TAMIING THE RUTHLESS HEART

Episode Two: Working for the Devil

Amara Bennett woke up before sunrise, her heart filled with excitement and nervousness.

Today was her first official day at Blackwood International, one of the most powerful companies in Manhattan. She had dreamed of getting a job like this for years, but she had never imagined that her first encounter with its billionaire CEO would involve spilling coffee on his expensive suit and arguing with him on a busy street.

Alexander Blackwood was the last person she wanted to see that morning.

Unfortunately, he was also her new boss.

"Oh, Lord," she murmured, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Please give me patience. And if possible, give that man a heart."

Her mother, Grace, appeared at the bedroom door.

"What are you talking to yourself about?"

"Nothing, Mama."

Grace smiled. "You're nervous."

"A little."

"Then remember who you are. You worked hard for this opportunity. Don't allow anybody to make you feel small."

Amara turned and hugged her.

"Thank you, Mama."

"And don't forget to eat. Success is good, but fainting in a billionaire's office is not part of the plan."

Amara laughed.

"I'll eat, I promise."

After breakfast, she kissed her mother goodbye and left their Brooklyn apartment.

For the first time in a long while, she felt as though her life was moving in the right direction. The salary from her new job would help pay her mother's medical bills, improve their living conditions, and bring her closer to the dream she had carried since childhood: establishing a foundation that would support disadvantaged young people.

She had no intention of allowing anything to distract her.

Especially not a handsome, arrogant billionaire.

---

Blackwood Tower stood proudly against the Manhattan skyline, its glass exterior reflecting the morning sunlight.

Amara entered the building at 8:15 a.m., fifteen minutes before her official reporting time.

The receptionist welcomed her and directed her to the forty-eighth floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Marcus Reed, Alexander's executive assistant, was waiting for her.

"Miss Bennett. Right on time."

"Good morning, Marcus."

"Ready for your first day?"

"Absolutely."

Marcus studied her face.

"You're either very brave or you haven't fully understood what working for Alexander Blackwood means."

"Should I be worried?"

"That depends. How attached are you to your peace of mind?"

Amara laughed.

Before Marcus could say anything else, Alexander emerged from his office.

He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a silver watch that probably cost more than Amara's entire wardrobe.

His dark eyes settled on her.

"Miss Bennett."

"Mr. Blackwood."

His gaze moved briefly to the clock.

"Eight-fifteen."

"Yes, sir. My reporting time is eight-thirty."

"Good. At least you can read instructions."

Amara's smile disappeared.

"And good morning to you too, sir."

Marcus suddenly became interested in his tablet.

Alexander's expression hardened.

"Do you always have something to say?"

"Only when somebody speaks to me."

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Alexander handed her a thick folder.

"Review this proposal. Identify any weaknesses in the financial projections and prepare your recommendations before eleven o'clock."

Amara looked at the folder.

It was enormous.

"All of this?"

"Do you see anybody else standing here?"

She raised her eyes to his.

"No, sir. But I see a man who appears to believe that every employee has superhuman abilities."

Marcus coughed to hide a laugh.

Alexander stepped closer.

"Let me make something clear. I don't tolerate incompetence."

"And I don't appreciate being treated as though I am incompetent before I've even started working."

His jaw tightened.

"Ten-fifty. I want your report on my desk."

He turned and walked into his office.

Amara stared after him.

"That man," she whispered, "is going to be the reason I start drinking coffee without sugar."

Marcus shook his head.

"Welcome to Blackwood International."

---

By nine o'clock, Amara was deep into the documents.

The proposal concerned a luxury hotel development on the outskirts of Manhattan. Blackwood International planned to acquire the property, renovate it, and sell part of the development to international investors.

The projected returns were impressive.

Almost suspiciously impressive.

Amara checked the construction estimates, compared them with the projected expenditure, and examined the legal documents.

Then she stopped.

Something was missing.

She returned to the financial summary and checked the figures again.

The property required substantial environmental remediation before construction could begin. The legal appendix mentioned the requirement, but the expense had not been included in the main financial projections.

Amara frowned.

That omission could make the entire project appear more profitable than it really was.

She took out her calculator and began working through the numbers.

By ten o'clock, she had identified the discrepancy and estimated how significantly it could affect the projected returns.

She immediately contacted Marcus.

"There's a problem with the Henderson proposal."

His tone changed.

"What kind of problem?"

"The financial model excludes the environmental remediation costs. The legal appendix confirms that the property requires additional work before construction can begin."

"Are you sure?"

"I've checked the figures three times."

"Wait here. I'll inform Mr. Blackwood."

Amara ended the call and returned to her notes.

Five minutes later, Alexander walked into her office.

"Explain."

She handed him her calculations.

"The proposal doesn't account for the full cost of preparing the property for construction. The projected returns are therefore overstated."

He scanned her notes.

"Who prepared this report?"

"The investment team, according to the documents."

"And you're telling me they missed this?"

"I'm telling you that the figures don't match."

He looked at her.

"Did you verify your calculations independently?"

"Yes."

"How?"

She explained the discrepancy, showing him the relevant figures in the financial summary and legal appendix.

Alexander listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he closed the folder.

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"The boardroom."

"Is something wrong?"

He looked at her coldly.

"That is what we're about to find out."

---

Six senior executives were already seated around the boardroom table when Alexander entered with Amara.

Everyone stood.

"Sit down," he ordered.

He placed the proposal on the table.

"Before we proceed with the Henderson acquisition, I want an explanation for the discrepancies in these projections."

Mr. Peterson, the chief investment officer, frowned.

"What discrepancies, sir?"

Alexander slid Amara's report across the table.

"Miss Bennett will explain."

Every eye turned toward her.

Amara felt nervous, but she reminded herself that she had done her homework.

She stood and began.

"The projected returns do not account for the environmental remediation costs identified in the legal appendix. Those expenses could significantly reduce the project's profitability."

Peterson examined the documents.

"That's impossible. This report was reviewed by three departments."

"Then three departments overlooked the same problem," Amara replied.

Silence fell across the room.

Alexander glanced at her, but he didn't interrupt.

Amara continued.

"I'm not suggesting we abandon the acquisition. The property could still be a profitable investment. However, we need a complete cost assessment before making a final decision."

One of the directors compared her calculations with the original report.

"She's correct. These figures don't match."

Peterson looked uncomfortable.

"We were working with the information supplied by the legal department."

Alexander leaned forward.

"And did you verify that information before presenting your recommendation to me?"

Peterson hesitated.

"I assumed the figures had been checked."

"You assumed?"

Alexander's voice was dangerously quiet.

"I pay this team to protect the company's investments, not to make assumptions that could cost us millions of dollars."

Nobody spoke.

"The acquisition is postponed until the figures have been independently verified. I expect a corrected report by the end of the day."

He stood.

"Meeting adjourned."

The executives gathered their papers and left.

Amara remained beside the table, uncertain whether she should leave too.

"Miss Bennett."

She turned.

"Yes, sir?"

"That was good work."

She blinked.

"Thank you."

"Don't look so surprised. I recognize competence when I see it."

A small smile touched her lips.

"That's reassuring."

His expression hardened again.

"Don't let one successful assignment make you overconfident."

"I won't."

"And next time you discover a discrepancy of this magnitude, inform me immediately."

"I did inform you."

"After reviewing the report."

"Would you have preferred that I interrupt your morning before I had evidence?"

Alexander stared at her.

Amara maintained her composure.

"I'm only trying to understand your expectations, sir."

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. It wasn't quite amusement, but it was close enough to make her wonder whether she had imagined it.

"Return to your office, Miss Bennett."

"Gladly."

She walked out before he could assign her another impossible task.

Inside the boardroom, Alexander remained still for several seconds.

He had hired Amara because something about her confidence had caught his attention during the interview.

He hadn't expected her to identify a serious financial oversight on her first morning.

Nor had he expected her to challenge him without trembling.

Most people were intimidated by his presence. Others tried desperately to impress him.

Amara seemed determined to do neither.

And that irritated him more than it should have.

---

At lunchtime, Amara sat in the company cafeteria with a sandwich and a bottle of water.

She had just received a message from her mother when Marcus approached.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

He sat opposite her.

"So, how was your morning?"

Amara gave him a tired smile.

"Do you want the honest answer?"

"Absolutely."

"I think your boss enjoys making people question their life choices."

Marcus burst out laughing.

"You're not the first person to say that."

"How long have you worked for him?"

"Six years."

Amara nearly dropped her sandwich.

"Six years? How are you still alive?"

"Excellent organizational skills. And the ability to recognize when silence is the better option."

"Something I clearly haven't mastered."

"Clearly."

They both laughed.

Marcus leaned back in his chair.

"Listen, Amara. Alexander isn't an easy man to work for, but he's fair when it matters. If you do your job well, he'll recognize it."

"Does he always treat people like they're one mistake away from being fired?"

"Not always."

"Only on days ending in 'y'?"

Marcus laughed again.

"You might be the first person in this building who can make a joke about him without checking whether he's standing behind you."

Amara took another bite of her sandwich.

"Maybe he should learn to smile more."

"Be careful what you wish for."

"Why?"

"Because when Alexander Blackwood smiles, somebody usually ends up losing a business deal."

Amara shook her head.

