Hello, dear reader!

I’m excited to welcome you to Forbidden Desire. Before we jump into the story, I want to introduce you to the characters and the world they live in, so you can fully immerse yourself in every twist, tension, and moment of desire.

Ethan Vale – The Male CEO

Age: 33

Appearance: Tall (around 6’2”), broad-shouldered, athletic and muscular build. Long dark brown hair flowing past his shoulders, slightly wavy, clean-shaven face, piercing green eyes, strong jawline, confident and slightly smirking. Always impeccably dressed in a tailored dark navy suit, crisp white shirt, silk tie, luxury watch, and polished black leather shoes.

Personality: Confident, composed, charismatic, mysterious, disciplined, strategic thinker. Knows what he wants, rarely shows vulnerability.

Life & Background: Born into a wealthy, well-connected family. Grew up learning control, discipline, and high expectations. Lives alone in a luxurious penthouse, enjoys fine dining, art, and exclusive social events. Values privacy and discretion.

Work: CEO of a high-profile marketing and advertising agency. He oversees creative campaigns, client projects, and major company decisions. Known for his sharp business sense and leadership, he commands respect in the office while maintaining a strict professional image.

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Selena Rivers – The Female Employee

Age: 23

Appearance: Stunningly beautiful, fit and curvy figure, long chestnut brown hair flowing down her back, slightly wavy, deep hazel eyes, radiant smile, slightly flushed cheeks. Stylish office attire: fitted blouse (light pastel color, slightly low neckline), pencil skirt slightly above the knee, high heels. Confident and subtly flirty posture, naturally alluring.

Personality: Ambitious, confident, intelligent, charming, slightly playful, emotionally open but cautious professionally. Curious and observant, with a strong desire to succeed.

Life & Background: Lives alone in a cozy apartment. Comes from a supportive but somewhat distant family, who encouraged independence. She balances work and personal life carefully, enjoys reading, coffee, and occasional social outings.

Work: Temporary employee at the marketing agency, filling in for a regular assistant for one month. She assists with client projects, creative presentations, and team coordination. Intelligent and observant, she quickly adapts to the fast-paced environment, impressing colleagues with her professionalism, while navigating the undeniable tension with Ethan.

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The Story

Their worlds collide unexpectedly when Selena enters Ethan’s office. Instant tension sparks between them—an electric mix of attraction, desire, and restraint. Daily encounters, secret glances, subtle touches, and professional boundaries create a slow-burn romance filled with suspense and passion. Forbidden Desire explores forbidden attraction, office politics, and the delicate balance between control and surrender, in a modern high-stakes workplace.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the polished marble floors of Carter Enterprises’ top level. The space was quiet, pristine, almost intimidating in its perfection. For a moment, Selena hesitated, her fingers tightening around the strap of her handbag. She still couldn’t believe she was here.

Her cousin’s accident had been sudden and unfortunate, and the last thing Selena expected was to be asked to step in as a temporary replacement. She wasn’t a secretary by trade—far from it. Fresh out of university with dreams of exploring her own career, she had never imagined walking into the office of one of the most powerful CEOs in the city. But family obligations left her with little choice. A month. That’s what she promised. Just one month until her cousin recovered.

She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her nerves.

The reception desk at the far end was empty, but she could hear the faint clicking of shoes echoing down the hall. The office smelled faintly of leather, coffee, and something sharper—expensive cologne, maybe. She followed the hallway until she reached the large glass door etched with a single name:

Ethan Carter

The weight of that name hit her harder than expected. She had read about him, of course. Everyone had. Ethan Carter wasn’t just a CEO—he was a symbol. At thirty-three, he had built Carter Enterprises into a dominant force in international marketing and branding. Ruthless in negotiations, charismatic in public, feared in the boardroom. And now… her boss.

Selena straightened her blouse, brushed an invisible wrinkle from her skirt, and knocked softly.

“Come in.”

His voice was deep, smooth, carrying a command that made her spine tingle. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office was breathtaking—floor-to-ceiling windows stretching across the skyline, glass and steel reflecting the morning light. A massive mahogany desk stood in the center, sleek and imposing. And behind it, Ethan Carter himself.

