THE RULES BETWEEN US
1659 Words
Amelia arrived at Blackwood Enterprises fifteen minutes earlier than usual the next morning.
She had barely slept.
Not because of the project.
Not entirely.
Her mind kept replaying yesterday evening.
Adrian standing behind her.
The concern in his voice.
Find something to eat.
It shouldn't have bothered her.
It shouldn't have stayed in her thoughts all night.
But it did.
Amelia stepped into the elevator and sighed.
“He's your boss,” she whispered to herself.
Nothing more.
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped onto her floor and immediately noticed the unusual silence.
A few employees were gathered near the coffee station, whispering.
The moment Amelia walked past them, they stopped.
She frowned.
Okay.
That was strange.
She reached her desk and found Daniel already there.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He looked at her for a moment.
Then he leaned closer.
“So…”
Amelia put down her bag.
“So what?”
“You left with Blackwood yesterday.”
Amelia's eyebrows lifted.
“You were watching?”
“I work here. Everyone was watching.”
She rolled her eyes.
“He arranged a ride for me because it was late.”
Daniel stared at her.
“He arranged a ride?”
“Yes.”
“For you?”
“Yes, Daniel.”
He gave her a strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Daniel.”
He laughed.
“I'm just surprised.”
“Why?”
“Mr. Blackwood doesn't usually do things like that.”
Amelia paused.
“What things?”
“Personal things.”
She shook her head.
“It wasn't personal.”
Daniel raised both hands.
“Okay.”
“Seriously.”
“Okay.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Why do I feel like you're smiling?”
“Because I'm always happy.”
“You're annoying.”
“And you're already learning.”
Before Amelia could respond, the office door opened.
Everyone became silent.
Adrian walked through the department.
His eyes swept across the room.
Then stopped briefly on Amelia.
“Miss Carter.”
She stood.
“Yes?”
“My office.”
He continued walking.
Amelia grabbed her notebook and followed.
Behind her, she heard someone whisper,
“Good luck.”
She ignored them.
---
Adrian was standing by the window when she entered.
“You're early again.”
“I'm beginning to think you don't like punctuality.”
He turned.
“I like punctuality.”
“Then why do you keep mentioning it?”
“Because I don't like surprises.”
Amelia almost smiled.
“You're very particular.”
“I am.”
He walked toward his desk.
“Sit.”
She did.
He picked up the project proposal she had submitted the previous evening.
“You changed the target audience.”
“Yes.”
“You removed three sections from the original proposal.”
“They weren't useful.”
“You changed the projected campaign budget.”
“It was unrealistic.”
“You added a social media strategy.”
“The younger demographic spends more time online than the original report suggests.”
Adrian placed the papers on the desk.
“You changed almost everything.”
Amelia swallowed.
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
She hesitated.
“Because I think the original strategy is outdated.”
Silence.
She prepared herself for an argument.
Instead, Adrian nodded.
“Good.”
Amelia blinked.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
He pushed the proposal toward her.
“That's exactly what I wanted.”
She stared at him.
“You could have said that yesterday.”
“I wanted to see if you'd defend your changes.”
“Oh.”
A tiny smile threatened to appear on her lips.
“You could have just told me.”
“That wouldn't have told me anything.”
Amelia shook her head.
“You're difficult.”
His gaze sharpened.
“Excuse me?”
She immediately looked down.
“Nothing.”
For a second, Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
“Your presentation is Friday. I want you to lead it.”
Amelia's confidence disappeared.
“Me?”
“You're the project lead.”
“I know, but—”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“No?”
“No excuses.”
She sighed.
“Understood.”
Adrian leaned back.
“You're capable, Amelia.”
The use of her first name caught her off guard.
He seemed to notice.
His expression became unreadable again.
“Don't make me regret choosing you.”
She nodded.
“I won't.”
She stood.
As she reached the door, Adrian spoke.
“One more thing.”
She turned.
“What?”
“Don't let the opinions of people around you affect your work.”
Amelia frowned.
“Why would they?”
“Because people talk.”
Her stomach tightened.
