Hot for the Boss

Chapter 1

Bumukas ang elevator na sinasakyan ni Noah. Bumungad ang marble na sahig at mabibilang na mga trabahante na paroon at parito. They were all wearing their formal attire, which made the whole place more intimidating.

Noah adjusted his tie with one hand and the strap of his leather laptop bag with the other. Humakbang siya palabas ng elevator at sinusubukang h’wag ipahalata ang kaba sa kan’yang mukha.

Ventura Financial Group looked exactly like its reputation: sharp, expensive, and sterile enough to make you afraid to breathe wrong.

Noon pa lang ay marami na siyang naririnig na mga balita tungkol sa firm na ito, lalo na sa mga blockmates niya. And it’s been one of his colleagues’ dreams to be part of this company or to even just step inside this very right building where he’s standing.

He can’t help but curse in his mind. Damn, I can’t believe I’m really doing this.

Noah crossed the hallway toward the main reception area, kung saan ang isang babaeng naka-business suit na may suot na headset ay kaagad na tumingala sa kan’ya mula sa desk nito. Saglit pa itong natigilan na para bang nagulat bago bahagyang tumikhim at nagsalita.

“Hi, good morning! You’re the new intern?” she asked, giving him a polite smile.

Noah nodded. “Noah Del Rosario. For Finance.”

She tapped a few keys before responding. “Right. Ms. Ventura will see you now.”

Tila may kung anong bumagsak sa kan’yang tiyan na nagbigay kaba sa kan’ya, though he masked it with a polite nod.

Adeline Ventura. He’d heard the stories even before he applied, one of the many reasons why he got curious about this company. The youngest female finance director in the firm’s history.

He heard she’s only 26. She has a reputation for excellence. A zero tolerance policy for errors.

She’s beautiful, sure—but also terrifying in a way that had senior accountants double-checking every formula before stepping into her meetings.

Maraming mga bagay na naisip si Noah nang nakapag-decide siya sa post-grad internship niya. But facing Adeline Ventura on his first day definitely wasn’t one of them.

A few seconds later, the receptionist pressed a button. “You can go in.”

Isang malalim na buntong-hininga ang ginawa niya bago siya pumasok sa isang glass door na hindi naman kita kung ano ang nangyayari sa loob mula sa labas.

And there she was. Standing by the window, bathed in the morning light like she is in a film set, trying to capture a slow-motion scene. Adeline then turned with her tablet still in hand.

Noah blinked twice.

She was wearing a fitted black blazer and wide-leg trousers. Her chestnut brown hair was perfectly styled in a kind of curly hair, falling over her one shoulder, and her bold red lipstick matched with the subtle red soles of her heels.

Adeline had the kind of face people remembered, whether they wanted to or not.

Her bone structure was unapologetically sharp, with high cheekbones that gave her a permanent air of elegance and a jawline you could probably slice a paper on. Her skin was smooth and glowing. Her nose was straight and proud.

But it was her eyes that made Noah stop for a while. Dark brown, almost black, framed by long, curled lashes. Those mesmerizing eyes didn’t just look at him. It assessed him. Measured him.

She was beautiful, but not in the approachable, warm kind of way.

Adeline Ventura was a high-risk beauty.

All sharp lines, clean finishes, and unshakable control. The kind of woman who doesn’t just walk into a room, she dominates the space without trying. And he thinks she knew it.

Binalingan siya ng tingin ni Adeline. It was one look. A full body scan. Efficient and sharp.

Parang isang scanner beam na inii-scan siya mula ulo hanggang paa. There was no reaction on her face at all. No softness. No warmth. Just a calculation.

“You’re Mr. Del Rosario?”

Her voice was exactly what he imagined—low, smooth, and precise.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Adeline, na para bang hindi inaasahan ang tinawag niya rito.

“Don’t call me ‘Ma’am.’ Call me Ms. Ventura.”

Kaagad siyang tumango. “Yes, Ms. Ventura.”

Saglit na nabalot ng katahimikan ang loob ng office. Noah met Adeline's gaze intently, and that’s when he noticed how intense those eyes were. Her eyes were dark, steady, and unreadable. It was locked on his without any hesitation. That’s when he realized she wasn’t just confident. She was in full command of the room.

Hindi bumitaw si Noah sa tinginan nilang dalawa. He was trying to prove to her that he wasn’t intimidated. Not really. Not yet.

She then blinked once, at muling bumagsak ang mga mata sa hawak na tablet.

