Elena Carter barely slept a wink that night.
She tossed and turned on the narrow staff bed provided in the servant's quarters, her heart replaying the moment she'd drenched Adrian King, billionaire of the century, in hot coffee.
Every rumor she'd overheard from the other maids haunted her mind.
He's ruthless.
He doesn't forgive mistakes.
He once fired someone for sneezing too loudly in a meeting.
Elena groaned and buried her face in the thin pillow. "Why me? Why did my first day have to go down in flames?"
She thought of Liam. Her little brother was counting on her. If she got fired now, there would be no money for his school fees, no rent, no food. She clenched her fists. I can't lose this job. I'll endure whatever punishment he throws at me.
But when morning came, and the head maid appeared at her door with a grim expression, Elena's courage began to shake.
"Mr. King has requested your presence."
Those six words felt like a death sentence.
---
The CEO's office was on the top floor of the mansion, a place the staff whispered about but rarely entered. The hallway alone was lined with towering bookshelves, abstract art, and floors polished to a mirror-like shine.
Elena's shoes squeaked embarrassingly as she was led forward. She tried to shrink into herself, wishing she could disappear into the marble tiles.
The head maid opened the door. "She's here, sir."
Adrian King sat behind an enormous black desk, clad in a new suit that fit him like armor. His gray eyes flicked up the moment Elena stepped in, pinning her in place like a hawk spotting prey.
"Leave us," he said.
The head maid practically fled, shutting the door behind her. Elena's throat tightened as silence settled over the room.
Adrian leaned back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers.
"So," he said slowly, "the little maid who ruined my morning."
Elena's lips wobbled. "I-I apologized yesterday, sir. It was an accident—"
"Accidents don't exist in my world," he cut her off, his voice like a blade. "Only incompetence."
Her heart sank. "Are you… firing me?"
Something flickered in his eyes—amusement? irritation? She couldn't tell.
"No," he said at last. "Not yet. You'll stay. But…" He leaned forward, his stare sharp enough to slice steel. "You'll work directly under me. Consider it your… punishment."
Elena blinked. "W-what?"
"From now on, you'll handle tasks I assign personally. Fail once, and you're out. Do you understand?"
Elena's jaw dropped. Directly under him? This wasn't punishment—it was torture! She'd heard staff whisper that no one lasted a week under Adrian's impossible standards.
Still, she forced herself to nod. "Y-yes, sir."
"Good," he said smoothly. He slid a thick folder across the desk. "Your first assignment. My schedule for today. You'll accompany me to the office downtown. Memorize everything, manage the details, and don't fall behind."
Elena flipped open the folder and almost fainted. Meetings, conferences, calls, dinners—there were so many entries she felt dizzy just scanning the page.
"Um… sir?" she squeaked. "I've never… I mean, I don't know anything about—"
"Then learn," Adrian said coolly. "If you're going to survive in my house, you'll adapt."
---
The car ride to King Enterprises was silent—at least on Adrian's side. Elena, squished in the back of the sleek black limousine, clutched the folder and muttered to herself, trying to memorize the schedule.
"Meeting with board… eleven sharp… no, eleven thirty? No, eleven sharp! Ugh!" She banged her head lightly against the window.
Adrian, seated across from her, raised an eyebrow. "Do you always talk to yourself like a lunatic?"
Her face turned red. "I—No! I mean—sometimes. Only when I'm nervous."
"Then you must be nervous all the time," he said dryly.
Elena bit her tongue, refusing to snap back. She needed this job. She would not let her pride get her fired—at least not today.
---
At the office, things went from bad to worse.
Elena trailed after Adrian like a lost puppy, trying to keep up with his long strides as he stormed through the glass doors of King Enterprises. Staff members in sleek suits bowed respectfully, whispering his name in awe.
"Mr. King!"
"Good morning, sir!"
"The quarterly report is ready, sir!"
Elena tripped over her own feet trying to keep pace, earning more than a few curious stares.
Inside the boardroom, Adrian sat like a king on his throne while the board members nervously presented charts and numbers. Elena stood by the wall, clutching the schedule, trying not to yawn.
Halfway through, Adrian turned his head.
"Elena."
Her spine snapped straight. "Y-yes, sir?"
"Summarize the next meeting on my agenda."
Her mind went blank. "Uh… it's… um…" She fumbled with the folder, flipping through pages in panic. "The… quarterly… no wait… the marketing—no, finance—"
The entire board stared at her, wide-eyed. Adrian's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes glittered with something dangerously close to amusement.
"Pathetic," he murmured, before smoothly continuing the meeting himself.
Elena wanted to melt into the floor.
---
By lunch, she was certain she'd be fired.
But instead, Adrian gave her another impossible task: arranging his afternoon calls, balancing his documents, and even fetching his coffee—though this time, she carried the cup like it was a newborn baby.
Somehow, against all odds, she survived until evening. Exhausted, frazzled, and humiliated, but alive.
As they rode back to the mansion, she leaned her head against the car window and sighed. "I'm not cut out for this. He's going to fire me any day now…"
Adrian's voice cut through the quiet.
"You lasted longer than I expected."
Her eyes widened. She turned toward him. "You… expected me to quit?"
He met her gaze, his lips curving into the faintest ghost of a smirk. "Everyone does."
For a moment, Elena forgot to breathe. She saw something strange in his eyes—not just coldness, but curiosity. Interest.
Then the smirk vanished, replaced by his usual icy mask. "Don't get comfortable. Tomorrow will be harder."
Elena groaned inwardly. She'd barely survived today.
What kind of punishment was this man planning for her?
End of Chapter Two.