years. But this… this was different. This was personal.Behind me, I heard Chloe's soft steps approach.“Elias?” she said calmly. “What is it?”I turned the photo toward her.She gasped“That’s your father,” she whispered. “Oh my God.”I didn’t respond. I was already dialing Gavin.He picked up immediately. “You got another one?”“Yes,” I snapped. “It’s my father this time.”There was silence on his end. Then: “Shit.”“Where’s the contact in Zurich?”
ELIAS' POV The voice on the phone had vanished, but every word kept on repeating in my head.“She was a warning. The next one won’t be.”I made calls to double the security and the number to be tracked. This needs to end. I can't watch the people I care about die for my sins.I returned to the study and found Chloe pacing around. She turns around and sees me then runs towards me with fear in her eyes. “What do we do now?” she asked.I couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore.“I need to call someone.”“Who?” Her voice was wary.I hesitated. Then gave her the truth.“Gavin.”Her brow furrowed. “Why?”“Because he’s been keeping something from me.”I dialed the number. Gavin picked up on the second ring.“You finally decided to call back,” he said. His voice was calm, not surprised. “I take it this has to do with the photograph.”“And the second message,” I said. “We need to talk.”There was a pause. “Where are you?”“My penthouse. Come now.”He didn’t argue. “Give me fifteen minutes.”I hung
CHLOE'S POV I rushed to the door and opened it, running across the hallway barefoot.I knocked once, sharply.Elias opened the study door immediately. He hadn’t slept either.“Another message,” I said, handing him my phone.He read it.And for the first time since this began, I saw something close to panic in his eyes.“What does it mean?” I asked.He didn’t answer.“Elias?”“I need to make a call.”“Tell me.”He looked at me, his voice quiet. “Berlin is a chapter I closed a long time ago.”“That’s not an answer.”He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “It was a mistake. A costly one. I thought no one knew about it.”“What kind of mistake?”He shook his head. “Not tonight.”But I wasn’t backing down now.“Someone clearly knows, Elias. And they’re using it to threaten me. If you want me to trust you, you have to tell me the truth.”He looked like saying it out loud might unravel everything.Then he finally said, “Berlin was where I first learned what it meant to be betrayed by someone I trust
CHLOE'S POV I didn’t realize how quiet Elias’s penthouse can be until I was standing in the middle of it, feeling like an intruder in a life too big, too cold, and too polished for someone like me.The elevator had opened directly into the private entrance; there was no doorman,no keycards. Just him, swiping his phone against a sleek panel, like it was normal to live twenty floors above the world.I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly aware of how fast things had shifted. One minute, we were in his office arguing, clearing up things and now I was here, surrounded by glass walls and marble floors, my bag still dangling from my shoulder.“You can take the guest room,” Elias said, his voice clipped as he loosened his tie and headed toward the kitchen.“I didn’t bring pajamas,” I said dumbly.He paused mid step, then glanced over his shoulder. “You can borrow a shirt.”I nodded, still not moving.He grabbed two glasses and poured something into each of them. “Drink?”“No, thanks.”A
CHLOE' POV The message burned into my mind as I looked at the screen.“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”I re-read it three times, trying to make sense of it. My chest tightened. Was it a threat? A warning? A prank?“Everything okay?” Gavin asked beside me as the elevator doors closed.I locked my screen quickly. “Yeah. Just… spam.”He turned his head, studying me for a moment. “You sure?”I nodded, even though I wasn’t.We stepped out into the lobby and walked toward the exit. Sunlight poured through the tall windows, too bright. Outside, the city was filled with its usual rhythms (horns, voices, footsteps)but my head was filled up with questions. Why did the message come now? And why from that number?Could it have been Elias?No. He had no reason to send something like that anonymously. If he had something to say, he would’ve said it to my face or at least in a stern, emotionless tone. Wouldn’t he?I barely registered the walk to the cafe Gavin suggested. He did most of the
CHLOE'S POVBy lunch, I was drowning in numbers, meetings, and the distinct weight of being ignored. Elias didn’t say a word to me the rest of the morning. Every message came through his assistant or brief post-its left on my keyboard.It was like I was invisible and somehow, it hurt more than the argument.Around 2 PM, Nina dropped by my desk with a smirk.“Gavin told me to drag you downstairs for air,” she said. “You look like you’re about to murder someone.”“Just one person,” I muttered, grabbing my coat.We ended up in the small park next to the office building, the wind blew, the sun barely warming our skin.“I swear he only gets colder the more he cares,” Nina said, sipping her iced tea. “It’s like his feelings have a self-destruct button.”“I don’t want him to care,” I said, more to myself than her.“Liar.”I glared at her, but she just shrugged. “You don’t have to admit it. But don’t act like you don’t see the way he watches you when he thinks no one’s looking.”“He doesn’t…”
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