Married to Julian Grey

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I stepped into Julian Grey’s office and immediately understood why people found him intimidating.

The office itself was impressive, but it wasn’t simply because of its size. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one wall, offering a breathtaking view of the city below. Sunlight reflected off the endless glass and steel outside, filling the room with a quiet brilliance. The space was large enough to make most apartments seem small, yet somehow it didn’t feel empty.

Everything about it felt expensive and deliberate. Every piece of furniture, every carefully arranged detail, seemed chosen with purpose. It was the kind of place that reminded anyone who entered exactly who occupied it.

But none of that was what held my attention.

It was him.

Julian Grey stood near the windows, one hand resting casually inside the pocket of his trousers as he looked out over the city.

I had seen him earlier in the boardroom, but seeing him here was different.

The distance between us had hidden more than I realized.

He was taller than I remembered, his broad shoulders filling out the perfectly tailored black suit he wore. The afternoon light sharpened the angles of his face, emphasizing features that looked almost unreal in their perfection. His green eyes turned toward me, framed by dark lashes that somehow made his gaze more intense rather than softer.

His dark hair was neatly styled, falling slightly toward his temples.

The longer I looked, the harder it became to focus on anything else.

Which was unfortunate.

I was supposed to be having a professional conversation with my employer, not standing there wondering how one person could look like the impossible result of every unrealistic expectation people had about beauty and confidence.

For a brief moment, my thoughts scattered.

Ridiculous.

He was my employer.

Not some answer to every questionable decision a woman could make.

"Adrian."

Julian’s voice pulled me back before my thoughts could wander any further.

"That will be all."

"Yes, sir."

Adrian inclined his head respectfully before leaving the office.

The door closed behind him with a quiet click.

For some reason, the sound seemed louder than it should have.

Only then did I fully register the situation.

I was standing alone with the owner of Aurelius Group.

Not a department head.

Not an executive.

The owner.

The man whose decisions affected thousands of employees and whose signature could change the direction of entire departments.

And somehow, that man wanted to speak with me.

"Miss Elena Vale."

I straightened immediately.

"Yes, sir."

"Welcome to Headquarters."

"Thank you, sir."

His gaze remained on me.

It wasn’t uncomfortable or intrusive. He simply looked at me with a level of attention that made me suddenly aware of every small movement I made.

Most people looked at you.

Julian Grey looked as though he was trying to understand something.

I wasn’t entirely sure that was better.

"You work in administration."

"Yes."

"I've reviewed your file."

My stomach tightened slightly.

There were thousands of employees working for Aurelius Group.

Thousands.

I had never imagined that the owner of the company would personally look through the file of someone like me.

A small part of me wondered what exactly he had seen.

"You'll be working as my secretary."

For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him.

"I'm sorry?"

"My secretary."

He said it calmly, as though he had just informed me of a routine change in schedule.

I stared at him.

"Sir, I don't have experience as an executive secretary."

"You'll learn."

I blinked.

That was it?

That was his entire explanation?

"With respect, there are people far more qualified than I am."

"I disagree."

The answer came so quickly that I almost forgot what I wanted to say next.

Almost.

"I work in administration," I explained carefully.

"I'm aware."

"I've never supported an executive before."

His expression remained unreadable.

"You will support me."

I hesitated.

The words themselves were simple, but they left me with more questions than answers.

I had spent the last twenty-four hours trying to understand how I had gone from an ordinary administrative employee to someone standing inside the office of Aurelius Group’s CEO.

Nothing about this situation made sense.

"Mr. Grey, I don't understand."

"Which part?"

I almost laughed.

All of it.

The transfer.

The apartment.

The flight.

This office.

This conversation.

Him.

But instead, I asked the question that mattered most.

"Why me?"

The room became quieter.

For the first time, something shifted slightly in his expression.

Not enough for me to understand.

Just enough for me to notice.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Grey... why me?"

His gaze held mine for a moment longer than expected.

Then he answered.

"You ask that as though there were many options."

I frowned slightly.

That wasn't an answer.

If anything, it only created more questions.

Before I could ask another one, he continued.

"Your salary will be adjusted."

I blinked.

"Adjusted?"

"Tripled."

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

"Tripled?"

"Yes."

The number settled slowly.

I suddenly understood why people agreed to things they never imagined they would.

Money was persuasive.

An amount that large was even more persuasive.

"And transportation will be provided."

I looked at him carefully.

"A company vehicle?"

"A chauffeur."

Of course.

Why stop at tripling my salary when they could completely destroy my ability to think rationally?

My thoughts immediately returned to the apartment I had been given—the place that looked more like a luxury residence than employee accommodation.

Nothing about this felt normal.

I looked at Julian Grey again.

Really looked at him.

A man who could hire anyone he wanted.

A man who had access to the best candidates in the country.

Yet somehow, he had chosen me.

And I still had no idea why.

I should have been celebrating.

Anyone else would have been.

A higher salary. A prestigious position. A chauffeur. A luxury apartment in a new city.

It was the kind of opportunity most people would have accepted without hesitation.

But instead of excitement, I felt unsettled.

Because none of it explained the question that had been following me since the transfer.

Why me?

"I'll need time to adjust," I said finally.

"You'll have it."

I nodded slowly.

"Alright."

The word sounded much smaller than the decision it represented.

Julian returned his attention to the file on his desk, a quiet indication that the conversation had reached its end.

Just like that.

I remained standing for another moment, almost expecting him to say something else.

An explanation.

A clarification.

Anything that would make this entire situation feel less confusing.

Nothing came.

I turned toward the door.

"Miss Vale."

I stopped and looked back.

His attention remained on the file in front of him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't be late tomorrow."

For some reason, those simple words caught me off guard.

Not because of the warning itself.

Because of the certainty behind them.

As though he already expected me to be there.

As though this new role was no longer a possibility, but simply my reality.

"Yes, sir."

I left his office carrying more questions than answers.

A new position.

A salary I still struggled to process.

A chauffeur waiting to take me wherever I needed to go.

An apartment that felt like it belonged to someone else’s life.

And one question that refused to disappear.

Why had Julian Grey chosen me?

Because whatever the reason was...

I was beginning to suspect it had nothing to do with my résumé.