Beneath His Armor

I never planned to work for a man everyone was scared of. My name is Aria Lawson. I’m twenty-three years old and a fresh graduate. To most people, I look harmless. Quiet. Just another girl trying to survive in the city. What they don’t know is that I didn’t come here by accident. I came with a reason. A secret one. I stood outside a tall glass building, my neck hurting from looking up. Moretti International. The building looked cold. Too clean. Too powerful. People say the man who owns this place, Dante Moretti, is not someone you joke with. They say he is ruthless. That he ruins lives without raising his voice. That once he looks at you, he already knows what you’re hiding. I told myself not to listen to gossip. But my heart was beating too fast for someone who wasn’t scared. I took a deep breath and walked inside. The glass doors reflected my face. I tried to adjust my hair, but my hands were shaking. I couldn’t afford to look weak. Not today. “Good morning,” the receptionist said, already typing on her tablet. “Name?” “Aria Lawson,” I replied. She looked at the screen, then at me. “You’re the new personal assistant.” It wasn’t a question. “Yes,” I said. She pointed to the elevator. “Top floor. He’s waiting.” Waiting. My stomach tightened. The elevator ride felt too long and too short at the same time. I pressed my palms together and breathed slowly. This is it, Aria. You chose this. Stay focused. Don’t get distracted. Don’t get emotional. The doors opened. The air on the top floor felt different. Colder. Heavy. Like the building itself was warning me to turn back. I walked to a large office door and knocked. No answer. I knocked again. Still nothing. I slowly pushed the door open. That was when I saw him. Dante Moretti stood by the window, his back facing me. One hand in his pocket. Tall. Still. In control. When he turned around, my breath caught. He looked exactly like the rumors. His suit was dark, perfectly fitted. His face unreadable. And his eyes… cold. Sharp. The kind of eyes that made you feel seen even when he wasn’t looking directly at you. “Good morning, sir. I’m—” “Close the door.” His voice was calm, but firm. I closed it immediately. “You’re late,” he said. “I’m sorry. The interview—” “There is no interview,” he interrupted. “You’re already hired. If you follow my rules.” Rules. He walked closer, and my heart started racing. “You work only for me,” he said. “You touch nothing I don’t give you. You don’t ask useless questions. And you listen.” I nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.” “Sit.” I sat down, trying to keep my knees from shaking. “You will follow me everywhere,” he continued. “Meetings. Trips. Work hours. You speak only when I allow it. You leave only when I say so.” That was a lot. “Can you handle that?” he asked, staring at me. “Yes,” I said softly. “Good.” He dropped a file in front of me. “That’s your first task. Don’t make mistakes.” I opened it. Numbers. Reports. Complicated things. I told myself I could handle it. Dante turned back to the window. “You have a quiet face,” he said. I frowned slightly. “That’s good,” he added. “Quiet people survive longer.” I wasn’t sure if that was meant to comfort me. Suddenly, the office door burst open. “Mr. Moretti!” a man shouted. “There’s a situation downstairs.” Before I could ask anything, a loud crash echoed through the hallway. Then shouting. Then gunshots. I froze. Two masked men rushed in. Everything happened too fast. One of them pointed a gun at Dante. I didn’t even have time to scream. Dante grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. He shielded me with his body and pushed me behind the desk. “Stay down. Don’t move,” he ordered. His voice didn’t shake. He fought them like he had done it before. Punches. Fast movements. No fear. No hesitation. In seconds, security rushed in and dragged the men away. Silence filled the room. Dante straightened his suit like nothing happened. Then he looked at me. “If you’re scared, you can leave,” he said. I was terrified. My hands were shaking. But I didn’t stand up. “I’m not scared,” I said. It was a lie. “Good,” he replied. “I don’t work with weak people. Get back to work.” Just like that. As I sat there, my heart pounding, I realized something had changed. The man I was sent to investigate had just saved my life. And that scared me more than the gunshots.