Elena Roth didn't believe in coincidences.
After the crash, she'd asked for a full profile on Liam Carter. What she got was… minimal. Too minimal. A clean résumé. Strong references. Impressive credentials for someone so young but all of it just a little too perfect. That made her nervous.
He hadn't made a single mistake. And that, to Elena, was its own kind of red flag.
So she scheduled a meeting.
Liam entered her office right on time. Not early. Not late. Just punctual enough to be irritating.
"Ms. Roth," he greeted, nodding once, hands casually in his pockets. His posture was relaxed too relaxed for someone summoned to the CEO's office three days into a job.
"Sit," she said, motioning to the chair across from her desk.
He did.
She let the silence stretch a beat too long, watching him. He didn't fidget. He didn't glance around the room or reach for his phone. He just sat there, looking back at her, like he had all the time in the world.
"I wanted to thank you," she began coolly, "for solving yesterday's problem. Impressive speed."
"I figured you didn't like your systems crashing midweek," he replied lightly.
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It annoyed her.
"I don't like surprises," she said, leaning forward. "Especially ones that involve new hires diving into backend servers without clearance."
"You'd prefer I let the system burn?"
"I'd prefer protocol to be followed."
Liam shrugged. "Understood. But protocol didn't fix your corrupted update. I did."
She narrowed her eyes.
There it was that quiet, dangerous confidence.
Most men who met Elena Roth in a closed-door meeting tried to impress her. Or flirt. Or stumble through half-baked apologies.
Liam Carter did none of those things. He didn't fear her. That wasn't arrogance, it was something cooler. Grounded. Calm.
That made her more suspicious.
She slid his file across the desk. "You've bounced between firms. Never stayed more than a year in any of them."
"I like solving hard problems. Not waiting for promotions."
"Or maybe you like leaving before questions start."
That made him laugh, soft and low. "Is that why I'm here? An interrogation?"
"This is me protecting my company."
He leaned back. "Then we're on the same side."
The words lingered in the air between them.
She didn't reply.
She should have dismissed him. Should have reminded him of the hierarchy. Instead, her eyes fell to his hands resting casually on his lap, calloused fingertips tapping faintly against his jeans. Not the hands of a soft IT kid. These were working hands. Fast, clever, careful.
Warm, she imagined. Steady.
She shook the thought off like water.
"This isn't a tech startup," she said flatly. "This is Roth Industries. We don't make excuses here. We don't rely on gut instinct or ego. We rely on precision. On proof. On earned trust."
He nodded. "Then I'll earn it."
Elena stood. "You're dismissed."
Liam stood too. "Thank you, Ms. Roth."
And as he turned to leave, she noticed something strange.
He hadn't broken eye contact once. Not out of challenge. Not defiance. Just... comfort. Like looking her in the eyes was the most natural thing in the world.
Cold eyes. Warm hands.
The contradiction unsettled her.
As the door shut behind him, Elena remained still for a long moment, the silence in her office deeper than before. She hated mysteries and Liam Carter had just become her newest one.