ROSE

The tension in Adrian's office still lingered on my skin as I stepped out. My knees felt weak, but I didn't dare stumble not here, not now. Ethan was waiting just outside, ever composed, as if this was just another ordinary day.

"Come with me," he said simply, his tone clipped but not unkind.

I followed him down the corridor, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Sterling & Co. was a world of glass walls, muted colors, and quiet authority.

Ethan stopped before a sleek glass door and opened it. Inside, four workstations stood neatly aligned, sunlight spilling through tall windows.

Three women looked up from their desks as we entered. They were poised, elegant even their smiles seemed polished.

"Ladies," Ethan said, his voice carrying a quiet authority, "this is Rose. She'll be working under Mr. Sterling as his secretary."

I felt the weight of their eyes sweep over me, assessing, measuring. One of them, a tall woman with striking blonde hair and red lipstick, leaned back in her chair.

"Well," she said smoothly, "welcome to the lion's den."

The others chuckled softly. A petite woman with glasses offered me a genuine smile. "I'm Amelia ," she said warmly. "If you need help finding your way around, just ask."

I gave her a polite smile before thanking her.

The third, who looked as though she had walked out of a fashion magazine with her sleek bob and sharp eyeliner, only gave me a polite nod.

"Rose will take the empty desk near the window," Ethan continued, gesturing toward the neat workstation set up with a laptop, files, and a phone. "Get her settled in. Mr. Sterling doesn't tolerate mistakes. Make sure she learns quickly."

And with that, he left, his footsteps fading down the hall.

My desk, right by the window, caught the best of the sunlight. A little potted plant on the corner, it was the first thing I looked at, reminding me to breathe before diving into the mountain of files stacked neatly in front of me.

I sat at my new desk, smoothing my palms over the surface as if to steady myself. The laptop blinked to life, sterile and unfamiliar.

"Don't look so nervous," Claire whispered from across the room. "The first day's always rough. You'll get used to it."

Her kindness made my chest loosen a little, but the blonde whom I later learned was Kara , arched an eyebrow, smirking.

"Or you won't. Depends on how long you last."

I forced a small smile, refusing to show how her words stung.

"Smile, listen, and give your best," I told myself. "One day at a time, Rose. You've got this."

The sunlight streaming through my window felt like a blessing, warm against my skin. I decided to take it as a sign: today was a fresh start. Mistakes would happen, yes, but I'd learn. I'd grow.

Minutes ticked by as I tried to make sense of my new reality. My hands hovered over the keyboard when a message suddenly pinged across the shared system:

From: Adrian Sterling

To: Rose

Bring the files Ethan gave you. Ten minutes.

My stomach dropped. Another test.

With shaky fingers, I gathered the stack I had sorted earlier, my breath shallow as I headed back toward his office. The secretaries' eyes followed me, and I felt their unspoken thoughts prickling behind my back.

This was it, the real beginning.

The corridor leading back to Adrian's office felt longer this time, as though each step stretched endlessly. My heels clicked softly against the marble floor, but my heartbeat was louder, echoing in my ears.

I stopped just outside his door, clutching the files tight against my chest. My palms were damp, and my throat felt tight.

What if he knows?

The thought cut through me like a blade.

What if this entire "internship" was just a trap?

I closed my eyes for a moment, pressing my forehead lightly against the cool wall. No. Calm down. He doesn't know. He can't.

A secretary's words replayed in my head, depends how long you last.

I straightened my shoulders. I'll last.

Taking a steadying breath, I knocked gently.

"Come in," his voice commanded from the other side.

I pushed the door open.

Adrian Sterling sat behind his massive mahogany desk, the skyline of the city sprawling behind him through floor to ceiling windows. His presence filled the room without effort, calm, controlled, quietly powerful. 

Ethan stood near the corner, sorting something on a tablet, but it was Adrian's gaze that pulled me in like gravity.

"Close the door."

I obeyed.

"Sit." He didn't raise his voice, yet it carried a weight that made my knees feel weak.

I lowered myself into the chair across from him, balancing the stack of files carefully on my lap.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment, unreadable, before shifting to the documents. "Place them here."

I slid them across his desk. His long fingers flipped through the first file with deliberate precision, and then he set it aside

"Do you know why I asked you here?"

My mouth went dry. "To... to bring the files, sir?"

A flicker of something, amusement, maybe, tugged at the corner of his lips, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Not entirely." He leaned back in his chair, studying me the way one might study a puzzle. "If you're going to be my secretary, you need to be more than a runner of papers. You need to be fast, sharp, and unflinching."

My stomach twisted, but I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good." He slid a single sheet from the pile toward me. It was dense with numbers and legal terms. "Summarize this. Right now. Keep it under five  minutes."

I blinked at him, my heart dropping. He must be joking right five minutes... to summarize this stack of papers.."

"Is there a problem?" His voice was calm, but his gaze was piercing.

I straightened my back, forcing myself to breathe. "No, sir."

I lowered my eyes to the document, scanning the paragraphs. My nerves screamed, but I pushed through them, gripping the paper tightly.