She had never met anyone so determined to make the world as miserable as he appeared to be.

Yet, beneath his cold exterior, she had noticed something else during the board meeting.

He cared deeply about his company.

He demanded perfection because he feared the consequences of failure.

She wondered what had made him that way.

Then she quickly dismissed the thought.

Understanding her boss was not part of her job description.

---

Later that afternoon, Alexander stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, looking down at the city.

His phone rang.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Alexander, darling. Are you coming to dinner on Friday?"

"I have work."

"You always have work."

"Because I run a company."

"And because you refuse to have a life outside it."

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Mother, please."

"Don't 'please' me. You're thirty-two years old, and the only relationship you maintain is with your office."

"That relationship is productive."

"Is it? Does your office hug you when you've had a terrible day? Does it ask whether you've eaten?"

He said nothing.

His mother sighed.

"The Blackwood Foundation's charity gala is next week. I expect you to attend, and I expect you to bring someone."

"Bring someone?"

"A woman, Alexander. Preferably one you actually like."

"Goodbye, Mother."

"Alexander!"

He ended the call.

For a moment, he considered turning his phone off.

Then another notification appeared.

It was a message from an unfamiliar number.

UNKNOWN: I heard you hired someone new.

Alexander frowned.

ALEXANDER: Who is this?

The response arrived almost immediately.

UNKNOWN: Someone who knows you better than you think. Be careful with Amara Bennett. Not every innocent face hides an innocent heart.

Alexander stared at the screen.

He read the message twice.

Then he called Marcus.

"Find out who owns this number."

"Of course, sir. Is everything all right?"

"Just do it."

He ended the call and looked toward the glass wall separating his office from the corridor.

Through it, he could see Amara at her desk, concentrating on a document while occasionally tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

She looked entirely unaware that anyone might be talking about her.

Who was she, really?

And why had someone suddenly warned him about her?

---

Across Manhattan, Victoria Ashford stood in front of the mirror in her luxurious apartment, holding her phone.

She had seen the announcement about Amara Bennett's appointment through a contact at Blackwood International.

At first, she hadn't paid much attention.

Then she had learned that Alexander had personally approved the appointment.

That changed everything.

Victoria had known Alexander for years. She knew how difficult it was to earn his trust and how dangerous it could be to lose it.

She also knew that he had never completely recovered from the betrayal that had destroyed his last serious relationship.

Victoria picked up her phone and called a number.

"Hello?"

"I need you to find out everything you can about Amara Bennett."

A pause.

"Everything?"

"Her family, her past, her friends. Everything."

"Why?"

Victoria's expression hardened.

"Because I refuse to let another woman walk into Alexander's life and take what should have been mine."

She ended the call and set the phone down.

For years, she had waited for Alexander to see her differently.

She wasn't going to let a young woman with a pretty face and a modest background change everything.

Not without a fight.

---

That evening, Amara returned home with a tired body and a hopeful heart.

Grace was waiting for her in the living room.

"How was your first day?"

Amara dropped her handbag onto the sofa.

"Interesting."

"Interesting good or interesting bad?"

"Both."

She told her mother about the impossible assignment, the financial discrepancy, and the board meeting.

Grace listened with a proud smile.

"So you helped them avoid a costly mistake on your first day?"

"Apparently."

"And what did your boss say?"

Amara paused.

"He said I did good work."

Grace clapped her hands.

"Wonderful!"

"He also told me not to become overconfident."

Her mother laughed.

"Some people don't know how to give a compliment without hiding it inside an insult."

Amara smiled.

"That's exactly what I thought."

For the first time in months, they spent the evening discussing something other than medical bills and financial worries.

Amara helped her mother prepare dinner, and they ate together while talking about the future.

Later, after Grace had gone to bed, Amara sat beside her window and looked at the distant city lights.

She thought about Alexander's sharp eyes, his cold voice, and the strange feeling she had experienced when he had praised her work.

She shook her head.

"No, Amara. Absolutely not."

She wasn't going to develop feelings for a man who treated kindness like a weakness.

She had a future to build and a mother to care for.

Alexander Blackwood was simply her boss.

Nothing more.

Across the city, Alexander sat alone in his penthouse, reading the message about Amara for the third time.

He didn't trust easily.

And now someone had given him a reason to question the woman who had challenged him, impressed him, and unsettled him in a single day.

He picked up his phone and sent Marcus another message.

ALEXANDER: I want a complete background check on Amara Bennett. Quietly.

He placed the phone on the table and poured himself a drink.

He had no intention of allowing a stranger to disrupt his carefully controlled life.

But as he stared out at the Manhattan skyline, one thought refused to leave his mind.

Who was Amara Bennett, and why had she already begun to get under his skin?

To be continued...