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1347 Words
Matt Lockwood was far more handsome than Julie had imagined.
She had seen countless pictures of him online before coming there. Magazine covers, business articles, interviews, she had studied every single one carefully. She knew exactly what he looked like or at least she had thought she did.
Seeing him in person was entirely different.
Nothing could have prepared her for the overwhelming presence he carried so effortlessly.
For a brief second, Julie completely forgot how to think.
Would she really be able to pull this off?
Matt Lockwood wasn’t merely attractive. He was the kind of man people noticed the moment he walked into a room. The kind of man who radiated power without even trying.
His piercing blue eyes were impossibly striking, cold yet mesmerizing, carrying an intensity that made Julie’s stomach tighten instantly. One look from him alone was enough to intimidate anyone.
His dark hair was perfectly styled without looking overly done, slightly tousled in a way that only made him appear more dangerous. Every angle of his face looked sculpted with impossible precision, sharp jawline, straight nose, perfectly defined cheekbones.
To put it simply, the man was stunning. But it wasn’t his appearance that unsettled Julie the most, it was the look in his eyes.
The moment his gaze landed on her, Julie knew immediately that he was displeased.
She wasn’t what he had expected.
Their eyes met for barely a second before Julie looked away instinctively. His gaze was so cold it almost looked lifeless, completely unreadable and utterly intimidating.
“Vera, what is...”
His deep voice sliced through the room, smooth yet icy enough to make Julie’s pulse stumble nervously.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lockwood,” the woman beside her interrupted quickly, almost as though she already knew what he was about to say. “She passed every stage of training and was personally selected. Mr. Harrison assured me Miss Grey is very competent.”
Silence followed.
Julie could physically feel Matt Lockwood’s eyes on her.
Slowly, his gaze traveled over her from head to toe, assessing her in complete silence. The scrutiny only made Julie more nervous. She resisted the urge to fidget under the weight of his stare.
Matt glanced briefly at his wristwatch before looking back at Vera.
“Do something about her clothes,” he said coldly. “And be ready in twenty minutes.”
Without another glance in Julie’s direction, he walked past them and left the office.
The second the door shut behind him, Julie released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“Follow me,” Vera said immediately.
Julie obeyed without question.
They walked through another hallway before arriving at a private room hidden deep within the executive floor. Vera opened the door and Julie stepped insideband nearly gasped aloud.
The room was enormous.
It looked less like an office suite and more like a luxury penthouse. There was a spacious sitting area, sleek modern furniture, a large television mounted on the wall, and even what appeared to be a private bedroom beyond another door.
The place alone was at least five times bigger than Julie’s apartment.
Who even had something like this inside an office building?
Mr. Lockwood, apparently.
Julie stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while Vera disappeared into what looked like an enormous walk-in closet, leaving Julie alone with her racing thoughts.
She just had to survive this.
That was all.
Get through the job. Keep her head down. Finish what she came here to do.
“Get changed. Two minutes.”
Julie turned quickly as Vera returned holding a neatly folded outfit.
Julie took the clothes silently and hurried into the changing area.
A few moments later, she stepped back out wearing a perfectly tailored navy-green corporate suit that fit her body flawlessly, as though it had been made specifically for her.
For the first time since meeting her, Vera actually looked satisfied.
She gave a small approving nod.
“Better.”
Julie resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Vera checked the time on her watch. “We need to leave now.”
Julie followed after her once again, trying not to trip over her own nerves.
When they arrived at the conference room, four other men were already seated around the large table. From their appearance alone, Julie could immediately tell they were important executives.
Matt Lockwood sat at the head of the table.
He still wore the same unreadable expression from earlier.
Vera gestured toward the empty seat beside him.
Julie’s heart nearly stopped.
Still, she forced herself to walk over calmly and sit down.
The meeting began almost immediately.
At first, Julie could barely focus because she was painfully aware of Matt’s presence beside her. His calm, composed demeanor somehow made everyone else in the room seem nervous.
Even the directors appeared cautious around him.
But once the discussions began, Julie forced herself to concentrate.
She took notes quickly and efficiently, writing down every important detail without missing a word. Gradually, her confidence began to return. This part, at least, she could handle.
The meeting lasted nearly an hour.
By the end of it, another meeting had already been scheduled for the following morning, and Julie immediately added it to the schedule in front of her.
As everyone began standing up, Matt’s eyes briefly flickered toward her just once..
Then he walked out of the room without saying a word.
Vera immediately followed after him, leaving Julie scrambling to gather her things before hurrying after them too.
When they returned to his office floor, Matt disappeared into his office without another glance in her direction.
The second the door shut behind him, Julie finally felt like she could breathe again.
The last hour had been utterly suffocating.
To Julie’s surprise, Vera turned toward her with the faintest smile she had seen all day.
“You did well,” she admitted. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of things soon.”
Julie blinked in surprise.
Vera handed her a sleek tablet and a stack of files.
“This is your office,” she explained, gesturing toward the smaller office connected to Matt’s. “And this contains Mr. Lockwood’s schedule.”
Before Julie could ask any questions, Vera quickly added, “Good luck.”
Then she walked away so fast it genuinely looked like she was escaping.
Julie stared after her for a moment before slowly entering her new office.
The room was elegant and modern, though nowhere near as extravagant as Matt’s. She sat carefully behind the desk, letting out a long breath as exhaustion settled over her.
Her eyes kept drifting nervously toward the door leading to Matt’s office.
Half the day was already over.
She just needed to survive the remaining hours and...
Julie nearly jumped out of her seat when Matt’s office door suddenly opened.
He stepped out, adjusting the sleeve of his suit as he walked past her desk.
Julie instantly grabbed the tablet and began flipping through his schedule in confusion. He didn’t have any meetings for the rest of the day.
Where was he going?
It was lunchtime, but Vera had specifically mentioned that he rarely bothered with lunch.
Matt walked toward the elevator with long effortless strides, and Julie immediately followed after him despite her nervousness.
Neither of them spoke.
When the elevator doors opened, Matt stepped inside before suddenly turning to look at her.
“You don’t need to follow me,” he said coolly. “You may leave for the day. I won’t be returning.”
Julie blinked in surprise.
Was it really okay for her to leave already?
She opened her mouth to ask, but the words never came out.
His icy blue eyes locked onto hers once again, making every thought disappear from her mind.
Then the elevator doors slid shut and he was gone.
Julie stood there staring at the closed elevator doors for several seconds before finally releasing a shaky breath.
At this rate, she genuinely might suffer a heart attack before all of this was over.
- Writer
