The Man in the Elevator
958 Words
Sunday night arrived faster than Elena expected.
After finishing her shift at Florista, she returned home earlier than usual. The moment she stepped inside her tiny apartment, nervousness settled heavily inside her chest again.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow she would officially enter Stormfield Corporations.
For the first time in her life, Elena would step into the elite corporate world she had only heard about inside classrooms and business magazines.
The thought alone was intimidating.
She wondered what kind of people worked there.
Cold people?
Arrogant people?
Perfect people?
And then there was the CEO himself.
Adrian Stormfield.
Even hearing his name made people nervous.
A ruthless perfectionist.
A self-made businessman known for destroying competitors without mercy.
Elena had heard enough stories about him from professors and students to know one thing clearly—
He was not someone ordinary people could approach easily.
That thought stayed in her mind long after she went to bed.
---
The next morning, Elena woke up at exactly five.
The sky outside was still dark.
After washing her face and tying her hair into a loose ponytail, she quietly began preparing lunch in her tiny kitchenette.
Simple rice.
Vegetables.
And eggs.
Nothing fancy.
But enough to save money.
Elena already knew the cafeteria food at Stormfield Corporations would probably cost more than she was willing to spend daily.
Ever since her stepmother, Ivory Hart, had thrown her out of the house, life had stopped being about comfort.
It became survival.
And survival required calculation.
Every expense mattered.
Every coin mattered.
After packing her lunch carefully into a container, Elena opened her small wardrobe and stared silently at her clothes.
She didn’t own anything expensive.
No luxury handbags.
No branded heels.
No elegant office dresses.
Dress-up had become the least important thing in her life years ago.
Eventually, she settled on a simple cream blouse and black formal pants. Clean. Neat. Professional enough.
Hopefully.
After gathering all necessary documents into her bag, Elena finally left the apartment.
The morning air was cold as she walked toward the bus stop.
At exactly 7:10 AM, the bus arrived.
Twenty-five minutes later, it stopped in front of a towering glass building that seemed to touch the sky itself.
Stormfield Corporations.
Elena stepped off the bus slowly.
For a moment, she simply stood there staring upward at the massive twenty-five storied building.
The glass exterior reflected the morning sunlight beautifully, making the entire structure look expensive, untouchable… powerful.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her bag strap.
Then quietly, Elena walked inside.
The moment the glass doors opened, cold air brushed against her skin.
The lobby was enormous.
Polished marble floors reflected crystal lights hanging from the ceiling. Employees dressed in expensive suits and elegant dresses walked confidently through the building while security guards stood near sleek reception desks.
Everything looked refined.
Perfect.
For the first time since arriving, Elena became aware of her own appearance.
Not because she cared about luxury.
But because this world felt so different from hers.
For a brief second, she wondered if she truly belonged here.
Pushing the thought away, Elena walked toward the reception desk politely.
“Excuse me,” she said softly. “I’m here to meet Ms. Sherlin Hayes from HR.”
The receptionist offered a professional smile.
“Please wait at the lobby, ma’am. Ms. Hayes will be here shortly.”
Elena nodded quietly before moving toward one corner of the lobby.
Black leather sofas.
Glass coffee tables.
Automatic coffee machines.
Everything looked polished enough to make her uncomfortable touching it.
A few minutes later, a woman wearing a navy-blue blazer approached her.
“Miss Elena Hart?”
Elena stood immediately.
“Yes.”
“I’m Sherlin Hayes. Welcome to Stormfield Corporations.”
Sherlin guided her toward the elevators before taking her to the fifth floor.
That was where Elena met her manager.
Miss Gloria Anderson.
Gloria was beautiful in a sharp, intimidating way.
Tall.
Elegant.
Perfectly groomed.
Every movement she made carried confidence and authority.
“Welcome to the team, Miss Hart,” Gloria said professionally.
Then she showed Elena her desk before placing several thick files in front of her.
“The orientation ceremony begins at 9:30 AM in Aubry Hall on the twenty-fourth floor,” Gloria explained. “Until then, familiarize yourself with these reports.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After Gloria walked away, Elena opened the files carefully.
Business performance data.
Financial growth reports.
International expansion statistics.
The amount of information was overwhelming.
Completely absorbed in reading, Elena lost track of time.
By the time she checked the clock again—
9:25 AM.
Her eyes widened.
Quickly gathering her notebook, Elena hurried toward the elevators.
Several employees were already waiting there.
A soft ding echoed.
The elevator doors opened.
Inside stood two men.
One looked like a normal corporate employee.
The other…
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Sharp black suit.
Cold expression.
Handsome enough to look unreal.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The crowded hallway suddenly fell silent.
Nobody entered the elevator.
Nobody except Elena.
Completely unaware of the tension around her, she stepped inside quietly.
The doors closed behind her.
And suddenly…
The air felt heavy.
Elena stood silently near the corner, gripping her notebook slightly tighter.
Then she felt it.
A gaze.
Sharp.
Heavy.
Intense enough to make her heartbeat uncomfortable.
She didn’t look up.
Couldn’t.
Something about the silence inside the elevator felt strangely suffocating.
The elevator finally stopped on the twenty-fourth floor.
The doors opened.
Elena stepped out immediately.
And just before the elevator doors closed behind her—
She heard the other man speak.
“Mr. Stormfield, are you going to Hotel Paradise tonight for the client dinner?”
Elena froze for half a second.
Stormfield?
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then the elevator doors closed.
- Writer
