From the moment Elena whispered yes, the office was no longer the same.
Each morning, she walked through the glass doors with her head held high, greeting everyone as though nothing had changed. But behind that calm smile was a storm of butterflies. Every step toward Vincenzo's office sent her heart racing.
For the others, it was business as usual: the CEO in his tailored suits, cold and untouchable. But Elena knew the truth. She knew the way his eyes softened when they landed on her, the way his lips curved into a smile only she was allowed to see.
Still, she was careful. Too careful.
Whenever he passed by her desk, she avoided his gaze. When he lingered too close, she found excuses to slip away. To everyone else, it seemed like she was just another secretary. But Vincenzo… Vincenzo hated pretending.
---
One afternoon, he called her into his office under the pretense of reviewing files.
She walked in nervously, holding the folder close to her chest. "Here are the reports you asked for, sir," she said, her voice deliberately formal.
He arched a brow, shutting the door behind her with a click. "Sir?" he repeated, his tone dangerous but teasing. "Is that what I am to you now?"
Elena swallowed, her cheeks warming. "We're at work. Someone could hear."
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Then we'll whisper."
Before she could protest, he took the folder from her hands, set it on the desk, and pinned her gently against the wall. His lips hovered just a breath away from hers, his voice low and husky.
"Do you know how much I suffer, pretending not to want you in front of them?"
Her heart pounded as she whispered back, "And do you know how hard it is for me not to look at you? To keep my hands to myself when you're this close?"
A wicked smile tugged at his lips. "Then stop pretending."
And with that, he kissed her—slow and hungry, as though making up for every moment they had to hide. Her knees weakened, and she clung to his shirt, melting into his embrace.
But then, a knock.
"Elena?" Goldie's voice called from outside. "Are you in there?"
They froze. Elena shoved at his chest in panic, whispering frantically, "Stop! We can't!"
Vincenzo groaned softly, resting his forehead against hers. "One day, Elena… one day, I won't stop."
She hurriedly adjusted her blouse and opened the door. Goldie gave her a curious look, noticing her flushed cheeks. "Everything okay?"
Elena forced a smile, holding up the folder. "Yes, just… work."
Behind her, Vincenzo had already returned to his desk, his mask of cold professionalism firmly back in place.
---
And so their secret love continued in fragments—longing glances across the office, lingering touches when no one was watching, stolen kisses behind locked doors. To the world, she was his secretary.
But to Vincenzo Marino, Elena Rossi was already so much more.
---