Was he referring to the whispers downstairs?
Before she could ask, he returned his attention to his laptop.
The conversation was over.
---
By lunchtime, Amelia understood exactly what Adrian had meant.
She was sitting with Daniel and two other members of the team when a woman from another department approached.
She smiled politely.
“Amelia?”
“Yes?”
“I've heard you're working directly with Mr. Blackwood.”
“I am.”
The woman glanced around before lowering her voice.
“You're lucky.”
Amelia frowned.
“Why?”
She laughed softly.
“Don't you know?”
“Know what?”
The woman exchanged a look with Daniel.
Apparently, he knew.
Amelia looked at him.
“Daniel?”
He sighed.
“People have theories about why you're working directly with Adrian.”
“What kind of theories?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Let's just say some people think you're more than an employee.”
Amelia nearly choked on her water.
“What?”
Daniel quickly lowered his voice.
“Don't worry about it.”
“No. What exactly are they saying?”
He gave her an apologetic look.
“That you caught the CEO's attention.”
Amelia stared at him.
“That is ridiculous.”
“I know.”
“I've worked here for two days.”
“I know.”
“I barely know the man.”
“I know.”
“And he barely talks to me.”
Daniel gave her a look.
“That might actually make it worse.”
Amelia groaned.
“This is unbelievable.”
She stood.
“I'm going back to work.”
Daniel watched her walk away.
---
Adrian was in a meeting when his assistant entered.
“Sir?”
He looked up.
“Yes?”
“There's a question regarding the Lifestyle Expansion project.”
“What question?”
“Some employees are questioning why Miss Carter was placed in charge.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Who?”
“I'm not sure.”
“I didn't ask if you were sure.”
His assistant fell silent.
Adrian closed the file in front of him.
“Find out.”
“Yes, sir.”
She turned to leave.
“And one more thing.”
She stopped.
“No one is to interfere with Miss Carter's work.”
“Yes, sir.”
The door closed.
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
He knew what people were thinking.
He knew exactly how it looked.
A young woman with no corporate experience suddenly receiving a position that many experienced employees would have fought for.
He couldn't tell them the truth.
Not yet.
His father's promise was private.
And Amelia deserved to hear it from him—not through office gossip.
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
Father's lawyer: We need to discuss the Carter matter.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
He stared at the message for several seconds before locking his phone.
Not now.
He had spent years keeping the past buried.
He wasn't going to let it interfere with Amelia's future.
---
That evening, Amelia was reviewing the presentation when Daniel approached her desk.
“Still working?”
She nodded.
“Almost done.”
“Need help?”
“I think I'm okay.”
He pulled up a chair anyway.
“Let me see.”
They worked together for nearly an hour.
Daniel pointed out several things she had missed.
Amelia laughed when he made a joke about one of the slides.
Neither of them noticed the figure standing near the glass wall.
Adrian did.
He had just returned from a meeting.
His gaze settled on Amelia.
She was smiling.
Actually smiling.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her look that relaxed.
Then Daniel said something that made her laugh again.
Something unpleasant tightened in Adrian's chest.
He didn't understand it.
And he didn't like it.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
Adrian looked toward his assistant.
“Yes?”
She followed his gaze.
“Oh.”
Adrian immediately looked away.
“Send the revised financial report to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned and walked away.
But before entering his office, he glanced back once.
Amelia was still laughing.
He frowned.
Why did that bother him?
He had no right to care.
She was an employee.
Nothing more.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Inside the office, Adrian closed the door.
His phone rang.
He answered without looking at the screen.
“Hello?”
A familiar voice came through.
“Adrian, we need to talk about Amelia Carter.”
His expression changed.
“Who gave you her name?”
“Your father did.”
Adrian went completely still.
The voice continued.
“There are things about her family that you don't know.”
His grip tightened around the phone.
“What things?”
A pause.
“Things your father never told you.”
Adrian stared through the glass wall at the woman who had unknowingly become the center of a secret older than both of them.
“What happened between our families?”
The answer came quietly.
“You'll want to sit down for this.”
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