Chapter five
820 Words
The next morning, Lena braced herself before stepping into the office. The memory of Adrian’s words from last night clung to her like a secret she wasn’t supposed to carry. You intrigue me.
It was dangerous, intoxicating. But today, she had to push it aside. She was here to work, not to be distracted by a man who could crush her with a single word.
“Morning,” she said softly to a cluster of coworkers as she passed.
They barely responded. One woman gave her a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Another whispered something to a colleague, both of them glancing her way before laughing under their breath.
Lena swallowed the sting. She’d been the outsider before—new school, new town, always proving herself. She could handle it.
By mid-morning, she had immersed herself in a presentation draft, determined to show she deserved her place here. But when she clicked open the shared folder, her stomach dropped.
Her work—the careful data she’d compiled the night before—was gone. Deleted.
Her pulse raced. She scrolled frantically, checking backups, hidden files. Nothing. Hours of effort, vanished.
“Problem?” a voice drawled behind her.
She turned to see Marcus, the senior manager she had corrected in yesterday’s meeting. His smile was sharp, smug.
“I—I can’t find the file,” she admitted, hating the tremor in her voice.
“Strange.” His eyes glittered. “Maybe you’re not as detail-oriented as Mr. Blackwood thinks.”
Her cheeks burned. “It was here. Someone must have—”
He leaned closer, his breath hot with condescension. “Piece of advice, Carter. People who rise too fast tend to fall even faster. Know your place.”
Anger flared in her chest, but before she could speak, the air shifted.
Adrian Blackwood had entered the floor.
The room seemed to straighten itself around him, employees suddenly busy at their desks. His presence was gravity, pulling all attention toward him.
“Status update,” Adrian commanded. His gaze swept the room, sharp and assessing, before landing squarely on Lena.
Her throat tightened. She could lie. She could stay quiet. But his eyes pinned her, demanding honesty.
“My presentation data was deleted,” she admitted, her voice steady despite her racing heart. “It wasn’t an accident.”
A ripple of shock passed through the floor. Accusing sabotage in front of Adrian was like playing with fire.
His jaw hardened. “Who was responsible?”
Silence.
Marcus shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Adrian’s gaze.
Lena’s breath caught. She hadn’t wanted to drag him into this, not like this. But Adrian already knew. His dark eyes narrowed on Marcus with lethal precision.
“Explain,” Adrian said coldly.
Marcus stammered. “It—it must have been a technical error—”
“Lies.” Adrian’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Do you think incompetence or sabotage impresses me?”
Marcus paled. “Mr. Blackwood, I—”
“Security will review the system logs,” Adrian interrupted, his tone final. “If you touched her files, you’re finished.”
The room went deathly silent.
Adrian turned his gaze back to Lena, softer but no less intense. “You’ll have the full support of IT to recover your work. In the meantime, report directly to me.”
Her breath caught. Directly to him? That would only make the tension worse. But she nodded. “Yes, sir.”
As Adrian walked away, Marcus glared at her, fury simmering in his eyes.
Lena sank back into her chair, her heart pounding. She had survived, but she had made an enemy. A dangerous one.
Later, in the elevator, the doors slid shut and she found herself alone with Adrian. The air between them was charged, the walls suddenly too small.
“You spoke up,” he said quietly, his gaze fixed on her.
“I had to.”
“Most wouldn’t have.” His eyes darkened. “Do you understand the risk you took?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “But you told me not to apologize for being right.”
For a moment, silence. Then the corner of his mouth curved in the faintest, most dangerous smile. “Careful, Miss Carter. If you keep quoting my own rules back to me, I might start to enjoy it.”
Her pulse quickened. “And is that… a bad thing?”
His expression shifted, unreadable again. “That depends.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a murmur. “On whether you’re ready to pay the price.”
The elevator dinged, doors sliding open. He stepped out without another word, leaving her breathless and unsteady.
Enemies in the shadows. An ally who was far more dangerous than any rival.
Lena knew one thing with certainty: her life at Blackwood Enterprises would never be the same again.
- Writer
