《His to protect: the CEO'S obsession 》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 5 章

The elevator chimes were usually ignored in the towering glass monolith of Brooks Global Enterprises. But on the eightieth floor—the executive penthouse suite—that quiet *ding* at 6:55 AM sounded like a death knell.Pearl Alex didn't flinch. She kept her fingers perfectly steady as she smoothed down the lapels of her crisp, bargain-rack blazer, adjusting it so it looked far more expensive than it actually was. She eyed the massive mahogany desk inside the glass-walled office. On it sat a fresh, steam-kissed cup of single-origin black coffee, brewed at precisely 6:50 AM. Three secretaries had been escorted out of this very building by security in the past two weeks alone. The first had been fired for speaking out of turn. The second was fired for wearing a perfume that gave the boss a headache. Funny right.? The third had literally ran out of the building in tears after just four days, leaving her designer shoes behind.The reason for their terror? Damien Brooks. At thirty-two, Dam

The elevator ride down to the seventy-fifth floor was suffocatingly quiet. Pearl stood perfectly still, her hands clasped tightly around her digital tablet. Beside her, Damien was a coiled spring. The heat radiating off his large frame was palpable, but his face was carved from absolute ice. He didn't look like a CEO about to fire an employee; he looked like an executioner walking to the gallows. When the brushed-steel doors slid open, the bustling noise of the Acquisitions department instantly died. It was as if the oxygen had been vacuumed out of the room. Dozens of senior executives, junior analysts, and assistants froze in their tracks. Keyboards stopped clacking. Desk phones were slowly lowered to their receivers. The sight of the "Ice King" descending from his penthouse fortress unannounced meant only one thing: someone was about to be slaughtered. Damien didn't spare the terrified staff a single glance. He strode down the center aisle, his expensive Italian leather shoes ec

The Brooks Global private airstrip was bathed in the harsh, white glow of floodlights. Sitting on the tarmac like a sleek, silver bird of prey was a custom Gulfstream G650. Pearl stepped out of the black SUV, clutching her overnight bag. She had spent the last three hours frantically packing, arranging the Paris logistics, and aggressively repeating a single mantra in her head: You are the Chief Executive Assistant. You belong here. Do not look intimidated.She channeled every ounce of her professional composure as she walked up the airstairs. But the moment she stepped inside the cabin, her composure nearly shattered. It did not look like an airplane; it looked like a five-star luxury penthouse in the sky. The interior was lined with rich mahogany paneling, plush cream-colored leather seats, and ambient gold lighting. There was a full bar, a private bedroom suite in the back, and a large dining table. Damien was already onboard. He was sitting in one of the oversized leather capt