THE HIGH GROUND

THE SUDDEN DETOUR

The past seven days had felt like an entire lifetime inside the towering glass walls of the King Empire headquarters. A full week had passed since Bella Swan had been forced to step into the lion’s den, and in that time, she had taken every single grueling challenge thrown toward her by Rose or the tyrannical CEO himself.

Rose, fueled by a toxic mix of jealousy and corporate spite, had made it her personal mission to break the new assistant secretary. She had overloaded Bella with impossible deadlines, confusing financial audits, and late-night filing that would have made a seasoned executive quit. Even Daemond, communicating through brief, icy memos or via Rose, had demanded perfection on complex administrative reports. Yet, true to the promise she had made herself in the dark of her bedroom, Bella did everything without a single word of complaint. She put her head down, let the sharp tones roll off her back, and worked until her fingers ached.

Her saving grace throughout this intense trial had been Susan White. The forty-year-old woman was rapidly becoming a true mentor to her, guiding her through the complicated labyrinth of corporate filing and helping her understand the company’s intricate software. Susan would quietly double-check Bella’s reports, offer shortcuts, and ensure the young art student didn’t drown in the sea of corporate data.

Of course, Rose and a few other jealous women from the marketing and legal departments had tried their absolute best to eliminate Bella entirely. On the fourth day, they had intentionally misplaced a critical set of regional acquisition files, intending to blame Bella for the catastrophic delay. But their petty sabotage backfired spectacularly. Susan had noticed the discrepancy immediately, and when the issue reached the legal department's radar, a swift, brutal internal audit was launched. The women responsible were caught on security footage tampering with Bella's desk. The reprimand from human resources—backed by a swift, terrifying mandate from the executive suite—was so severe that the women were nearly terminated on the spot. They got themselves shut down brutally. Terrified for their careers, they never dared to whisper a complaint against Bella again, casting wide berths around her workstation.

Bella was so happy. The hostile environment had quieted down, and even better, she hadn’t been called back into the grand executive office since that terrifying first day. She was finally starting to breathe a little easier, thinking she could actually handle this arrangement.

But as the week drew to a close, a strange rumor began to circulate through the silent executive wing. Words reached Bella through the office chatter that Daemond wasn't even coming to the office for the past few days. His grand mahogany doors remained shut, and the private elevator had stayed idle at the top floor. Bella was deeply surprised by the news. From everything Susan had told her, the billionaire CEO was legendary for his absolute punctuality and strict adherence to his daily schedule. He practically lived in the office. For him to completely vanish from the building for days on end was unprecedented.

On Friday afternoon, just as Bella was finishing a spreadsheet, the heavy silence of the lounge was shattered.

Rose marched out of the inner suite, her high heels clicking like rapid gunfire against the floor. An palpable aura of anxiety and annoyance radiated from her. She didn't even pause as she approached Bella's desk.

"Drop what you're doing right now," Rose informed her, her voice carrying a sharp, irritated edge that she didn't bother to hide. "Gather the Q3 import files, the logistics manifests, and the pending contract renewals. Take the important files and come with her quickly. No waiting. We need to leave this instant."

Bella blinked, caught off guard by the sudden urgency. "Right now? But I haven't finished the—"

"I said now, Bella!" Rose snapped, turning on her heel without waiting for a response.

Bella didn't hesitate. She grabbed all the necessary documents, stuffing the heavy manila folders into her leather satchel, and rushed after the chief secretary. Rose was already halfway to the executive lift, moving with a fast-paced, smooth cat walk that Bella found incredibly difficult to match. Clutching her bag tightly against her side, her second-hand shoes clicking hurriedly against the carpet, Bella practically jogged to keep up with the older woman’s elegant, long-legged strides.

They descended the private elevator in total, tense silence and exited through a secure, private basement garage. A sleek, midnight-black company town car was already waiting by the curb, its engine idling quietly. The driver quickly opened the rear door for them.

Rose slid inside, her face twisted in a deep frown as she immediately began reviewing notifications on her tablet. Bella slid in next to her, her heart beginning a slow, nervous thumping against her ribs. The sudden departure, the missing CEO, the urgency—it all felt incredibly ominous.

As the town car smoothly pulled out of the garage and merged into the bustling afternoon city traffic, Bella finally gathered the courage to speak up. She turned to the chief secretary, her voice hesitant.

"Um, Rose? So where are we heading?"

Rose didn't even look up from her screen. She let out a loud, deeply irritated sigh, her manicured thumb scrolling aggressively through her emails.

"To the King's Mansion," Rose replied, her voice dripping with sheer annoyance. "Mr. King has refused to leave his estate for the past three days, and these contracts require a physical signature before the international markets close tonight. He demanded that We( though he specifically called for asistance secretary) bring the paperwork directly to his private residence."

Bella gulped hard, the sound of her own swallowing echoing loudly in her ears.

The King’s Mansion.

The very phrase sent a violent jolt of pure panic straight down her spine. It was one thing to work under his shadow in a sterile, professional corporate office surrounded by hundreds of employees and the comforting presence of Susan. It was an entirely different thing to step directly into his private domain—his home. Her mind instantly flashed back to the dark interior of his car, the suffocating heat of his vanilla-and-rain scent, and the chilling, predatory promise he had whispered directly against her ear.

'I am going to make you pay for it every single minute of your life.'

The words echoed in her head like a death toll. She looked out the window as the city high-rises slowly began to fade away, replaced by exclusive, heavily guarded private roads lined with massive estate walls.