The doors slid open.
The mysterious man calmly placed his sunglasses back on and walked out of the elevator without another word.
Still shocked, Eliza followed him out.
The executive hallway was quiet and elegant.
Several employees immediately straightened when they saw the man.
"Good morning, Mr. Cross."
"Morning, sir."
"Your meeting is ready, Mr. Cross."
Eliza stopped walking.
Her heart skipped.
Mr… Cross?
The man slowly turned toward her again.
He removed his sunglasses once more, revealing those same dark, confident eyes.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"Miss Sylveraine," he said calmly.
Eliza's mind went completely blank.
Maximilian Cross.
The billionaire CEO.
Her target.
Her boss.
And the man who had just kissed her in the elevator.
"Welcome to Media Delux," he said.
Then he turned and walked toward the large corner office at the end of the hallway.
Leaving Eliza standing there in complete disbelief.
Her mission had officially begun.
But one thing was already certain.
Working for Maximilian Cross was going to be far more dangerous than she had expected
Eliza remained standing in the hallway for a few seconds, her mind still trying to process what had just happened.
Focus.
She forced herself to take a quiet breath.
This was a mission.
Nothing more.
Just another powerful man she needed to observe.
Still…
Her lips pressed slightly together.
That elevator incident had definitely not been part of the plan.
"Ms. Sylveraine?"
Eliza turned.
A woman in her early thirties approached her, holding a tablet against her chest. She looked professional and composed, the kind of person who clearly ran the executive floor efficiently.
"I'm Claire Bennett," the woman said politely. "Head of executive operations."
Eliza quickly regained her calm expression.
"Nice to meet you."
Claire studied her briefly, her eyes sharp but not unfriendly.
"So you're the new assistant," she said. "Mr. Cross has gone through five assistants in the last two years."
Eliza raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Five?"
Claire gave a small smile.
"He's… demanding."
That was one way to describe a man who kissed strangers in elevators.
"Come with me," Claire continued, turning down the hallway.
Eliza followed her.
The executive floor was quiet compared to the busy lobby downstairs. Large glass windows stretched across the walls, letting sunlight flood the hallway.
They stopped outside a sleek glass office.
"This will be your workspace," Claire said.
Inside was a modern desk positioned directly outside the large double doors of the CEO's office.
Meaning…
She would be sitting right outside Maximilian Cross's office every day.
Perfect for the mission.
Terrible for her sanity.
Claire handed her a digital tablet.
"Here's Mr. Cross's schedule," she explained. "He has three meetings this morning, a lunch with investors, and a board discussion later this afternoon."
Eliza glanced at the screen.
Everything about this company was organized down to the second.
"Also," Claire added casually, "Mr. Cross prefers coffee exactly at 9:00 every morning. Black. No sugar."
Noted.
"Understood," Eliza replied calmly.
Just then—
The large office doors behind her suddenly opened.
Eliza turned.
Maximilian Cross stepped out.
The moment he appeared, the atmosphere in the hallway subtly shifted.
Tall.
Sharp suit.
Cold confidence.
His eyes immediately landed on her.
There was a faint, amused look in them.
Like he knew something she didn't.
Claire straightened slightly.
"Mr. Cross, this is—"
"Serene Sylveraine," he interrupted smoothly.
Eliza's stomach tightened.
He slowly walked closer.
His dark eyes studied her again, just like in the elevator.