HIS FRAGILE OBSESSION

Chapter 2

The rain outside didn’t just fall; it poured in heavy, continuous sheets against the large glass panel of Vance Enterprises. Down below, the capital city was just a blur of yellow cabs and grey umbrellas, completely swallowed by the sudden storm.

Inside the quiet executive floor, Hazel stood near the edge of the hallway, her body tense.

Her clothes were damp at the hem, a sudden heavy rain on her way from the bus stop had left her thin coat soaked, her dark hair sticking slightly to her neck. She had taken off her coat, holding it nervously over her arm, but her soft beige satin shirt was still slightly wet at the shoulders.

She wasn't supposed to be wandering around the private executive wing, but the building layout was confusing, and the elevator had let her out on the wrong floor.

Hazel pressed two trembling fingers against the cold glass window, trying to calm her fast breathing. She traced the faint outline of a raindrop racing down the other side, her warm breath making a small fogged circle on the glass surface.

She couldn't mess this up.

This internship was her absolute last option. She didn't have strong contacts or a rich family to support her, just a desperate need to earn enough money to pay her rent and keep going. Every bill was overdue, and Vance Enterprises paid their interns better than any local company in the area.

Lost in her racing thoughts, she didn't hear the soft ding of the private elevator further down the hall.

Nor did she hear the quiet, firm footsteps walking on the polished marble floor.

Nicholas Vance walked out of the lift, accompanied by three senior department heads holding tablet screens and thick blue folders.

He was dressed in a sharp, dark suit, his necktie perfect, his jawline sharp and clear under the warm lights of the corridor.

"Mr. Vance, regarding the final details for the European merger," the chief manager spoke quickly, adjusting his glasses. "We just need your final approval on the...."

Nicholas suddenly stopped mid-step.

The managers stopped immediately, their words dying in their throats as they looked at their boss in confusion.

Nicholas’s dark, sharp eyes were locked onto the glass window near the end of the hall. There was a girl standing there...dripping wet, her dark hair damp, her posture nervous, and her wet shoes leaving small water marks on his spotless, expensive marble floor.

A cold frown formed between Nicholas’s brows. His temper was very short, and his floor had strict rules against careless behavior.

"Who allowed someone to walk in here completely wet from head to toe?" Nicholas’s voice cut through the silence, low, deep, and full of clear authority. "Is front security letting anyone walk onto the executive floor now?"

The manager turned pale, quickly checking his tablet. "I....I apologize, Mr. Vance! She shouldn't be on this floor. She... let me check... ah, she's Hazel Sterling, one of the shortlisted candidates for the basic corporate internship starting this week."

The sharp tone in Nicholas's voice reached down the quiet corridor.

Hazel froze.

Her heart dropped straight to her stomach. Slowly, nervously, she pulled her hand away from the glass window and turned around.

Standing just twenty feet away was a man who looked like he owned every inch of the space around her. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair combed neatly, and eyes so cold they felt sharper than the icy rain outside.

Hazel’s breath caught in her throat. Her hands tightened around her wet coat, holding it nervously against her chest like a shield. She looked tiny, fragile, and completely scared under his intense gaze.

"I... I’m so sorry, sir," Hazel stammered, her voice trembling as her fingers clutched her wet coat tighter against her chest. She took a small step back against the cold glass. "The elevator button didn't light up on the first floor, and I got confused. I was just leaving... Please don't cancel my interview."

Her wide hazel eyes welled up with faint tears, her raw innocence completely exposed.

"I really need this job, sir," she pleaded softly, looking up at him with pure desperation. "I’ll clean up the wet marks right now... Please forgive my mistake. I promise I won't ever step onto this floor again."

The managers waited for Nicholas to get annoyed, to order security to take the girl out and reject her application immediately.

Instead, silence spread across the hallway.

Nicholas didn't shout. The irritation on his face slowly changed into something far more quiet and intense, a steady, deep curiosity.

He looked at her damp dark hair, the nervous shake in her pale fingers, and the raw, honest plea in her voice. She didn't have the fake arrogance or calculated charm of the people who usually tried to pitch themselves to him. She was completely simple, natural, and transparent.

"An intern?" Nicholas asked slowly, his gaze never leaving her face as he spoke to the manager beside him.

"Y...yes, sir. For the basic research department. Her application is still under review....."

"Cancel the research internship," Nicholas cut him off calmly.

Hazel’s heart sank straight to her stomach. Her breath hitched, and a cold wave of disappointment washed over her. She had lost it.

"Sir?" the manager blinked in complete confusion.

Nicholas took a slow, deliberate step toward Hazel, his dark eyes fixed on her pale, shocked face.

"My personal secretary position has been vacant for a few days," Nicholas said, his deep voice carrying an effortless, commanding authority. "Appoint her as my personal secretary instead."

Hazel’s jaw dropped.

She froze in absolute shock, her eyes wide as she stared at him, completely amazed and disbelieved. A personal secretary to the CEO? That position paid five times more than a basic internship...it was more than enough to cover all her rent, bills, and debt in a single month!

Surprise and sudden joy rushed through her, making her heart flutter.

"M...Mr. Vance...?" the manager stuttered, completely taken aback. "Are you sure? She has no executive experience..."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Nicholas asked, his tone dangerously low.

The manager instantly shut his mouth, bowing his head. "I will prepare her contract immediately, sir."

Hazel felt a wave of overwhelming relief and happiness. A huge smile began to form on her face, and she took a step forward, her lips parting to speak.

"Thank you so much, sir! I..."

Before she could finish her sentence or express her gratitude, Nicholas turned around smoothly, his dark coat sweeping behind him.

"Follow me to the board room," Nicholas ordered his managers coldly, stepping straight into the hallway without giving Hazel another glance.

"Yes, Mr. Vance!" the managers quickly scurried after him, clutching their tablets and files.

Hazel stood alone in the quiet corridor, her breath still uneven, watching his tall, commanding figure disappear around the corner. She touched her chest, her heart beating wildly...a mix of extreme relief, happiness, and a strange, lingering chill from the man who had just changed her life in a single second.

She quickly turned around to head back toward the main elevators. As she walked down the hallway near the staff desk, the hushed, urgent whispers of two senior staff members caught her ear.

"What...did he really just appoint someone for the PS position on the spot?"

"No way. The last few secretaries couldn't even handle him a month! Mr. Vance’s expectations are impossibly high, and that desk is the hardest place in the entire building to survive."

Hazel's footsteps slowed down.

She looked down at the official temporary pass in her hand, the hushed chatter of the employees echoing in her ears. A crease formed between her brows as confusion blended with her excitement.

Why would someone as famous as Nicholas Vance hire a drenched stranger with zero executive experience for the most demanding role in his company? And what was it about the position that no one seemed able to handle?

She had secured the exact job she desperately needed.... but as Hazel stepped into the elevator, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that her new role was going to be anything but not simple.