Chapter5
1691 Words
By Monday, the bruise on my collarbone had faded, but the memory of his mouth there hadn’t.
I walked into the office five minutes early, just like I promised.
The receptionist glanced up with a quick smile. “Mr. Woods is in a meeting. You can set up at your desk just outside his office.”
My desk.
I said it to myself twice, hoping it would feel real. It didn’t.
I’d barely gotten my computer booted when the elevator chimed.
I glanced up.
And felt my stomach drop.
She walked in like she owned the world or at least, the man on the top floor.
Tall, sleek, and disgustingly perfect. Her heels were sharp enough to stab someone. Her red designer coat hung off her shoulders like a cape, and her dark hair was pulled back in a severe knot that somehow made her even more beautiful. Flawless skin. Thin gold bracelets. Perfectly manicured nails. Every inch of her screamed wealth and control.
She looked like the kind of woman who’d never had to sell her body to save a life.
She didn’t look at me at first. She walked right past, her heels clicking against the marble like a war drum. I caught the scent of her perfume, something expensive and musky.
Then she stopped.
Turned.
And looked me up and down.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “You must be new.”
“Yes,” I said, forcing a polite smile. “Allison Clarke. Mr. Woods’ assistant.”
Her lips twitched. Not quite a smile. Not quite anything pleasant.
“Assistant, huh?” she said slowly. Like the word tasted bitter on her tongue. “How long?”
“Just started today.”
“Interesting,” she said, but it sounded more suspicious.
She didn’t introduce herself.
I didn't need to.
Because when Mr. Woods emerged from his office seconds later, his entire demeanor shifted.
The confident, aloof man I’d seen days ago softened. Just a little. His eyes flicked to her like a reflex. Familiar. Careful. Calculated.
“Kira,” he said, his voice smooth. “Didn’t expect you this early.”
“Well, darling,” she said, stepping into his personal space and pressing a kiss to his cheek, “I figured since we’re planning a future together, I should see more of the empire.”
Future?
I blinked.
Planning a what?
He didn’t say anything, just opened the door to his office and motioned for her to enter.
But not before her eyes met mine again. Cold. Possessive. Threatened.
I sat down, my throat dry.
What the hell had I walked into?
I was still staring blankly at my inbox when sarah came with a cup of coffee, i met sarah early this morning she helped arrange my desk, mr woods occupied the entire floor and me being his assistant my desk was right outside his office, i was basically alone no one to turn to or whisper to, sarah was on the next floor made it easier i think, as for maya it would be rare cause shes 3 floors away.
“I leaned in. “Who is she?”
“Kira? That’s the heiress his family’s been pushing at him for years. Childhood arrangement, I think. On again, off again. She’s beautiful, scary, and knows it. She used to drop by more often, but then something happened a few months ago and she went quiet. You’re the first assistant he’s had in a while, actually.”
My stomach knotted. “Do they live together?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean she’s not dangerous. She doesn’t like anyone who gets too close.”
As if summoned by our whispers, the door to Mr. Woods’ office cracked open.
Kira stepped out, her expression unreadable. But the moment her gaze landed on me again, I knew.
She’d seen something.
felt something.
And she didn’t like it.
“I’ll be back later,” she said to him, but her eyes were still on me. “Let’s have dinner. You pick the place.”
“I’m working late tonight,” he replied coolly.
She stepped closer to him, close enough that I could hear the sharpness in her voice, even from my desk.
“You always say that.”
“And I always mean it.”
She let out a soft laugh, kissed him again but this time on the lips, her eyes never left mine still,
A warning.
I think she considered me a threat, she must know how vulnerable her man is around gorgeous women i said to myself the laughed out a little, making her stare at me even more
And then she walked out, swinging her coat around her shoulders like a cloak of war.
Maya leaned in after she was gone. “Okay, what did you do to make her look at you like that?”
“Nothing,” I whispered.
Except maybe ruin her night once, and had the most amazing night with her fiance. I said to myself.
