my boss wants me at all cost

Chloe Harper tightened her ponytail and took a deep breath as she stepped off the elevator on the top floor of Carter Enterprises. The hallway was quiet, cold, and sparkling clean — much cleaner than the dusty apartments she used to scrub back in South Dallas. This was a whole different world. Marble floors. Expensive art. Fresh flowers on every table. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Her new supervisor, a sharp-tongued woman named Miss Carol, had warned her. "You clean only the lower floors, Chloe. Don’t go snooping around the executive wing. They don’t like that." But Chloe had gotten lost. The janitor’s cart squeaked beside her as she pushed it slowly down the hallway, looking for the restroom she was supposed to clean. Then, she saw the door. The plaque read: Klein Carter, CEO. Her breath caught. The Klein Carter. The man whose name was on every floor, every file, every paycheck. Rich, powerful, and — from what she’d heard — ruthless. People said he fired employees for sneezing too loud. Said he never smiled, never dated, and never repeated himself. Curious — and just a little reckless — Chloe peeked toward the door. It was slightly open. Maybe it’s empty. She knocked gently. No answer. She pushed it open to peek inside. Big mistake. Because the moment she stepped in, her eyes met a pair of deep, cold blue ones. Klein Carter was sitting behind his sleek black desk, looking like he’d been carved from stone. Sharp jawline. Crisp white shirt. Tie perfectly in place. His presence filled the room like thunder. And now, he was staring directly at her. “Who are you?” he asked, voice low and dangerous. Chloe’s mouth went dry. “I-I’m Chloe. The new cleaner. I’m so sorry, sir, I thought this was the—” “You’re not supposed to be up here,” he interrupted, standing. Her eyes widened. He was even taller than she expected. “I know. I got lost. It won’t happen again.” Klein walked around the desk, stopping only inches from her. He looked her over slowly — not in a sleazy way, but like he was… analyzing her. Trying to understand her. “You’re not afraid of me?” he asked suddenly. Chloe swallowed. “Should I be?” For a second, something flickered in his eyes. Surprise. Maybe even… amusement. “No,” he said quietly. “Not yet.” Then he reached past her and gently pushed the door closed. Chloe’s heart raced. And from that moment on, she knew her life had just changed — whether she liked it or not.