Aiden didn't look at her again.

After whispering "This can't happen," he retreated into his office like a man escaping a fire he had set himself. Lila stood frozen in the quiet workspace, her skin still tingling everywhere he had touched. His sudden withdrawal felt like someone had slammed a door in her chest.

She forced herself to breathe, to steady her trembling hands.

This wasn't the first time life had thrown something painful at her. She knew how to carry burdens quietly. But this... this was different. This was a wound she didn't know how to hide.

She wiped her cheeks, fixed her hair, inhaled deeply, and whispered to herself:

"Focus. Survive. Don't let this break you."

With stiff legs, she returned to her desk and tried to bury herself in paperwork. But the atmosphere shifted the moment she stepped into the open floor.

Eyes flicked toward her. Conversations halted mid-sentence. A few coworkers exchanged looks she didn't understand.

She sat slowly, pretending not to notice.

But whispers rose almost immediately.

"Did you see her with him earlier?"

"I think she came out of his office."

"She was crying."

"Do you think... something happened?"

Lila's pulse spiked.

Oh no.

Rumors already? Over what? A conversation? A moment where he'd tried to comfort her? Or-worse-the moment where he almost crossed a line he clearly wished he hadn't?

A woman from accounting leaned to the side and whispered to another coworker, loud enough for Lila to catch:

"She won't last. He always burns them out."

Burns them out?

What did that even mean?

Before she could process it, Jenna walked past her desk-slow, purposeful, and smirking.

"Well," Jenna said sweetly, "seems like someone had a big morning."

Lila tensed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't worry." Jenna leaned in, lowering her voice. "Everyone knows he's impossible to resist."

Lila blinked. "There's nothing going on."

Jenna's smile sharpened. "Good. Keep it that way."

Then she walked off, leaving Lila staring after her with confusion and dread coiling in her stomach.

Why were they acting like this? Why did it feel like there was something everyone knew-something Lila had yet to discover?

She pushed the thoughts aside and forced herself to finish the work Aiden assigned. She would not let his withdrawal-or the whispers-affect her professionalism.

After lunch, the tension ramped up.

Whispers grew more frequent.

People glanced at her like she was a ticking bomb.

Her email inbox suddenly filled with vague reminders about "professional boundaries" and "appropriate conduct."

Ridiculous.

Nothing happened.

Well... something had almost happened.

But Aiden had shut it down.

Still, the air on the floor felt poisonous, the tension sharp enough to cut.

Around 3 p.m., Claire approached her desk.

"Lila, have you met Victoria yet?"

Lila frowned. "Who?"

Claire hesitated. "A... very senior consultant. She used to work closely with Mr. Blackwood a few years ago."

Something in her tone sounded cautious. Nervous even.

"She's coming back today," Claire continued. "Just... be polite. Be careful. And don't be alone with her."

"What? Why?"

But Claire didn't answer. She just gave Lila a tight smile and walked away.

A cold ripple slid down Lila's spine.

---

The elevator dinged at 3:12 p.m.

Lila looked up-and the world seemed to slow.

A woman stepped out of the elevator: tall, beautiful, and dressed in a sharp black dress that looked sinfully expensive. Her heels clicked with confidence. Her brown hair cascaded in perfect waves. And the smile that curved her lips was razor-sharp.

Victoria.

Even without an introduction, Lila knew instantly.

The air changed around her.

People stiffened.

A few whispered her name.

Victoria didn't look left or right-she just walked like the building belonged to her.

And then her eyes locked onto Lila.

Not curiosity.

Not confusion.

No-Victoria looked at her as if she were something under her shoe.

She approached slowly, each step deliberate.

"You must be the new assistant," Victoria said, voice smooth like silk hiding a blade.

Lila stood. "I'm... Lila Hart. Nice to meet you."

Victoria's eyes traveled over her-down her blouse, her skirt, her shoes-and returned with a glint of amusement.

