The CEO’s Deadly Obsession

Trapped together in the elevator

The first thing I learned about Adrian Vale was that everyone was afraid of him.

The second was that he was annoyingly handsome.

The third was that both facts had absolutely nothing to do with me.

At least, that was what I told myself at 8:47 on a Monday morning as I stood outside the elevator of Vale International, clutching a paper cup of coffee and trying not to look like I had spent the last fifteen minutes running through the rain.

I had.

My hair was damp. My shoes were ruined. And I was fairly certain there was a smear of mascara beneath my left eye.

Perfect.

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped inside.

Then a hand stopped the doors from closing.

"Hold it."

That voice.

Low. Calm. Effortlessly commanding.

I looked up.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

Adrian Vale stepped into the elevator.

The CEO.

The man whose photograph appeared in business magazines almost every month.

The youngest person ever to take over Vale International.

The man whose net worth was discussed by people who had never even seen a six-figure bank balance.

And, apparently, the man who had decided that today was a good day to stand three feet away from me.

"Good morning," he said.

I stared at him.

"Morning."

His eyes moved briefly over me.

Wet hair.

Coffee.

Wrinkled blouse.

Then back to my eyes.

Something almost resembling amusement appeared on his face.

"Rough morning?"

"No."

He raised an eyebrow.

I looked down at myself.

"...Maybe."

His mouth curved.

I hated that smile immediately.

The elevator began moving.

Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.

Then the lights flickered.

The elevator stopped.

I froze.

Adrian looked at the ceiling.

"Interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yes."

"The elevator just stopped."

"I noticed."

I turned toward him.

"Shouldn't you be worried?"

"No."

"Why?"

He looked at me.

"Because I'm not claustrophobic."

"Congratulations."

His lips twitched.

I folded my arms.

He pressed the emergency button.

Nothing happened.

He pressed it again.

Still nothing.

Then he looked at me.

"You might want to sit down."

"I'll stand."

"You'll regret that."

"I don't regret things."

"That's a bold statement."

"I've made worse ones."

"I believe you."

I couldn't tell whether he was flirting with me.

That was the problem.

He looked like a man who could flirt without ever changing his expression.

The elevator remained still.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

My phone had no signal.

I sighed and leaned against the wall.

Adrian loosened his tie.

My eyes followed the movement before I could stop them.

His gaze caught mine.

Oh, God.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

"Something interesting?" he asked.

"No."

"You're staring."

"I was looking at the time."

"On my neck?"

My cheeks burned.

I looked away.

He laughed quietly.

It wasn't the intimidating CEO laugh I'd heard in the office.

It was warmer.

Almost boyish.

"You know," he said, "most people become very polite when they're trapped in an elevator with their boss."

"Most people are probably smarter than me."

"I don't think that's the problem."

"What is?"

"I think you're unusually comfortable being rude to me."

I looked at him.

"You're my boss?"

"Technically."

"Then I'm being extremely polite."

He laughed again.

And somehow, being trapped in an elevator with the most intimidating man in the building became less frightening.

It became...

dangerous.

Not because of him.

Because of the strange awareness that had settled between us.

The elevator was small.

Too small.

Every time he moved, I noticed.

Every time I looked up, his eyes seemed to already be on me.

At some point, he stepped closer to reach the control panel.

His arm brushed mine.

Neither of us moved.

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips.

My breath caught.

Then he stepped back.

"Relax," he murmured.

"I am relaxed."

"You're holding your coffee like you're planning to murder someone with it."

I looked down.

My knuckles were white around the cup.

I loosened my grip.

He smiled.

"There."

"Happy?"

"Very."

The elevator suddenly jolted.

I stumbled.

His hand caught my waist.

For one suspended second, I was against him.

His palm was warm through the thin fabric of my blouse.

My hands landed against his chest.

We stared at each other.

Neither of us spoke.

His eyes dropped to my mouth again.

This time, I saw it.

The hesitation.

The restraint.

And something much darker underneath.

Then the elevator lights came back on.

The doors opened.

I stepped away immediately.

"Thank God."

Adrian straightened his jacket as though nothing had happened.

"Disappointed?"

I stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

He walked out.

Then looked over his shoulder.

"I said, thank God."

A slow smile appeared.

"I heard you."

And then he walked away.

I stood there for another three seconds.

Then whispered to myself,

"Arrogant bastard."

---

By six that evening, I had almost convinced myself the elevator incident had never happened.

Almost.

I left the building with my bag over my shoulder and my mind already on dinner.

My mother would complain that I was late.

Again.

She had spent her entire life worrying about me since my father died, and although I found her constant concern suffocating sometimes, she was the only family I had left.

I reached the parking lot.

A black car rolled slowly past me.

It stopped.

The driver's window lowered.

Adrian.

Of course.

He looked at me through the open window.

"Need a ride?"

"No."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

He nodded.

"Good."

I frowned.

"Good?"

He smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say no."

Before I could respond, the window rolled back up.

The car pulled away.

I stared after him.

"What is wrong with that man?"

From inside the car, I could almost imagine his laughter.

I hated him.

Probably.

---

The next morning, I found a cup of coffee waiting on my desk.

No note.

No name.

Just my usual order.

Black coffee.

Two sugars.

I looked around the office.

No one seemed interested.

I picked it up.

Then noticed the tiny piece of paper underneath.

Three words.

Try not to glare.

I looked toward the glass office at the end of the corridor.

Adrian was standing behind his desk.

He was already looking at me.

And smiling.

I should have thrown the coffee away.

Instead, I took a sip.

It was perfect.

And somehow, that frightened me more than the elevator.

Because I hadn't told him how I took my coffee.

Not once.

---

I spent the rest of the morning trying to convince myself that it didn't mean anything.

He was the CEO.

I was a junior employee.

People like him didn't notice people like me.

So I decided to forget about him.

It worked for approximately three hours.

At 1:16 p.m., my phone buzzed.

Unknown Number

I opened the message.

«Stop flirting with Adrian Vale.»

My smile disappeared.

I looked around the office.

Everyone was working normally.

Another message arrived.

«You have no idea what kind of man he is.»

I stared at the screen.

Then, almost immediately, a third message appeared.

«Stay away from him.»

My fingers tightened around the phone.

I looked toward the glass office.

Adrian was there.

Talking to someone.

Then, as if he'd felt my eyes on him, he turned.

Our gazes met through the glass.

He smiled.

I didn't.

His smile slowly faded.

For the first time since I'd met him, Adrian looked genuinely serious.

Then he excused himself from the conversation.

He picked up his phone.

A second later, mine buzzed.

Adrian Vale

My heart skipped.

I answered.

"Hello?"

His voice came through, low and calm.

"Come to my office."

I swallowed.

"Why?"

A pause.

Then—

"Because I think someone just threatened you."

My blood ran cold.

I looked at the anonymous message again.

Then back at him through the glass.

He wasn't smiling anymore.

And suddenly, I had the strangest feeling that whatever game had started between Adrian Vale and me...

I wasn't the only one playing.