Elara Vale stepped through the grand entrance of Asher Kade's penthouse, her heart pounding in a rhythm that felt almost deafening. The lobby had smelled of fresh flowers earlier, but now the subtle scent of polished wood and leather filled the air, mingling with something… intoxicatingly Asher.
And then she saw him.
He was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights glinting off the glass behind him. Her breath caught.
Tall. Statuesque. Every movement smooth, effortless, yet commanding. His dark hair fell just enough across his forehead to make him look soft. Almost innocent. Like someone who could smile at a stray kitten and make the world pause for a second. His cheekbones were sharp but elegant, his lips soft and inviting. His eyes—bright and startlingly clear—made her feel as though he could see straight into her soul.
Wow… he's so beautiful. So perfect.
Her stomach fluttered.
Why hadn't she noticed this before?
Ah… right. She had been too distracted. Too pressured. Too worried about the contract, her family, the debt. She hadn't truly looked at him before.
Now she was.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to turn back, to escape while she still could. But she didn't move. She couldn't. Not when her family's future was tied so tightly to this man.
He finally turned, his gaze landing on her.
And just like that, the soft, angelic illusion shattered.
"Do you even know the rules here?" His voice was calm, but cold. Precise. Sharp. The kind of voice that made her feel suddenly small, exposed, and completely accountable.
Elara swallowed hard. "I… I think so."
He stepped closer, every movement deliberate, his height forcing her to tilt her head slightly to meet his eyes. She noticed the broad line of his shoulders, the elegant length of his neck, the way his hands rested loosely at his sides—but she didn't dare admire him now.
"I said I expect perfection," he continued, his voice low and commanding. "You will follow every rule. No exceptions. No delays."
"Yes… sir," she whispered, the word tasting strange on her tongue.
He paused, studying her.
For just a second, his features softened. Not enough to be kind—just enough to make her wonder if there was something human buried beneath the ice.
Then it vanished.
The chill returned, and she shivered.
Her thoughts raced. How was she supposed to survive a year like this? The pressure. The rules. Him.
And yet, part of her couldn't look away. Part of her wanted to understand him, to unravel the contradiction that was Asher Kade—the innocent beauty, the cold authority, the unshakable control.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of quiet introductions, silent observations, and small corrections. Every time he spoke, she felt the weight of his expectations pressing down on her. Even when he wasn't speaking—when he merely existed in the room—his presence pulled at her in a way she couldn't explain.
Finally, he moved toward the balcony, his figure framed by the glittering night skyline.
"Tomorrow, we start at eight," he said. "Don't be late. Don't forget anything."
Elara nodded, her mind spinning.
One day. That was all. One day of learning his rules. One day of surviving his presence.
But deep down, she already knew.
Surviving Asher Kade would be far more complicated than she ever imagined.
And as she looked at him one last time before leaving, a tiny, foolish thought slipped into her mind.
He's so… infuriatingly perfect.