OWNED BY THE ENEMY

chapter 2 ThE Ruthless CEO

The executive floor buzzed with whispers before Eliza had even reached her desk.

"Is she the new assistant?"

"I heard the CEO hired her himself."

"Poor girl. No one survives working for Mr. Sterling."

Eliza ignored the curious stares. She had faced worse than office gossip. After everything life had taken from her, a few whispers couldn't shake her.

She placed her handbag neatly on the desk outside Richard Sterling's office and took a slow breath.

"Your coffee."

A secretary handed her a file and a steaming cup.

"He likes it black. No sugar. If it's cold, he'll send it back."

Eliza nodded politely.

"So the great Richard Sterling can't drink cold coffee," she murmured under her breath. "Good to know."

She knocked.

"Come in."

Richard didn't look up from the documents spread across his desk.

"You're two minutes early."

"I thought punctuality was a good thing."

"It is."

He finally raised his eyes to meet hers.

"But don't mistake punctuality for competence."

The words were cold, deliberate, and meant to provoke her.

Instead of reacting, Eliza calmly placed the coffee on his desk.

"Then I'll let my work speak for itself."

For the first time, something flickered in Richard's expression.

Not approval.

Interest.