Owned By Silence: The Forbidden Affair

Chapter Four

I couldn't concentrate.

The numbers on my computer screen blurred together as I stared at the same invoice for the third time in ten minutes. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely type, and every sound footsteps, phone rings, keyboards clicking, made me jump like a startled animal.

Elena's words kept echoing in my head like a broken record: "Get close to Adrian Cole, or you die."

How was I supposed to get close to my CEO? The man barely knew I existed. Yesterday's rescue had been pure chance, a moment of basic human decency that probably meant nothing to someone like him.

"Hannah?" Margaret from accounting appeared beside my desk, looking concerned. "You look terrible. Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," I lied, forcing myself to focus on the computer screen. "Just tired."

"You've been staring at that same invoice for twenty minutes. Maybe you should go home."

"No." The word came out sharper than I intended. "I need to work. I need to stay busy."

Margaret frowned but didn't push. She knew better than to argue when I got like this—closed off, desperate to disappear into my mundane job.

But today, disappearing felt impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elena's cold smile. Every time my phone buzzed, I expected it to be her with more threats, more demands, more ways to destroy what little life I'd built for myself.

I was trapped. Completely, utterly trapped.

"Hannah Rivers?"

I looked up to find Patricia, Adrian Cole's assistant, standing beside my desk with a folder in her hands. She was perfectly put together as always—blonde hair in a sleek bun, designer suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Cole needs these documents delivered to his office immediately." She handed me the folder with an expression that suggested this was beneath her usual duties. "He specifically requested that you handle the delivery."

My blood ran cold. "Me? Specifically?"

"That's what he said. Hannah Rivers from the administrative pool." Patricia checked her watch. "He's expecting you in ten minutes."

I stared at the folder in my hands, my heart hammering against my ribs. This couldn't be a coincidence. Elena had said she'd been investigating Cole Industries for two years—did she have connections inside the company? Ways to manipulate schedules and assignments?

"Hannah?" Patricia was looking at me with growing impatience. "Ten minutes."

"Right. Yes. I'll go now."

I stood on unsteady legs, clutching the folder like a lifeline. Around me, the administrative pool buzzed with its usual activity, but everything felt surreal, like I was watching it through glass.

This was it. Elena's plan was already in motion, and I was just a puppet dancing on her strings.

The elevator ride to the executive floor felt endless. I watched the numbers climb—fifteen, twenty, twenty-five—and tried to steady my breathing. Adrian Cole was just a man. A powerful, intimidating, devastatingly attractive man who'd saved my life less than twenty-four hours ago, but still just a man.

I could do this. I could deliver documents, have a brief professional interaction, and leave. No seduction required. No getting close. Just paperwork and being polite.

The executive floor was as intimidating as ever. I walked toward Adrian's corner office, my heels clicking against the marble like a countdown timer.

His door was open. I could see him through the glass walls, sitting behind his massive desk, reviewing something on his computer. Even from a distance, he commanded attention, perfectly styled dark hair, expensive suit, the kind of presence that made the air itself feel charged.

I knocked on the doorframe. "Mr. Cole? I have the documents you requested."

He looked up, and those intense dark eyes focused on me with an attention that made my breath catch. "Hannah. Please, come in."

I stepped into his office, feeling dwarfed by the space and his presence. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a commanding view of the city, and his desk was positioned to take advantage of every inch of that power.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, standing and walking around the desk toward me. "After yesterday's... incident."

"I'm fine," I said quickly, holding out the folder. "Better. Thank you again for—"

"For stopping you from getting yourself killed?" His voice carried a hint of amusement, but his eyes were serious. "You don't need to thank me for basic human decency."

He took the folder from my hands, his fingers brushing mine for just a moment. The contact sent electricity racing up my arm, and I had to fight not to jerk away.

"These are the quarterly projections?" he asked, opening the folder and scanning the contents.

"Yes, sir. From the accounting department."

"Good." He moved back toward his desk, and I turned to leave, thinking the interaction was over. But his voice stopped me at the door.

"Hannah?"

I turned back. "Yes, sir?"

"I've been thinking about our conversation yesterday. About being more careful."

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't... I was having a difficult day."

