Falling for the Enemy

Althea's POV  I'm going to be late. The realization hits me hard, syncing with the rapid thumping of my heart as I rush out of the bus station and into the bustling streets of Times Square. My phone lights up with the time: 8:47 AM. I'm already thirteen minutes late for my first day as Eros Valenti's personal assistant—billionaire CEO, my arch-nemesis before the devil himself, and as stated by every business publication in Manhattan, the most demanding boss in the city. Perfect start, Althea. My coffee, which set me back my last five dollars—sloshes precariously as I weave past a family clad in matching "I Love NY" shirts. My heart races in my chest as the Valenti Global Events tower looms over the neon chaos like a glass and steel testament to everything I am not: refined, composed, costly. When Eva said I've been accepted by Valenti Global Events Company as a personal assistant, I balked at the idea. It sounded too much like selling out. How could I keep in check with some hotshot rich dude who only cares about Power and control? Slowly but surely, she talked me into it. Convinced me that the salary is double anything I've made serving overpriced lattes. It's enough to move out of my Queens shoebox, enough to prove my business degree wasn't a waste, enough to finally stop eating ramen five nights a week. All I had to do was keep Mr. Evil Dictator happy, and so I caved. The lobby hits me like entering another dimension. White marble, soaring glass walls, the kind of abstract art that probably costs more than my student loans. The chaos ofTimes Squarel cuts off the moment the revolving doors seal behind me. Even my footsteps sound muted against the pristine floors. "Althea Dawson for Eros Valenti," I tell the receptionist, a woman so polished she could be carved from the same marble. "Forty-second floor. Executive elevators to your right." I've barely taken three steps when the security guard waves me through with a knowing smile."Ms. Dawson? I have your permanent access badge and building credentials." He hands me a sleek black card with my photo—when did they take that? Oh right, during the interview process. "This gets you into the building and the executive floors. Your IT login credentials are in this envelope along with your corporate card for approved expenses. And your desk number is 21." I take the envelope, noting the weight of the black Ameican Express card inside. My name embossed in silver: ALTHEA DAWSON - VALENTI GLOBAL EVENTS. It feels real now. Official. "Thank you," I say, clipping the badge to my blazer. The forty-second floor is humming with morning energy when I step off the elevator. My desk is a sleek workstation with dual monitors and a thick folder labeled "E. Valenti - Schedule & Contacts - Monday Transition Notes." I log in to the dual monitors using the credentials, and everything springs to life—email access, calendar systems, vendor databases, and client files. The transition notes from the previous assistant are already loaded and waiting. Thank God for thorough predecessors. I dive into the notes, absorbing contact information, preferences, and potential scheduling disasters. Eros's calendar is controlled chaos—back-to-back meetings, conference calls spanning multiple time zones, and site visits that would require teleportation to make them work logistically. No wonder his last assistant quit.I spot problems immediately. The Ross consultation overlaps with the Hamilton merger call. The venue walkthrough conflicts with the Sebnator's lunch. Someone scheduled a board call during Eros's only fifteen-minute break. I pull out my phone and start making calls. By 10:15, I had rescheduled three conflicts, flagged two for Eros's input, and discovered that he runs his empire on eighteen-hour days and apparently believes lunch is for the weak. 10:20. Time for "enemy reunion coffee." I grab my purse and rush back to the Consent café. The barista recognizes me. "Round two?" she asks with a knowing smile. "Different kind of emergency." Seven minutes later, I'm back in the elevator with proper coffee, and the kind of presentation that says "I'm taking this job seriously." 10:28. I gather the coffee, my notes, and something that feels like confidence. Time to prove I belong here. The forty-second floor opens into a world designed to intimidate. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the Manhattan skyline. Museum-quality art hangs on snow-white walls. Everything screams power, money, and control. And through glass doors that probably cost more than my apartment sits Eros Valenti. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing a charcoal suit that's been tailored to showcase every lean muscle of his body. Jet black hair styled with the kind of careless perfection that takes effort. Sharp jawline that belongs on a magazine cover. And eyes that are steel gray, which look devastating, are currently fixed on his phone with lethal focus. God, when did he get so handsome? His features have matured, the softness of youth replaced by defined angles and quiet confidence. He looks up as I approach, and that electric jolt hits me again when our eyes meet. "Althea." He gestures to the chair across from his desk. "Right on time." I settle into the butter-soft leather, acutely aware of how the morning light streaming through those massive windows turns his hair bronze and casts shadows across his face that make him look carved from stone. Beautiful and intimidating in equal measure. "So," he says, leaning back in his chair with controlled stillness that speaks of a man who's fought for every dollar in his bank account. "Tell me why you think you can handle this job." The question hangs between us, loaded with challenge and the weight of an empire built from nothing but determination and refusal to fail. Despite the bitterness and the betrayal and the years of silence between us, I can't deny the inconvenient truth - he’s only grown more attractive with time, and my body hasn't forgotten how it feels to be near him. Which means this is going to be a real problem.