Zara Grey sat stiffly on the sleek leather chair in Aidan Stone's office, her fingers gripping the folder on her lap like it was her last defense.
The room was cold — not just the air conditioning. The atmosphere. The man behind the desk.
He hadn't spoken since she entered. Just stared.
His grey eyes roamed over her like a silent predator, unreadable, sharp, calculating. He was the most intimidating man she'd ever seen. Everything about him screamed control — the way his jaw clenched, the way he tapped a single finger on the glass table, the expensive black watch that gleamed under his cuff.
This man was power personified.
And he was looking at her like she didn't make sense.
Zara cleared her throat. "Sir, I—I think HR made a mistake. I was only applying for—"
"An internship," Aidan interrupted, his voice like smooth steel. "I'm aware."
She blinked. "Then why am I here?"
He stood up, walking slowly around the desk. Every step he took sounded louder in her chest than in the room.
"You're not my type," he said bluntly. "Not even close."
Zara's cheeks flushed. What kind of introduction was that?
"But I haven't been able to get you out of my head since I saw you in the lobby." He stopped in front of her, towering over her seated form. "That pisses me off."
Her eyes widened.
"I don't like distractions, Miss Grey," he said lowly, his voice a threat wrapped in velvet. "But you walked into my building and messed with my head without even trying. So now, you'll be working under me. Directly."
"I—I don't understand," she whispered.
He crouched down, eye level now, too close — she could smell the faint scent of his cologne, expensive and dark.
"I don't do relationships," he murmured. "And I don't let things get under my skin. But you…" His eyes flicked to her lips. "You're... new."
Her heart beat faster. She didn't know if she was scared or confused or something in between.
Aidan leaned closer. "You're not a challenge, Zara. You're a problem. And I never let problems win."
He stood back up. "You start tomorrow. 7 AM. Don't be late."
Before she could even protest, he turned around and walked out of his own office, leaving her breathless, speechless, and completely shaken.