After office hours
1028 Words
By seven-thirty that evening, the executive floor of Vale's corporation was almost completely empty.
The busy sound of ringing phones and hurried footsteps had disappeared hours ago, leaving only silence and the soft hum of computers.
Lena Hart stared at the glowing screen in front of her and tried not to think about the fact that she was completely alone with Adrian Vale.
Again.
She adjusted her glasses and continued organizing tomorrow’s meeting schedules while stealing nervous glances toward the closed office doors across from her desk.
What exactly did he need her for after hours?
Adrian had offered no explanation.
Only instructions.
At exactly eight o’clock, the office doors opened.
“Bring the Henderson files.”
Lena quickly grabbed the folders stacked beside her and entered his office carefully.
The city lights glittered behind Adrian’s massive windows, painting silver reflections across the dark room. His suit jacket had been removed, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled neatly to his forearms.
For some reason, that made him look even more intimidating.
He motioned toward the chair across from him. “Sit.”
Lena obeyed silently.
Adrian opened the files while she prepared her tablet.
For the next hour, they worked through contracts, schedules, and investor reports with almost military precision. Adrian spoke little, only giving short instructions while Lena followed closely behind.
It should have been exhausting.
Instead, she found herself strangely impressed.
The rumors painted Adrian Vale as cruel, arrogant, and impossible to satisfy.
And maybe he was.
But he was also brilliant.
He noticed everything.
Every missing detail.
Every mistake.
Every opportunity.
Watching him work felt like watching someone constantly three steps ahead of everyone else.
“You’re staring.”
Lena nearly dropped her pen.
“I’m sorry?”
Adrian signed another document without looking up. “You’ve been distracted for the last three minutes.”
Heat rushed into her face. “I was just thinking.”
“That’s usually dangerous.”
She blinked before realizing he was joking.
Or at least attempting to.
A small laugh escaped her accidentally.
The room went still.
Adrian finally looked up.
Lena’s smile disappeared immediately. “Sorry.”
But instead of irritation, something unreadable crossed his expression.
“You laugh differently than the others here,” he said quietly.
“What does that mean?”
“They laugh because they’re nervous.” He leaned back slightly. “Yours sounded real.”
Lena didn’t know how to respond to that.
So she focused on her tablet instead.
A few minutes later, Adrian stood and walked toward the coffee machine near the shelves.
“Coffee?” he asked.
Lena looked up in surprise.
“You’re offering me coffee?”
“You sound suspicious.”
“Well… you fired two people yesterday.”
“That was unrelated to coffee.”
Lena bit back another laugh.
To her surprise, Adrian’s mouth twitched slightly.
Not quite a smile.
But close enough to make her stare.
The feared CEO of Vale's corporation could almost smile.
Interesting.
He handed her a cup before returning to his desk.
“Why did you take this job?” he asked suddenly.
Lena paused.
Most executives never asked personal questions.
“The salary was good,” she answered honestly. “My family needed it.”
Adrian nodded once, as if he understood more than she said aloud.
“My father’s hospital bills nearly drained everything,” Lena admitted softly. “This was the only opportunity big enough to help.”
For a moment, silence filled the room again.
Then Adrian spoke without looking at her.
“You’re hardworking.”
Lena blinked in surprise.
Was that… a compliment?
“You notice that after only one week?”
“I notice everything.”
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten unexpectedly.
Before she could respond, Adrian’s phone rang sharply.
His expression immediately hardened after checking the screen.
He answered coldly. “What.”
The conversation lasted less than two minutes, but Lena watched the change happen instantly.
The softness disappeared.
The walls returned.
By the time he ended the call, his face was unreadable again.
“Problem?” she asked carefully.
“No.”
It was obviously a lie.
Adrian gathered several papers aggressively before stopping suddenly.
“You should go home.”
Lena frowned. “But we still have the investor reports.”
“I’ll finish them myself.”
Something in his tone warned her not to argue.
She slowly stood, collecting her things quietly.
“Goodnight, Mr. Vale.”
Adrian only nodded.
Lena left the office feeling oddly disappointed.
Which made absolutely no sense.
The elevator ride downstairs felt painfully long.
By the time she reached the hallway, her phone buzzed loudly.
Her younger brother.
Lena smiled faintly before answering. “Hey.”
But the second she heard his voice, her stomach dropped.
“Lena…” he whispered shakily. “Dad collapsed again.”
Fear slammed into her instantly.
“What happened?”
“The hospital says we need to pay for another surgery.”
Lena stopped walking.
No.
No, no, no.
“How much?”
When he told her the amount, the blood drained from her face.
It was impossible.
Completely impossible.
“I’m trying,” her brother said helplessly. “But they said if we don’t pay soon—”
Lena ended the call before he could finish.
Her hands trembled violently.
She couldn’t breathe.
The hallway suddenly felt suffocating.
Without thinking, she turned around and walked back into the building.
The executive floor was dark now except for the lights inside Adrian’s office.
Lena sat down at her desk outside the office, pressing shaking fingers against her eyes.
She had worked so hard.
Sacrificed so much.
And somehow it still wasn’t enough.
A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.
Then another.
Soon she was crying silently in the empty office, shoulders shaking as she struggled to keep herself together.
She didn’t hear the office door open behind her.
Didn’t notice the approaching footsteps.
Until a deep voice broke the silence.
“Miss Hart?”
Lena froze.
Slowly, she looked up.
And found Adrian Vale staring at her tears.
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