Chapter 1: The Ice King
335 Words
Monday mornings were never peaceful at Montenegro Corporation.
Employees rushed through the lobby with coffee in one hand and their ID cards in the other. The atmosphere was tense, and every pair of eyes occasionally drifted toward the elevator reserved for one person.
The CEO.
A few nervous whispers echoed through the hall.
"Did you hear? Mr. Montenegro fired three managers last week."
"They say he works sixteen hours a day."
"I've never seen him smile."
"The Ice King..."
The elevator doors slid open.
Silence.
A tall man stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His expensive watch gleamed beneath the office lights, and his sharp features were as cold as his expression. His dark eyes scanned the room without emotion.
Adrian Montenegro.
Twenty-nine years old.
CEO of Montenegro Corporation.
One of the youngest and most successful businessmen in the country.
Every employee lowered their heads as he walked past.
"Good morning, sir."
He didn't respond.
His footsteps echoed through the hallway until he disappeared into his private office.
Only then did everyone breathe again.
"See?" one employee whispered. "Not even a 'good morning.'"
"I told you... he doesn't have a heart."
---
Inside his office, Adrian placed a neatly organized folder on his desk.
His secretary entered cautiously.
"Sir, your new executive assistant starts today."
"I don't care."
"She'll be reporting directly to you."
"Then tell her one thing."
The secretary waited.
"If she makes one serious mistake..."
Adrian didn't even look up from the documents in front of him.
"...she's fired."
The secretary swallowed nervously.
"Yes, sir."
As the door closed, Adrian's gaze shifted toward the rain outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
Love.
Friendship.
Happiness.
They were distractions.
Nothing more.
The only thing that mattered was success.
He had learned that lesson the hard way years ago.
---
Meanwhile...
Outside the company building, a young woman stood clutching a folder against her chest.
She took one deep breath.
"You can do this, Sofia," she whispered to herself. "It's just your first day."
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