Chapter 2 — The First Day
627 Words
The morning sun poured through the glass walls of Morelli Industries, glinting off the chrome and marble like a warning.
Selena adjusted her pencil skirt for the tenth time before stepping out of the elevator. Every inch of this place screamed perfection — which made her feel all the more out of place.
“Miss Hart,” the assistant, Clarissa, said in a clipped tone. “Mr. Morelli wants the quarterly report on his desk before ten. Don’t be late.”
Of course he did. Selena hadn’t even learned where the copier was.
She found the corner office that now bore her name on a plaque — Executive Assistant to Mr. Morelli. The words felt heavy. Powerful. Dangerous.
Just like him.
She set down her bag, took a breath, and began sorting through the folders on her desk. But every few minutes, she caught herself glancing at the frosted-glass wall that separated her from his office.
A dark shadow moved behind it. Broad shoulders. Precise movements. A man who owned every inch of space he occupied.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
Dante Morelli: Coffee. Black. No sugar.
Dante Morelli: Now.
Her pulse spiked. So that’s how this works.
She walked to his office, balancing the cup like it was a peace offering. He didn’t look up right away. He was reading something, one hand at his chin, suit jacket open just enough to reveal a flash of muscle beneath crisp white fabric.
“Your handwriting on the report is neat,” he said without preamble. “That’s rare.”
Selena blinked. “You… looked at my notes?”
He lifted his eyes to hers. “I look at everything.”
The words landed heavier than they should have. His gaze traced her face — not inappropriately, but with a precision that stripped her bare.
“Do I make you nervous, Miss Hart?”
She swallowed. “Should you?”
A corner of his mouth curved upward. “You’ll learn that’s the wrong kind of answer in this building.”
Her breath caught. There it was again — that subtle shift between command and challenge.
“Tell me something,” he said, standing up. The move was fluid, powerful. He came around the desk until he stood close enough for her to smell the faint trace of sandalwood on his skin. “Why did you take this job? You could’ve gone anywhere.”
“I wanted a change.”
“From what?”
“From being small,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
He froze. For a moment, the mask slipped. Then he nodded slowly, eyes softening just enough to make her heart twist.
“Then don’t shrink here,” he said. “Not for anyone.”
The phone rang, breaking the spell. He turned away, voice cool again as he took the call — already back to the untouchable CEO.
Selena exhaled shakily and stepped out, her hands trembling.
In the reflection of the glass, she caught a glimpse of him watching her leave.
And for the first time, she wondered if maybe she wasn’t the only one in danger of getting burned.
As the elevator doors slid shut behind her, Selena’s heart was still racing.
She could still feel his eyes on her — dark, steady, and full of promises he hadn’t spoken yet.
Inside his office, Dante’s voice was low as he ended his call.
But his gaze never left the glass where she had stood moments ago.
She doesn’t even realize what she’s started, he thought.
And when his lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile, the air in the room seemed to thicken.
By tomorrow night, she’ll know exactly how it feels to be seen — completely.
- Writer
