HIS FRAGILE OBSESSION

Chapter 5

The heavy glass doors of Vance Enterprises slid shut behind Hazel, cutting off the bustling noise of the corporate world.

Her first day as Nicholas Vance’s personal secretary had been a high-intensity battle. Between memorizing his vast international schedule and enduring his suffocating, intense aura, every ounce of her energy had been drained. Her feet ached in her heels, and her shoulders felt heavy with fatigue.

It was nearly 7:00 PM by the time she reached the 12th floor of her new executive apartment.

Walking down the carpeted hallway, Hazel pressed a tired hand against her forehead, dreading the mountain of unpacked cardboard boxes waiting inside. Sighing softly, she tapped her electronic key card and pushed the door open.

"I guess I'm not sleeping tonight..." she muttered, stepping inside.

Hazel reached out to flip the light switch and froze dead in her tracks.

Her breath caught in her throat. The living room wasn't filled with messy, stacked boxes anymore. The entire apartment was impeccably, flawlessly set up. Her clothes were neatly hung in the walk-in wardrobe, her books lined the shelves, and her bed was made with luxury white linens.

Hazel stood paralyzed, her handbag slipping from her grip. How is this possible? Who did this?

Ding.

The sharp alert of her phone shattered the silence of the room. She pulled out her device with trembling hands and opened the text from an unlisted business number.

It was a direct message from Nicholas.

Nicholas Vance: I had my team organize your apartment today so you wouldn't waste time on trivial chores when you should be focusing on my schedule. Check all my upcoming meetings for the week, review the files, and have the finalized report ready on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. Don't be late.

Hazel stared at her glowing screen, her thumbs hovering frozen over the keypad. A crease formed between her brows as a strange realization hit her. Nicholas Vance was the head of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a man who assigned even his smallest tasks to department heads and didn't spend a single second on unnecessary talk. Why would someone like him take out the time to personally message his employee?

Even if she was his personal secretary, he could have easily made his chief manager or HR inform her. But he didn't. He texted her directly from his own number.

Hazel held the phone against her chest, her heart fluttering with a subtle, unfamiliar warmth. Even when saving her hours of physical exhaustion, he wrapped it in his cold, commanding logic.

Shaking off the surreal feeling, she freshened up, made herself a warm cup of coffee, and stepped out onto the balcony. The evening air was cool, and the city lights twinkled under the vast, beautiful sky.

Pulling out her office tablet, Hazel began reviewing the upcoming files for the week. She was so absorbed in her work that she jumped when her phone rang suddenly.

"Ms. Hazel?" an urgent voice spoke from the other end. "This is Mr. Vance’s executive assistant. Mr. Vance needs you immediately.

The international contractors for the merger just demanded a surprise late-night meeting at his private countryside estate. A driver is already outside your building."

"W-What? Right now?!" Hazel panicked, looking down at her casual clothes.

"Yes, right now, ma'am. Please hurry."

Scrambling into panic mode, Hazel quickly threw on a sharp formal dress, grabbed her purse and tablet, and rushed downstairs just as the sleek black car honked outside.

The moment she opened the rear door, Nicholas was already inside, his suit jacket off, looking intensely focused.

"Get in, Ms. Sterling. We don't have time," Nicholas commanded smoothly.

She slid into the seat beside him, her heart hammering as the car sped into the night.

"This European deal is the backbone of our expansion," Nicholas explained, his deep voice carrying a rare, serious edge as he turned to her. "If we lose these contractors tonight, we will lose months of strategy. I need you focused, precise, and by my side every second."

"I understand, sir. I won't let you down," Hazel said softly, steeling her nerves.

An hour later, they arrived at Nicholas’s grand, secluded estate. The atmosphere was charged with corporate tension as the stern

European contractors greeted them.

For the next two hours, Hazel was flawless. She presented the complex project briefs with stunning clarity, answered tough financial queries without a single stutter, and handled the high-pressure negotiations with graceful confidence. Nicholas watched her from across the mahogany table, his dark eyes gleaming with quiet pride.

By the time, the lead contractor broke into a rare smile, extending his hand to Nicholas. "Your secretary's preparation is impeccable, Vance. The deal is yours."

The contract was officially signed.

After a celebratory dinner, Nicholas and Hazel walked the contractors to their cars to bid them farewell. As the tail-lights disappeared down the long driveway, a sudden quiet fell over the estate.

Nicholas turned to Hazel. The cold, ruthless CEO facade was completely gone, replaced by an intense, burning energy.

Before Hazel could even process the moment, Nicholas stepped in close, cupped her face in his warm, large hands, and pulled her into a deep, passionate, breathless kiss.

Hazel froze completely, her eyes widening in absolute shock. Her hands hovered near his chest, her mind short-circuiting as his lips moved against hers with overwhelming passion and praise.

"You were incredible, Haze..." Nicholas whispered against her lips, his voice raw, deep, and thick with restraint.

Hazel stood there, her cheeks burning crimson, completely speechless, shy, and utterly confused by the sudden wave of affection from her intimidating boss.

Before either of them could say another word, thunder roared overhead, and heavy rain began to pour down.

"Come inside," Nicholas said softly, taking her wrist and leading her back into the warm estate.

