Chapter Three – Coffee, Cold Eyes, and Unspoken Heat
809 Words
Chapter Three – Coffee, Cold Eyes, and Unspoken Heat
The next morning, Selene arrived at ValeCorp an hour earlier than usual. The lobby was quieter than she was used to, a rare moment of stillness in a building that usually pulsed with purpose and pressure. She welcomed it—needed it—especially after the way her previous day had ended.
Her mind couldn’t stop replaying yesterday’s scene in the conference room. The weight of Maximilian’s stare, the way his voice sliced through the air like it owned the silence. And worst of all—the way her body had reacted.
She wasn’t supposed to feel anything around that man. Least of all heat.
She sighed and shook her head, stepping into the staff elevator and tapping her floor. No more distractions. She was here to prove herself, not get swept into some twisted fantasy about a man who likely didn’t even remember her name.
Except… he did.
Because as the elevator doors opened and she stepped into her division’s hallway, a familiar figure was already standing in front of her desk.
Maximilian Vale.
Selene stopped in her tracks.
He was dressed in an all-black ensemble again—sleek, tailored, and devastatingly composed. One hand in his pocket, the other resting idly on the edge of her desk as if he belonged there. As if this wasn’t the most high-level man in the building casually waiting for her.
Their eyes locked, and something electric shifted between them. Unspoken. Sharp.
He didn’t move.
Neither did she.
After a beat, he spoke, his tone deceptively neutral.
“You're early.”
Selene straightened her posture, masking the flicker of surprise.
“I wanted to get a head start on the quarterly projections.”
“Good. You’ll need it.”
His gaze dipped to the files in her hand before sliding back up to meet her eyes.
“Walk with me.”
She didn’t ask why. She simply nodded, falling into step beside him as they moved down the hallway in silence. Every click of her heels echoed louder than it should have.
“I reviewed your report,” he said once they stepped into a smaller private boardroom. He closed the door behind them.
“You’re precise. More than I expected.”
Selene turned, brows lifting slightly.
“You expected me to fail?”
He approached the long table, placing a folder down.
“I expected you to play it safe. Most people do when they want to impress me.”
She hesitated, then crossed her arms.
“I don’t believe in playing it safe when the facts are strong.”
Maximilian looked at her for a long moment, then—very faintly—smirked.
“That’s why I’m assigning you to the Royalton proposal.”
Selene blinked. “The international merge? But I thought—”
“It was under Mr. Langley, yes. But I want fresh eyes on it. Someone who’s not afraid to challenge the current structure.”
Her pulse kicked. The Royalton deal was massive—worth millions, and likely to determine the company's next five-year trajectory.
“Why me?”
He didn’t answer right away. Just studied her like he was peeling back a layer of her skin.
“Because you don’t look away.”
That caught her off guard.
“Excuse me?”
He stepped closer, just enough to charge the air.
“Most people break under pressure. You held your ground.” He paused, voice low.
“That intrigues me.”
Selene didn’t move, even as her chest tightened under the weight of his stare.
“I didn’t come here to be intriguing. I came here to work.”
A pause. Then—
“So do I.”
The words were simple, but the meaning behind them shimmered with something else. Something dangerous.
The tension pulsed.
Before she could respond, a soft knock tapped at the door.
Maximilian turned his head, jaw tightening.
“What is it?”
His assistant stepped in. “Mr. Vale, the event team needs your final approval on the gala guest list.”
He nodded once. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
The assistant’s gaze flicked briefly to Selene, then she stepped out.
Maximilian turned back to her.
“I expect you’ll impress me again, Miss Carter. You have one week to overhaul the Royalton strategy. Don’t disappoint me.”
Selene met his gaze squarely.
“I won’t.”
His lips twitched—almost into a smile. But not quite.
Then he was gone.
The door clicked shut, leaving her alone with the heavy silence he always left behind. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
What the hell was happening?
And why did she already know that working closely with Maximilian Vale was going to be the biggest risk she’d ever taken?
- Writer
