The Assistant’s Rule

Chapter one

Maya Clarke,a lady with a petite body in her late 20’s,light-caramel skin with beautiful hazel eyes that cautiously seems to study her surroundings without giving anything away.Her long dark hair is usually pulled back neatly,highlighting her calm features,framing a face that rarely reveals what she’s thinking.Her style is simple,clean and effortlessly feminine.

Maya’s morning routine has always been the same for the past few years;silent,careful and alone.Asides the soft humming sound from the heater and distant traffic sounds the apartment was quiet.She moved sneaky trying to avoid the creaky floorboard near the kitchen,double-checking the door locks and secretly glancing out the window to make sure no one was lingering outside.Her years of running had taught her that the smallest miscalculation could put her at risk even down to her every move and breathe she takes.

She recited the rules in her head like it was some sort of chant.Stay anonymous.Don’t trust.No romantic emotion. They weren’t just rules,they were her survival guide,she doesn’t go against the rules and she intended to keep things that way.Today,however,she is taking a big risk.She’s starting a new job.The elevator ride up to the top floors of Kane Industries was taking longer than she expected.Maya’s memory flashed back through everything she researched about the company;global presence,top five most influential company also has a ruthless CEO.

Adrian Kane is in his early thirties,tall,well-built, and impossible to overlook. He has steady brown eyes that can feel unreadable one moment and razor-sharp the next.Popularly known for being focused and most times ruthless, he carries the kind of quiet, dangerous confidence that comes from running a billion dollar empire. Even when he’s calm, people sense he’s not a man to offend.And yet,she was about to work for him as his personal assistant.

She appeared calm and put together ,and her reflection in the elevator mirror showed that.However the typical cautious stirred behind her hazel eyes,taking a slow breath to calm herself as she adjusts her black blazer and walks out from the elevator.

The receptionist looked up with a forceful smile. “Ms. Clarke?”

“Yes,” Maya said, her voice neutral, almost practiced.

“You can go straight up. Mr. Kane is expecting you.”

Her stomach tightened in response to the words.Of course he was expecting her.Adrian Kane’s world was filled with expectations and he doesn’t forgive mistakes.Maya took a step forward,her heels softly clicking against the marble floor.She kept her head high her steps measured,avoiding to show any sign of nervousness.The rules were always in place and one includes not being noticed.

As she approached his office, the weight of the unspoken tension filled the air. Maya took a deep breath, reminding herself that she had come too far to let fear dictate her actions now.The office was larger than she expected. Glass walls, minimalist décor, and the faint smell of leather and coffee. And then she saw him.

Adrian Kane was standing comfortably at his desk, tall and well-dressed, with dark hair that looked like it had been sculpted instead of combed.When he entered a room, the air felt heavier due to the aura around him.Not intimidating, exactly. More… commanding

Ms. Clarke,” he said, his voice low but steady, the kind of voice that made people draw in without realizing it. “Welcome to Kane Industries.”

She nodded once,slowly. “Thank you, sir.”

He tilted his head, to examine her. Not with judgment, but interest. Her stomach tightened due to that type of interest she had trained herself not to feel, even though she had trained herself to avoid feeling anything.

“I’ve heard you’re good at keeping things organized.”Adrian said

“I am,” she said simply.

“Good,” he replied, with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ll need to be.”

Maya’s mind was focused throughout the first hour which was filled with introductions and orientation,names,divisions,security protocols and schedules.She was able to precisely memorize the logic and pattern of everything.She was unaware that Adrian’s eyes were following every of her body movements like a predator observing its prey before making the first move.

When he finally spoke to her,it was during the brief silence in the office.He leaned against his desk,with his arms folded checking her out like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“You’re abnormally…calm and composed”,he said.”Most newly employed assistants would be nervous and anxious or act like they know what they’re doing”.

Maya pressed her lips together.”Before doing anything, I like to know what I am doing”

“Good answer”,he said quietly,with a trace of laughter in his voice.He moved closer to her enough for Maya to sense the whole of his attention focused on her.

“So tell me…are you always this composed all the time,or it is a skill you’ve learned?”

Her stomach tightened slightly.She focused herself to look at his face, “A skill “.She said.

He nodded once before going back to his paperwork.But Maya knew.He’s trying to study her and also aware that she doesn’t want to be noticed.

It was time for lunch,Maya was surprised by how fast the day was running.Maya chose a table where should see both entrances in a corner of the staff cafeteria,her lunch was untouched she wasn’t thinking about food at that moment.The scene of Adrian leaning in too close to her face kept playing over and over in her head,the way he looked at her,in a curious and fearless way.

She tried to get the thought off her head,the rules were made for a reason she said to herself,no mistakes,no attachment and no distractions.

She went back to her desk in the office and started working on the first of the many tasks he had given to her.Schedules,budget reports and travel plans which were tedious.Meanwhile he was trying to test her without her realizing it.

During a team meeting,she caught a glimpse of him watching her from the corner of her eye.He kept staring at her from time to time,even though other executives regarded him as untouchable.She forced her shoulders back as her heart raced at the realization.”Don’t panic,don’t be noticed “,she said to herself silently.

His first test for her came sooner than she expected.Just before the end of the day,Adrian called her into his office,on the corner of his desk was a pile of papers.

“I need these organized and summarized by the end of the day “,he said nonchalantly.

Maya looked at the pile of paperwork that had to be done,it was much work that was filled with schedules,numbers and private notes.A normal assistant would have freaked out by so much work that had to be done but she didn’t.She gave a slight,barely noticeable smile “Consider it done”,she said.After observing her for a moment,he nodded once and said,”Good I like that confidence “.

She was eager to work,she’s capable of this and was going to do it.Beneath it all,there was this noticeable hit of curiosity,something she hadn’t felt in years.

The day ended without any problems,Maya left the office quietly avoiding the crowded lobby and elevators where she might be easily spotted.She walked down to where her car was parked,with her eyes scanning everywhere corner of the street.Her first day went well,according to the way she had planned,settled inside her car she couldn’t stop thinking about Adrian the billionaire,untouchable and for some reason she finds him fascinating.

Holding unto the steering wheel,she reminded herself of the rules,stay hidden,don’t trust,no attachment.As she drove away,a faint voice in the back of her mind whispered something she had long forgotten how to feel,maybe one rule is about to be broken.