THE WRONG STERLING

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER 3

ELENA’S POV

Luca and I stood at opposite ends of the dining table.

The space between us felt wider than it actually was, like the air itself had thickened just to make sure we didn’t accidentally reach each other. The apartment was quieter now....Serena had stormed out earlier with a sharp look and even sharper silence but somehow, her absence made everything worse.

Because now it was just us.

And the problem was… that didn’t feel comforting anymore.

It felt strained.

Like something that used to fit perfectly had started to c***k in places we were both pretending not to see.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. I had come here excited. Happy. I had news that should have made him smile, maybe even pull me into one of those warm hugs he used to give without hesitation.

Instead, I felt like I was standing in front of a stranger.

“I don’t get why you don’t want me to take this job so badly,” I finally said, my voice sharper than I intended. I tried to keep it in, but the frustration had been sitting in my chest for too long. “You know how much I’ve wanted this… how much I still want it.”

Luca didn’t respond immediately.

He just looked at me.

Really looked at me.

And for a moment, I saw something in his expression that I couldn’t quite place. Not anger exactly. Not sadness either.

Something… tight.

Contained.

Like he was holding back words that were already halfway out of his mouth.

“I know how badly you want it,” he said finally, slowly, carefully. “And maybe that’s the problem.”

I frowned immediately.

“What does that even mean?”

He leaned slightly forward on the table, resting one hand against the wood like he needed something to ground him.

“It means,” he continued, his tone tightening, “that when you want something that badly and you finally get it, you don’t just do it normally, Elena. You immerse yourself in it. Completely.”

I blinked.

“That’s called passion, Luca.”

“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “That’s called losing balance.”

I let out a dry laugh, more out of disbelief than humor.

“You’re talking like I’m unstable.”

“I’m talking like I know you,” he replied, his voice lower now.

That made me pause.

There was something in the way he said it.

Something almost… personal.

Almost like a warning disguised as concern.

I crossed my arms.

“And what exactly am I supposed to be ‘losing balance’ into? My job?”

Luca’s jaw tightened slightly.

“That job,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “is at Sterling Inc.”

“Yes,” I said flatly. “The biggest corporation in Manhattan. That’s literally why I want it.”

He looked away for a second.

Just a second.

But I caught it.

The flicker.

The hesitation.

Then he looked back at me.

“And the CEO is Sebastian Sterling.”

I frowned again.

“Okay… and?”

That seemed to irritate him more than I expected.

He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Are you really that unaware of what that means?”

I stared at him.

“Luca, what is your problem?”

Silence stretched between us.

He didn’t answer immediately.

And when he finally did, his voice was quieter.

Colder.

“When you want something that bad and you finally get it,” he repeated, slower this time, “you over-immerse yourself in it. And who knows… maybe you’ll fall in love with Sebastian in the process too.”

The words landed like a slap.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just… precise.

My chest tightened instantly.

For a second, I couldn’t even respond. My brain tried to process what he had just said, but it felt ridiculous. Offensive, even.

I let out a breath, shaking my head slightly.

“That’s what this is about?” I said slowly. “You think I’ll fall in love with my boss?”

Luca didn’t answer.

But his silence was answer enough.

Something in my expression hardened.

I took a step forward.

“We’re getting married in four weeks,” I said firmly. “Four. Weeks. And you’re standing here talking about me falling in love with someone else?”

His eyes flickered.

Just briefly.

Something sharp crossed his face....jealousy, maybe. Or insecurity.

But it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

What remained was something colder.

Angrier.

“Then act like it,” he snapped.

I froze.

That wasn’t what I expected.

Not the words.

Not the tone.

Definitely not the distance behind them.

“Act like what exactly?” I asked quietly, my voice dropping now.

Luca straightened.

“Like someone who remembers what she’s about to do.”

I stared at him.

For a moment, I genuinely didn’t recognize the man standing in front of me.

This wasn’t the Luca I planned a future with.

The Luca who used to hold my hand without hesitation.

The Luca who used to laugh softly at my chaos like it was something he loved about me.

This version of him felt… guarded.

Sharp around the edges.

Like he was constantly holding himself back from saying more.

Or worse, revealing something.

My voice softened, despite the tension.

“What’s really going on with you?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked at me for a long moment.

Too long.

And then something shifted in his expression.

A slow, tight smile formed on his lips.

It wasn’t warm.

It wasn’t kind.

It was controlled.

Almost knowing.

“Take the job, Elena,” he said finally.

I blinked, thrown off by the sudden change.

“But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The words hung in the air.

Heavy.

Unfinished.

Before I could respond, before I could even ask what he meant, he grabbed his keys from the counter.

And walked out.

Just like that.

No explanation.

No apology.

Just the sound of the door clicking shut behind him.

Leaving me alone in the apartment.

Still standing.

Still confused.

And suddenly not as certain about anything as I had been when I walked in.

ELENA’S POV

Four days moved faster than I expected, almost like time was mocking me for how unprepared I felt.

And before I could fully process it, it was Monday.

My first day at Sterling Inc.

I woke up earlier than usual, not because I was nervous, at least that’s what I kept telling myself but because I wanted everything to be perfect. My outfit, my hair, my timing… everything.

First impressions mattered. Especially here.

I stood in front of the mirror for a few extra seconds than necessary, adjusting my blazer, smoothing out invisible creases on my skirt.

