three
1380 Words
Even though Matt Lockwood had told her she could leave for the day, Julie remained in her office long after he was gone.
A nervous feeling lingered stubbornly inside her chest, refusing to disappear.
What if it had been a test?
What if he returned the second she left?
The thought alone kept her glued to her chair.
So she stayed for hours.
She organized his schedule repeatedly, checked every document Vera had handed to her, and even rearranged her desk twice just to keep herself occupied. Every time the elevator dinged somewhere down the hallway, her head snapped toward the sound instinctively.
But Matt never returned.
Eventually, as the building slowly emptied and the lights outside darkened into evening, Julie finally accepted that he truly wasn’t coming back.
She released a tired breath and glanced once more toward the closed door of his office.
Her gaze lingered there for a few seconds before she shook her head lightly.
All she wanted now was to go home, take a warm shower, eat dinner, and pray tomorrow wouldn’t somehow be worse than today.
Unfortunately, knowing her luck, it probably would be.
Julie grabbed her bag and finally left the office building.
The cool evening breeze brushed against her skin as she walked toward the bus stop a few streets away. The city was still busy despite the late hour, headlights flashing past endlessly while people hurried home from work.
Julie wrapped her coat tighter around herself and tried not to think about the overwhelming disaster her life had become.
She had barely reached the bus stop when a sleek black car slowed beside her.
Her steps faltered immediately.
The windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible to see who was inside.
But Julie already knew.
Her stomach sank.
The car came to a smooth stop beside the sidewalk.
For a moment, Julie simply stood there, frozen.
Then, after glancing around nervously, she reached for the back door and slipped inside.
The door shut behind her with a quiet click.
A second later, the car pulled away from the curb.
“How was your first day?”
The low voice made Julie stiffen instantly.
She turned slowly toward the man seated beside her.
He looked exactly the same as always, perfectly dressed, calm, composed, and terrifying beneath the surface. The expensive watch on his wrist glinted beneath the dim lights inside the car, and the small smile resting on his face made Julie’s stomach twist uneasily.
“It went as planned,” she replied quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.
A faint frown settled on her face despite herself.
“Well, that’s good news.” He leaned back against the leather seat casually. “I told you not to worry about being selected. Everything was arranged beforehand.”
Julie looked away immediately.
Of course it had been arranged.
She should have known someone like Matt Lockwood wouldn’t randomly hire a stranger.
He had made sure every step led her exactly where he wanted her to be.
“I told you all you needed to do was focus on the task ahead,” he continued smoothly. “The sooner this is done, the sooner everything ends.”
Julie nodded silently, though her hands had clenched so tightly in her lap that her knuckles had turned white.
“You cannot afford distractions, Julie.” His voice hardened slightly. “And more importantly, you cannot get caught.”
Julie’s throat tightened painfully.
Slowly, she turned to look at him.
he was smiling.
But there was nothing kind about it.
The smile on his face felt cold and almost devilish.
“I’m sure you understand what’s at stake here,” he added softly.
Julie looked down immediately.
The rest of the drive passed with him reminding her over and over what she was supposed to do. What she was expected to report. How important it was that Matt Lockwood never became suspicious.
And above all, how failure was not an option.
By the time the car finally stopped in front of her apartment building, Julie felt like she could barely breathe.
She stepped out quickly without another word.
The cold night air hit her immediately, but she hardly noticed it as she stood there watching the black car disappear into traffic.
Only after it vanished completely did she finally release the breath she had been holding.
How had her life become this?
If someone had told her three months ago that she would become Matt Lockwood’s secretary, she would have laughed in their face.
Now she felt trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
Three months earlier, everything had been different.
Her younger brother had been hospitalized after collapsing suddenly at school. The medical bills had piled up faster than Julie could manage, and no matter how many extra shifts she worked, it was never enough.
She still remembered the hopelessness she had felt sitting in that hospital hallway, wondering how she was supposed to save her brother when she could barely afford rent.
Then he had appeared.
At the time, he had seemed like a miracle.
A wealthy stranger offering help without asking for anything in return.
Or so she had believed.
He had paid every single hospital bill overnight.
Julie had cried from relief when she found out.
For the first time in months, she had felt like she could breathe again.
Then came the contract.
At first, it sounded simple enough. Easy, even.
A confidential corporate position. Good pay with one year of work.
Julie had signed without hesitation.
Only later did she realize she had signed herself into a trap.
By the time he finally explained what the job truly involved, it was already too late.
She was expected to become Matt Lockwood’s secretary.
Not because she was exceptionally qualified or because she had earned the position fairly.
But because he and the people behind him needed someone close to Matt Lockwood.
Someone who could watch him.
Someone who could report everything.
Every meeting.
Every business move.
Every weakness.
At first, Julie had refused.
She remembered the exact fear that had filled her chest when he calmly explained who Matt Lockwood really was.
The youngest CEO in Lockwood Group history.
He was brilliant, ruthless and untouchable.
A man powerful enough to destroy lives without effort.
Julie had wanted no part in it.
But he had reminded her of the contract she signed.
Of her brother’s treatment.
Of the money that had already been spent on her family.
And just like that, she had realized she was trapped.
For the last three months, she had been trained carefully for the position. Corporate etiquette. Scheduling. Meeting protocols. Everything Matt Lockwood’s personal secretary would need to know.
She had also spent countless nights researching him.
Every article, interview and rumor.
And now that she had finally met him in person…
It somehow felt worse.
Far worse.
Matt Lockwood wasn’t merely intimidating.
He was observant and sharp.
The kind of man who looked at someone once and noticed things other people never would.
Which meant she constantly had to worry about making mistakes.
About slipping up or getting caught.
At the same time, she also had to fear failing the people who had forced her into this in the first place.
Her head throbbed painfully.
Julie finally climbed the stairs to her apartment and unlocked the door.
The second she stepped inside, silence greeted her.
A sad smile appeared briefly on her lips as she looked around the tiny apartment.
It felt emptier now.
Her brother used to greet her excitedly every time she came home from work, talking endlessly about random things until she laughed despite how exhausted she felt.
Now he was away recovering with their aunt outside the city, safer there while Julie handled everything else.
Julie closed the door softly behind her and leaned against it tiredly.
Her life was spiraling completely out of control.
But she only had to survive one year.
One year until the shareholders' meeting he kept talking about.
One year of watching Matt Lockwood.
One year of pretending.
Then everything would go back to normal.
Julie closed her eyes briefly.
How hard could it really be to spy on Matt Lockwood without getting caught?
- Writer
