The Love hidden in silence

Chapter One — The Man Who Never Spoke Liana Rose stood across the street from Sterling Group and stared at the enormous glass building. For several seconds, she didn't move. The morning crowd rushed around her—businessmen speaking into phones, women hurrying toward offices, taxis stopping at the curb—but Liana barely noticed any of them. All she could see was the silver sign above the entrance. STERLING GROUP. Her new workplace. She took a slow breath. “First day,” she whispered. “Just get through the first day.” She adjusted the strap of her handbag and crossed the street. The moment she entered the building, she felt as though she had stepped into another world. Everything was polished and expensive. Marble floors stretched across the enormous lobby. Crystal lights hung from the ceiling, and the reception desk looked as though it belonged in a luxury hotel. Liana glanced down at her clothes. A simple cream blouse. A black pencil skirt. Black heels she had bought specifically for her first day. Suddenly, she wondered whether they were good enough. “Miss Rose?” She looked up. A woman in a perfectly fitted navy suit stood behind the reception desk. “Yes?” “Mr. Sterling is expecting you.” Liana blinked. “Mr. Sterling?” “The CEO.” Her stomach tightened. “The CEO wants to see me?” The receptionist nodded. “He specifically asked that you be sent upstairs immediately.” Liana looked toward the elevators. She had expected to spend her first morning completing paperwork and meeting the human resources department. She hadn't expected to meet Adrian Sterling. Everyone in the business world knew his name. At thirty-one, Adrian Sterling had transformed his family's company into one of the most successful corporations in the city. Newspapers described him as brilliant, disciplined, and almost impossible to impress. They also said he was extremely private. Liana pressed her lips together. Wonderful. Her first day had suddenly become terrifying. She stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. As the numbers climbed, her reflection stared back at her from the polished metal. “Don't panic,” she told herself. The elevator reached the forty-second floor. The doors opened. Silence greeted her. The executive floor was unlike the busy lobby downstairs. Everything was quiet, elegant, and carefully arranged. A receptionist pointed toward a large set of double doors. “Mr. Sterling is inside.” “Thank you.” Liana approached the doors and knocked. “Come in.” The voice was deep and calm. She opened the door. A man stood beside the enormous windows overlooking the city. He had his back toward her. Dark hair. Broad shoulders. Perfectly tailored black suit. One hand rested in his pocket while the other held a phone. Liana stopped near the entrance. “Mr. Sterling?” He ended the call. For a moment, he didn't turn around. Then he slowly faced her. Liana immediately understood why people found him intimidating. Adrian Sterling's expression was unreadable. His dark eyes moved over her calmly before meeting her gaze. “Liana Rose.” It wasn't a question. “Yes.” “You're late.” Her eyes widened. “I apologize. The elevator downstairs was—” “Three minutes.” She paused. “Excuse me?” “You're three minutes late.” Liana stared at him. Most people would have apologized again. Instead, she looked at the expensive watch on his wrist. “You called me here at nine o'clock.” “Yes.” “And it's nine-oh-three.” “Yes.” She took a breath. “Then perhaps the meeting wasn't supposed to begin until nine-oh-five.” Silence filled the room. Liana immediately realized what she'd said. That was a terrible idea. But Adrian didn't become angry. Instead, something almost invisible changed in his expression. The faintest hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. “You're confident.” “I try to be.” “Good.” He walked toward his desk. Liana followed. Adrian picked up a file and handed it to her. “You'll be working directly with me.” She stared at the file. “With you?” “Yes.” “Doing what?” “Assisting with executive operations. Scheduling. Correspondence. Reports. Meetings.” “That sounds like a lot.” “It is.” Liana looked at him. “And why did you choose me?” His expression became still. “Your qualifications.” She accepted the answer, though something about it felt incomplete. Her résumé was good, but there were hundreds of qualified applicants. Why her? She opened the file. The documents inside contained her employment history, university records, references, and even details about previous internships. She frowned. “You've already reviewed everything.” “Yes.” “All of it?” “Yes.” “That seems... thorough.” “I don't hire people without knowing who I'm hiring.” Liana nodded slowly. There was something unusual about the way he looked at her. Not curiosity. Not suspicion. Something deeper. Something she couldn't identify. She closed the file. “When do I start?” “Now.” She smiled politely. “Okay.” She turned toward the door. “Liana.” She stopped. She looked back. Adrian was watching her. “When we're alone, don't call me Mr. Sterling.” Her eyebrows lifted. “What should I call you?” There was a brief pause. “Adrian.” The name sounded strange coming from her. “Okay... Adrian.” His gaze remained fixed on her. “Your desk is outside my office.” She nodded. “Understood.” She left. The door closed behind her. Adrian remained motionless. Only when he was certain she couldn't see him did his expression change. He walked