Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bound By The Desk : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Zephyr’s POV “Zephyr, you are gonna burn a hole in that plate if you continue gazing,” Dad utters.I snap out of my thoughts, grabbing the bowl. “Just thinking, Dad. Big day tomorrow. New job at NexusVibe.” Mom, slicing bread at the counter, turns with a proud smile. “My boy, working for the big shots. Vorian, no less. You are gonna shine, Zephyr.” “Shine?” Selene, my older sister, snorts from her seat. “He is gonna need more than shine to survive that guy. Vorian is a shark, Zeph.” I roll my eyes, scooping potatoes. “I can handle a shark, Selene. I am not some rookie. NexusVibe is a step up.”“Step up from what?” Selene says, her eyes narrowing like she’s sniffing out a secret. “You left Nathaniel Holt’s company in a hurry. What if Vorian digs into that? Thinks you’re a spy or something?” My fork freezes halfway to my mouth, her words hitting like ice water.“Spy?” I say, forcing a laugh. “Come on, Selene. Vorian is too busy running an empire to play detective. I am just his

Zephyr’s POV “Man, this place is insane,” I mutter, sitting at my new desk, papers and screens everywhere. My head is still spinning from meeting Vorian Rex; those eyes, that voice, like he could burn me alive and I would thank him. I dismiss the feeling.Silas saunters by, coffee in grasp, smiling like he knows something. “You settling in, Zephyr? Or you still recovering from Vorian’s death stare?”I laugh, “Death stare? I can handle it, Silas. Mr. Vorian does not scare me.”“Bold words,” Silas says. “Most people quake when he walks in. You held your own. Impressive.”“I am not here to quake,” I say, but my pulse races thinking of Vorian’s gaze. “He is intense, sure, but I have dealt with worse.”“Worse than Vorian?” Silas says, raising an eyebrow. “Doubt it. He is a machine. Runs this empire like he was born for it.”“Empire,? ” I say, flipping through files. “He inherit all this from his dad?”“Yup,” Silas says, sipping his coffee. “Took over after his old man passed. Made NexusVi

Zephyr’s POV“Get it together, Zephyr,” I mutter, slouched at my cubicle in NexusVibe’s silent office, the glow of my screen cutting through the dark. The city's horizon shines outside, but my mind is stuck on Vorian; his lips crashing into mine, his hands grasping my waist, his scent, all fragrant and flames, scorching me completely. My digits linger above the keyboard, but my body is tingling, heart thumping like a drum. I can still feel his breath, hot and intense, the manner he yanked me against that desk.I shake my head, hard, trying to snap out of it. “Work. Just work.”I look at the contract papers, figures hazy. I am meant to be sorting these for Vorian, however every time I blink, I see his eyes; piercing, intense, like he could undress me with a stare.How did we actually get there? One moment we are arguing, the next he is kissing me, and I am kissing him reciprocally, no hesitation. I did not know he was into guys. He did not know regarding me.My stomach flips, a mix o

Zephyr’s POVI trip back to my cubicle, my heart continuing pounding from Vorian’s office, his wrist under my fingers, his gaze piercing into mine. That almost-kiss, his voice all husky and deep; it is messing with my head. I slump into my chair, the office dead quiet, Chicago’s lights glowing outside. I try to focus on the files, but his scent, all cedar and heat, lingers like a ghost. “Work, Zephyr,” I mutter, flipping through papers. “Do not screw this up.”My phone buzzes, loud in the silence. Silas’s name flashes. I pick up, rubbing my eyes. “Hey, Silas, what is up?”“Sorry I am calling this late. You heard about the leak?” Silas says, his voice tight, urgent. “The AI deal is a mess.”“Uh-huh,” I speak, resting back, my gut churning. “Mr. Vorian told me about it.”“Vorian told you?” Silas says, surprised. “He is spilling that already? Wait, he told you, you say? You two still at the office?”“Yup,” I say, keeping it cool, though my mind is on Vorian’s lips, so close I could have

Zephyr’s POVI lurch out of Vorian’s office, my mouth still numbing from his kiss, fiery and intense, his hands holding my cheeks like he could not let go.My heart is pounding, my skin burning where his fingers brushed me. Vorian’s mouth, his breath, the way he pressed me against the desk; it is all I can think about, replaying like a fever dream. I am halfway down the hall when his words hit me: Come to my penthouse tonight.My stomach flips, panic crashing in. A penthouse? With him? Tonight? My legs wobble, and I am freaking out, my mind spiraling.I duck into the bathroom, the lights glaring off the tiles. I grip the sink, staring at my reflection; my hair is a mess, my cheeks are flushed.“What am I doing?” I mutter, my voice shaky. “He is Vorian. My boss. And I am going to his penthouse? Should I hit the stylist? Get a haircut? New shirt? God, I really look like a wreck.”My heart is racing like I am a kid asked out by my crush, worrying if I am good enough, if I will screw this