Chapter 2: Rules Under One Roof
1186 Words
I barely slept.
It wasn’t because the bed wasn’t comfortable—far from it. The guest room Ethan had shown me to was bigger than my entire apartment, with sheets so soft they felt unreal against my skin. The room was quiet, warm, and safe.
Too safe.
That was the problem.
Because no matter how many times I closed my eyes, one thought kept circling in my mind:
I’m in my boss’s house.
Not just any boss—Ethan Blackwood.
The man who barely tolerated mistakes. The man who kept everyone at a distance. The man who didn’t even smile.
And somehow… I was sleeping under his roof.
I turned over for what felt like the hundredth time, staring at the ceiling as the events of the night replayed in my head. The knock. The door opening. The way he had looked at me—cold, sharp, unreadable.
And then… the way he had let me in.
That part didn’t make sense.
A man like him didn’t do things out of kindness.
So why did he?
---
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.
Habit.
Even if my life was falling apart, being late to work was not an option—especially not when your boss was the same man who had given you shelter.
I quickly freshened up, using the neatly arranged toiletries in the bathroom like I didn’t feel completely out of place. Then I stared at my reflection.
Same face. Same tired eyes.
But everything else had changed.
I was no longer just Zara, the struggling assistant trying to survive day by day.
I was now Zara… the assistant secretly living in her boss’s house.
I let out a slow breath.
“Get it together,” I whispered.
This was temporary.
It had to be.
---
The smell of coffee led me to the kitchen.
I hesitated at the entrance, unsure if I should step in or wait to be invited, but then I saw him.
Ethan stood by the counter, already dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his back facing me. Even from behind, he looked composed, untouchable—like the version of him I knew at work had never left.
For a moment, I wondered if last night had even happened.
Then he spoke.
“You’re awake.”
I stiffened.
“Yes, sir.”
He turned slightly, his eyes landing on me briefly before returning to his coffee.
“You can drop the ‘sir’ when we’re here,” he said.
I blinked, caught off guard.
“I… what?”
“This is not the office,” he said calmly. “There’s no need to be that formal.”
That felt wrong.
Everything about this felt wrong.
“I understand,” I said carefully. “Mr. Blackwood.”
His jaw tightened just slightly, like he wasn’t fully satisfied, but he didn’t push further.
“Eat,” he said, gesturing toward the counter.
I followed his motion and noticed a simple breakfast already laid out—toast, eggs, and a cup of coffee.
My chest tightened.
“You didn’t have to—”
“I did,” he interrupted. “You’re staying here, which means you’ll maintain basic functionality. I won’t have you collapsing at work.”
Of course.
Not kindness.
Efficiency.
Still… I nodded. “Thank you.”
I sat down, trying not to feel awkward under his silent presence as I took a small bite.
The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable.
Then he spoke again.
“This arrangement—” he began, his tone shifting into something more serious, “—does not leave this apartment.”
I looked up.
“Yes, sir—” I quickly corrected myself. “Yes.”
“No one at the office is to know,” he continued. “Not your colleagues. Not your friends. No one.”
I swallowed.
“Understood.”
“If this gets out,” he added, his gaze sharpening, “it will create unnecessary complications. For you and for me.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I said quickly.
“I expect you won’t.”
There was something in his voice that made it clear—this wasn’t just a suggestion.
It was a rule.
---
We left the apartment together.
That alone felt strange.
At work, Ethan always arrived alone, his presence commanding attention the moment he stepped into the building. But today, I stood beside him in the private elevator, the silence between us louder than ever.
I kept my eyes forward, my hands clasped tightly in front of me.
Don’t act weird.
Don’t look at him.
Don’t make this obvious.
“You’re overthinking.”
His voice cut through my thoughts like a blade.
I froze.
“I—what?”
He glanced at me briefly, his expression calm.
“It shows on your face,” he said. “Relax.”
Easy for him to say.
The elevator doors opened, and just like that, everything shifted.
The moment we stepped into the lobby, Ethan Blackwood was no longer the man who had shared breakfast with me.
He was the CEO again.
Cold. Distant. Untouchable.
He walked ahead without a word, and I followed a few steps behind, just like always.
Like nothing had changed.
Like I hadn’t spent the night in his house.
---
The office buzzed with its usual energy, but something felt… off.
Eyes lingered a little longer.
Whispers seemed quieter when I passed.
And then—
“Well, look who finally decided to show up.”
I turned to see Clara, one of the senior staff, leaning against a desk with a smirk on her face.
My stomach tightened.
“I’m not late,” I said calmly.
“Barely,” she replied. Her eyes scanned me from head to toe. “Rough night?”
I forced a polite smile. “Just tired.”
“Hmm.”
She didn’t look convinced.
And for a moment, panic flickered in my chest.
Did she know?
No.
That was impossible.
Right?
I quickly moved past her, heading toward my desk, but I could still feel her gaze on my back.
Watching.
Observing.
Waiting.
---
By the time I stepped into Ethan’s office to deliver his morning schedule, I had already convinced myself I was being paranoid.
Until he spoke.
“You need to be more careful.”
I looked up, confused.
“With what?”
His eyes met mine, sharp and knowing.
“People are already watching you.”
My heart skipped.
“What do you mean?”
“Clara,” he said simply.
Of course.
“She suspects something?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “But she’s the type who enjoys digging.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“Then what do we do?”
He held my gaze for a moment before answering.
“We follow the rules.”
His voice was calm, controlled.
Unshaken.
But something told me…
This wasn’t going to stay under control for long.
And the more time I spent under the same roof as Ethan Blackwood…
The more dangerous this secret was becoming.
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