WHEN LOVE DEFINED EVERYTHING

The rain had been falling for almost two hours when Amelia Carter finally stepped out of the taxi. She stood in front of the enormous glass building, clutching her small handbag against her chest as cold drops of water slid from her hair onto her coat. Blackwood Enterprises. The name was written in silver letters across the entrance. Amelia took a deep breath. Today was supposed to be the beginning of a new life. After months of searching for work, countless rejected applications, and more nights worrying about rent than she wanted to admit, she had finally gotten a job. It wasn't her dream job. But it was a beginning. She pushed open the glass doors and walked inside. The reception area was much more luxurious than she had imagined. Marble floors reflected the golden lights hanging from the ceiling. Employees moved quickly from one office to another, dressed in expensive suits and carrying laptops. Amelia suddenly became aware of her simple black dress. She looked down at herself. "I should have worn something better." "Can I help you?" Amelia looked up. A woman behind the reception desk was staring at her. "Yes. I'm Amelia Carter. I'm here for the position of executive assistant." The receptionist typed something into her computer. "Mr. Blackwood is expecting you." Amelia's heart skipped. Mr. Blackwood. She had heard that name many times during her interview process. Alexander Blackwood. The youngest CEO in the company's history. Rich. Powerful. Private. And, according to the rumors Amelia had heard from other employees, extremely difficult to work with. The receptionist pointed toward the elevator. "Thirty-second floor." "Thank you." Amelia walked toward the elevator. The doors opened. She stepped inside and pressed the button. As the elevator began to rise, she stared at her reflection. "Don't be nervous." She repeated the words silently. "You're here because you earned this." When the elevator doors opened on the thirty-second floor, Amelia stepped out. A long hallway stretched before her. At the end stood a large black door. She walked toward it and knocked. No answer. She knocked again. Still nothing. Amelia slowly opened the door. "Excuse me?" The office was enormous. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, and behind a large dark desk stood a man with his back toward her. He was staring through the window. Amelia cleared her throat. "Mr. Blackwood?" The man turned. And for a moment, Amelia forgot what she was going to say. He was younger than she had expected. Tall, sharply dressed, with dark hair and an expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. His eyes settled on her. Cold. Calm. Unimpressed. "You’re late." Amelia blinked. She glanced at her phone. "I'm actually five minutes early." His expression didn't change. "Then you're five minutes late according to my schedule." Amelia stared at him. Was he serious? "I'm sorry." "Don't apologize." He walked toward the desk and picked up a folder. "Apologies don't fix mistakes." "But I didn't make a mistake." His eyes lifted from the folder. For the first time, Amelia noticed something different in his expression. Interest. Only for a second. Then it disappeared. "You're argumentative." "I'm not." "You just argued with me." "Because you said I was late when I wasn't." Silence filled the room. Amelia immediately regretted speaking. Alexander slowly closed the folder. "What's your name?" "Amelia Carter." "How old are you?" "Twenty-two." "Previous experience?" "Two years as an administrative assistant." "Why did you leave?" "The company closed." "Why should I hire you?" Amelia hesitated. She had prepared answers for this question during the interview. But standing in front of him made every rehearsed sentence disappear. Finally, she said, "Because I work hard, I learn quickly, and I don't give up easily." Alexander watched her for several seconds. Then he nodded toward the chair. "Sit." Amelia sat. He placed a document in front of her. "Read it." She picked it up. It was a schedule filled with meetings, appointments, phone calls, and business trips. "What do you want me to do with this?" "Find the problem." Amelia studied the page. At first, she couldn't see anything unusual. Then she noticed two meetings scheduled at the same time. "These two meetings overlap." Alexander said nothing. "There are also three appointments scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but according to the locations, you can't physically attend all three." He leaned back. "And?" "Someone made a mistake." "Who?" Amelia looked at the document again. "Your previous assistant." A faint smile appeared on Alexander's face. It disappeared almost immediately. "You're hired." Amelia stared at him. "Just like that?" "Unless you've changed your mind." "No." "Good." He stood. "Your office is next door. Your working hours begin at eight tomorrow morning." Amelia stood as well. "Thank you, Mr. Blackwood." She turned toward the door. "Amelia." She stopped. "Yes?" Alexander looked at her. For the first time, his expression wasn't cold. There was something unreadable in his eyes. "Don't get personally involved with me." Amelia frowned. "I don't understand." "You don't need to." He turned back toward the window. "Just remember what I said." Amelia left the office with a confused expression. She had no idea why her new boss had given her such a strange warning. And she certainly didn't know that the man behind that door was about to become the one person she would never be able to forget. Because sometimes, the person you're warned to stay away from... is the person your heart refuses to escape.