“Your assignment is temporary until the final department reshuffling next quarter. You’ll be shadowing two analysts. There’s Jane in reconciliations and Paolo in audit prep. If either of them complains, consider it done.”

Inilapag nito ang hawak na tablet sa kan’yang desk at pinagkrus and mga kamay sa dibdib. She walked three steps toward her desk and leaned on its edge. “Keep in mind that I don’t have the time or patience to handhold. I’m not here to teach. I am here to make sure you don’t slow down my team, understood?”

“I understand,” he answered.

“No, you don’t,” she said without blinking. “But you will.”

A second of silence enveloped both of them. Noah then cleared his throat.

“I don’t plan on being a disappointment, Ma—Ms. Ventura.”

Tinitigan siya nito. This time for longer. Ramdam niya iyon. That invisible tension was slowly creeping into his system. It was as if she were measuring him again. Soul to soul.

Maybe it was his deep voice. Or the way he didn’t look away. But something flickered behind Adeline's professional mask. Bahagyang tumaas ang gilid ng kan’yang mapulang labi.

“We’ll see.”

And then she walked to the door.

“Come on. I’ll show you your workstation. And, don’t get used to it, it changes regularly.”

Sinundan niya ito palabas ng office, tahimik na tinatanong ang sarili kung ano ba talaga itong pinasok niya.

BY 11 A.M., Noah had read through the department’s files. Na-email na rin niya si Jane para sa template ng reconciliation at na-submit na rin ang ID photo niya para sa kan’yang internal login credentials. And by that time also, he learned that Adeline Ventura doesn’t just demand respect—she commands it.

Sa paraan pa lang kung paano umakto ang mga tao na nadadaanan niya, he knew just her presence alone is more than enough to stay on guard. She didn’t have to raise her voice. She didn’t need to.

They wanted her approval, for sure, and also feared her disapproval in equal measure.

And yet, hindi pa rin maiwasan ni Noah na pagmasdan ang bawat galaw niya.

She barely acknowledged him after their introduction, pero sa tuwing napapadaan ito sa kan’yang desk, he couldn’t keep his eyes away from her.

Every click of her heels, every instruction, it made something tighten in his chest. She was grace under pressure, all clean lines and control.

But he likes control.

More than that, he liked the idea of unraveling it. It excites him.

IT WAS JUST PAST 5:30 P.M. nang napadaan ulit si Adeline sa desk niya. He thought she was just going to walk past him, but when she stopped in front of his desk, he raised his gaze and met hers.

“Mr. Del Rosario,” she called, her voice quieter than before. “Meeting room. Bring your notes.”

He grabbed his laptop and followed her. Hindi man lang nag-abalang umupo ito sa kan’yang swivel chair at nag-scroll kaagad sa isang projected Excel sheet na nasa dingding.

“You corrected a discrepancy in the Garcia reconciliation,” she pointed out. “Line 148. No one else caught it.”

Napatayo siya nang maayos sa narinig. “It didn’t align with their Q1 carry-over values, and I also cross-checked with their supplier report,” pagda-dahilan niya.

There was a pause.

“You weren’t supposed to touch that file, Mr. Del Rosario.”

Saglit siyang natigilan sa narinig. “It was open, and I noticed something.”

She looked at him, her brow raised, but there wasn’t a hint of anger. Just curious. “What made you so confident you were right?”

Maliit na ngiti ang gumuhit sa mga labi niya. “I read the manual, Ms. Ventura.”

For a split second, he swore he saw her red lips twitch. It wasn’t a smile, but something that warmed deep inside him.

“You’re not here to show off, Mr. Del Rosario,” she mumbled, turning away again.

“No,” he replied softly. “Just to impress you, Ma’am.”

The words were already out before he could pull them back.

He saw how she stopped for a moment. There was silence.

She then turned her head slightly, enough to glance at him over her shoulder.

“That’s dangerous, Mr. Del Rosario. And didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘Ma’am?”

Yes, Ma’am. He replied in his mind.

He stepped forward, slowly, still holding her gaze. “I’ve been told I’m good at dangerous things, Ms. Ventura.”

Her eyes lingered on him. One second. Two. Three.

Then she turned back to the screen.

“Meeting’s over,” she declared.

Napahinto siya dahil doon. Saglit niyang pinagmasdan ang likod nito bago napagdesisyonang lumabas ng silid. There was a slight smile on his lips as he marched outside the room.