Falling for my Billionaire Boss

Chapter four

CHAPTER FOUR

The Man Who Wasn't Afraid

By her second day in the mansion, Evelyn had already learned three things. First, the mansion was far too large for the number of people living in it; secondly, she noticed the staff walking around quietly, their shoes barely making a sound on the marble floor. Sometimes she wondered if they were all ex-ballet dancers, used to walking on their toes, which sounded so funny to her.

That morning, Evelyn stood in the kitchen with her sleeves rolled up, staring at a tray of freshly prepared breakfast. She looked at the clock, then at breakfast, then back at the clock.

"Who eats breakfast this early?"

The butler, who was arranging the cutlery nearby, glanced at her.

"Mr Hargrove."

"At seven? Every morning ?" She asked astonishingly. Evelyn sighed. "Does he ever sleep?"

The butler's hands stopped moving; Evelyn noticed instantly and looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing," the butler replied.

" But you just froze."

"I didn't."

"You did," Evelyn said, nodding her head.

The butler cleared his throat and glanced at the breakfast tray before turning to Evelyn.

“Mr Hargrove prefers his breakfast simple. Eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and black coffee. Nothing complicated.”

Evelyn looked at the neatly arranged tray.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” the butler replied. “He doesn't like unnecessary changes to his routine.”

He paused before adding, “You'll be responsible for preparing it from tomorrow morning. Make sure you get it right.”

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “It's breakfast, not a surgical procedure.”

The butler stared at him without a word.

Evelyn immediately picked up the tray.

"I'll take it."

The butler's eyes widened. "You?"

"Yes. I have hands." She replied sharply.

Before he could respond, Evelyn had already stepped out; she had barely taken five steps when she heard a quiet, masculine and unique voice behind her.

"Where are you going?"

Evelyn stopped and turned to look at the speaker.

Damian stood at the entrance of the hallway in a black suit, a dark expression perfectly composed, looking exactly like the billionaire CEO that he is. The kind of man who could make silence feel like a threat. Evelyn looked at the tray in her hands.

"Your breakfast."

"I can see that," he replied in his cool tone.

"Then I suppose we're both doing well this morning," Evelyn said with a slight smile on her lips.

The butler behind her nearly dropped a spoon. Damian stared at her in shock; Evelyn stared back.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke, then Damian's eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Did you just make a joke?"

"I think so." She said casually.

"You think so?" Damian was more surprised than anybody by the way his new employee interacted with him.

"I'm still new here. I'm learning."

Something flickered across Damian's face, and it disappeared almost immediately.

"Put it on the dining table."

"I was going to."

"Good." He turned and walked away; Evelyn followed him. She placed the tray on the table and stepped back.

Damian sat down gently, looked at the food, then at the man standing before him or probably a woman disguised as a man.

"Why are you still standing there?"

"I was waiting to see if you needed anything."

"I don't."

"Okay." She turned to leave.

"Ethan," Damian called.

Evelyn almost forgot she was now called Ethan, the man she had pretended to be; luckily, she recalled and stopped.

"Yes?"

Damian studied her for a moment. "You're not afraid of me."

Evelyn almost laughed hearing what his Boss just said.

"Should I be?" She tilted her head to one side.

Damian's expression hardened slightly. Most people would have immediately apologised, but Evelyn didn't; she simply stood there, waiting.

"I asked a question," Damian said, deepening his voice.

"And I answered."

His eyes narrowed. For a moment, Evelyn thought she had finally gone too far, then, unexpectedly, Damian looked away.

"Go."

"Sure." She walked out of the dining room.

"That man is strange." She thought to herself. She didn't notice the faintest trace of amusement on Damian's face.

---

Later that afternoon, Evelyn found herself exploring the mansion. Not intentionally, at least; that was what she told herself. She had been looking for the laundry room and somehow ended up on the second floor.

The hallway was quiet; beautiful portraits decorated the walls, and the tall windows allowed afternoon sunlight to spill across the polished floor. Evelyn stopped before one of the doors and reached for the handle. She almost twisted the doorknob when a voice came suddenly.

"Don't."

She nearly jumped out of her skin, frightened.

She saw Damian standing several feet behind her; she felt relaxed a bit placing her right hand on her chest.

"Do you have a habit of sneaking up on people?" she asked.

"It's you who have a habit of going where you're not supposed to," Damian replied.

Evelyn glanced at the door. "I was only looking for the laundry room."

"The laundry room is downstairs."

"Oh." She looked down the hallway. "Then I made a wrong turn." She said,

"Obviously," Damian answered.

Evelyn frowned. "There's no need to sound so pleased about it."

Damian stared at her. Of course she stared back. Damian shook his head and walked past her. "Come."

" Where?"

"Back downstairs."

After a few steps, she noticed that the other staff members who passed all lowered their heads; nobody spoke, and none of them lifted their heads to look at Damian. Evelyn was still curious about why all the staff acted quiet and timid around Damian. She looked from them to Damian, then back at them.

"You know," she said casually, "everyone acts like you're going to fire them for breathing too loudly."

Damian, taken by surprise, stopped walking. Evelyn stopped too, then he turned slowly.

"Do you enjoy testing my patience?"

She smiled. Not particularly."

"Then stop."

"Okay."

He continued walking, and two seconds later, Evelyn followed him.

"Although," she added, "I was only making an observation."

Damian glanced at her. "You make too many observations."

"I notice things."

"So I've noticed."

That answer caught her off guard; for some reason, she smiled.

Damian looked away before she could notice that his expression had softened; he couldn't understand this new employee.

Everyone else in his house knows how to behave around him. They are careful, predictable and quiet. But Ethan was different. He had only known him for a few days, yet somehow, the man's presence had already begun disrupting the carefully controlled atmosphere of the mansion.

Damian disliked disorder and disliked surprises even more, and yet, as Evelyn disappeared down the stair

rcase, he found himself wondering something he hadn't expected to wonder about anyone in years.

Who exactly is this man?