Claiming The Unreachable Heiress

Chapter five — A Meeting Of Worlds

Monday mornings were sacred to Ava Cole.

The quiet hum of her office, the scent of fresh coffee, and the soft jazz in the background — that was her peace.

She was finalizing design sketches for a luxury hotel lobby when her assistant peeked in.

“Ms. Cole, there’s someone here to see you. Says he’s from Hale Enterprises.”

Ava looked up, frowning slightly. “I don’t recall scheduling a meeting.”

Before her assistant could respond, a smooth, familiar voice filled the doorway.

“That’s because you didn’t.”

Cassian Hale leaned against the frame, wearing that same infuriating calm smile that made Ava’s composure flicker.

Ava set her pen down slowly. “You’re aware that barging into someone’s office without an appointment is rude, right?”

“Good thing I came bearing gifts,” he said, holding up two cups of coffee. “One’s black, one’s caramel. I wasn’t sure which kind you were.”

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Persistent, aren’t you?”

“I prefer consistent,” he said, placing the cup on her desk before taking a seat — uninvited, of course.

She tried to focus on her screen, pretending he wasn’t there, but Cassian’s quiet presence filled the room like low music.

He watched her work for a moment, fascinated by her precision — the way she furrowed her brow when she concentrated, how her fingers moved across blueprints like she was sculpting them into life.

Finally, she sighed. “Why are you here, Cassian?”

He smiled faintly. “Because your friend mentioned you’re handling the design for the Sapphire Hotel project.”

“That’s confidential.”

“I happen to be one of the investors,” he replied smoothly. “So, technically, we’ll be working together.”

Ava blinked. “You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

He slid a folder across her desk — proposal papers stamped with Hale Enterprises’ logo.

“I wanted to meet the designer before our teams merge,” he added. “And to see if the rumors were true.”

“Rumors?” she asked, folding her arms.

“That you’re brilliant,” Cassian said easily. “And impossible to impress.”

Ava’s lips twitched despite herself. “One out of two isn’t bad.”

Cassian grinned, eyes glinting. “We’ll see.”

By the time he left, Ava found herself staring at the untouched coffee he’d brought.

She told herself he was just another investor — another confident man who thought charm could bend her.

But as she looked out her office window, her reflection staring back, she couldn’t help the small, reluctant smile tugging at her lips.

“He’s trouble,” she muttered under her breath.

And somehow, she already knew — trouble had just become part of her schedule.