“Get it together, Elena,” I muttered under my breath.

Because this wasn’t just any job.

This was Sterling Inc.

The biggest corporation in Manhattan.

And I, somehow, had been chosen to lead their Media and Journalism Division.

Even thinking about it made my stomach twist in disbelief.

I grabbed my bag, took one last look at my apartment, and left.

The drive was quiet.

Too quiet.

Even the city outside my window felt different today...louder, sharper, almost like it knew I was stepping into something that would change everything.

I didn’t text Luca.

Not because I forgot.

But because I didn’t want to think about him right now.

Not after everything that had been said in the last few days… especially that look in his eyes when I mentioned the job again.

I pushed the thought away.

By the time I arrived, the Sterling building already looked intimidating.

Glass stretching upward like it had no end, reflecting the morning sky like it owned it.

I paused outside for a moment.

This is it.

No turning back.

I took a deep breath and walked in.

The inside was even worse.

Too polished. Too quiet. Too powerful.

Everything screamed control.

A receptionist immediately stood up as I approached.

“Good morning. How may I help you?” she asked politely.

“I’m Elena Brooks. I’m here for my first day.”

Her expression changed instantly...respect, recognition, something like quiet curiosity.

“Oh yes, of course. Mr. Bailey is expecting you. Please follow me.”

Mr. Bailey.

The name rang a bell from my application process, but I couldn’t quite place it.

She led me through the lobby and toward a private hallway that seemed to grow quieter the further we walked.

No chatter.

No phones ringing.

Just silence and expensive flooring.

Eventually, we stopped in front of a massive door.

She turned slightly and gave me a small, reassuring smile.

“Good luck,” she said softly.

Then she left.

And just like that… I was alone.

I stared at the door for a second longer than I should have.

Then I knocked.

A voice came instantly from inside.

“Come in.”

My hand hesitated for half a second.

Then I pushed the door open.

And stepped inside.

The office was large.

Too large.

Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the back wall, letting sunlight flood the room in a way that made everything look sharper, more defined.

There was a desk.

Black, sleek, perfectly organized.

And behind it, He was sitting.

Sebastian Sterling.

I stopped walking.

Not because I wanted to.

But because my brain genuinely forgot how to continue functioning for a moment.

He didn’t look up immediately.

He was reading something on his desk, one hand resting casually against the armrest of his chair, the other flipping a page like he had all the time in the world.

Like people didn’t walk into his office and forget how to breathe.

Then he looked up.

And everything in me stalled.

Grey eyes.

Sharp. Controlled. Unreadable.

They landed on me like they were assessing more than just my presence.

For a second, neither of us spoke.

I suddenly became very aware of my breathing.

Of my hands.

Of the fact that I had just walked into a room that felt like it belonged to someone who didn’t tolerate mistakes.

“Miss Brooks,” he said finally.

His voice was calm.

Not warm.

Not cold.

Just… controlled.

“Welcome to Sterling Inc.”

I forced myself to step forward.

“Thank you, Mr. Sterling,” I replied, trying to sound more composed than I felt.

A faint pause followed.

Then he leaned back slightly in his chair, studying me properly now.

Like I wasn’t just an employee.

Like I was something he hadn’t fully figured out yet.

That thought made me uncomfortable in a way I couldn’t explain.

“You’re earlier than expected,” he said.

“I don’t like being late,” I answered quickly.

Something flickered in his expression.

Not a smile.

Not exactly.

But something close to approval.

“I noticed,” he said.

Another pause.

The silence between us felt heavier than it should have.

I cleared my throat slightly.

“I was told to report directly to your office.”

“Yes,” he said, standing up.

That was when I realized how tall he actually was.

Not just tall.

Commanding.

He walked around the desk slowly, stopping just a few steps away from me.

Close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly to keep eye contact.

“We’ll go over your responsibilities shortly,” he said.

Then, after a beat.....“But first, I want to understand something.”

My brows furrowed slightly.

“What exactly?”

His eyes stayed on mine.

Unblinking.

Focused.

“Why journalism?”

The question caught me off guard.

Not because I didn’t have an answer.

But because he asked it like it mattered.

Like my answer mattered.

I hesitated for a second before speaking.

“Because people deserve truth,” I said. “And because someone has to be willing to look for it.”

He watched me carefully.

Like he was deciding whether I believed my own words.

Then he nodded once.

Slow.

Subtle.

“Good,” he said simply.

And for reasons I didn’t understand…

That one word made my chest tighten slightly.

He turned back toward his desk.

“You’ll start with reviewing pending media files and upcoming press statements,” he said. “Mr. Bailey will assist you with your schedule.”

Mr. Bailey.

Right.

That explained it.

As if reading my thought, he added, “He reports directly to me.”

Of course he does.

Nothing here seemed accidental.

I nodded. “Understood.”

Another pause.

Then....“You may go,” he said.

Dismissal.

Simple.

Controlled.

Professional.

I should have left immediately.

But for some reason, my feet didn’t move right away.

I wasn’t sure if it was the intensity of the room…

Or the man in it.

Or the fact that something about him felt strangely familiar in a way I couldn’t place yet.

Eventually, I turned.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

And walked out.

The moment the door closed behind me, I exhaled sharply.

Only then did I realize that I had been holding my breath the entire time.

And somewhere behind that closed door…

Sebastian Sterling was still watching.