CHAPTER.FOUR
1838 Words
"Ethan."
The calm voice echoed through the hallway.
Ava slowly turned around
.
Adrian Kingsley stood a few steps behind them, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black suit. His expression was unreadable, but there was something about his eyes that made the air suddenly feel heavy.
Ethan smiled casually.
"Adrian."
"I've been looking for you."
"So have I," Ethan replied. "I was just talking to Miss Carter."
"I can see that."
The two men looked at each other in silence.
Neither of them raised his voice.
Neither of them smiled.
Ava stood between them, completely unaware of the silent battle taking place.
She cleared her throat.
"Mr. Kingsley... I'm sorry if I've done something wrong."
Adrian looked at her.
"You haven't."
His answer was short and calm.
"But you're still on duty."
Ava quickly nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Then you should return to work."
"I understand."
She gave a small bow before pushing her cleaning cart away.
As she walked down the hallway, she could still feel their eyes on her.
She wondered why.
...
The moment Ava disappeared around the corner, Ethan folded his arms.
"She's interesting."
Adrian didn't reply.
"I only invited her for coffee."
Silence.
"It wasn't a crime."
Adrian finally looked at him.
"She's a new employee."
"So?"
"Employees deserve time to settle into their work before becoming the center of office gossip."
Ethan laughed softly.
"You think people are gossiping?"
"They already are."
Ethan slipped one hand into his pocket.
"I wasn't flirting with her."
"I didn't say you were."
"But that's what you're thinking."
Adrian's face remained calm.
"What I'm thinking isn't important."
"It seems important enough for you to interrupt us."
For a brief second...
Neither man spoke.
Then Adrian stepped closer.
"I don't mix business with personal feelings."
Ethan smiled.
"Neither do I."
"Good."
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
Adrian looked into Ethan's eyes.
"I don't."
Without another word, he walked away.
Ethan watched him disappear down the hallway.
Something wasn't right.
Adrian had always been calm.
But today...
His calmness felt forced.
...
From the opposite end of the corridor, Xavier had witnessed almost everything.
He leaned casually against the wall, waiting until Adrian was out of sight.
Then he walked over to Ethan.
"What was that about?"
Ethan shrugged.
"I honestly don't know."
"You looked like two lawyers arguing without saying anything."
Ethan laughed.
"Maybe."
Xavier studied his friend's face.
"You like that girl, don't you?"
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
"The cleaner."
"I just met her."
"I didn't ask how long you've known her."
Ethan smiled to himself.
"I think she's different."
"Different enough to ask her for coffee on her first day?"
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.
"When you put it like that..."
"It sounds crazy."
"It does."
The two men laughed together.
Neither of them noticed Adrian standing inside his office, watching them through the floor-to-ceiling glass window.
He couldn't hear what they were saying.
But he could see Ethan smiling.
And somehow...
That bothered him more than it should.
...
Meanwhile...
Ava continued cleaning the executive floor.
She tried to focus on her work, but her thoughts kept returning to what had happened.
Why had Mr. Sterling spoken to her?
Why had Mr. Kingsley interrupted them?
Had she broken some company rule?
Mrs. Wilson noticed the worried look on her face.
"Everything alright, dear?"
Ava forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"It's just..."
She hesitated.
"Mr. Sterling invited me for coffee."
Mrs. Wilson nearly dropped the clipboard in her hands.
"He did what?"
Ava quickly lowered her voice.
"Please don't tell anyone."
Mrs. Wilson looked around before pulling Ava aside.
"Listen carefully."
"Yes?"
"This company has many rules."
"I'll follow all of them."
"I'm not talking about company rules."
Ava frowned.
"I'm talking about people."
She looked confused.
"The three owners of Kingsley Group are the most talked-about men in New York."
"I know."
"They're rich."
"They're powerful."
"And they're constantly surrounded by women."
Ava nodded slowly.
"I've seen them in magazines."
Mrs. Wilson took a deep breath.
"So if one of them suddenly shows interest in an ordinary employee..."
She paused.
"...people won't stay quiet."
Ava's heart sank.
"I never wanted any attention."
"I know."
"But attention doesn't always ask for permission."
Those words stayed with Ava for the rest of the afternoon.
She returned to work, determined to keep her head down and avoid unnecessary conversations.
But fate seemed to have other plans
.
At exactly four o'clock, the office intercom rang.
Mrs. Wilson answered it.
A few seconds later, she slowly turned toward Ava.
"There is a message for you."
Ava looked up from the desk she was dusting.
"For me?"
Mrs. Wilson nodded.
"It's from the CEO's office."
Ava's stomach tightened.
"What... what did they say?"
Mrs. Wilson looked at her with a serious expression.
"Mr. Kingsley wants to see you."
Ava's face turned pale.
She gripped the cleaning cloth tightly.
Was this because of Ethan?
Had she unknowingly crossed a line on her very first day?
Or...
Was the job she had fought so hard to get about to disappear before she even received her first paycheck?
The rest of the afternoon felt unusually long.
Every time Ava looked at the wall clock, it seemed as though the hands had barely moved.
She tried to focus on cleaning the executive floor, but her mind was elsewhere.