"We all have difficult days." He leaned against his desk, studying me with those penetrating eyes. "But some of us handle them better than others."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I said nothing.

"I'd like you to handle my document deliveries personally from now on," he continued. "Patricia has enough on her plate, and I appreciate attention to detail."

My heart stopped. "I... of course, sir. If that's what you prefer."

"It is." His smile was warm, genuine, and it made something twist in my chest. "I'll make sure Patricia knows to request you specifically."

"Thank you for the opportunity."

"Thank you for being reliable, Hannah."

The way he said my name—like he was tasting it, memorizing it—made heat pool in my stomach. This was dangerous territory. He was married. He was my boss. He was supposed to be my target, not someone who made my pulse quicken with a simple smile.

And…I was loyal to Marcus. What was this…feeling?

"I…I should get back to work," I managed.

"Of course. Have a good day, Hannah."

I practically fled from his office, my face burning and my heart racing. In the hallway, I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath.

This was exactly what Elena wanted. Adrian Cole noticing me, remembering me, creating opportunities for further contact. The plan was working perfectly, and I hadn't even had to do anything.

Which made me feel even worse.

It was just adrenaline, I told myself. Fear and anxiety masquerading as attraction. Adrian Cole was handsome and powerful, but he was also married and completely off-limits.

Not to mention the fact that I was apparently supposed to help someone destroy him.

I must have a mental issue for even feeling attracted to him. Maybe it was just because he looked… that good. Any girl would feel that way.

But not me.

I shoved the thought down and forced myself forward. The hallway felt colder than it had when I first walked in. My heels clicked too sharply on the polished marble, echoing against the hallways.

The elevator doors opened. I stepped inside, crossing my arms around my chest as I chewed nervously on my lower lips, my feet tapping against the floor. The ride down was silent except for the faint hum of the motor.

By the time the lobby lights appeared through the narrowing gap of the doors, I’d convinced myself to breathe. Just get outside, Hannah. Fresh air. That’s all you need.

I strode out too quickly. Didn’t even glance left.

And slammed straight into someone.

The impact jolted through my shoulder, hard enough to knock me off balance. A bag hit the floor with a sickening thud, followed by the sharp skid of a laptop sliding out. I gasped as a paper cup tipped, spilling coffee in a wide, ugly splash across the shiny tiles.

“Oh my God!! I’m so sorry!” I dropped into a crouch automatically, hands reaching out like I could somehow scoop the mess back together.

The man I’d crashed into was already kneeling too, his expression fillef with panic as he checked the laptop. “No, no, no, not today…” His voice was low, tight, more worried about the device than the ruined coffee dripping into his sleeve.

The screen flickered once, then steadied. Rows of strange code filled the display. He let out a shaky breath and adjusted his glasses with a hand smudged in ink.

I froze. Up close, he wasn’t like the polished corporate men striding past us with annoyance etched on their faces. He had the slightly disheveled look of someone who’d been awake too long—messy dark hair, shirt collar uneven, tie loosened. His eyes though… they were sharp behind those wire-rimmed lenses. A little tired though.

“I didn’t see you—” I started, guilt prickling hot on my skin.

“That’s because you weren’t looking.” His tone wasn’t cruel, but it wasn’t gentle either.

More like a fact.

“I said I’m sorry,” I muttered, wishing I could vanish into the floor. My fingers itched to reach for the laptop, to help, but the way he cradled it it was clear it meant too much to him to let anyone else touch it.

For a second, silence stretched. Just the buzz of the lobby and the faint squeak of a janitor mopping up the spilled coffee.

Then his gaze lifted to mine.

And he stared.

It wasn’t the casual glance of a stranger brushing past. He looked startled, like he’d seen something he hadn’t expected. His brows pulled together, and a faint crease formed between them.

“You look…” His voice lowered, “Familiar.”

I blinked. My throat suddenly felt dry.

“I don’t think so,” I said quickly, pushing up to my feet. My pulse hammered in my ears, and all I could think about was getting away before the walls of this building swallowed me whole again.

But he stood too, laptop tucked under his arm now, eyes still on me. “No,” he said slowly, as if working it out. “I’m sure of it. We’ve met before.”