Elena's POV
The coffee burns my tongue, but I don't care. I need the caffeine more than I need taste buds.
I stare up at the Meridian Tower, sixty floors of glass and steel that pierce the sky like a knife. Somewhere inside this building is my fresh start. My second chance. The job that will finally let me pay Mom's medical bills and stop eating ramen for every meal.
My phone buzzes. A text from Maya: You got this, girl! New job, new life, new Elena!
If only she knew.
I smooth down my thrift-store blazer and push through the revolving doors. The lobby smells like expensive cologne and ambition. Young professionals rush past, talking on phones, carrying tablets, looking like they belong here.
I don't belong here.
But I need to pretend I do.
The elevator ride to the tenth floor feels like forever. My reflection stares back at me from the steel doors, dark circles under my eyes that concealer can't quite hide, hair pulled into a bun that's trying to look professional instead of I can't afford a haircut.
Three years ago, I wore designer clothes and had a corner office. Three years ago, I had everything.
Then I destroyed it all.
The elevator dings. I step out into chaos.
incredible opportunity
Vertex's resources are insane
the CEO himself is coming today
I freeze.
The walls are covered in logos. Not the cheerful orange Catalyst Analytics logo I saw on the job posting. No, these are sleek silver letters that spell out two words I never wanted to see again:
VERTEX ENTERPRISES
My stomach drops like I've fallen off a building.
No. No, this can't be right. I interviewed at Catalyst Analytics. A small startup. Independent. Safe.
Didn't you hear? A girl with a bright smile appears beside me. Vertex acquired us six months ago! Isn't it amazing? Their CEO is visiting today to welcome the new hires personally.
The coffee cup slips from my fingers. It hits the floor, splashing brown liquid across white tile.
Oh my gosh, are you okay? The girl grabs napkins.
I can't breathe. Can't think. Because Vertex Enterprises has one CEO. One owner. One man who controls every decision, every hire, every
All new employees to Conference Room A, the PA system announces. CEO arrival in five minutes.
This isn't happening. This is a nightmare. I'll wake up in my cramped studio apartment and laugh about this horrible dream.
But the girl is pulling me toward the conference room, and I'm moving like a zombie, and suddenly I'm sitting in a chair at a long table surrounded by eager new hires who have no idea their company is owned by the man I destroyed.
The man I loved.
The man who thinks I betrayed him for money.
I could run. Should run. My legs are already tensing, ready to bolt
The doors open.
Time stops.
He walks in like he owns the room. Because he does. He owns the building, the company, probably half the city by now. Damien Cross has always had that presence—the kind that makes people stop talking and pay attention.
But he's different now.
Three years ago, he smiled easily. Laughed at stupid jokes. Stayed late helping junior employees fix their code. He wore jeans to the office and brought donuts on Fridays and looked at me like I was the most important person in his world.
The man standing before us wears a suit that costs more than my rent. His dark hair is perfectly styled. His jaw is sharper, like the past three years carved away anything soft. And his eyes—God, his eyes used to be warm, full of dreams and hope.
Now they're cold. Calculating. The eyes of a man who built an empire from ashes and crushed anyone who got in his way.
He scans the room with a CEO's practiced smile. Welcome to Vertex Enterprises. I'm Damien Cross, and I'm personally invested in each of your
His gaze lands on me.
The smile freezes on his face.
For one heartbeat, I see everything, shock that slams into him like a physical blow, pain that flashes so fast I almost miss it, and then something else. Something that makes my blood run cold.
Recognition. Calculation. And a slow, dangerous understanding.
The mask slides back into place so smoothly that if I didn't know him, I wouldn't have seen the crack. But I do know him. I knew every expression, every tell, every
Exceptional talent, he continues, his voice smooth as silk and twice as deadly. His eyes haven't left mine. We recruit only the best.
I can't move. Can't look away. It's like being caught in a trap, and the hunter is circling closer.
He continues his presentation. Talks about Vertex's vision, their growth, their commitment to innovation. The other new hires hang on every word. They don't notice that every few seconds, his gaze slides back to me. Assessing. Planning.
My hands shake in my lap. I press my thumb into my palm, hard, trying to ground myself in physical pain instead of the panic clawing up my throat.
This was supposed to be a fresh start. A way to disappear into a small company where no one would find me. Where I could finally breathe.
But I walked straight into his world instead.
The presentation ends. Employees stand, energized and chattering. I stand too, ready to disappear into the crowd, to run
Ms. Ashford.
His voice cuts through the noise like a knife.
Everyone goes quiet.
I turn slowly. Damien stands at the head of the table, hands in his pockets, looking casual and terrifying all at once.
Stay, please, he says. It's not a request. I'd like a word with our newest analyst.
The other employees file out, casting curious glances back at us. The door clicks shut.
We're alone.
Damien doesn't move from his position. Just watches me with those cold, unreadable eyes. The silence stretches so tight I think it might snap.
Elena. My name on his lips sounds like a curse and a prayer tangled together. It's been a while.
Three years. Three years of running, hiding, surviving. Three years of carrying a secret that destroyed us both.
And now I'm standing in front of the man I betrayed, the man who owns my job, my livelihood, my entire future.
His smile is slow. Dangerous. Beautiful.
Welcome to Vertex Enterprises, he says softly. Let's talk about your new position.