CHAPTER THREE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS, LASTING EFFECTS.
1113 Words
Emily Donald hadn’t been at Romano Global for a full week, yet she already felt like her world had shifted on its axis.
Working under Mr. Adrian Romano was like existing in a silent storm, always calm on the surface, yet humming with unpredictable electricity just beneath. He rarely raised his voice, never made unnecessary small talk, and yet, his presence filled every corner of the room.
Especially when she was in it.
Emily hadn’t forgotten the way he leaned close when he spoke to her about the contract. It wasn’t just professionalism,it was something heavier. She felt it in the air between them. The way he watched her. Like she was the only thing in focus, and everything else blurred.
She had signed the clause forbidding romantic entanglements.
So why did it feel like she had signed something else entirely?
That morning, Emily arrived twenty minutes early, as usual. She believed in showing up before time not only because she was punctual, but because the idea of disappointing Mr. Romano made her stomach twist.
She stepped out of the elevator and found him already there, seated at his desk. His suit jacket was off, sleeves rolled, revealing powerful forearms inked with what looked like intricate, foreign script.
The sight of him dressed down even slightly caught her off guard.
“Good morning, Mr. Romano,” she said, setting her bag on the smaller desk in the corner of his office.
“You’re early,” he noted without looking up.
“I like to prepare before the day starts.”
He looked up then, and Emily’s breath caught at the way his dark eyes studied her. “A rare quality.”
She smiled awkwardly and turned to power on her computer. She could feel his gaze linger for a moment longer than necessary before he returned to his work.
“You didn’t sleep well,” he said suddenly.
She blinked and turned to him. “Excuse me?”
“There are faint shadows under your eyes. You’re tired.”
Emily touched her face instinctively, surprised by his observation. “I... was working on a report for my mother’s flower shop. Her supplier’s changed prices, so I stayed up helping her adjust inventory.”
Silence.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, watching her.
“Your mother is lucky,” he said after a pause.
The words were simple, but Emily felt their weight. Unexpected kindness from a man like Adrian Romano was rare. It stirred something inside her she wasn’t ready to examine.
“I try to help where I can,” she murmured.
“You live alone?” he asked.
“I share an apartment with my friend Lydia. We’ve known each other since college.”
He nodded slowly, filing that away like it was valuable data.
Then his phone buzzed.
He picked it up, listening briefly before his eyes narrowed. “Send the footage to me now,” he ordered sharply and hung up.
“Is everything alright?” Emily asked cautiously.
He looked at her for a long moment. “There was a man loitering near your building last night. He was smoking, pacing. Looked like he was trying to see into the apartment.”
Emily’s heart dropped. “Wh-what? How do you know that?”
Adrian’s expression didn’t waver. “I have security positioned near all my employees. You included.”
Her voice was soft, almost stunned. “Why me?”
His fingers interlocked on the desk. “Because I protect what’s mine.”
Her stomach flipped.
“You are my employee, Emily. That means your safety is my responsibility.”
He stood and walked around the desk slowly. The tension thickened as he stopped in front of her, towering.
“From now on,” he said, voice low, “you’ll be picked up and dropped off by a driver. You won’t walk home alone. And if you see anyone suspicious, you call me. Not the police me. Understood?”
Emily looked up at him, unsure whether to be grateful or alarmed.
“That’s not necessary—”
“It is,” he interrupted sharply. “Don’t argue.”
His eyes darkened, something almost primal flashing in them.
She nodded slowly, heart pounding. “Alright.”
He exhaled slowly, as if satisfied. Then he took a step closer. She could feel his warmth, the sheer force of his presence wrapping around her like a cloak.
“You matter more than you realize,” he said softly, then turned and walked back to his desk as though nothing had happened.
Later that afternoon, Emily sat at her small desk, typing up minutes from a meeting. Every now and then, her eyes wandered to Mr. Romano’s office. The glass wall between them provided no barrier to how aware she was of him.
She wasn’t sure when the butterflies had started,maybe when he said she mattered, or maybe when he looked at her like she was something fragile he couldn’t bear to lose.
She tried not to read into it. He was a powerful man. Possessive, perhaps, but maybe that’s just how CEOs operated.
Still, her cheeks flushed when he called her into his office near the end of the day.
“Sit,” he said.
She obeyed.
“There’s a charity gala Friday night. I’m expected to attend.”
“Of course,” she said. “Would you like me to prepare your files or guest list?”
“No.” He looked at her directly. “I want you to come with me.”
Emily’s mouth parted in surprise. “Me? Why?”
He rose and walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
“You’ll learn more in one evening at a high-society event than in six months of scheduling my calls. And...” He turned, eyes locked on hers. “Because I want to see you in a dress.”
The air left her lungs.
“M-Mr. Romano... I—”
“Adrian,” he corrected her gently. “When it’s just the two of us... call me Adrian.”
Her heart stuttered. Was this real?
“I’ll have a stylist send options to your apartment. Wear what you feel comfortable in.” He gave her a rare, faint smile. “But prepare to be looked at.”
She swallowed. “Why?”
His smile vanished. “Because you’ll be standing next to me. And that makes you a target for attention, envy, and desire.”
Emily didn’t know what to say. The air between them thickened. Her hands curled on her lap.
He stepped closer, slowly. “I want them all to see that you’re mine.”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD