HIS FORBIDDEN HEIR

UNSETTLING PRAISE

Elena kept her head down, typing furiously as the hum of Blackwell Enterprises buzzed around her. Her desk was still temporary, a small space tucked into the corner of the department, but she had quickly learned that in this building, every second counted. No one wasted time because wasting time here meant putting yourself on Adrian Blackwell’s radar. And that, according to every hushed whisper she had overheard, was professional suicide.

Which was why her pulse jumped when her manager suddenly appeared at her desk.

“Elena,” Mrs. Grant said, clutching a neat stack of documents which she had submitted to her earlier for review, Mr. Blackwell wants this file sent up immediately. And he specifically requested that you bring it yourself.

Elena blinked. “Me?”

Her manager gave her a look of equal confusion. “Yes.” His words exactly. Take it to his office. And Elena? She lowered her voice. “Be careful.” He doesn’t…praise easily. Or at all.

The weight of the file in her hands felt heavier than it should have. Elena swallowed hard and made her way to the top floor, her heart pounding against her ribs. She had never stepped foot inside Adrian Blackwood’s office. Just passing through the upper floors felt like entering a different world; the silence thicker, the air sharper, as though the very walls reminded you who reigned here.

When she reached the massive double doors, his assistant, Daniel, barely glanced at her. But when she stated why she was there, his head snapped up.

“You?” His brows furrowed, as though the word itself was wrong. “He asked for you?”

Elena shifted uncomfortably. “That’s what my manager said.”

Daniel hesitated, then sighed. “Fine.” Don’t take it personally if he…well, you’ll see. He opened the door and gestured to her inside.

Adrian’s office was just as intimidating as the man himself... sleek lines of black and steel, floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city like a throne gazing down at its domain. Adrian sat behind his desk, perfectly composed, his dark eyes flicking up as she entered.

“Miss Rivera,” he said, his voice smooth but carrying that edge of command that sent shivers down the spine. “Leave the file on my desk.”

Elena did as instructed, careful not to drop it. Her palms were sweating, but she forced herself to steady her hands.

For a moment, silence stretched. Then Adrian leaned back in his chair, scanning the file briefly before setting it aside. His gaze returned to her.

“You’ve done good work.”

The words froze her. She almost thought she’d imagined them, but Daniel’s sudden, stunned movement near the door proved otherwise. The assistant’s mouth had actually fallen open, as though the ceiling had collapsed.

Elena’s own mind stuttered. Good work? Complimented by him? She’d heard the stories: Adrian Blackwood never praised anyone. He shredded mistakes, dismissed mediocrity, demanded perfection. But compliments? They weren’t in his vocabulary.

“Th-thank you, sir,” she stammered, unsure how else to respond.

Adrian’s expression didn’t change. If anything, his eyes lingered on her a fraction longer than necessary, as though he were studying her reaction. Then, with a flick of his hand, he dismissed her.

Elena left the office in a daze, Daniel’s wide-eyed stare burning into her back. The second she stepped into the elevator, she finally let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

That evening, Elena sank into the worn couch in her tiny apartment, the phone pressed to her ear.

“You’re kidding me,” Christine’s voice gasped on the other end.

“I swear, Christine. He actually said it. ‘You’ve done good work.’ Those exact words. I thought I’d hallucinated,” Elena replied, curling her legs beneath her.

Her best friend let out a sharp laugh. “Wait, Adrian Blackwell?” The man who supposedly fired a senior executive because the guy brought him the wrong coffee order?

Elena groaned. “I don’t know, maybe I’m overthinking it.” Maybe it wasn’t a compliment at all, maybe he was just being…neutral.

“Neutral?” Christine scoffed. “Girl, everyone in that building probably fainted.” If he so much as says ‘acceptable,’ it’s headline-worthy. But listen... her tone grew serious, “You need to be careful.” Men like him don’t just hand out compliments. If he noticed you, it’s for a reason.

Elena rubbed her temple. “It’s not like I asked him to notice me.” I’m just trying to keep my head down, do my work, and survive until the contract ends.

“I know,” Christine sighed. “But sometimes it’s not about what you want.” It’s about what he decides. And Adrian Blackwell doesn’t strike me as the type to let things go once he takes interest.

The words made Elena’s chest tighten, though she tried to laugh it off. “He’s not interested.” Trust me, he has probably already forgotten I exist.

But deep down, as she replayed that unsettling moment in his office, the weight of his stare, the way his words had actually sounded deliberate…she wasn’t so sure.

And that terrified her more than she wanted to admit.