CHAPTER ONE
1303 Words
“Come on, Ana, I’m already running late!” Elena said, her voice tight with frustration as she held her phone between her shoulder and ear, her hands digging frantically through her bag.
Her fingers brushed past lip gloss, receipts, a pen that didn’t even work—but no I.D badge.
“Did you even hear what I said?” her sister’s voice came through the phone, sharp and worried.
Elena exhaled, already feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her. “I did, Ana. I just—can we talk about this later?”
She didn’t wait for a response before ending the call.
It had already been one of those mornings. The kind where everything feels off before the day even begins.
Standing in front of the scanner in the polished lobby of Vale Company, Elena shifted awkwardly, her bag half open as she searched again. She could feel it—the looks she got from people walking past. Maybe they weren’t judging, but it felt like they were.
Finally, her fingers closed around the badge.
“Thank God,” she muttered under her breath.
She swiped it quickly and stepped through, not wasting another second as she made her way toward the elevator that led to the top floor.
Her new life.
Just a few weeks ago, this job had felt like a miracle.
Now, it felt like it was swallowing her whole.
Being the personal assistant to Adrian Vale was everything people said it would be—demanding, tiring, relentless. There were reports stacked on reports, meetings that never seemed to end, and schedules so tight she sometimes forgot what day it was.
Still, she couldn’t complain. Not really.
The pay was good. Better than anything she had ever had.
And she needed it.
Her sister’s words lingered in her mind as the elevator doors opened.
Come back home. Mom needs you.
Elena swallowed that thought as she stepped out.
Going back wasn’t that simple. It meant travel expenses, starting over, searching for another job in a place where opportunities weren’t guaranteed. And her mother’s condition… that wasn’t something that came cheap.
Here, at least, she had something stable.
Even if it came at a cost.
She walked briskly to her desk, dropping her bag and immediately getting to work. Reports needed to be sorted, documents arranged, schedules confirmed. She moved quickly, efficiently, like she had already trained herself to keep up with the pace.
By the time she finished setting up Adrian’s office and preparing the boardroom, everything was in place.
Just in time.
The sound of approaching footsteps made her straighten slightly.
Adrian Vale walked in without slowing down.
He looked exactly the way people described him—sharp, composed, intimidating without even trying. His suit was perfectly tailored, his expression unreadable except for the faint scowl that always seemed to sit on his face.
There was something about him that filled the room without effort.
Power.
He barely spared Elena a glance as she greeted him.
“Good morning, sir.”
No response.
He walked straight into his office, the door closing behind him with quiet finality.
Elena let out a small breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.
Same as always.
She gave it a few minutes before following in, tablet in hand, ready to run through his schedule. Her voice was steady as she spoke, listing meetings, deadlines, reminders.
He listened. Or at least, he appeared to.
The day unfolded in a blur after that.
Meetings. Discussions. More meetings.
Time seemed to stretch and collapse all at once, until the office that had once been full slowly emptied out.
By the time Elena glanced at the clock, it was already past eight in the evening.
Her shoulders ached, and her head felt heavy, but she pushed herself to stand.
She needed to inform him before leaving.
She walked to his office door and knocked twice.
No response.
She hesitated, then gently pushed the door open.
What she saw made her freeze.
Adrian was standing by the tall glass window, one hand braced against it. His tie was gone, the top buttons of his shirt undone, his sleeves rolled up in a way that made him look… different.
Less controlled.
Less untouchable.
He didn’t look like the same man who had walked in that morning.
His breathing was uneven. His hand trembled slightly as it moved to his collar, like he was trying to loosen something that wasn’t there.
Elena frowned, stepping in slowly.
He hadn’t noticed her.
He was pacing now—short, controlled movements, back and forth, like stopping would make things worse.
“Sir…?” she called softly.
No response.
She moved a little closer. “Sir, is everything okay?”
He turned.
And for the first time since she had met him, Adrian Vale didn’t look in control.
There was something raw in his expression. Something strained.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his breath came out sharp, uneven. His grip tightened on the edge of his desk, and a pen rolled off, hitting the floor with a loud clatter.
He flinched.
That alone sent a jolt through her.
Adrian Vale… flinched.
The man people practically feared.
Elena’s concern replaced her hesitation.
She stepped closer, quicker this time. “Sir, you’re shaking. You’re sweating—what’s wrong?”
His breathing only got worse.
“Should I call 911?”
“No,” he managed, his voice low, strained. “Not… now.”
She blinked, disbelief flickering through her.
He thinks he can negotiate this?
He reached for a file, like he could just work through whatever was happening. But his hands betrayed him. The papers slipped, scattering across the floor.
“f**k!” he snapped, frustration cutting through the air.
That was it.
Elena stepped right in front of him.
“Sit.”
Her tone was firm—firmer than she intended.
For a brief second, something in his expression resisted. Like he wasn’t used to being told what to do.
Then his breathing hitched again.
And he sat.
That surprised her.
But she didn’t dwell on it.
She knelt slightly in front of him, placing her hands gently on his thigh to steady him, forcing him to focus.
“Look at me,” she said, her voice softer now. “Breathe with me.”
She took a slow breath in.
Then out.
At first, he struggled to follow. His chest rose too quickly, uneven.
“Again,” she said calmly.
In.
Out.
Gradually, his breathing began to match hers.
The tension in his shoulders eased, just a little. The tightness in his jaw loosened.
Minutes passed before he finally leaned back, his breathing steadier, though not completely normal.
Silence settled between them.
Elena slowly pulled her hands back, standing up.
“I… I came to inform you that I’m done for the day,” she said carefully.
He lifted his head, looking at her—really looking this time.
There was something different in his gaze now.
Not weakness.
But something close to it.
He adjusted himself slightly in his chair, as though regaining pieces of his usual composure.
“Never speak of this,” he said.
The firmness in his voice tried to return, but it cracked slightly at the edges.
Elena nodded. “I won’t. I promise.”
She turned toward the door.
“See me first thing tomorrow morning.”
She paused, glancing back at him.
His expression was composed again. Almost like nothing had happened.
“Alright, sir.”
But as she stepped out and closed the door behind her, one thought lingered in her mind—
That was not the same Adrian Vale everyone else saw.
And somehow…
She had just seen the version no one else was meant to see.
- Writer
