The Billionaire's Secret Obsession

Episode 4

“Good morning, Mr Volkov.”

His eyes stayed on me the entire time as I walked toward the desk. Intensely. Like he was studying every step I took.

“Sit.” he said calmly, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

His voice was deep. Smooth.

I sat. My fingers tightened slightly around the folder in my hand. He still didn’t look away. For a few seconds, the room was completely silent.

Then he said, “You work for Sienna Carter.”

It wasn’t a question. “Yes.”

And you’ve been there for… two years.”

I blinked. How did he know? Ohh, he must have checked my records. I thought.

“Yes.” He said. I checked your records.

Did I think that aloud? I nodded shyly.

“Okay.”

His lips moved slightly.

“Your performance reviews are excellent.”

My heart skipped.

“You’re efficient, calm under pressure and you think fast.”

I stared at him.

“That’s… what my boss says.”

“Yes, I know ”

He didn’t say anything to explain further.

I opened the folder quickly, trying to focus on the meeting.

“The events,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. “You’re planning events for investors and social elites.”

“Yes.”

“The number of events?”

“Undecided.”

I nodded slowly and wrote It down.

“Okay.. the theme for first event?”

“Anything you recommend.”

I glanced up. What?

He’s watching me again. Very closely.

“Okay sir, are you sure.”

“Yes.” Nothing more, just a simple yes.

I cleared my throat.

“How many guests are expected?”

“One hundred and fifty.”

“Location?”

“Still undecided.”

“Budget?”

His eyebrow lifted slightly. He lips moved slightly, almost like the ghost of a smile.

“You’re worried about the budget?”

“Well, it’s a formality we ask clients so as to know what to plan.” I said carefully.

His gaze was still on me.

“Go as far as you want.”

My pen stopped moving.

“As long as it’s perfect.”

I wrote it down slowly.

“Of course.”

Silence filled the room again.

I could feel his eyes on me.

Still watching.

Still studying.

Finally I looked up.

“Is there something else?”

He tilted his head slightly.

“No.”

I nodded slowly.

“Very well, I’ll take my leave now.”

I gathered the documents quickly. As I turned toward the door, his voice stopped me.

“Miss Nash.”

“Yes?”

His eyes held mine.

“ I look forward to working with you.”

“Me too,” I replied quickly.

Then I left. Fast.

The moment I stepped out of the office, I finally breathed gain.

“Holy s**t,” I whispered.

I took the elevator down, my mind racing.

Why did the meeting feel so strange?

My phone buzzed in my hand.

Val. Of course.

I answered.

“Hello?”

“Iris!!”

I sighed.

“Yes, Val.”

“Did you meet him??”

“Yes.”

“Well???”

I walked out of the building slowly

“He’s… intimidating.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I laughed, I can imagine her rolling her eyes.

“What did you ask?” I said teasingly.

“Is he hot?” she whispered

“Val.”

“What? I need to know.”

I hesitated.

“…yes.”

She screamed.

“I KNEW IT. I JUST KNOW HE LOOKS HOTTER IN PERSON.”

“Calm down.”

“No. Absolutely not. Describe him immediately in details.”

“Tall. Dark hair. Blue eyes.”

“Blue eyes??”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God.”

“Val…”

“And?”

“And what?”

“That can’t be all. Do you want me to spell everything”

“Is he the ‘ruin your life’ kind of hot or ‘just there’ kind of hot?”

I thought about the way he looked at me. The way he said my name. The way he made me feel butterflies

“…ermm… the former.”

There was silence. Then Val said slowly,

“Oh no.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

“That’s not good.”

“That’s my type of men.”

I rolled my eyes. “Val, you now have a boyfriend.”

“I don’t have one yet, he’s still hasn’t asked me.”

“Don’t change the damn topic by bring Christian into this. Back to Mr Handsome.”

I laughed softly as I walked toward the train station.

“You don’t even know him.”

“I do, I’ve heard a lot about him. I just needed to confirm if those rumours were true.”

“Well… most if it are. Him being called the Ice King is.”

“He barely talked.”

“Ohh, I love me some mysterious men.” She said firmly.

I shook my head.

He wasn’t mysterious. Just… quiet.”

“Oh-oh, you’ve started defending him.”

