The Assistant
The glass walls of Blackwell Enterprises gleamed under the New York sun, sharp as blades. From the lobby to the penthouse floor, the entire building radiated wealth and control just like the man who owned it.
Lucian Blackwell.
The youngest billionaire in the city, he was ruthless, untouchable, the kind of CEO who could freeze a room with a single glance. His silence was more frightening than another man's shouting, and his employees whispered about him like he was some myth made of ice and steel. He didn't care what they said. The only thing that mattered was control, and Lucian never lost control.
Until Nathaniel Park walked in.
____
Nathan adjusted his tie for the fifth time as he stood in the elevator, watching the digital numbers climb higher. His reflection stared back at him from the steel walls dark eyes, stubborn jaw, and a tie that still looked crooked no matter how many times he fixed it.
"First day," he muttered. "Don't screw it up, Nathan. Just… don't."
He'd survived heartbreak, betrayal, and the humiliation of watching his ex flaunt a new fling within weeks of their breakup. He'd survived worse than this. But for some reason, the idea of working under Lucian Blackwell made his palms sweat. Maybe because Lucian wasn't just any boss. A man who had destroyed Nathan's ex's company in a single, merciless takeover two years ago.
Talk about awkward.
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open onto the top floor. The secretary at the reception desk glanced up, clearly unimpressed.
"You're late," she said flatly.
Nathan blinked. "What? It's nine on the dot."
She gave him a look like she'd already decided he wouldn't last the day. "Mr. Blackwell expects his assistants at eight-thirty."
"Well," Nathan said with a bright, unapologetic smile, "then I'll make it up to him with my sparkling personality."
The secretary didn't laugh. She just pressed the intercom and said, "Mr. Blackwell, your new assistant is here."
Nathan smoothed his hair, whispered a quick prayer, and stepped into the lion's den.
____
Lucian didn't look up when Nathan entered. He was seated behind a black marble desk, eyes fixed on a glowing screen, one hand turning pages of a thick report. The silence was heavy, cold, the kind that made people shrink.
Nathan didn't shrink.
He cleared his throat. "Good morning, Mr. Blackwell. I'm Nathaniel Park, your new assistant."
Nothing.
Nathan tapped his pen against the folder he was holding. "I have to say, your office is… wow. It's so quiet I can hear myself think, which is rare. Do you like it that way? Because personally, I think a little music would do wonders in here. Maybe some jazz? Or, you know, Beyonce everyone loves Beyonce"
"Sit."
The single word was low, calm, and dangerous. Nathan's mouth snapped shut. He sat.
Lucian finally lifted his gaze, and Nathan nearly forgot how to breathe. The man was beautiful in a way that felt unfair sharp cheekbones, eyes like storm clouds, a mouth set in a line too perfect for how merciless it looked.
Nathan forced himself to smile. "So… what exactly do you want me to do as your assistant? Fetch coffee, schedule meetings, remind you to smile once in a while?"
Lucian's expression didn't change. "You talk too much."
The silence stretched. Lucian's eyes narrowed. Nathan wondered if this was the fastest anyone had ever gotten fired on their first day.
But then Lucian turned back to his papers as though Nathan was nothing more than background noise. "You'll learn."
Nathan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Okay. Not fired. Yet.
____
The morning dragged. Nathan made calls, sorted files, delivered coffee well, tried to. He'd tripped in the lobby and spilled half of it on his shirt. Lucian hadn't blinked, hadn't even looked up when Nathan walked in smelling like burnt espresso.
By lunch, Nathan was slumped at his desk outside Lucian's office, glaring at the endless stack of reports.
"This is fine," he muttered. "It's not like I left a perfectly decent job at my uncle's firm for this. Nope. Totally fine."
"Talking to yourself already?"
Nathan looked up to see a tall young man leaning on the partition, grinning like trouble. His hair was dyed a lazy shade of blonde, his tie undone. He had the kind of casual charm Nathan usually distrusted.
"I'm Adrian," the guy said. "Marketing. You must be the new assistant. Brave soul."
"Nathan." He shook Adrian's hand. "Brave, stupid, same thing."
Adrian laughed. "Well, welcome to the circus. You'll get used to Blackwell's death stare eventually." He lowered his voice. "Rumor is he's never kept an assistant longer than three weeks."
"Great," Nathan muttered. "Something to look forward to."
Before Adrian could reply, a sharp voice rang down the hall. "Adrian! Stop bothering the newbie and get back to work!"
A woman with sleek black hair and an immaculate suit marched toward them, glaring. Adrian rolled his eyes.
"That's Elise," he whispered. "She thinks she runs this floor. Don't let her scare you."
"I heard that!" Elise snapped. She turned her gaze on Nathan. "And you if you have time to joke around, you have time to finish those reports Mr. Blackwell wants. This company doesn't pay you to socialize."
Nathan gave her his brightest smile. "Don't worry, I multitask. I can socialize and work at the same time."
Elise's mouth twitched like she couldn't decide whether to strangle him or smirk. She settled for flipping her hair and walking away.
Adrian leaned closer. "I like you already. We should grab drinks sometime after work. There's a bar down the street where half the office vents about Blackwell."
Nathan hesitated, then smiled. "Deal."
____
Meanwhile, in his office, Lucian had heard every word.
His pen stilled against the page as his eyes flicked to the glass wall that separated him from Nathan. The assistant's laugh carried through the corridor warm, careless, irritatingly alive.
Lucian told himself it didn't matter. Nathaniel Park was like any other employee. Replaceable. Forgettable.
So why did his hand tighten around the pen until it almost snapped?
___
After work, Nathan found himself dragged into a group outing with Adrian, Elise, and a few others. The bar buzzed with chatter, the city lights spilling through the wide windows.
Nathan sipped his drink, listening as Elise ranted about the workload and Adrian cracked jokes about their terrifying CEO.
"Seriously," Adrian said, leaning close. "I swear Blackwell has ice in his veins. You should've seen him during the last board meeting. He tore into a senior exec so hard the guy quit on the spot."
Elise frowned. "He's strict, but that's why this company is number one. Don't underestimate him."
Nathan stirred his drink. "Oh, I don't. Trust me. He's… something else."
"Something else terrifying?" Adrian teased.
"Something else complicated," Nathan said softly.
Adrian raised an eyebrow but didn't push. Elise just rolled her eyes.
——
Back at Blackwell Enterprises, Lucian stood alone in his darkened office, the city glowing beneath him. His phone buzzed with another update from the rival company the one owned by a man he despised.