CHAPTER3
1218 Words
NORA POV
The question steals every thought from my head.
For a brief moment, I can’t speak.
I force myself to swallow.
“I don’t believe we have, sir.”
Silence.
So quiet I begin to wonder if the call has dropped.
“I see,” he says evenly.
Another moment passes.
“Be here by eight.”
“Yes, sir.”
The line goes dead.
The call from last night still sits in my chest like a weight I can’t shake off.
But this morning, I tell myself one thing.
Act normal.
Survive the day.
Don’t draw attention.
Rowan & Co. feels even bigger today. Or maybe it’s just me noticing everything too sharply.
Every step I take into the building feels like walking deeper into something I can’t undo.
By the time orientation starts, I’ve already forced my expression into calm.
Neutral.
Controlled.
Safe.
Five new employees sit in the room, all focused on the HR manager speaking.
I try to listen.
I really do.
But my mind keeps drifting back to one person.
Davis Rowan.
Not the boss.
Not the CEO.
The man I can’t afford to think about too long.
By the time orientation ends, I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for an hour.
“That’s all for today,” the HR manager announces. “Your department supervisors will meet you shortly.”
People begin to stand.
Chairs scrape.
Conversations rise.
I exhale slowly, thinking maybe I’ll get through today without seeing him.
Maybe…
“Ms. Edward.”
My name cuts through the noise.
I freeze.
Slowly, I turn.
A woman I don’t recognize stands near the door.
“I’m Clara, Mr. Rowan’s executive assistant,” she says.
She wears a fitted black suit. There’s a quiet confidence about her that makes people pay attention without her asking.
“I need you.”
No smile.
No explanation.
Just direction.
Unease settles inside me.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
I grab my file and follow her before my mind can come up with a hundred different reasons to panic.
Every step down the hallway feels heavier than the last.
Not because I don’t know where we’re going.
Because I do.
Davis Rowan’s office.
We stop outside the door.
Clara knocks once.
“Come in.”
That voice.
Calm.
Controlled.
Not saying more than necessary.
My breath catches.
Clara opens the door.
“Ms. Edward is here.”
Davis looks up.
This time, his expression doesn’t change.
No flicker.
No hesitation.
Just a CEO looking at an employee.
“Thank you, Clara.”
She gives me one quick look before walking out.
The door closes.
The quiet stretches between us.
“Sit.”
I obey immediately.
He opens the file on his desk, scanning it as though I’m nothing more than another employee.
Another name.
Another application.
“You’re punctual,” he says after a moment.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
A brief silence follows.
Then—
“I’m assigning you to a project under executive management.”
I grip the edge of the chair.
“Okay.”
His eyes remain on the file.
“You’ll be working directly under me for the duration of this project.”
The words settle heavily on my chest.
Directly under him.
I keep my face calm.
“Understood, sir.”
For the first time since I walked in, he looks directly at me.
Not searching.
Not questioning.
Just… watching.
Like he’s measuring something he hasn’t decided yet.
“I expect two things from everyone on my team,” he says evenly.
I wait.
“Competence.”
A pause.
“And honesty.”
My heartbeat stumbles.
“If something affects your work, I expect you to tell me.”
His voice never changes.
“I don’t tolerate excuses.”
For one terrifying second, I forget how to breathe.
Does he know?
No.
He can’t.
He couldn’t possibly know.
I force myself to nod.
“Understood, sir.”
His gaze stays on me another second.
Then he closes the file.
“Clara will handle your onboarding.”
“Yes, sir.”
Another pause.
“You may go.”
I stand.
“Thank you, sir.”
I turn toward the door.
“Ms. Edward.”
I stop immediately.
My fingers rest against the handle.
“Yes?”
He doesn’t speak right away.
Just long enough for my pulse to climb.
Then…
“Be ready. This project will require your full attention.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
His expression doesn’t change.
“I hope not.”
I nod once before opening the door.
The moment it closes behind me…
I finally breathe.
Only then do I realize how tense my entire body has become.
Clara is waiting outside.
“How did it go?” she asks.
I force my voice to stay steady.
“I’ll be working directly under Mr. Rowan.”
For the first time, something flickers across her face.
Not surprise.
Something closer to concern.
“That’s… unusual,” she says quietly.
I frown.
“Why?”
She hesitates before answering.
“I have worked here for six years.”
Her voice drops even lower.
“I have never seen Mr. Rowan personally assign a new employee to an executive project on their first day.”
My thoughts begin to race.
“Then why me?”
Clara glances toward the closed office door.
“I honestly don’t know.”
She pauses.
“But if Mr. Rowan made the decision himself…”
She doesn’t finish the sentence.
She doesn’t have to.
We step into the elevator.
The doors slide shut.
My reflection stares back at me.
Calm face.
Steady breathing.
A woman pretending everything is under control.
Inside... Everything feels louder.
Why me?
Not just the project.
Me.
That night, I get home later than usual.
The apartment is warm.
Familiar.
Safe.
“Mommy!”
Mai runs straight into my arms.
I catch her, holding her a little tighter than usual.
She giggles.
“Mummy, you’re squeezing me.”
A small laugh escapes me.
“Sorry.”
But I don’t let go right away.
For a moment, I simply hold her.
Grounding myself.
Reminding myself why this job matters.
Why I can’t walk away.
Later that night, after Mai falls asleep, I stand beside her bed for a long moment.
She looks so peaceful.
Completely unaware of the storm growing around us.
I brush a strand of hair away from her face.
No matter what happens…
I have to protect her.
Even if it means keeping the truth buried a little longer.
The apartment is finally quiet.
For the first time all day, I let myself breathe.
My phone vibrates.
An email from Rowan & Co.
I frown.
At this hour?
I open it.
Executive Operations Department.
Executive Project Assignments — Orion.
My eyes move quickly over the first few lines.
Then they stop.
Reporting Schedule: Daily.
Executive Briefing: 7:30 a.m.
Attendance is mandatory.
My heart drops.
I keep reading.
Access Level Updated: Executive Coordination.
That wasn’t mentioned earlier.
Neither was the next line.
All project matters are to be reported directly to CEO Davis Rowan.
No department supervisor.
No team leader.
Just him.
I stare at the screen.
Tomorrow wasn’t supposed to feel this close.
But suddenly…
There is nowhere left to hide.
- Writer
