Obsessed With My Boss.

First Day at work

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Chapter One – Vanessa ’s POV

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped out into the gleaming marble lobby of Cole & myers company. My heels clicked against the polished floor, and each sound a reminder that this wasn’t just another job—this was the opportunity I’d been waiting for.

I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder and tried to steady my breathing. It wasn’t nerves, I told myself. Just… anticipation. Everyone in the city knew william Cole’s reputation. Brilliant. Ruthless. Unforgiving. A man who demanded perfection and accepted nothing less.

And now, I was his secretary.

The receptionist smiled politely as I approached, directing me toward the executive floor. My palms were already damp when I reached his office door. The golden nameplate gleamed at eye level: william A. Cole – Senior Partner.

I hesitated, my fingers brushing the cool metal of the handle. What if I wasn’t good enough? What if every rumour I’d heard was true? What if I lasted only a week?

Stop it, Clara. You worked hard to get here. You earned this.

I pushed the door open.

The office was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t showy, no heavy drapes or cluttered bookshelves. Just clean lines, tall windows flooding the room with light, and a massive desk that seemed to dominate the space. Behind it sat william Cole.

But the man behind the desk wasn’t william Cole.

My breath caught.

The man who looked up at me was younger—maybe late twenties—with sharp cheekbones, dark hair artfully tousled, and eyes the colour of midnight storms. His tailored suit hugged him like it had been stitched on his body, and when he leaned back casually in the leather chair, the confidence in his posture screamed billionaire. The kind of man women whispered about in elevators.

I froze in the doorway. “I—I’m sorry. I was told this is Mr. Cole’s office.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in the kind of smirk that made my stomach twist. “You were told right. Depends on which Mr. Cole you’re looking for.”

For a heartbeat, I just blinked at him. Then, the realization hit me. Ethan Cole. william.

Cole’s only son. The elusive heir to the Cole fortune. The man rumoured to own half the city’s nightclubs, race cars across Europe for fun, and break hearts before breakfast.

"You’re late.”

My heart stuttered. “It’s—eight on the dot.”

“Eight,” he repeated, glancing at his watch. “Which means you should have been at your desk by 7:55, prepared and ready. Not still standing in the doorway.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. So much for first impressions. I straightened my shoulders, forcing confidence into my voice. “It won’t happen again.”

He studied me for a long moment, then gestured to the chair by his desk. “Sit. We’ll see.”

He took up from a file,and He leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk, smile widening just enough to unsettle me. “Vanessa Hayes. Pretty name.”

This was not what I signed up for. william Cole was supposed to be ruthless, intimidating, and impossible. But no one had warned me about this—about his son. The hot, reckless billionaire who looked at me like I was already a game he intended to win.

And as his gaze lingered on me, a strange chill of anticipation ran through me.

Something told me my first day at Cole & Myers was going to be nothing like I expected.

Ethan’s POV – Vanessa ’s First Day

I wasn’t supposed to be in my father’s office that morning, but boredom had a way of steering me into places I didn’t belong. Besides, I liked the view from behind his desk—the city spread out beneath the glass windows, the scent of leather and power clinging to the room.

That’s when she walked in.

The door opened hesitantly, and a young woman stepped inside, clutching a folder like it was a shield. Pretty. No—more than pretty. She had this nervous energy about her, the kind that made me want to push just to see how far she’d bend before she snapped.

Her wide eyes landed on me, and for a second, she looked completely thrown off, like she’d stepped into the wrong office. I almost laughed.

“You’re late,” I said, leaning back in Father’s chair, enjoying the way her face flushed.

Her mouth parted, a protest half-formed. “It’s—eight on the dot.”

Eight,” I repeated, glancing lazily at my watch, though I already knew the time. “Which means you should have been at your desk by 7:55, prepared and ready. Not still standing in the doorway.”

She stiffened, and I felt a thrill at the spark of fire in her eyes. Most people flinched when I used that tone. But not her. She looked… insulted. Good. That was interesting.

I smirked, tilting my head as I studied her. “Vanessa,right? father's new secretary.”

She swallowed, straightened her back, and nodded. Brave. I liked that. Too many people in this firm cowered, bowing their heads the second they heard the Cole name. But Vanessa looked me dead in the eye, even if her knuckles whitened around that folder.

Pretty name,” I added, just to watch her reaction. And sure enough, colour rushed to her cheeks. She hated my arrogance—but she couldn’t ignore it either.

I’d seen a thousand women walk into this building—lawyers, business owners, assistants—but none of them intrigued me like this one did. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, nervous yet determined. Maybe it was the stubborn way she refused to shrink under my gaze.

Either way, wasn’t just another secretary. She was going to be… entertainment.

And something told me her first day was only the beginning.

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By the time I stumbled into my apartment, every muscle in my body ached. My heels landed in a careless heap by the door, and I collapsed onto the couch, head sinking into a cushion. My first day at Cole & Myers was supposed to feel like a victory. Instead, it felt like I’d barely survived a battlefield.

The buzz of my phone lit up the table. Emma.

I swiped to answer, too tired to pretend I wasn’t falling apart. “Hey.”

Her voice came through the speaker, sharp with excitement. “So? First day! Tell me everything. Was Mr. william Cole as terrifying as the rumours say?”

I let out a humourless laugh. “You could say that. Except it wasn’t william I had to deal with.”

There was a pause. “Wait… what do you mean?”

I sat up, dragging a hand through my messy bun. “It was his son. Ethan. Apparently, he’s… around the office. He was in william’s chair when I walked in, and he treated me like I’d already failed.”

Emma whistled softly. “Ethan Cole? As in billionaire playboy, tabloid prince Ethan Cole? That Ethan?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

I could still hear his voice in my head, mocking me. You’re late… Eight, which means you should have been at your desk by 7:55, prepared and ready. Not still standing in the doorway. The way he’d said it—so smooth, so smug—it made me want to throw something at him.

“He’s… impossible, Emma. Arrogant, smug, and he looks at me like I’m just another secretary to push around.”

Emma chuckled. “But he’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

I groaned, covering my face with a pillow. “That’s not the point.”

“Mm-hm. You sound very convincing.”

“Emma!”

She only laughed harder, and I couldn’t stop the reluctant smile tugging at my lips. Still, as I lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, the truth pressed in on me. Ethan Cole was dangerous—not because of his name or his power, but because of the way he unsettled me.

And the worst part? A tiny part of me wondered what tomorrow would bring.