One of his estate managers respectfully approached Hazel, bowing slightly. "Ms. Hazel, the storm is too heavy for the driver to take you back tonight. Please, use the guest suite on the west wing until the rain stops."

Nodding mechanically, still dazed by Nicholas’s kiss, Hazel followed the manager to a luxurious bedroom. She stepped into the adjoining bathroom, stripped out of her formal dress, and changed into a plush, comfortable white bathrobe.

Walking back into the quiet bedroom, Hazel stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass panel, watching the heavy rain slam against the glass, her fingers gently touching her tingling lips. Her chest heaved with a chaotic mix of emotions.

What just happened between us?

Suddenly,

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

A heavy, deliberate knock vibrated through the silent room, cutting through the sound of the pouring rain outside. Hazel gasped softly, turning around in the dim, golden light of the bedroom. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs as her hand instinctively pulled the lapels of her plush white bathrobe tighter against her throat.

"Who... who is it?" she called out, her voice trembling slightly in the quiet space.

There was no answer. Only the low, ominous roar of thunder outside.

The door handle slowly turned downward with a heavy, metallic click. The door swung open, revealing a tall, shadowed silhouette standing right at the threshold.

Hazel’s breath caught completely in her throat.

The figure stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The wall lamps suddenly flickered, plunging the room into a deep, hazy twilight. She couldn't clearly see his face, only the threatening, dark presence moving slowly toward her with absolute, unsettling calm.

Panic flared violently in her chest. "Stop right there... Who are you?" Hazel stammered, taking a desperate step backward. "Answer me!"

The figure didn't stop. He took another slow, deliberate step forward, his heavy footsteps echoing in her head. Hazel’s heart was beating so hard it felt painful. She backed away further, her heels hitting the cold glass window, but the shadow kept closing the distance, squeezing the air right out of her lungs. Her eyes widened in pure terror as her back slammed against the cold marble wall.

She was completely trapped.

"Please... don't come any closer!" Hazel pleaded, her voice shaking violently as she pressed her hands flat against the wall. Panic completely taking over, she screamed toward the doorway with all her strength, "Mr. Vance! Nicholas! Help me! Please!"

Suddenly....CRACK!

A violent flash of lightning ripped through the dark sky outside, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. In that microsecond, the power cut out completely.

The room plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness.

Hazel gasped, trying to dodge to the side, but before she could move, a large, heavy hand shot out through the dark and pinned her brutally against the wall.

She struggled frantically, her hands pushing against a broad chest to free herself. "Let me go! Help!"

Before she could scream again, a coarse, heavy hand clamped tightly over her mouth, instantly smothering her cries. The shadowed figure leaned down close. A cold, terrifying pressure wrapped around her, and a raspy, ominous voice whispered right into her ear, sending a wave of pure horror straight down her spine.

"Shh... don't fight it, little treasure," the dark voice growled softly, his grip tightening around her waist just enough to steal her breath away. "You look so breathtakingly fragile when you panic..... It makes me want to break you myself."

Hazel’s eyes widened in sheer, agonizing terror. The mysterious threat shattered her mind. She thrashed against his grip, trying to pull his hand off her mouth, but he roughly grabbed her wrist, twisting it back as he forced himself closer against her trembling body.

Panic and suffocating fear choked her breath. Her chest heaved violently, dizziness overwhelming her senses as her knees buckled under the terrifying strain.

Just as her vision began to blur into dark spots, the emergency generators kicked in. The bright lights flickered back on instantly. Blinded by the sudden glare, the intruder panicked, cursed under his breath, shoved her away, and fled out through the balcony door into the pouring storm.

Hazel’s body went completely limp, falling onto the cold floor as she fainted dead away.

Minutes later, a room-service server pushing a serving trolley with warm tea walked down the corridor. Seeing the guest suite door slightly ajar, he pushed it open and froze in absolute shock.

The room was in disarray, and Hazel was lying unconscious on the marble floor near the window.

"Mr. Vance! Mr. Vance, come quickly!" the server shouted into the hallway, leaving the trolley behind.

Within seconds, rushed, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. Nicholas Vance stormed into the room, his eyes dark with immediate, lethal fury. The moment his gaze landed on Hazel’s pale, motionless form, his jaw clenched tightly.

Ignoring the stunned staff around him, Nicholas dropped to his knees beside her. Without a second thought, he slid one strong arm beneath her knees and wrapped the other around her waist, effortlessly lifting her limp body against his broad chest.

He carried her over to the grand bed, gently laying her down on the soft white sheets.

As he carefully arranged the surrounding bathrobe, his eyes caught the faint red bruises forming around her delicate wrist.

Nicholas froze for a second.

His dark gaze lingered on her soft skin, a quiet crease forming between his brows. His mind brushed past the strange sight, thinking she might have twisted her wrist during the frantic morning rush, or perhaps her body had simply given out under the heavy fever and sheer exhaustion of the day.

His long fingers gently brushed a dark strand of damp hair away from her pale forehead. Her skin felt faintly warm against his touch.

Deciding against waking her, Nicholas pulled the warm duvet up to her shoulders, tucking her in with quiet care.

He took one last look at her sleeping face before stepping silently out of the room, shutting the heavy door behind him, leaving her to sleep peacefully in the quiet night.