Nia
By the end of the week, my routine had settled into something almost familiar. Wake up early. Dress carefully. Work hard. Avoid thinking too much about my boss.
The last part was proving impossible.
Alexander Blackwood had a way of being everywhere without actually being present. Even when he was locked away in meetings, I felt his influence in every decision, every file that crossed my desk, every quiet instruction sent through his assistant. It was unsettling how much space he occupied in my thoughts.
"Ms. Daniels."
I looked up. His assistant stood beside my desk. "Mr. Blackwood wants to see you."
My stomach tightened. "Now?"
"Yes."
I stood, smoothing my skirt, and walked toward his office. The door was open this time. He stood by the window, his back to me, phone pressed to his ear.
"No," he said sharply. "That will not work for me. Fix it."
He ended the call and turned.
"Sit," he said, gesturing toward the chair.
I did.
"There is a charity dinner tomorrow evening," he said. "My grandmother will be there."
I waited.
"She insists I attend with someone."
Something about the way he said it made me uneasy. "Sir?"
"You will come with me," he said plainly.
My heart skipped. "As your employee?"
"Yes."
That did not sound convincing.
"I am not sure that is appropriate," I said carefully.
His eyes hardened slightly. "You are capable. You are presentable. And you owe me nothing more than professionalism."
The words were firm, final. Yet something about them felt like a test.
"If that is all," he added, "you may go."
I stood and left, my thoughts racing. A charity dinner. His grandmother. Being seen beside him in public. None of this was part of the job description I remembered.
Vanessa cornered me near the elevators.
"I heard you are attending the charity dinner," she said, her tone light but her eyes sharp.
"I was asked to assist," I replied.
She laughed softly. "Of course you were."
Her gaze swept over me, assessing. "Be careful not to misunderstand your place."
"I know my place," I said quietly.
She leaned closer. "Do you?"
That night, sleep did not come easily.
The next evening arrived too quickly. I stood in my apartment, staring at the simple navy dress laid out on my bed. It was the nicest thing I owned, bought secondhand but altered carefully to fit me. I tied my hair back, applied minimal makeup, and took a deep breath.
The car was already waiting outside when I stepped out. Alexander was inside.
He looked up when I entered, his gaze pausing briefly before returning forward. "You look appropriate," he said.
It was not a compliment. Not really. Yet my heart fluttered anyway.
The venue was grand. Soft lights. Elegant music. People dressed in wealth and confidence. I felt out of place immediately.
Alexander rested a hand lightly at my back as we entered. The touch was brief, controlled, but it sent a jolt through me.
"This is my assistant, Nia Daniels," he introduced when we were approached.
Assistant. The word grounded me.
His grandmother appeared soon after. She was elegant, her presence warm and commanding.
"So this is the young woman I have been hearing about," she said, smiling at me.
"It is nice to meet you," I replied sincerely.
She took my hands. "You have kind eyes."
Alexander shifted beside me. "Grandmother."
She laughed. "Relax. I am not interrogating her."
Throughout the evening, Alexander stayed close. Too close. He spoke to others, discussed business, but always seemed aware of where I was. His hand would guide me through crowds. His voice would lower when he spoke to me.
"You are doing fine," he murmured at one point.
I looked up at him. "I am just standing."
"That is enough," he said.
Vanessa appeared like a shadow. She greeted his grandmother warmly, then turned to me with a tight smile.
"You clean up well," she said.
"Thank you," I replied.
Her eyes flicked to Alexander. "Do not get used to it."
Alexander interrupted. "Vanessa."
She smiled sweetly. "Enjoy your evening."
As the night wore on, exhaustion settled into my bones. When we finally stepped back into the car, silence filled the space.
"You handled yourself well," Alexander said after a moment.
"Thank you."
He hesitated. "My grandmother likes you."
I smiled faintly. "She is kind."
He watched me for a second longer than necessary. "Be careful."
"Of what?"
"Of being seen."
The car pulled up to my apartment. He stepped out first, opening the door for me.
"Good night, Nia," he said.
"Good night, sir."
As I walked inside, my heart ached with something I could not name.
Alexander
I stayed in the car longer than I should have, watching the light in her window turn on.
This was becoming dangerous.
She fit too easily into spaces she should not belong in. Beside me. In my world. In my thoughts.
I had rules. Boundaries. Lines I did not cross.
Yet tonight, as she stood beside me, calm and composed, something inside me shifted.
And I did not know how to stop it.