The day had barely begun, but the penthouse already thrummed with urgency.
Adrian stood at the center of the office, phone pressed to his ear, his presence radiating authority like a physical force. I hovered near the edge of the room, clutching my notebook, ready to follow instructions without hesitation.
"Keep track of every detail," he instructed, hanging up with a crisp click. "We can't afford mistakes."
"Yes, sir," I replied, trying to steady the fluttering in my chest.
He didn't speak again for several minutes, but I felt his gaze on me, intense and unyielding, the kind that made my every movement deliberate, cautious.
"Come closer," he finally said.
I hesitated, then stepped forward. Every step felt measured, charged with unspoken tension.
He handed me a set of contracts, his fingers brushing mine briefly. The contact was fleeting, but the heat it left lingered longer than it should.
"Review these now," he said, voice low, commanding. "Mistakes will not be tolerated."
I nodded, opening the first folder. His proximity made it difficult to focus; his presence was suffocating yet magnetic, pulling my attention entirely toward him.
"You're doing well," he murmured suddenly, leaning closer to point at a detail on the page. His face was so close I could see the faint lines around his eyes, the sharp curve of his jaw. My pulse raced.
"I—I see," I stammered, cheeks burning.
"See more than the words," he said quietly. "Understand the stakes. This is not a game."
His intensity was a tether I couldn't escape. Every glance, every word, every subtle shift of his body reminded me how small I was in his world—and how dangerous the balance could be if I faltered.
When he finally stepped back, the air seemed thinner, charged with energy I couldn't dissipate.
Alone, I stared at the folders, trying to focus on work, but his presence lingered in my mind. The rules—the contract—the warnings—they all threatened to crumble the moment I admitted to myself the pull I felt toward him.
Adrian Blackwood controlled everything: his company, his empire, and now, the space inside my chest I didn't realize I had surrendered.
And the more I resisted, the tighter the invisible tether seemed to become.