“You just met him like 10 minutes ago.”

“I’m not defending him, just stating facts.”

“And anyway aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I am, I came out for a field trip.”

“Okayy.”

That’s when I felt it. A strange feeling. Like someone was watching me.

I slowed down.

“Val… hold on.”

“What?”

“I think someone is following me.”

“What do you mean following you?”

“I don’t know.”

I turned slightly. People were walking past me.

Men in suits, teenagers, group of friends. Completely normal.

But the feeling didn’t go away. Like eyes were on my back.

“Iris?” Val said through the phone.

“I might be imagining things.”

I turned again. Still not nothing. Just people moving toward the train.

“You’re scaring me,” Val said.

“I’m probably overthinking.”

“Yeah, you should get home quickly.”

“I will.”

I walked toward the platform, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling crawling up my spine.

By the time I reached the train, it was gone.

Maybe it really was just imagination.

“Get a grip Iris,” I muttered.

When the train finally stopped, I stepped out and headed straight toward the office building.

By the time I reached my desk, Jane, Sienna’s assistant looked up.

“You’re back already?”

“Yes,” I said setting down my bag.

“She’s waiting.”

Of course. I knocked lightly on Sienna’s door.

“Come in.”

She was sitting behind her desk, typng something on her laptop. When she saw me, she closed it immediately.

“Well?” she said.

I sat down.

“The meeting went well.”

Her eyebrow lifted slightly.

“That’s a good start.”

“He hasn’t decided how many events I’ll be planning.”

She nodded slowly.

“Did he seem satisfy with you? I know he specifically asked of you but I just want to know.”

I paused.

“Yes. I guess.”

She nodded.

“You’ll be working closely with him now on.”

“Right.”

“I’ll have Jane send you the full contract details later today,” she continued. “Start brainstorming ideas for the first event.”

“Okay.”

“And Iris?”

“Yes?”

“If he asks for perfection…”

“Give it to him.”

“I will.”

I stood up.

“Good work,” she added.

“Thank you.”

I left her office and returned to my desk. For the rest of the afternoon, I tried to focus on work. Emails, schedules, venue research and design ideas. But every now and then, my mind drifted back to the meeting.

Those blue eyes staring into my soul, the voice, the way he watched me.

By the time I finally left the office, the sun was already setting.

Almost 1 hour later, I pushed open the door to our apartment.

The moment she saw me, she jumped up.

“Okay,” she said dramatically. “Now tell me everything properly.”

“I already did.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You skipped details.”

I laughed and dropped my bag.

“What details?”

“The important ones.”

“Like?”

“How hot he actually is.”

“Val…”

She grabbed her laptop from the table.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“We should search him.”

“Search him?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To know more about him duhh.” She said with a rolled eyes.

I hesistated. Then curiosity got the better of me.

I sat beside her and opened the laptop. I typed his name.

Nikolai Volkov.

Results appeared immediately.

The first article popped up.

FORBES – 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS LEADERS.

Val leaned closer.

“Oh wow.”

I clicked the article. A picture of him filled the screen. Even in the photo his expression looked calm, controlled and powerful.

“Does he look hotter?” Val whispered.

“Val.”

“What? I’m just asking.”

I kept scrollinng. Business articles. Investments. Then a picture appeared. My hand froze. He wasn’t alone. It shows Nikolai standing in a hotel lobby, maybe, his arm wrapped around the waist of a blonde woman. He’s turned away from the camera, so his face is still not visible. At his side, the woman is focused on him. She looks like a celebrity, dressed in a tight red dress, her hair falling straight down her neck nearly to her waist.

Val leaned closer.

“Oh.”

My stomach twisted slightly.

“Is that his girlfriend?” she asked.

I didn’t answer immediately. The woman was smiling beside him. Elegant. Beautiful. Perfect.

“I guess,” I muttered quietly.

Val tilted her head.

“She’s pretty.”

I scrolled down again. More pictures. The same woman appeared again. At an event.

Standing beside him. Laughing. A strange feeling crept into my chest. Jealousy. Which was ridiculous. I had only met him once. I closed the laptop suddenly. Val looked at me.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

But the truth was for some reason, I didn’t like the idea of Nikolai Volkov belonging to someone else.