CHAPTER FOUR: THE CONTRACT
578 Words
Serena stared at the contract in disbelief.
The number written on the salary line alone was enough to change her life completely.
Hospital bills.
Rent.
Food.
Her mother’s treatment.
Every problem haunting her suddenly had a solution sitting across from her in a black suit.
And somehow, that terrified her more.
“You want me to work for you?” she asked carefully.
Adrian leaned against his desk casually. “You sound surprised.”
“Because normal billionaires don’t hire girls who throw wine at them.”
“You’re assuming I’m normal.”
Fair point.
Serena closed the file slowly. “Why me?”
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
“Because you don’t fear me.”
“That’s not true.”
A faint smirk touched his lips. “You fear me a little.”
Unfortunately… he was right.
There was something unsettling about him. The way he watched people too carefully. The calmness in his voice. The power he carried without effort.
Men like Adrian Knight were dangerous.
Not because they shouted.
Because they didn’t need to.
“I don’t belong in places like this,” Serena admitted quietly.
Adrian walked around the desk slowly.
“You think everyone here was born powerful?”
“Aren’t they?”
“No.”
For the first time since meeting him, something colder than arrogance entered his eyes.
“Some people survive their way to the top.”
Serena looked at him differently then.
Not softer.
Just curious.
Before she could speak again, the office doors suddenly opened.
A tall blonde woman entered confidently without knocking.
She stopped immediately after seeing Serena.
Blue eyes narrowed.
“Adrian,” she said sharply, “the board members are waiting.”
Adrian didn’t even look away from Serena. “Reschedule.”
The woman blinked in shock. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
The tension in the room shifted instantly.
The woman’s gaze moved toward Serena again, colder this time.
“And who exactly is she?”
Serena opened her mouth quickly. “Nobody.”
Adrian spoke at the same time.
“She works for me.”
Silence.
The woman’s expression hardened immediately.
“I see.”
Serena definitely did not like the sound of that.
After a long moment, the woman forced a tight smile toward Adrian. “Your father would be disappointed seeing distractions interfere with company matters.”
That changed everything.
The air around Adrian became deadly cold.
Even Serena felt it.
Slowly, Adrian turned his head toward the woman.
“Careful, Vanessa.”
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
Vanessa held his stare for a few seconds before leaving the office without another word.
The moment the door shut, silence filled the room again.
Serena exhaled softly. “Well… she hates me already.”
Adrian loosened his tie slightly, irritation visible in his jaw.
“She hates everyone.”
“Who is she?”
“Vanessa Laurent. My father’s former business partner’s daughter.”
“The way she looked at you didn’t seem very business-like.”
Adrian said nothing.
And somehow, that was answer enough.
Serena stood from the chair carefully. “Look… about the job—”
“Take the contract home,” Adrian interrupted. “Read it properly.”
“And if I say no?”
He stepped closer again.
Close enough to make her heartbeat betray her.
“Then I’ll convince you to say yes.”
Serena swallowed hard.
That wasn’t confidence.
It was a promise.
- Writer
