Married to Julian Grey

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Aurelius Group Tower rose above the city like it belonged to another world.

Glass. Steel. Power.

The morning sun glinted off its mirrored exterior so brilliantly that I had to squint. Even from a distance, the building didn't feel like an ordinary office. It carried an almost intimidating presence, as though only important people were meant to walk through its doors.

I slowed as I reached the entrance, adjusting the strap of my bag against my shoulder.

Forty-five minutes late.

Again.

At this point, I was convinced my dreams had declared war on my work schedule.

Every morning followed the same pattern. The mysterious bedroom. The stranger whose face I could never remember. Kisses that felt impossibly real. Then I'd wake up late and spend the rest of the day trying to recover from a morning that had already gone wrong.

Maybe I needed therapy.

Or a boyfriend.

Preferably both.

Because normal women with healthy dating lives probably didn't spend every night dreaming about impossibly handsome men dressed in robes that looked as though they'd stepped out of another era.

That sounded perfectly reasonable to me.

Mr. Lawson, on the other hand, was probably preparing my obituary.

The glass doors slid open the moment I approached.

A blast of cool air greeted me, washing away the lingering warmth of the morning and pulling me firmly back to reality.

Everything about Aurelius Group reflected precision.

The marble floors gleamed beneath the lights, polished enough to mirror every passing figure. Glass walls gave the lobby an open, modern elegance while somehow making the entire building feel even more controlled. Employees moved with quiet confidence, each person seeming to know exactly where they belonged and what they were supposed to be doing.

No one hurried.

No one wandered aimlessly.

No one looked lost.

Meanwhile, I'd nearly been hit by a bus less than an hour ago.

"Late again, Elena?"

I turned toward the reception desk and sighed.

Nina didn't even bother lifting her eyes from the computer screen. The amused smile tugging at the corner of her mouth told me she'd already seen me walk through the doors.

"You say that every day like it's a surprise."

"I say it every day because I keep hoping you'll prove me wrong."

Her smile widened.

"Forty-five minutes this time. You're getting ambitious."

I pressed a hand dramatically against my chest.

"I prefer to think of it as consistency."

She laughed softly.

"Is Mr. Lawson looking for me?" I asked.

"He was earlier." Her expression grew slightly more sympathetic. "He said it wasn't urgent..."

She paused.

"...which, as we both know, usually means the exact opposite."

I let out a quiet groan.

Nothing at Aurelius Group was ever not urgent once Mr. Lawson became involved.

"Perfect."

Nina finally looked up and offered me an encouraging smile.

"Good luck."

"I have a feeling I'll need more than luck today."

With one final sigh, I headed toward the administrative offices.

The familiar rhythm of the office greeted me the moment I stepped inside.

Keyboards clicked steadily beneath nimble fingers. Telephones rang in short, polite bursts before falling silent again, while the low hum of printers blended into the background. It was a routine I had grown accustomed to over the past two years, comforting in its predictability.

My desk sat in the middle row of the open office, surrounded by colleagues who always seemed to know exactly what was happening in everyone else's lives.

"Forty-five minutes."

I had barely set my bag down before Mark spoke.

I didn't even bother looking at him.

"Don't start."

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a grin that suggested he had been waiting all morning for this moment.

"I'm just saying," he replied. "That's almost impressive."

"You are one comment away from a meeting with Human Resources."

"HR loves me."

"They tolerate you because you clear printer jams faster than anyone else," Jessica said without taking her eyes off her monitor.

A smile tugged at my lips.

Jessica sat opposite me, impeccably organized as always. If Aurelius Group were a machine, she would be one of its most dependable gears—efficient, composed, and rarely impressed by anyone's antics.

Daniel slowly turned his chair toward us, one earbud still tucked into his ear.

"Mr. Lawson's been in a mood today," he said.

"When is he not?" I asked, switching on my computer.

Daniel shrugged.

"This one's different. No lectures. No raised voice. Just... silent disappointment."