"How adorable," she murmured. "You look so... new."

Lila forced a polite smile. "I'm still learning."

"Oh, I'm sure," Victoria said. "You're learning a lot quickly, aren't you? Especially about Mr. Blackwood."

Lila's heart stuttered. "I don't know what you-"

Victoria held up a hand. "Please. I've been around long enough to recognize patterns."

Patterns?

Victoria stepped closer, lowering her voice just enough for nearby coworkers to still hear.

"Let me save you the heartbreak, darling. You're not the first girl to catch his attention, and you won't be the last."

Heat drained from Lila's face.

"He's a machine," Victoria continued. "He burns through people. Employees. Assistants. Anyone who gets too close."

Lila's stomach twisted.

"That's not-" she started.

Victoria leaned in, her perfume suffocatingly sweet.

"Just be smart and stay in your place."

Lila clenched her fists. "I'm only here to work. That's all."

Victoria smiled-a slow, cruel stretch of lips.

"Good." She turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "Because the ones who try to be more than that..."

Her gaze snapped to Lila's.

"...never survive long."

Then she walked away, hips swaying, confidence dripping off every step.

Lila sat down shakily, her chest tight.

What had happened between Victoria and Aiden? Why did she feel so threatened? And why did everyone act like Aiden was some kind of danger?

She tried to steady her breathing and returned to her tasks, but her concentration was destroyed.

Everything felt wrong.

Everyone felt hostile.

And Aiden's sudden coldness now had a shadow she didn't understand.

---

Later that afternoon, Lila stepped into the hallway to make copies of several reports. She walked past a slightly open conference room door-Victoria's voice drifting out.

Lila froze.

She wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

She wasn't even supposed to be here.

But the words were impossible to ignore.

"-pathetic," Victoria said, her tone dripping venom. "Every time he brings someone new in, they think they're different. They think they're special."

Someone else murmured something Lila couldn't hear.

Victoria laughed-low, harsh, humorless.

"No. She'll be no different," Victoria said. "She'll be the next one he'll destroy."

Lila's breath vanished.

Her heart stopped.

Her entire world seemed to tilt sideways.

Victoria continued, voice cold and confident:

"He ruins everything he touches. Including people."

Lila stumbled back quietly, her chest clenching.

Next one he'll destroy.

Next one.

Her throat tightened with something too sharp to swallow.

Was she walking into something she didn't understand?

Was Aiden really that dangerous?

Or was Victoria lying?

She didn't know.

All she knew was that her first real day at Blackwood Industries had just turned into something darker than she expected-

-and she was suddenly very, very alone.

Lila could still hear Victoria's voice echoing in her mind as she stepped into the elevator that evening.

"She'll be the next one he'll destroy."

The words felt like claws sinking into her thoughts, twisting everything she believed she understood about Aiden Blackwood. He wasn't perfect-obviously. Cold, intimidating, harsh at times. But destroy? That didn't fit the man who had knelt beside her when she cried. The man whose touch had lingered on her skin far longer than necessary. The man whose eyes softened when she mentioned her mother.

But maybe Victoria knew a version of him that Lila hadn't seen yet.

And that terrified her.

By the time she reached the twenty-ninth floor again-after dropping off some signed papers her supervisor needed-she found the entire floor already empty. Lights dim. Hallways quiet. The air heavy with loneliness.

A storm was building outside, thick clouds rolling across the skyline.

She should have left.

She should have dropped off the documents and gone home.

But as she passed Aiden's office, she noticed a faint sliver of light under the door.

He was still here.

Her heart jumped.

Then sank.

Then twisted painfully.

She stared at the door for a long moment, debating. She didn't want another confrontation, and she definitely didn't want to give Victoria's words any more power. But the papers needed to be left in his office anyway.

So she knocked gently.

"Come in."

His voice was deep, a little tired, a little rougher than usual.

She stepped inside.

