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Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 — Welcome To My World

The morning moved faster than I could breathe.

Dana's heels clicked ahead of me, echoing down the sleek corridor like a metronome keeping pace with everyone else's certainty. I, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out how to turn on my company tablet.

"Your desk," she said, stopping by a glass cubicle just outside Lucas's office. "Emails, meeting reminders, call management. He doesn't tolerate delays, so don't test his patience. He's... particular."

Particular. That was one way to put it.

The workstation was spotless — a computer, two folders, a phone that looked expensive enough to buy groceries for a month. As I settled in, I felt eyes on me — subtle but sharp.

When I glanced up, I found the source.

A woman stood near the printer station, dark hair in a sleek bun, eyes painted in something sharper than mascara. Her ID read Kara Wynne — Senior Analyst. She didn't smile. She just looked — once, twice — like she was measuring whether I deserved to breathe the same air.

Then she turned away.

"Don't mind her," came a voice from behind me.

I looked over to see a guy about my age, grinning as he slid a stack of files onto his desk. "Kara's allergic to new hires. Especially the ones who get the prime seats."

"Prime seats?" I echoed.

He nodded toward the frosted glass office behind me — Lucas's. "You're sitting at the heart of the beast, Miss... Hartwell, right? I'm Aaron. Marketing team."

"Nice to meet you," I said, though my tone came out more tired than polite.

He leaned closer, voice low. "Word of advice — stay out of her way. Kara's had her eyes on the boss for months. Anyone who even breathes near that door becomes public enemy number one."

I blinked. "You're joking."

"Only partly." His grin widened. "You'll see."

Before I could respond, Dana reappeared with a stack of files. "Meeting starts in five. Mr. Vale wants you there to take notes."

The phrase Mr. Vale wants you there still did something strange to my pulse. I grabbed a notepad and followed her to the conference room.

Inside, the air was cold and deliberate — glass walls, polished table, six people already seated, laptops open. When Lucas entered, everyone straightened. The atmosphere shifted like gravity adjusting to his presence.

He didn't look at me immediately. Just started talking — precise, commanding, not a wasted word. I took notes mechanically, eyes flicking between him and the charts on the screen. Numbers. Strategies. Acquisitions. His voice filled the room, low and steady, the kind that made people listen even when they didn't understand half the jargon.

Then, halfway through the meeting, his gaze landed on me.

It was brief — a flicker — but enough to send a chill down my spine.

A silent reminder that I wasn't invisible here. Not to him.

When the meeting ended, people filed out quickly. I started gathering papers, but his voice stopped me.

"Miss Hartwell," he said without looking up from his laptop, "stay."

The others left, and the door slid shut behind them. The silence came back, heavy and deliberate.

He looked up then. "How are you finding your first day?"

I hesitated. "Intense."

A ghost of amusement touched his lips. "Good. You'll adjust."

I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a warning.

He walked around the table, stopping just behind me. I felt him before I heard him — the warmth of his nearness, the faint scent of his cologne that made my breath stutter.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked quietly.

"I assumed you needed an assistant," I said, keeping my voice steady.

He leaned closer, his tone a murmur. "You're here because I can't afford surprises. I like knowing where potential problems are."

My throat tightened. "You think I'm a problem?"

"I think you're... unpredictable."

He paused, and for a moment, his hand brushed the edge of my chair — not quite a touch, but close enough that I felt it anyway. "Don't give me a reason to regret bringing you here."

Then, just as quickly, he stepped back, his voice cool again. "You can go."

I stood, pulse still too fast, and walked toward the door. Just before leaving, I heard him say, almost to himself,

"Welcome to my world, Miss Hartwell."

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