ENCOUNTER
1098 Words
CHAPTER 7
Ice That Burns
Hazel’s POV
My first full day in the penthouse felt surreal. Too clean. Too cold. Too quiet.
I barely slept. The silence here wasn’t comforting like Mia’s apartment. It was oppressive, like every breath I took echoed through the marble floors and crystal walls.
By 6:00 a.m., I was already dressed in a modest white blouse and navy skirt. Not too pretty, not too plain. I didn’t want to send the wrong message — whatever that even meant in this new, confusing world.
I stared at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. You got this. He’s just a boss. A terrifyingly rich, powerful, ice-cold boss.
By 6:45 a.m., I had re-checked his schedule, cleaned the kitchen counter twice, and hovered near the espresso machine like it was my lifeline.
Don’t mess this up.
Then, the intercom buzzed. His voice was as sharp as ever.
“Bring my coffee.”
Even though I’d been expecting it, I still jumped.
I poured the freshly brewed black coffee into a sleek porcelain mug, placed it neatly on a tray with a napkin, and carried it toward his office like it was a bomb.
When I opened the door, I stopped.
Alexander sat near the massive window, the early sunlight slashing across his profile. He looked like he belonged in a luxury magazine spread — not a real man, but something sculpted out of steel and shadows.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up. The veins on his forearms were prominent as he typed away on a laptop with one hand, the other lifting to adjust his cufflink.
Power.
Poise.
Perfection.
My knees almost buckled.
“Good morning, sir,” I said softly. “Here’s your coffee.”
He glanced at the cup, and his expression darkened just slightly.
“I said black. No sugar.”
My heart fell.
What? I’d followed the instructions exactly—
“I-I’m sorry, sir. I’ll remake it right away.”
I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.
“Forget it.” He leaned back in his chair. “Sit down.”
My breath caught.
Sit?
I hesitated, then slowly took the chair across from him, still clutching the tray as if it might protect me.
He took a sip, then stared at me over the rim of the cup.
“You look nervous.”
“I just want to do well,” I said honestly.
For a brief second, something in his face flickered — like a c***k forming in solid ice. But it vanished quickly.
“Then stop trembling. This isn’t a battlefield.”
It feels like one, I thought, but nodded.
He stood abruptly and closed the laptop.
“You’ll assist me with contracts today. No mistakes.”
“Yes, sir.”
---
Alexander’s POV
She was a mess this morning.
Buttoned up too tightly, holding the coffee tray like a bomb. Her eyes darted like prey in unfamiliar territory.
But there was something… genuine about her.
No hidden motives.
No honeyed words.
No fake smiles or flirtatious glances.
She was just… trying.
Trying to impress me. Trying not to break.
She failed at the coffee — I noticed the sugar immediately. But her panic was so real, so raw, I didn’t correct her further. Not because I didn’t care. But because, somehow, watching her fall apart over a cup of coffee made her more human than anyone I’d dealt with this week.
I needed efficiency.
But I couldn’t deny it.
There was something about her I couldn’t ignore.
---
Hazel’s POV
Hours passed with us sitting at the long dining table — laptops open, files spread out, post-its labeled in his perfect, all-caps handwriting.
Every now and then, our fingers brushed when we both reached for a page. Every time, my stomach did somersaults.
By noon, my stomach growled loudly enough for me to cringe.
I tried to ignore it, afraid to even ask for a break. But then, Alexander stood.
I watched him walk into the kitchen, confused.
Ten minutes later, he returned with a small tray.
He placed it in front of me. A sandwich, a fruit cup, and a glass of water.
“Eat,” he said.
I stared at him like he’d grown wings. “Sir?”
“I don’t need a fainting assistant.”
My lips parted in shock.
Was this kindness? Or practicality? I couldn’t tell.
But I murmured, “Thank you,” and took a bite.
It was just a simple sandwich.
But it tasted like care.
And that scared me more than anything.
---
Raymond’s POV
I showed up that evening with a stack of fabricated ‘urgent documents’ just to check in on the situation.
And oh, it was even better than I imagined.
Hazel sat on the couch, barefoot and tucked into the corner, sorting papers with focused eyes. Meanwhile, Alex stood by the window, stiff posture, arms crossed.
There was a tension between them.
Not the usual kind.
Not the ‘I’m your boss’ tension.
It was slower. Hotter.
The kind of tension that simmers just below the surface — the kind that explodes if you even breathe on it.
I wandered in casually and grinned.
"Evening, Ice King. And sunshine,” I said to Hazel with a wink.
She smiled politely, but she looked tired. Fragile.
I walked past Alex, leaned in, and whispered near Hazel’s ear — just loud enough for Alex to hear.
“Be careful. My friend may seem cold… but sometimes, ice burns.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
Bingo.
I stepped back, feeling Alex’s glare.
Perfect.
---
Hazel’s POV
Later that night, I sat on the bed staring at the ceiling.
So much had happened in one day.
He yelled at me, corrected me, silenced me.
But he also asked me to sit.
He brought me lunch.
He didn’t have to do any of that.
But he did.
And I didn’t know what that meant.
I reached for my phone and opened a blank message to Mia.
But I didn’t send it.
Because how do I explain that my heart is racing… for a man who barely looks at me?
How do I explain the chill of his silence — and the warmth hidden inside it?
How do I explain Alexander Wilson?
I don’t think I can.
Not yet.
---
To be continued…
💬 Comment if you want Episode 8!
#Workplace Romance#Slow Burn
#Love-Hate Relationship#Enemies to Lovers (Soon)
#Soft Girl x Ice Man#Secret Feelings
#Emotional Tension#Protective Male Lead
#Hidden Soft Side#Live-in Assistant Romance
#Jealousy and Possessiveness#Dramatic Plot Twists
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