toward a drawer in his desk. He unlocked it. Inside was a small photograph. A photograph of Liana. He touched the edge carefully. She looked younger in the picture. Happier. And completely unaware of him. Adrian stared at her face. He had spent months preparing for this moment. He had told himself he would remain calm. Professional. Distant. But the moment she had walked through his office door, every carefully constructed wall inside him had nearly collapsed. He put the photograph away. “She still doesn't remember,” he whispered. And perhaps that was for the best. Outside, Liana sat at her new desk. A few employees glanced at her curiously. She pretended not to notice. Her computer had already been prepared, and a stack of documents waited beside the keyboard. She began working. For the next hour, everything was quiet. Then her phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number appeared. Welcome to Sterling Group. Liana frowned. Another message arrived. Be careful around Adrian. Her heart skipped. She looked toward the glass doors of Adrian's office. He was sitting behind his desk, reading a document. He looked completely calm. Liana stared at the message again. Before she could reply, another text appeared. You don't know the real reason he hired you. She quickly locked her phone. Who was sending these messages? And why? “Liana.” She nearly jumped. Adrian stood in his doorway. “Yes?” “Bring me the Henderson report.” “The Henderson report?” “Yes.” “I'll get it.” She stood and searched through the files. After several minutes, she found it. When she entered his office, Adrian was standing near the window again. She placed the document on his desk. “Here.” “Thank you.” She turned to leave. “Wait.” She stopped. Adrian looked at her. “Did something happen?” “No.” “You look distracted.” Liana hesitated. She didn't know whether she should tell him about the messages. Something about the situation made her uncomfortable. But before she could speak, Adrian's expression softened slightly. “If someone bothers you, tell me.” She looked at him. “Why?” He seemed surprised by the question. “Because you're working under me.” “That doesn't answer my question.” His jaw tightened. For a moment, neither spoke. Then he said quietly, “Because I don't want anyone making your first day difficult.” Liana studied him. There was something behind his words. Something he wasn't saying. “Thank you,” she finally replied. She walked away. Adrian watched her disappear behind the door. His hand tightened around the edge of the desk. He knew exactly who had sent the messages. And he knew this was only the beginning. At lunchtime, Liana sat alone in the company cafeteria. She had barely taken two bites of her meal when someone sat across from her. A young woman with curly hair smiled. “You're the new assistant.” Liana nodded. “Yes.” “I'm Maya.” “Liana.” Maya smiled. “So... how was your first meeting with Adrian?” Liana nearly laughed. “Intimidating.” Maya lowered her voice. “That's normal.” “Does he always act like that?” “Like what?” “Like he's permanently angry at the world.” Maya laughed. “Pretty much.” Liana smiled. Then Maya leaned closer. “But there's something you should know.” “What?” “Adrian doesn't usually hire personal assistants.” Liana's smile disappeared. “What do you mean?” “He's had three assistants in the last year.” “Why?” “They all quit.” “Why?” Maya shrugged. “No one knows.” Liana looked toward the cafeteria entrance. “That's encouraging.” Maya laughed. “But there's something even stranger.” “What?” Maya lowered her voice again. “He rejected almost every applicant for your position.” Liana frowned. “Then why did he choose me?” Maya smiled mysteriously. “That's what everyone wants to know.” That evening, Liana packed her things. Most of the office had already emptied. She walked toward the elevator. “Liana.” She turned. Adrian stood several feet away. “You're still here.” “I was finishing the reports.” “You should go home.” She nodded. “I will.” He glanced at the clock. “It's raining.” Liana looked through the glass windows. Heavy rain had begun falling outside. “Oh.” “You didn't bring an umbrella.” It wasn't a question. Liana shook her head. “No.” Adrian walked toward her. He removed a black umbrella from a stand near the entrance and handed it to her. “Take this.” She hesitated. “What about you?” “I have a driver.” “Oh.” She accepted the umbrella. “Thank you, Adrian.” His eyes softened when she said his name. “Goodnight, Liana.” “Goodnight.” She walked into the rain. Adrian stood by the window and watched until she disappeared into the crowd. His driver approached. “Sir?” Adrian didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the street. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Make sure she gets home safely.” The driver nodded. “Yes, sir.” Adrian returned to his office. He closed the door. Then he opened the same drawer again. The old photograph was still there. He looked at it for a long moment. There were so many things he wanted to tell Liana. So many words he had kept hidden. But he couldn't tell her yet. Not until she remembered. Not until he was certain that the truth wouldn't destroy everything. Adrian closed the drawer. Outside, thunder rolled across the city. And somewhere in the darkness, someone was already planning to tear the two of them apart. Because Adrian Sterling's silence wasn't hiding a lack of love. It was hiding a love story Liana had forgotten.