Aiden looked up from his laptop, the glow highlighting the sharp lines of his face. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket anymore-just a black shirt with rolled sleeves, showing strong forearms and veins that traced along his skin.

He looked powerful.

And exhausted.

And completely unguarded.

"Miss Hart," he said, his voice softer than he meant it to be. "You're still here?"

"I had to drop these off," she said, holding the folder. "They needed your approval before tomorrow."

He reached out to take it, their fingers brushing.

Even that tiny contact sent her pulse racing.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Silence settled between them-heavy, charged, impossible.

Lila swallowed hard. "Do you... need help with anything else?"

Aiden stared at her for a long moment.

His eyes held a storm.

Conflict.

Longing.

Restraint pulled so tight it looked painful.

"No," he said finally, but his voice didn't match the word.

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the office in white light-

And then-

The entire building went dark.

Lila gasped. "Oh-!"

Aiden stood abruptly. "It's okay. Backup power will activate in a moment."

But it didn't.

The only light in the room came from faint city glow filtering through the glass.

Lila's breath quickened. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but being alone in it with Aiden Blackwood was something entirely different. Something dangerous.

"Are you alright?" he asked, voice closer now-much closer.

"I'm fine," she said, though her heart hammered wildly.

Aiden moved toward her, but she could only sense him, not fully see him. His presence was overwhelming, even in shadows.

He reached out, fingers brushing her arm.

"You're trembling."

"It's cold," she lied.

He exhaled slowly. "No. It's not."

Another flash of lightning lit the room-revealing him standing inches from her. His jaw tight. His eyes locked onto hers with a heat that made her breath catch.

Then darkness swallowed them again.

"Lila..." he whispered, voice raw in the shadows.

Her knees weakened.

No one had ever said her name like that.

Not soft.

Not gentle.

Not wanting.

She didn't step back.

She couldn't.

Aiden lifted a hand-slow enough that she could have stopped him.

She didn't.

His fingers brushed her cheek, then slid to her jaw, tilting her face up to his. Her breath hitched loudly in the silence, and Aiden drew in a sharp breath of his own.

"Don't look at me like that," he whispered.

"How am I looking at you?" she breathed.

"Like you trust me."

Lightning flashed again-brief and bright-and in that instant, Lila saw the truth in his eyes:

He wanted her.

Badly.

Painfully.

And he hated himself for it.

"Aiden..." she whispered, helpless.

Her voice broke his restraint.

He stepped closer until her back brushed the edge of his desk. His hands moved to her waist-slow, hesitant, but full of a need he was trying desperately to deny.

She inhaled shakily. He leaned down, his breath brushing her lips, his fingers tightening just slightly-

The air between them sizzled with something electric.

He lowered his forehead against hers.

"If I cross this line," he murmured, "I won't be able to go back."

"I don't want you to go back," she whispered.

He exhaled shakily, one hand sliding up her side, fingers trailing warmth along her skin.

"This is wrong," he said, but he didn't move away.

"This is inevitable," she countered softly.

He made a sound-half-pain, half-desire.

Then he tilted his head, his lips brushing hers-

Barely a breath.

Barely a whisper.

Almost.

Her hands lifted to his chest, gripping his shirt. His body leaned into hers, heat burning through the thin barrier between them.

He was going to kiss her.

She could feel it.

Taste it.

Almost-

And then-

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The sound slammed through the silence, shattering the moment completely.

Aiden jerked back like he'd been electrocuted.

Lila gasped at the sudden loss of warmth.

"Mr. Blackwood?" a muffled voice called from behind the door. "Sir? The power team needs a quick update if you're still inside."

Aiden closed his eyes tightly, chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

He dragged a hand through his hair, stepping away from her as if distance alone could erase what almost happened.

Then-his voice cold again, painfully controlled-

"This was a mistake."

Lila flinched.

He didn't look at her.

Didn't explain.

Didn't soften.

He just whispered the words again, quieter, breaking in the middle:

"This cannot happen."