THE FIRST RULE
1534 Words
CHAPTER 4
Christen barely slept that night despite the comfort surrounding her from every direction. The bed was softer than anything she had ever experienced and the room itself was designed with a level of precision and luxury that most people could only imagine, yet none of it managed to ease the uneasiness that had settled deep within her chest since signing Dominic Hale's contract. Every time she closed her eyes she found herself replaying the events of the previous day from the moment she stepped into the Grand Meridian until the moment Dominic informed her that she would be staying in his world whether she understood it or not.
The words continued to echo inside her mind long after he had disappeared into another part of the suite.
You will still be part of it. Just without direction.
There was something unsettling about the certainty with which he spoke. Dominic never sounded like a man making predictions. He sounded like a man stating facts that had already happened.
Sometime during the early hours of the morning exhaustion finally claimed her.
When Christen opened her eyes again sunlight was spilling across the room through the enormous windows and painting the walls with soft golden light. For several seconds she remained still beneath the sheets trying to remember where she was. The unfamiliar surroundings confused her until reality gradually returned and with it came the memory of Dominic Hale.
She sat upright immediately.
The room looked different in daylight. The shadows that had dominated the previous evening had retreated allowing her to see details she had missed before. Every piece of furniture appeared carefully selected. Every decoration seemed intentionally placed. Nothing looked accidental. Even the color palette followed a strict pattern of muted elegance.
It reminded her of Dominic himself.
Controlled.
Calculated.
Purposeful.
Christen pushed the blankets aside and stood from the bed before moving toward the windows. The view stole her breath despite everything else occupying her thoughts. The city stretched endlessly beneath her like a living machine already hard at work despite the early hour. Cars flowed through the streets in neat lines while skyscrapers reflected the morning sun with blinding brilliance.
From this height people were impossible to distinguish.
Everyone looked small.
Insignificant.
Christen suddenly understood why Dominic liked standing by the windows so much.
The perspective made everything seem controllable.
A soft vibration interrupted her thoughts.
She turned toward a nearby table and immediately noticed a black box resting neatly on its surface.
The box had not been there the previous night.
Her curiosity overcame her hesitation and she approached slowly before opening it.
Inside she found a sleek phone, an expensive handbag, a keycard and a folded note written in clean handwriting.
Christen unfolded the paper.
Get dressed.
Breakfast in fifteen minutes.
D.H.
She stared at the note.
That was it.
No explanation.
No greeting.
No indication of what the day would involve.
Only an instruction.
For some reason the message irritated her.
The man treated communication the same way he treated everything else. Efficient. Direct. Devoid of unnecessary emotion.
Christen glanced at the clock.
Fifteen minutes.
Apparently even breakfast operated according to Dominic's schedule.
After showering and changing into the clothing that had somehow appeared in the wardrobe overnight she left her room and made her way toward the main living area.
The moment she entered she found Dominic seated at the dining table.
He was already dressed in another perfectly tailored suit and appeared completely focused on the information displayed across a tablet resting before him. A cup of coffee sat nearby untouched while several documents were arranged beside it in precise alignment.
Christen wondered whether the man had slept at all.
Dominic looked up the instant she entered.
You are one minute and forty three seconds early.
Christen pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.
Do you measure everything.
Only things that matter.
She glanced at the spread of food covering the table.
The breakfast looked impressive enough to feed an entire family. Fresh fruit, pastries, eggs and several dishes she could not immediately identify occupied nearly every available space.
Christen reached for a glass.
There are people who would call this excessive.
Dominic returned his attention to the tablet.
There are people who call success excessive.
That does not answer the question.
It was not intended to.
Christen exhaled quietly.
Talking to Dominic often felt like participating in a conversation where only one person knew the rules.
She took a sip of juice before studying him carefully.
You know what I have realized.
Dominic looked up.
Tell me.
You answer questions without actually answering them.
A faint trace of amusement appeared in his expression.
And yet you continue asking.
That is because I am hoping eventually I will receive a normal response.
Normal responses rarely contain useful information.
Christen shook her head.
You really believe that.
I know it.
The confidence in his voice made her pause.
Dominic never seemed uncertain. Whether discussing business, contracts or something as insignificant as breakfast, he spoke with the same unwavering conviction.
It was both impressive and deeply frustrating.
She leaned back slightly.
Then explain something to me.
Dominic set the tablet aside.
Go ahead.
What exactly am I supposed to be doing here.
For the first time that morning his attention settled entirely on her.
The first rule is that you do not lie to me.
Christen frowned.
That is a rule. It is not an explanation.
It is both.
She folded her arms.
How.
Because understanding the rule is the explanation.
Christen stared at him.
Dominic remained calm.
Finally he continued.
Every person who enters my world eventually attempts deception. Some do it for money. Others do it for influence. A few do it because they think they are smarter than everyone around them. The reason does not matter. The result is always the same.
And what result is that.
They lose.
The simplicity of the answer sent an uncomfortable chill through her.
Not because he sounded threatening.
Because he sounded certain.
As though experience had already proven the outcome countless times.
Before Christen could respond a phone began ringing.
Dominic nodded toward the device she had found earlier.
Answer it.
She hesitated before reaching for it.
The screen displayed an unknown number.
Christen accepted the call.
Good morning Miss Christen.
The woman on the other end sounded professional and efficient.
Your schedule has been finalized.
My schedule.
Yes. Your first orientation begins at nine o clock followed by an executive briefing and evaluation process.
Christen blinked.
Evaluation.
The call ended before she could ask another question.
She lowered the phone slowly.
Then she looked at Dominic.
Evaluation.
He nodded.
Correct.
Evaluation for what.
For you.
Christen stared at him in disbelief.
You are evaluating me.
Several people are.
Why.
To determine whether my judgment was correct.
The statement immediately irritated her.
I am not some product.
Everyone is assessed.
Not like this.
You would be surprised.
Christen pushed her chair back slightly.
The more she learned about Dominic's world the less she liked it.
Everything felt structured around observation and control.
Nothing seemed genuine.
Nothing seemed spontaneous.
Every interaction appeared to serve a purpose.
As though the entire environment had been engineered to achieve specific outcomes.
Why did you choose me.
The question escaped before she could stop it.
This time Dominic did not answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on hers while silence settled between them.
Unlike previous silences this one felt deliberate.
Meaningful.
When he finally spoke his voice was quieter than before.
Because everyone else saw my reputation before they saw me.
Christen remained silent.
Dominic continued.
Some saw opportunity. Others saw wealth. Many saw influence. You saw danger.
Her heartbeat slowed.
That answer was not what she expected.
You barely knew me.
I knew enough.
Dominic stood and picked up his jacket.
Most people want something from me. That makes them predictable. Predictable people are easy to understand.
And I am not predictable.
No.
For the first time that morning something almost resembling approval entered his expression.
You are not.
The admission unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
Before she could think of a response Dominic began moving toward the exit.
Where are you going.
I have a meeting.
And what am I supposed to do.
The orientation begins in forty minutes.
That is not what I meant.
Dominic stopped beside the door.
For a brief moment he looked directly at her.
Then learn.
Christen frowned.
Learn what.
The truth about the people who surround power.
The doors slid open.
Dominic stepped through them without another word.
Just before they closed he spoke one final sentence.
Do not give them a reason to believe I made a mistake.
Then he was gone.
Christen remained standing in the silence that followed while his words lingered in her thoughts.
For the first time since entering Dominic Hale's world she realized something important.
The contract had never been the real test.
The real test was beginning now.
And whatever waited for her beyond that door would determine whether she remained a guest in Dominic's world.
Or became something far more dangerous.
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