Chapter 3: Silent Torture.

Elena barely had time to settle at her desk when her phone rang.

Adrian: Come to my office. Now.

She closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself. She had known today wouldn’t be easy, but the cold efficiency of his call sent a clear message—he wasn’t done making her life miserable.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her notepad and hurried to his office.

When she knocked and stepped inside, Adrian didn’t acknowledge her at first. He was seated behind his massive desk, flipping through documents, his expression unreadable. The tension in the room was suffocating.

Finally, he spoke without looking up. “You’re late.”

Elena frowned. “Sir, you only just—”

His sharp gaze lifted, pinning her in place.

“Did I ask for an excuse?”

She swallowed hard. “No, sir.”

He smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Since you’re so eager to keep this job, I assume you’re willing to work for it?”

Elena hesitated but nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Without another word, Adrian slid a thick folder across the desk. It was at least an inch thick, filled with dense paperwork.

“I need this entire file computed into a spreadsheet. Every detail must be accurate. No mistakes. You have one hour.”

She reached for the folder, flipping through the pages. Her stomach tightened. “Sir, this is over a hundred pages—”

“And?” He raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery. “Are you saying you can’t handle it? Are you incompetent, Elena?”

Her hands tightened around the file. “No, sir.”

“Then get to work.”

Elena turned and walked out, clutching the heavy file.

As soon as she reached her desk, she opened the first page and began typing furiously. The data was extensive, filled with numbers, statistics, and financial projections that required careful attention. She knew Adrian would scrutinize every detail, waiting for her to slip up.

Fifty minutes in, her fingers ached, and her eyes burned from staring at the screen, but she kept going.

Just as she entered the last few figures, an email popped up.

Adrian: Print the file, bind it, and bring it to me in five minutes.

Elena groaned inwardly but didn’t waste time. She hit print and rushed to the printer.

The printer whirred to life, spitting out the pages. But as she gathered them, her heart sank. The ink had smudged in some parts, making a few figures unclear.

She bit her lip, debating her options. She could take it to him like this and risk his wrath, or she could reprint—but that would take longer than five minutes.

Her fingers hovered over the pages for a moment before she made her decision. Gritting her teeth, she hit print again.

By the time she finished binding the document, she was exactly two minutes late.

Taking a deep breath, she walked back into Adrian’s office and placed the file on his desk.

He didn’t touch it. Instead, he checked his watch. “Seven minutes.”

Elena tensed. “I had to reprint because the ink—”

“I don’t care.” His voice was cold, detached. He finally picked up the file and flipped through it, his gaze sharp and calculating.

For a brief moment, she thought he might let it go.

Then, without warning, he tossed the document across the desk. Pages scattered onto the floor.

“Do it again.”

Her breath hitched. “What?”

He met her gaze, unimpressed. “There’s a typo on page seventeen.”

Elena quickly grabbed the document and scanned it. Her heart sank when she spotted it—one number out of place in a long sequence. A small mistake. Barely noticeable.

She clenched her fists. “Sir, it’s just one—”

“Are you arguing with me?”

She inhaled sharply, forcing herself to remain calm. “No, sir.”

“Good. Fix it. And since you like wasting time, you have thirty minutes.”

Elena bit back the frustration bubbling inside her and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Elena?”

She paused, her back stiff.

Adrian leaned forward, smirking. “After you finish that, bring me a detailed report analyzing the financial trends from those figures. I want a five-page breakdown. By noon.”

Her fingers tightened around the papers in her hands. “Yes, sir.”

She returned to her desk and immediately began fixing the spreadsheet. Her hands trembled slightly as she corrected the single error, then reprinted, bound it, and rushed back to his office.

This time, Adrian barely glanced at the file before shoving it aside. “Now, the report. I want a full analysis, comparing the last quarter’s numbers with the previous year’s performance. Look for discrepancies and note any irregularities.”

Elena stared at him. “Sir, that will take hours to—”

“No excuses.” He cut her off, his tone final. “Noon.”

It was impossible. But she knew he didn’t care.

Elena turned and walked out, sitting at her desk with a deep sigh. She didn’t even have time to breathe before another email popped up.

Adrian: I also need you to schedule meetings with the department heads for the next three days. Send me a finalized itinerary by 11:30 AM.

Her head pounded. He was burying her in work on purpose.

Without wasting time, she pulled up her email and began sending out meeting requests while simultaneously drafting the report.

The minutes ticked by too fast. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she calculated figures, analyzed trends, and compiled them into a structured document.

By 11:20 AM, she was only halfway done.

Then, another email.

Adrian: Where’s the itinerary?

Her hands shook with frustration as she hurriedly formatted the schedule, double-checked it, and sent it.

By the time noon struck, she barely managed to finish the financial report. Printing it quickly, she rushed to Adrian’s office and placed it on his desk.

Adrian didn’t look up right away. He let the silence drag out before finally picking up the document.

He flipped through the pages slowly, making her wait.

Then, he hummed. “Adequate.”

Elena exhaled shakily, her hands still tense at her sides.

Adrian leaned back, tapping his fingers against the desk. “But not thorough.”

Her heart sank. “Sir, I—”

“Redo it.” His voice was firm. “I want a more detailed breakdown. By five.”

Elena’s stomach twisted. Five? That was hours more of grueling work.

She clenched her fists but nodded. “Yes, sir.”

As she turned to leave, Adrian’s voice stopped her.

“Oh, and Elena?”

She turned back, dreading what he’d say next.

His smirk was sharper this time, his eyes glinting with something unreadable.

“Never mind, you can go"

Elena walked away, thinking of what she saw as she was working on the files.

"Could that be a problem, was that correct or I'm not seeing well" I need to sit and take a thorough look at these, because there's something fishy, I think there's something fishy that went on."