He shuddered dramatically.

"Honestly, that's worse."

I couldn't argue with that.

Mr. Lawson's disappointment had a way of making people question every life decision they'd ever made.

Jessica finally looked up from her screen.

"You've got a stack of files waiting."

She nodded toward the neat pile on my desk.

"Several are marked for executive review."

Of course they were.

Suppressing another sigh, I pulled the folders closer and began sorting through them.

Reports.

Contracts.

Meeting summaries.

Emails waiting for replies.

Within minutes, I slipped back into the familiar rhythm of work. My fingers moved across the keyboard almost automatically as documents disappeared from one pile and reappeared in another.

Around me, the office settled into its usual pace. Conversations faded into quiet murmurs before disappearing altogether. The occasional laugh broke the silence, only to be swallowed again by the steady rhythm of work.

Everything should have felt normal.

Yet it didn't.

The strange sensation that had followed me since leaving my apartment refused to disappear.

It lingered quietly beneath the surface, like an invisible thread tugging at my thoughts.

As though something was waiting for me.

Something just beyond my reach.

I forced myself to ignore it.

Whatever it was, it could wait.

I had deadlines to meet.

By mid-afternoon, the atmosphere in the office had changed.

The morning rush had long since faded, leaving behind a quieter, more focused energy. Conversations had grown shorter, keyboards clicked with steady purpose, and even the phones seemed to ring less often. It was the part of the day when everyone settled into their work, determined to finish as much as possible before heading home.

I was halfway through proofreading a report when a shadow fell across my desk.

"Elena."

I looked up.

Sandra stood beside me, her usual composed expression giving little away. As Mr. Lawson's executive assistant, she was rarely flustered, and she certainly wasn't someone who stopped by for casual conversation.

"Mr. Lawson needs a file delivered to the boardroom," she said. "Immediately."

A familiar knot formed in my stomach.

Of course he did.

My gaze shifted to the thick folder resting on the corner of my desk. A bold label stretched across the front.

Executive Review.

Definitely important.

"Why me?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Sandra offered a small shrug.

"Because he asked for you specifically."

That answer did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.

Behind me, Mark let out a low whistle.

"That's never a good sign."

Jessica didn't even lift her eyes from her monitor.

"Try not to get fired."

Daniel raised one hand lazily in my direction.

"If you disappear, I'm claiming your desk."

Despite myself, I laughed.

"Don't get too comfortable."

Picking up the folder, I smoothed the front cover and headed toward the elevators.

The doors slid open almost immediately.

As they closed behind me, the familiar sounds of the administrative offices disappeared, replaced by the quiet hum of the elevator as it climbed toward the executive floors.

One floor passed.

Then another.

With each level, the building seemed to grow quieter.

The chatter of employees gave way to silence.

The ringing phones vanished.

Even the air felt different somehow—cooler, calmer, almost expectant.

I shifted the folder against my chest and watched the floor numbers climb.

When the elevator finally stopped, the doors opened with a soft chime.

The executive floor greeted me with its usual elegance.

Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting off polished marble and sleek glass walls. Every line of the architecture spoke of wealth, order, and quiet authority.

There were no hurried footsteps.

No raised voices.

Only a stillness that somehow demanded respect.

I stepped out of the elevator and made my way down the wide corridor.

At the far end stood the boardroom.

Its tall double doors remained closed, dark wood framed by glass and brushed steel. They looked less like the entrance to a meeting room and more like the gateway to somewhere few people were invited to enter.

I tightened my grip on the folder.

Then it happened again.

That strange feeling.

It rose without warning, stronger than before, sending a faint shiver through my chest.

For a single heartbeat, it felt as though the building itself had noticed me.

As though something beyond those doors was waiting.

I frowned.

The sensation disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.

"Get a grip, Elena," I murmured under my breath.

It was probably just nerves.

Taking a slow breath, I straightened the sleeve of my blouse, squared my shoulders, and reached for the handle.

Then I pushed open the boardroom door.