Chapter 2

The chair felt harder than it looked.

Evelyn sat straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, as if posture alone could hold her together. The office smelled faintly of coffee and something sharp like metal. Power had a scent. She had never noticed before.

Lucian moved back to his desk without hurry. He didn’t offer water or ask if she was comfortable. He picked up a folder and skimmed the pages she knew too well her résumé. Every line suddenly felt inadequate.

“You start today,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” Evelyn replied, her voice steadier than she felt. She focused on a knot in the wood grain of his desk, refusing to look at his face for too long. The silence stretched between them.

Lucian leaned back his fingers tapping the desk, his gaze on her with unnerving calm. He looked older, sharper, but the way he still looked at her hadn't changed, it felt like being measured.

“You didn’t read the company name before accepting?” he asked.

Her jaw tightened. “I read enough.”

A corner of his mouth twitched something closer to acknowledgment than a smile.

“You’re free to decline if you have a problem,” he said.

Decline??

She thought of her empty bank account, overdue notices folded into her bag, the nights she’d calculated how far she could manage with what little she had left. She lifted her chin. “I’m not declining.”

Lucian held her gaze, then nodded once. “Good.”

He stood. “Your desk is outside. My schedule will be forwarded to you. I expect discretion.”

“I know how to do my job,” she said before thinking.

“I’m sure you do,” he replied.

She left the office with her pulse racing. Her desk was just beyond the glass wall, close enough to see Lucian move inside. She arranged her things with precision, grounding herself. Work was familiar. Work was safe.

The morning passed quickly full of emails, calls, and schedules. Lucian barely spoke, sending clipped instructions through messages. Relief slowly settled in her chest. She could do this.

It was almost noon, when a shadow fell across her desk.

“Evelyn.”

She looked up. Theo

“Theo,” she breathed, half laugh, half shock. His smile reached his eyes, warm and familiar, softer than Lucian’s presence. He leaned against her desk casually, like he had years ago.

“I heard you started today,” he said. “I was hoping it was true.”

Her chest loosened. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

“I don’t,” he said lightly. “Not officially. I sit on a few boards and drop in when needed.”

Lucian’s office door opened behind them. Evelyn didn’t turn, but tension shifted. Lucian stepped out, eyes flicking between them.

“You’re distracting my staff,” Lucian said calmly.

Theo laughed. “Just saying hello.”

“Lunch break is in twenty minutes,” Lucian said.

You joining me?? Theo asked

“I have work,” Evelyn replied finally, hesitating only slightly.

Theo’s smile dimmed. “Another time, then.” He left, but unease lingered. Lucian returned to his office without another word.

The rest of the day passed under quiet strain. Evelyn felt watched just enough to stay alert. Mistakes were silently corrected; documents slid back to her with sharp looks that said he noticed everything. She stayed late, reorganizing files she’d already arranged twice.

When she finally shut down her computer, Lucian’s door remained open.

“Miss Brooke,” he said.

She turned. He stood by the window, city lights flickering behind him. “You’ll be attending the board meeting tomorrow.”

Her stomach dropped. “I’m not qualified for that.”

“You’ll take notes. And listen,” he said.

Exhaustion washed over her as she stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, sealing the day behind her.

Her phone buzzed before she reached the lobby. Theo: Dinner? We have a lot to catch up on.

Before she could respond, another message appeared.

Unknown Number: Be careful who you trust.

Her heart skipped. She checked it again no name, no history.

The elevator chimed softly at ground level. Outside, the night waited quiet, watchful. The city moved around her, cars gliding past, laughter drifting from somewhere, a street vendor calling out to no one in particular. Life, uninterrupted.

Theo buzzed again: I’m nearby.

Evelyn typed and deleted, finally sending: Not tonight. I’m tired. The truth sat heavier than the words suggested.

At home, her apartment smelled stale and quiet. She kicked off her shoes and leaned against the door, shoulders sagging as tension finally found somewhere to settle. She poured a glass of water she barely drank and sat at her kitchen table, elbows braced, phone face-down and a gush of relief came flushing on her.

She showered, letting the water run hotter than necessary, hoping to wash the day away. Even with her eyes closed, she saw Lucian’s office his gaze calm, prepared and unyielding.

After the long relaxing shower,she sat on the edge of her bed, scrolling through emails she didn’t need to answer. But One stood out: Board Meeting Agenda :Cross Corp.

Her name appeared at the bottom: Attending: L. Cross, T. Cross, S. Lane, E. Brooke.

Her throat tightened. She hadn’t imagined it. She shut the laptop, staring at the ceiling, tracing cracks out of habit. Lucian hadn’t apologized or explained. Yet he had warned her. You’re free to decline.

Sleep came slowly, broken by fragments of memory she hadn’t invited school corridors, laughter she wasn’t part of, a voice sharp enough to cut: her name as challenge.

Morning came quickly.At Cross Corp, the atmosphere had shifted. Conversations paused and eyes followed. Sophia Lane stood near the elevators, phone pressed to her ear, lips curved in a precise. But seemed to be assessing Evelyn. But Evelyn n looked away.

At her desk, a neatly stacked file awaited, a note top it clean, deliberate handwriting: Review before ten. No signature. She didn’t need one.

Her phone buzzed again.

An Unknown Number: Some doors close for a reason.

Her fingers stilled. Trying to figure out who this unknown person is and why she is getting this message.She glanced toward Lucian’s office. The silhouette of his figure stood unmoving. He didn’t look at her but she had the sudden, unsettling feeling he knew. Whatever had begun the moment she walked into Cross Corp had already moved beyond her control.

And the board meeting hadn’t even begun.