But she obviously didn't know that,
After Kira left, silence settled over the office like a thick fog. I tried to focus on the computer screen, but the words blurred.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
Then his office door opened again.
“Allison,” Mr. Woods said, his voice low and unreadable. “A moment.”
I rose so fast my chair scraped the floor. Maya gave me a subtle thumbs-up as I passed.
Inside, his office was a world of glass, steel, and expensive silence. The city skyline stretched behind him in floor-to-ceiling windows, glittering like temptation itself.
He leaned against his desk, sleeves rolled up, arms crossed.
“First day. How’s it going?” he asked casually.
I cleared my throat. “Efficient. The systems are smooth. I’m still learning the filing logic, but I’ll adjust quickly.”
His lips curved faintly. “Good. I like efficiency.”
There was a pause longer than it needed to be.
His gaze drifted over me. Not inappropriate. Just curious. Puzzled.
Then he tilted his head.
“Have we met before?”
I froze.
For a heartbeat, I thought he was playing with me. Teasing. Pretending.
But there was nothing in his face but polite confusion. No spark of recognition. Not a flicker of memory.
I forced a tiny, professional smile. “No, sir.”
He nodded slowly, still studying me. “Strange. You seem… familiar.”
I shrugged lightly, clenching my hands behind my back to keep from trembling. “Maybe I just have one of those faces.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, like he didn’t buy that but he didn’t press.
Instead, he moved behind his desk and picked up a thick folder.
“I’ll need these delivered to the tenth floor boardroom in ten minutes. Wait there, someone from legal will go through them with you.”
I nodded, stepping forward to take them from him. Our hands brushed.
My breath caught.
But he didn’t react. Nothing flickered in his eyes. No flash of remembrance. Just business.
He really didn’t remember me.
One night. One version of me he had used and discarded like a ghost in silk sheets.
And I… I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
He nodded again. “Oh and Allison?”
I turned.
His tone was softer now, almost thoughtful.
“I don’t usually bring in assistants without an interview. Maya must really believe in you.”
“She’s been more than kind.”
“Good. Loyalty is rare.”
I left the office with my heart pounding in my chest and the folder pressed tight to my side.
Outside, Maya raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?”
“Nothing,” I lied.
But I could feel it in the air already. This job wasn’t going to be simple.
And even though he didn’t remember me… I remembered everything.
He nodded again. “Oh and Allison?”
I turned, my fingers tightening around the folder.
His tone shifted quieter, but more pointed. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
My breath caught.
I forced a polite smile. “No, sir.”
He tilted his head, studying me again with that same unsettling gaze. “Strange. You look like someone I should know.”
For a second, I thought he remembered. That the facade would c***k and the truth would spill into the space between us.
But instead, he turned back to his desk, dismissing me without another glance.
“Close the door on your way out.”
I stepped out, my legs shaky, heart pounding.
Maya was already at her desk, pretending not to watch me. I didn’t speak. I couldn’t.
Because in that moment, I realized something terrifying.
He might not remember my face…
But what happens when he does.
i sat confused when maya asked what happened again, i still didn't understand if our friendship was mended by this act of kindness.
“Maya” I said almost like a whisper.
Who gave you the job that paid my mums bills?
She looked at me almost surprised, emm a friend told me about it, that she was offered the job but couldn't take it, so i thought you'll need it, she said all curious what happened any problem?
I felt ashamed someone was offered the job but couldn't and looked at me. I ran into the job without thinking now I would face the consequences of it all.
I looked more pale at this point,
Maya tapped me, what is it if there's a problem you know you can trust me.
The word trust hit, and i think she noticed it took some time, but I had to tell someone, anyone,
“Okay, the problem is the man i was asked to spend the night with”
She nodded in accordance with what I said.
“ He's Mr Wood's"
Her eyes widened in surprise, you don't mean it.
I nodded, couldn't speak anymore.
No no, does he recog….
No he hasnt, not yet, i said in pain
- Writer
