He's Watching You
1043 Words
The next morning, the city greeted Steph with a gray sky and the low hum of traffic. She stood in front of the glass doors of MSG, this place that somehow managed to looked intimidating even on the sunniest day. Today, the building’s steel and mirrored façade reflected nothing but storm clouds as if knew what was ahead
She swiped at her badge as she stepped inside, Instantly she was hit by the familiar scent of expensive coffee and fresh-cut lilies from the lobby arrangements. While security guards nodded as she passed, she couldn't stop her eyes a they kept darting toward the private elevator tucked away in the far corner.
Damian Pierce’s elevator.
She wasn’t sure why her stomach did those silly somersaults every time she thought of him. Maybe it was the way he had looked at her yesterday, sharp yet assessing, it was like he saw more than she wanted him to, or maybe it was because her entire presence here was just a well calculated lie, and Damian Pierce was the one man who could ruin it if he ever looked too close.
She adjusted the strap of her black bag as she made her way towards the executive floor. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Unknown number…again
She hesitated as she thought of how no one outside of Monarch was supposed to have this phone number. She answered quietly. “Hello?”
A low, distorted voice came through. “He’s watching you.”
Steph froze mid-step. “Who is this?”
The line went dead immediately as though the caller only needed to hear her voice to be sure he was scaring the right person.
Steph felt her fingers tighten around the phone, but before she could process what had just happened,the private elevator chimed. The doors slid open, and there he was, Damian Pierce, tall and immaculately dressed in his usual charcoal suit that made him look like he had stepped out of a Wall Street magazine.
“Steph.” His tone was as casual as always , but his eyes??those unreadable steel-gray eyes lingered on her a moment too long.
She managed to force a polite smile. “Mr. Pierce.”
“Walk with me.” and as usual he didn’t wait for her to agree before stepping into the elevator.
Inside the elevator,the space was quiet except for the soft hum of the machinery. Steph kept her gaze fixed on the floor numbers ticking upward, but she could feel him studying her.
“You’ve been here… what now? A week?”
“Eight days,” she replied.
“Eight days,” he repeated, almost to himself. “And yet, you’ve managed to… stand out.”
Her pulse kicked up. “Is that a bad thing?”
He gave the faintest smile. “That depends.”
The elevator doors opened to the executive floor as Damian led her into his office, a space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, minimalist décor, and a desk that definitely cost more than her apartment lease.
He motioned for her to sit, then leaned against the edge of his desk with his arms folded. “Tell me something, Steph. Why exactly did you apply for this job?”
She blinked, caught off guard. “Well,because I wanted it.”
“Now, that's not an answer.”
She exhaled slowly. “Because I’m good at what I do. And because Monarch Capital is the best in the business.”
Damian studied her, as though weighing the truth in her words. “You know, I’ve been in this game long enough to spot people who are… playing another game entirely.”
Her heartbeat thudded in her ears. “I’m not sure what you mean Mr Pierce.”
“Of course you’re not.”
Before she could respond, his desk phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, then picked up. “Yes? … What? Now? … Fine. I’ll be there.”
He hung up and straightened his shoulders. “Change of plans. I have to leave for a meeting downtown and you're coming with me.”
“Me?”
“You take notes, don’t you?”
Steph hesitated, then grabbed her tablet and followed him. The ride downtown was tense. Damian’s driver navigated slick streets while Damian scrolled through his phone, barely looking at her. She, on the other hand, just couldn’t stop replaying the distorted voice in her head.
‘He’s watching you.’
By the time they reached the glass tower of Morgan & Hale Partners, Steph had shoved all of those thought aside. She slipped into professional mode while trailing Damian into the conference room.
The meeting was a routine of numbers, projections, investment pitches, and it's like but Steph noticed something. Damian not only listened,he observed every twitch, he noticed every nervous glance, and even every hesitation from the people across the table.
Afterward, as they stepped into the hallway, he asked, “ So what did you think?”
She immediately adjusted the strap of her bag as she answered “They’re hiding something.”
He glanced at her, mildly impressed. “Go on.”
“Their CFO avoided eye contact every time you asked about the Q4 projections. And the way the lead partner shuffled paper, it's a delay tactic. They’re stalling for something.”
Damian’s lips curved into the faintest smirk ever “Interesting.”
In the car ride back, he finally decided to speak again. “I think I might keep you around, Steph.”
She raised a brow. “Might?”
He leaned back in his seat. “Well, Miss Munroe is depends on whether you keep surprising me.”
The city lights blurred as they passed, neon streaks against the rain-slicked glass. Steph sat in silence while her her mind raced
She wasn’t supposed to get this close to Damian Pierce. Not emotionally. Not professionally. Her role was clear, it was, blend in, protect him from threats he didn’t know existed, and leave once the job was done.
But if she wasn’t careful, as careful as she was supposed to be,Damian Pierce would become more than just her assignment. And that? that was even more dangerous than whatever she was protecting him from
- Writer
