Chapter one : A Taste of Struggle
Lisa had always known that life wasn’t fair.
Her earliest memories were of dimly lit nights when her mother would sit at the kitchen table, bent over a pile of bills, her brows furrowed in frustration. Her father, a man who once had dreams of being more than a factory worker, would sit in silence, too tired to speak after fourteen hours of labor. Their house was small two bedrooms, cracked walls, and a roof that leaked whenever it rained. But it was home.
Despite the weight of poverty pressing down on them, Lisa’s parents poured everything they had into her education. “We may not have riches,” her father would say, coughing into a worn handkerchief, “but we’ll make sure you have something money can’t take away, your mind.”
And Lisa never wasted the sacrifices they made. She studied late into the night, her tiny desk lamp the only source of light in the room. While others partied, she memorized formulas. While classmates complained about assignments, she pushed herself harder. She wasn’t just trying to pass, she was trying to rewrite her family’s story.
When the day of graduation finally came, Lisa walked across the stage in her cap and gown, her name announced with pride: First Class Honors. Her parents wept openly in the crowd, her mother clutching her father’s hand, whispering, We did it. Our daughter made it.
It was supposed to be the beginning of a better life.
And at first, it was. Lisa’s stellar grades landed her an offer from Bruce Global Enterprises, one of the most prestigious companies in the city, a multi-billion-dollar empire run by the powerful Bruce family. People dreamed of working there, and Lisa had made it. She thought her family’s struggles were finally over.
But reality was cruel.
On her first day, Lisa walked into the towering glass building in her neatly pressed thrift-store blazer, her heart swelling with pride. She could feel the eyes of other employees on her, measuring her from head to toe. Their designer shoes clicked on the marble floor while hers, slightly worn at the edges, squeaked softly. She felt out of place, like an imposter in a world too polished for her kind.
Her degree meant little here. Instead of placing her in a role where she could use her brilliance, the company reduced her to secretary. A glorified assistant.
And not just to anyone, she was secretary to Will Bruce, the infamous CEO himself.
Will was the kind of man whose presence filled a room without a word. Tall, broad-shouldered, and devastatingly handsome, he had a reputation for being ruthless. His jet-black hair was always perfectly styled, his suits tailored to perfection. His icy gray eyes seemed to pierce through people, stripping them of excuses and lies. Employees whispered about him in hushed tones, describing him as brilliant, intimidating, and merciless.
To Lisa, he was nothing short of terrifying.
From day one, she couldn’t seem to meet his impossible standards. He wanted efficiency, speed, perfection, and she was still learning how to navigate the chaos of his high-powered world. Her inexperience showed in small mistakes: a missed call, a delayed email, a misplaced document. Each slip only seemed to harden his glare.
“Unacceptable,” Will snapped one afternoon, tossing a file onto her desk. “Do you have any idea what a delay like this costs me? Costs this company?”
Lisa’s throat went dry. “I—I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
He leaned closer, his voice like steel. “You said that last week. I don’t tolerate incompetence, Miss carpenter. One more mistake, and you’re out.”
She swallowed hard, her palms damp with sweat. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t incompetent, that she had graduated top of her class, that she had fought for this chance. But her voice stayed trapped in her throat.
The breaking point came three weeks later.
Lisa had been tasked with coordinating a meeting between Will and an international investor, a deal worth billions. She had triple-checked everything: the time, the documents, the reservations. But one error slipped through, and it was enough. The investor walked away.
Will’s fury was volcanic.
“You just cost me a deal worth more than you’ll ever make in your lifetime,” he growled, his eyes blazing. The entire office fell silent as his voice carried through the halls. “You’re fired.”
The words hit her like a slap. Fired. Just like that.
Lisa stumbled out of the building that evening with her belongings stuffed into a cardboard box. Her chest ached as she thought about her father’s worsening health, her younger sister’s tuition bills, and her mother’s tired smile. She had promised them she would take care of everything, and now she had nothing.
For days, she tried to find another job, but no one wanted to hire a secretary who had been dismissed by Will Bruce himself. His shadow loomed over the city, his word carrying weight even outside his empire. She was trapped in despair.
Until desperation drove her back to him.
It was a gray, rainy afternoon when she returned to Bruce Global, soaked and shivering, her pride swallowed whole. She stood outside Will’s office, her hands trembling as she knocked.
“Enter,” his deep voice commanded.
He didn’t look up when she walked in, his attention fixed on a stack of papers. “What do you want, Miss Capenter?”
Lisa clasped her hands together, her voice unsteady. “Please… I need my job back. I’ll do better this time. I’ll work harder. Just… please.”
Silence stretched between them before Will finally lifted his gaze. His eyes locked on hers, unreadable, cold yet curious. He leaned back in his chair, studying her as though weighing a decision.
Then, his lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “I can give you your job back,” he said slowly. “But on one condition.”
Lisa’s heart pounded. “Anything.”
Adrian leaned forward, his voice dropping into something dark, dangerous.
“Marry me.”
