Chapter 3

Three weeks in, and Sophia had learned several crucial things about Alexander Sterling.

One: He never slept. Messages came at 2 AM, 4 AM, dawn, midnight. The man ran on coffee and what she suspected was pure spite.

Two: He was testing her constantly. Impossible deadlines. Contradictory instructions. Situations designed to make her choose between loyalty and ethics.

Three: The attraction between them was becoming a problem.

It started small—lingering glances across the conference table, his hand brushing hers when passing documents, the way his voice dropped when they were alone in his office late at night. But it was building into something that made her skin warm and her pulse quicken whenever he entered a room.

And she was fairly certain he felt it too.

Thursday evening, 9 PM. Most of Sterling Industries had gone home. Sophia sat in Alexander’s office, reviewing contracts while he worked across from her, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up, reading glasses perched on his nose.

The glasses were new. Also devastating.

“Stop staring,” he said without looking up.

“I’m not staring. I’m observing.”

“Semantics.” But his mouth curved slightly. “What are you observing?”

“That you’re human after all. The glasses are a dead giveaway.”

He looked up then, gray eyes sharp over the frames. “Disappointed?”

“Intrigued.”

The word hung between them, heavy with meaning.

Alexander removed his glasses slowly, setting them aside. “You know what your problem is, Sophia?”

Her name in his voice still sent shivers through her. “I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“You’re too damn smart for your own good. And you don’t know when to be afraid.”

“Should I be afraid of you?”

“Absolutely.”

He stood, moving around the desk with that predatory grace. Sophia’s heart kicked up, but she didn’t move, didn’t retreat. She’d learned that showing weakness around Alexander Sterling was like bleeding in shark-infested waters.

“Catherine quit today,” he said, stopping close enough that she caught his scent.

“What? Why?”

“Said she couldn’t handle watching me ‘destroy another brilliant woman with my toxic obsession with control.’” His smile was sharp. “Direct quote.”

“That’s… dramatic.”

“Is it?” He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, studying her with unsettling intensity. “You’ve been here three weeks, Sophia. You work sixteen-hour days, you’ve had exactly two days off, and you haven’t complained once. Tell me—are you trying to prove something, or are you genuinely insane?”

“Can’t it be both?”

“This isn’t funny. I’ve watched three assistants burn out in the past year. I won’t watch it happen to you.”

The concern in his voice surprised her. Beneath the ruthless CEO was someone who actually gave a damn, even if he tried to hide it.

“I’m not burning out. I’m learning.”

“Learning what? How to function on four hours of sleep?”

“Learning how you built an empire from nothing. Learning how to think ten steps ahead. Learning—” She stopped, but his eyes demanded she finish. “Learning from the most brilliant strategist I’ve ever met.”

Something shifted in his expression. Surprise, then heat, then something darker and more dangerous.

“You think I’m brilliant.” Not a question.

“I think you’re terrifying and brilliant in equal measure.”

“And which part do you like better?”

The question was a trap, but Sophia walked into it willingly. “Both.”

Alexander’s breath hitched almost imperceptibly. He pushed off the desk, closing the distance between them until she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.

“You should leave. Now. While you still can.”

“Is that an order?”

“It’s a warning.” His voice was rough. “Because if you stay, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”

Her pulse thundered in her ears. “Like what?”

“Like this.”

His mouth crashed onto hers with barely restrained hunger. The kiss was everything she’d imagined and nothing like she’d expected—fierce, demanding, tasting of coffee and ambition and something darker. His hands cupped her face, angling her head as he deepened the kiss, and Sophia melted into him, all her careful control evaporating.

This was insane. Unprofessional. Completely reckless.

She didn’t care.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, and he groaned against her mouth—a sound that sent heat pooling low in her belly. His hands slid into her hair, scattering pins, and when they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, her carefully constructed bun had come completely undone.

“Fuck,” Alexander breathed, resting his forehead against hers. “This is a terrible idea.”

“The worst,” she agreed.

“I’m your boss. There are about fifteen HR violations happening right now.”

“Probably more.”

“You should file a complaint. Have me fired.”

Sophia laughed breathlessly. “You own the company.”

“Minor detail.” But he was smiling, and it transformed his face—made him look younger, less guarded. “What are we doing, Sophia?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

“That makes two of us.” He pulled back slightly, gray eyes searching hers. “This can’t happen again.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It would be completely inappropriate.”

“Totally unprofessional.”

“I’m serious, Sophia. If we cross this line—”

She kissed him again, swallowing whatever warning he’d been about to deliver. This time he didn’t hesitate, didn’t hold back. His hands slid down her sides, gripping her hips, and she gasped as he lifted her onto the desk, stepping between her legs.

“We’re already across the line,” she murmured against his mouth.

“Then we might as well burn the whole map.”

The second kiss was slower, deeper, infinitely more dangerous. Because this wasn’t just attraction—it was recognition. Two people who’d spent their lives fighting, scraping, clawing their way up from nothing, finally finding someone who understood.

When they finally broke apart, Alexander’s hair was disheveled from her hands, his shirt wrinkled, his eyes dark with want.

“This doesn’t change anything,” he said, but his hands were still on her hips, thumbs tracing circles that made rational thought difficult.

“Obviously.”

“Tomorrow, we’re back to professional.”

“Completely professional.”

“I’m serious, Sophia.”

She slid off the desk, adjusting her dress with shaking hands. “So am I. This was a one-time mistake.”

“Absolutely.”

They stared at each other, both knowing they were lying.

“I should go,” Sophia said finally.

“You should.”

Neither of them moved.

“Alexander—”

“If you say one more word, I’m going to kiss you again. And if I kiss you again, neither of us is leaving this office tonight.”

The promise in his voice sent heat racing through her. She grabbed her bag, heading for the door before she could do something truly stupid.

“Sophia.”

She paused, looking back.

His smile was predatory and devastating in equal measure. “Same time tomorrow.”

As she left Sterling Industries, Sophia knew she’d just made either the best or worst decision of her life. Because Alexander Sterling wasn’t just her boss—he was becoming something far more dangerous.

And she was absolutely, completely, irrevocably in trouble.