By noon, I'd almost convinced myself that maybe Clara was exaggerating.Maybe the whole "follow the rules or else" thing was just a company scare tactic.Maybe.
But when the notification popped up on my screen—"Report to the CEO's office. 12:15 P.M."—all that wishful thinking evaporated.
Leo lifted his head, watching me like he knew I was about to do something dangerous."It's fine," I whispered, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "I'll be right back."
The elevator was so quiet I could hear my pulse. Each floor we passed made my stomach twist tighter, until the doors opened onto the top level.
The air up here felt… different.Cooler. Thinner. Every sound softened, like the building itself was holding its breath.
At the end of the hallway, frosted letters gleamed on a glass door:Julian Cross – Chief Executive Officer.
I hesitated, smoothed my hoodie, and knocked once.
"Come in."
The voice that answered was deep, smooth, and calm — the kind of voice that could make you lean closer without realizing it.
I opened the door… and froze.
He was standing by the window, sunlight spilling across his shoulders, the skyline blazing behind him.Tall. Sharp suit. Dark hair that looked like it always fell perfectly into place.And when he turned—
God.
My breath caught. He wasn't just good-looking. He was dangerous good-looking.The kind of man you shouldn't stare at, but couldn't look away from anyway.
"Katie," he said, smiling like he already knew me. "Welcome."
My mouth went dry. "Hi," I managed. "I—uh—got your message."
He motioned toward the seat across from his desk. "Please. Sit."
I obeyed, my heart pounding way too fast.
Julian moved with quiet confidence, the kind of grace that came from control. When he sat, the room seemed to shift around him—like he belonged here, and I was just a visitor who'd stumbled in by accident.
"How are you settling in?" he asked, voice low and unhurried.
"Still learning the ropes," I said.
He smiled faintly. "Clara filled you in, I assume."
I nodded. "She said we, um… we can't leave?"
He leaned back, watching me. "That sounds harsher than it is. You'll find everything you need here. Food, rest, work, purpose. It's efficient."
"Efficient," I repeated, trying not to sound nervous.
"Besides," he said softly, "you wouldn't want to leave. Not yet."
I blinked. "Why not?"
His eyes met mine—steady, unreadable, almost magnetic. "Because you haven't learned what you're capable of here."
The air in the room felt heavier. I couldn't tell if it was intimidation or something worse—something that made my pulse skip for all the wrong reasons.
He stood suddenly, walking around the desk until he was standing close enough that I could smell him. Clean. Cool. Expensive.When he spoke again, his voice dropped a note lower.
"Do what's asked of you. Nothing more, nothing less. If you follow the system, you'll be rewarded. If you question it…"He smiled again—soft, deliberate. "Let's just say the system doesn't take kindly to resistance."
My throat tightened. "I understand."
"I think you do."
He moved even closer, his gaze flicking briefly to my lips before he looked away. "Good."
For a second, no one moved. My hands curled against my knees to keep them from shaking. I didn't know if I wanted to run—or stay and see what happened next.
"Go on back to work," he said finally, voice calm again. "You'll receive your next task soon."
I stood, trying to ignore how my legs trembled. "Yes, sir."
"Sir," he repeated, as if testing how it sounded coming from me. "I like that."
The elevator doors closed behind me, and only then did I let myself breathe. My skin still tingled, and not all of it was fear.
Back at my cubicle, Leo sat up as soon as he saw me. His warm eyes were grounding in a way nothing else was. I knelt beside him, whispering, "You were right. He's… something else."
Leo tilted his head, like even he didn't buy my calm tone.
I sat back at my desk and woke up my computer.A new message waited, no subject line, no sender.
"You did well today."
I stared at the screen, pulse pounding again.
And then another line appeared—this time as I watched.
"Don't make me remind you why you're here."
My stomach dropped. I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I remembered one thing from the book I'd read years ago—If you didn't do what the computer asked… bad things happened.
I closed the laptop, pressed my forehead against the desk, and whispered to myself,"Just follow the rules, Katie. Follow the rules."