Chapter 2 ---The Game Begins
1131 Words
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Chapter 2 — The Game Begins
Melissa Wayne hadn’t planned to set foot inside Thorne Enterprises ever again. But here she was—heels sharp, eyes sharper—marching through the pristine lobby like she owned the place. Only, she didn’t.
Yet.
Her hand hovered over the elevator button before jabbing it hard.
She hadn’t agreed to the job.
So who did Lucas Thorne think he was—sending her a contract, announcing her appointment to his staff, acting like her silence was submission?
The audacity.
The elevator dinged, and she stepped in, glaring at her reflection in the mirrored walls. She wasn’t here to play games.
She was here to draw the line.
---
Lucas Thorne looked up from his desk the moment his assistant announced her arrival.
Right on time.
He didn’t move. He just waited.
She burst into his office without knocking. “You’re unbelievable.”
His lips twitched. “Good afternoon to you too, Miss Wayne.”
“Don’t act polite. You sent me a job contract and told your staff I’d be starting Monday. Are you always this arrogant or is it a special talent?”
He leaned back, unbothered. “I prefer the term confident. And yes—I knew you’d come back.”
She scoffed. “To rip your contract to shreds, not to sign it.”
“You came back. That’s what matters.”
Melissa’s fingers curled into fists at her sides. “You crossed a line.”
“I pushed a boundary,” he corrected. “Big difference. And if you were truly against working here, you wouldn’t have shown up.”
“I showed up to tell you off, not to accept your high-handed offer.”
Lucas stood and walked around the desk slowly, deliberately. “You’re a brilliant lawyer, Melissa. You know how to read between lines. So let me ask you—what’s really keeping you from signing?”
“I don’t work for men like you.”
He arched a brow. “Powerful men?”
“Manipulative men,” she shot back. “The ones who treat people like chess pieces.”
He smiled then. Not smug—just intrigued. “And what if I told you I wanted a queen on the board? Not a pawn.”
“Flattery won’t work on me.”
“Good,” he said smoothly. “I prefer women who are immune to it.”
Melissa exhaled, fighting the flicker of something—respect? amusement?—that rose despite herself. “You’re relentless.”
“I’m efficient,” Lucas corrected. “I see talent, I pursue it. You’re the best candidate for this role, Melissa. You’re sharp, decisive, and not afraid to call out bullshit—even mine.”
“I don’t mix business with ego.”
“Then don’t,” he said simply. “But don’t walk away from the opportunity of a lifetime just because I irritate you.”
She stared at him, uncertain.
Because, annoyingly… he had a point.
Thorne Enterprises was a goldmine for her career. And the position? Executive Legal Counsel. Room for growth, power, prestige. It was everything she’d worked for. Fought for.
Still.
“Don’t think for a second that I’m flattered by your persistence,” she muttered. “I’m considering the offer only because it makes sense professionally.”
Lucas nodded. “That’s the only reason I hired you.”
A lie—but a convincing one.
She turned to leave.
“Oh,” he called out. “One more thing.”
Melissa paused.
Lucas moved closer, his voice low. “Welcome to the company, Miss Wayne. I’ll see you Monday.”
---
Monday Morning
Melissa stepped off the elevator on the executive floor, nerves coiled tight beneath her crisp charcoal suit.
She wasn’t here to make friends.
She was here to make moves.
Lucas’s assistant handed her a keycard and a welcome packet. “Your office is right next to Mr. Thorne’s.”
Of course it is.
She walked toward her new space, trying to ignore the tension simmering in her chest. The man got under her skin far too easily.
Speak of the devil…
The elevator beside hers dinged open—and there he was.
Lucas stepped out in a navy three-piece suit, impossibly put together, impossibly calm. “Good morning, Miss Wayne.”
“Let’s keep it strictly professional,” she said sharply.
He smiled. “Always.”
They walked side by side in silence until they reached the suite of offices.
Melissa was about to swipe her card when the elevator lights flickered.
Then jolted.
The floor shuddered beneath them—and the power went out.
The lights snapped off.
The emergency alarm blinked red.
“What the hell—” Melissa started.
Lucas grabbed her arm, steadying her as the hallway darkened. “Stay still. Might be a power surge.”
The elevator behind them groaned.
A warning bell chimed.
And then—sudden silence.
They both looked at the flickering panel. The entire executive floor was without power.
Lucas’s phone buzzed.
He checked it. “Building-wide outage. Should be resolved in fifteen.”
She exhaled. “Great first day.”
“Memorable,” he offered with a faint grin.
A maintenance worker shouted down the hall. “Executive wing’s elevator is jammed! We’re calling it in!”
Melissa turned to Lucas. “Stuck elevator. How ironic.”
Lucas’s expression changed—something unreadable passing over his face. “Come with me,” he said, walking toward the emergency stairwell.
She followed him down the hall, annoyed and intrigued.
When they reached the stairwell door, Lucas paused. “We’ll wait it out in the private conference room. It’s quieter.”
She hesitated. “I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll hate this company, then,” he said with a crooked smile.
They entered the small, windowless room. Lucas flicked on his phone light.
The silence stretched.
Too close.
Too dark.
Melissa leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “This is a nightmare.”
“Is it?” Lucas’s voice was lower now. “I’ve been stuck in worse rooms.”
She gave him a look. “Don’t try to turn this into a moment.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, but there was something in his tone—something teasing, dangerous, familiar.
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
Then—suddenly—the door clicked.
Locked.
Melissa frowned and reached for the handle.
No response.
She jiggled it harder. “Lucas, it’s not opening.”
He stepped forward, tried it himself.
Nothing.
The room was soundproofed. No one could hear them.
“We’re locked in,” she said flatly.
Lucas turned to her.
“Well,” he murmured. “This just got interesting.”
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- Writer