Five minutes . I had five minutes to prove I wasn't just another intern.

ROSE

I forced my eyes to focus, skimming the words even as my pulse hammered in my ears. Okay... figures... projections... a merger... I can do this.

The paper trembled slightly in my hand, so I pressed it flat against the desk to steady myself. Seconds bled away like drops of water. I inhaled deeply, straightened, and spoke.

"This document outlines a projected merger deal between Sterling & Co. and two subcontractors. It highlights revenue growth, risk distribution, and the benefits of outsourcing logistics. The potential risks center on over-reliance and contractual liability. In short, the deal strengthens market position but requires strict legal oversight."

I stopped, breath catching.

Adrian hadn't moved the entire time. His silver eyes stayed fixed on me, unreadable, hands steepled beneath his chin. When silence stretched, doubt gnawed at my insides. Did I mess up? Was that too vague?

Finally, he spoke.

"4 minutes."

My brows knit. "Sir?"

"You did it in under a four minutes," he clarified, his tone smooth, calm but carrying that weight again, the kind that made the air in the room feel heavier. "Concise and correct."

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Thank you, sir." The moment Adrian nodded in approval, the tension in my chest unraveled. I hadn't realized how stiff my back had become, how tightly I'd been gripping the pen in my hand until it finally slipped free, leaving faint indents in my fingers.

I lowered the file onto his desk carefully, almost reverently, as though setting down proof of my worth. He didn't say much, he didn't need to. That single nod, his quiet "correct". was enough to melt the anxiety that had been eating at me since morning.

Inside, I sighed with relief. You did it, Rose. You didn't falter, not in front of him.

I allowed myself a small smile as I straightened up, though I kept it professional, not wanting to seem too eager. Still, I couldn't help but feel the warmth rising in my chest. I had passed the task his task. The one I'd dreaded, the one I thought might expose every crack in my confidence.

"But..." He leaned forward, his gaze pinning me like steel. "That was the easy part. Don't mistake one success for competence."

The praise evaporated, replaced by a chill. I swallowed hard and forced a nod. "Understood, sir."

A faint smirk ghosted across his lips, subtle, fleeting, yet mischievous. "Good. You'll learn soon enough. From now on, you answer only to me. At my beck and call, whenever I require it."

The words rolled out slow, deliberate, heavy with meaning.

Something twisted in my chest. Overwhelmed didn't even begin to describe it between the tension in his voice, the weight of expectation, and the suffocating awareness of who exactly I was dealing with, it was almost too much.

Almost.

I sat a little straighter, forcing strength into my voice. "Yes, sir. I understand."

His eyes lingered, searching me. Then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "That will be all for today. Ethan will brief you further."

Relief washed through me so strongly I thought my knees might give out. But as I stood and walked toward the door, I caught a flicker of his smirk again controlled, quiet, but undeniably there.

Like he knew something I didn't.

Like I'd just stepped into a game I wasn't ready for.

The door clicked softly behind me, and I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The  air felt lighter, the hallways brighter. It was just one task, I knew. There would be more, harder ones waiting. But for now, the relief was sweet, like the first breath after holding it too long. My palms were damp, my chest tight, but I kept my head up as Ethan fell into step beside me.

"Come on," he said, his voice kinder than his boss's but still clipped with efficiency. "I'll show you your preliminary schedule and office duties."

I nodded, clutching the folder tighter to keep my hands from trembling. The hallway stretched wide, polished floors gleaming beneath the warm lights, the sound of our footsteps echoing faintly.

Ethan handed me a slim tablet as we walked. "This contains your orientation notes, contacts, and your assignment timeline. Meetings are synced here. 

You'll also find Mr. Sterling's personal calendar he doesn't share that with just anyone." His eyes flicked toward me, assessing. "So don't make me regret it."

The weight of responsibility pressed heavier, but I forced a steady breath. "I won't."

We stopped outside the shared office space I'd been shown earlier. I could still hear the soft murmur of the other secretaries chatting, their laughter light and easy compared to the knot twisting in my stomach.

Ethan glanced down at me, his tone softening. "Look... he's not easy to work with. You probably realized that already. But if you keep your head, stay sharp, and learn fast, you'll survive."

I blinked at him, startled by the sliver of reassurance. Then, almost against my will, I smiled faintly. "Thank you, Ethan."

He gave me a short nod. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be... different."

He left me there, vanishing down the corridor like a shadow.

I lingered in the doorway a moment longer, then slipped inside to gather my bag. The three secretaries glanced up, offering polite smiles before returning to their work. Everything about them seemed so... normal. Routine.

But nothing about this felt normal.

By the time I stepped out of Sterling & Co. into the fading afternoon light, my mind was spinning. 

Adrian's voice replayed over and over: At my beck and call. Whenever I require it.

The words crawled under my skin, unsettling and yet... impossible to ignore.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked back toward the bus stop, determination slowly burning through the fear.

Yes, I was overwhelmed. Yes, I was nervous. But I wasn't about to let Adrian Sterling or anyone break me.

If this was going to be a game, then I'd just have to learn how to play along.