"Why does the CEO want to see me?"
Had she broken a company rule?
Was it because Ethan had spoken to her?
Or...
Was she about to lose the only job that could save her family?
She couldn't stop thinking about her father's medicine.
The rent.
Her younger brother's school fees.
If she lost this job...
Everything would fall apart.
...
Five o'clock finally arrived.
Most employees packed their bags and headed home.
The once-busy office slowly became quiet.
Mrs. Wilson walked over to Ava.
"You should go now."
Ava nodded nervously.
"What if... I'm being fired?"
Mrs. Wilson placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't assume the worst."
"I can't help it."
"Mr. Kingsley isn't the type of man who humiliates people."
Those words gave Ava a little courage.
She took a deep breath and walked toward the private executive floor.
...
The elevator doors opened.
The hallway was almost empty.
Only the soft glow of the evening lights remained.
Ava's footsteps echoed against the marble floor as she approached the large wooden door.
CEO – Adrian Kingsley
She stared at the name for several seconds.
Then...
She knocked.
"Come in."
His calm voice came from inside.
Ava slowly opened the door.
The office was unlike anything she had ever seen.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the dazzling lights of New York City.
A bookshelf stretched across one wall.
Modern artwork decorated another.
Behind a large black desk sat Adrian Kingsley.
His suit jacket had been removed, leaving only a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms.
He looked up from the document in front of him.
"Close the door."
Ava obeyed immediately.
"Good evening, sir."
"Good evening."
He gestured toward the chair opposite him.
"Sit."
Ava hesitated.
"I'd rather stand."
"Sit."
His voice remained calm.
She carefully lowered herself into the chair.
For a few moments...
Neither of them spoke.
The silence became almost unbearable.
Finally...
Adrian closed the file in front of him.
"How was your first day?"
Ava blinked.
"I... it was good."
"You adjusted quickly."
"I'm trying my best."
"I noticed."
His words surprised her.
He had noticed?
She thought a man like Adrian Kingsley would never pay attention to a cleaner.
"Thank you, sir."
He folded his hands on the desk.
"Miss Carter."
"Yes?"
"What do you want from this company?"
The question caught her completely off guard.
She lowered her eyes before answering honestly.
"I want a better life."
"For yourself?"
She slowly shook her head.
"For my family."
Adrian remained silent.
She continued.
"My father can't work anymore."
"My mother does everything she can."
"My younger brothers and sisters still need to go to school."
"They depend on me."
"I can't disappoint them."
For the first time...
Adrian saw more than a beautiful woman.
He saw determination.
Responsibility.
And quiet strength.
It reminded him of himself years ago.
"You were disappointed when I offered you the cleaner's position."
Ava smiled awkwardly.
"I was."
"But you still accepted it."
"I didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"Not when people are depending on you."
Those words stayed with Adrian.
Most people he met talked about success.
Money.
Power.
Ava talked about responsibility.
It was... refreshing.
He stood and walked toward the large window.
Without turning around, he spoke.
"I have one rule."
Ava listened carefully.
"While you work here, don't let anyone distract you from your goals."
"I won't."
"No matter who they are."
She frowned slightly.
"I don't understand."
Adrian finally turned to face her.
"Ethan Sterling."
Ava's eyes widened.
"He invited you for coffee today."
She was shocked.
"You... you know?"
"I know everything that happens inside this company."
"I didn't accept."
"I know."
Ava felt her heart pounding.
"I've never met someone like Mr. Sterling before."
"And you won't be meeting him outside work."
His words sounded more like an order than advice.
She quickly nodded.
"I understand."
Adrian walked back to his desk.
"This company is full of rumors."
"I don't want your name becoming one of them."
"I don't want that either."
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
Ava suddenly realized something.
Despite his cold appearance...
Adrian wasn't trying to scare her.
He was trying to protect her.
Or at least...
That's how it felt.
Just then, a knock sounded on the office door.
Adrian frowned.
"I wasn't expecting anyone."
His assistant stepped inside.
"Sir..."
"What is it?"
"The board meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning has been moved forward."
"Why?"
"Mr. Sterling requested an emergency strategy meeting."
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did he say why?"
"No, sir."
The assistant hesitated before adding,
"But..."
"But what?"
"He specifically asked if Miss Carter would be working on the executive floor tomorrow."
Silence.
The assistant looked between Adrian and Ava, sensing the sudden change in the room.
Adrian's face remained calm.
Too calm.
"You may leave," he said to the assistant.
The door closed again.
Ava slowly stood.
"Sir... may I go now?"
Adrian looked at her for several seconds before answering.
"Yes."
She turned toward the door.
Her hand had just reached the handle when Adrian spoke again.
"Miss Carter."
She stopped.
"Yes, sir?"
His voice was steady.
Cold.
Impossible to read.
"From tomorrow onward..."
He pause
d.
"...you're assigned exclusively to the executive floor."
Ava's heart skipped a beat.
The executive floor?
That meant she would see Adrian...
Ethan...
and Xavier...
every single day.
She had no idea that a simple change in her work assignment had just placed her at the center of a battle that would test friendship, loyalty, and love.
- Writer