He rose slowly from his chair, tall and broad-shouldered, presence filling the room even before he moved. His dark navy suit fit him perfectly, accentuating the athletic build beneath. A silk tie framed the crisp white shirt, and a luxury watch glinted at his wrist as he adjusted his cufflinks.

But it wasn’t the suit or the watch that caught her off guard—it was his eyes. Sharp, piercing green, so intense that when they locked onto her, it felt as though he was peeling back layers she didn’t even know she had.

Selena swallowed hard.

“You must be Selena,” he said, his tone calm, but laced with something heavier—curiosity, maybe even suspicion.

“Yes, sir,” she managed, her voice quieter than she intended. “I’m here… filling in for my cousin while she recovers.”

He studied her for a long moment, the corner of his mouth lifting into the faintest smirk. Not warm, not kind—but amused.

“I see. Temporary, then.”

She nodded quickly. “Yes. Just for a month.”

Ethan walked around the desk, closing the distance between them. Every step seemed deliberate, measured, until he was standing close enough that she could catch the faint scent of his cologne—rich, sophisticated, undeniably masculine.

“You don’t look like a secretary,” he said bluntly, eyes scanning her face, then lingering briefly on her posture.

Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I—uh—I can handle the work, Mr. Carter.”

He tilted his head, gaze unwavering. “We’ll see.”

The tension in the room thickened, unspoken yet impossible to ignore. Selena’s heart pounded, her palms damp against the leather strap of her bag. She had walked in expecting intimidation, professionalism, maybe even indifference. What she hadn’t expected was… this. The weight of his presence. The magnetic pull that unsettled her in ways she couldn’t explain.

Ethan finally stepped back, giving her a fraction of space. He gestured toward the desk opposite his. “Sit. We’ll go over your responsibilities.”

She exhaled softly, relieved for the distance, yet strangely disappointed too. Pulling the chair out, she sat down and smoothed her skirt over her knees.

As he began explaining schedules, meetings, and protocols, she tried to focus on his words—but her mind kept drifting. To his commanding voice, the way his green eyes seemed to linger too long, and that smirk… as if he already knew the effect he had on her.

And in that moment, Selena realized this month would be nothing like she imagined.

This wasn’t just a job.

This was temptation, wrapped in a tailored navy suit.

The first week should have been simple—answering calls, scheduling meetings, sorting documents. Nothing Selena couldn’t handle. And yet, nothing about working for Ethan Carter felt simple.

From the moment she stepped into his office each morning, she could feel his eyes on her. Not constantly, but enough. Enough to make her pulse quicken when he passed too close, enough to heat her skin when his gaze lingered a beat longer than necessary.

He never said anything inappropriate, never crossed a line—but his presence was consuming.

By Thursday, she had memorized his habits. The way he always loosened his tie after his third meeting of the day. The way he tapped his pen against the desk when he was thinking. The way his jaw flexed when he was irritated. She noticed everything, maybe too much.

That afternoon, she stood by his desk, handing over a stack of reports. He took them, flipping through the pages with effortless focus.

“These figures are incomplete,” he said without looking up.

Selena frowned. “I double-checked them.”

“Check again.”

Her lips parted, ready to argue, but his eyes flicked up—sharp, commanding. Her words died in her throat.

“Yes, Mr. Carter,” she said softly, collecting the papers again.

As she turned, she caught the faintest curve of his mouth. A smirk. He knew exactly how much power he had in these moments.

Back at her desk, she exhaled sharply. Why did he get under her skin so easily? She wasn’t inexperienced, and she wasn’t naïve. But something about him unsettled her, challenged her, pulled her into a dangerous game she wasn’t prepared to play.

Hours later, the office was empty. The sun had dipped low, painting the skyline in gold and crimson. Selena gathered her things, relieved the day was over, when his voice cut through the silence.

“Selena.”

She froze, glancing toward his office. He was standing by the window, hands in his pockets, staring out at the city lights. The view was breathtaking, but it was him that caught her attention—the silhouette of strength and control framed by glass and fire.

“Yes, sir?”

“Come here.”

Her heels clicked against the floor as she approached, heart hammering. She stopped a few steps away, but he turned, closing the space between them without hesitation.

“You’ve done well this week,” he said, voice low, calm.

She blinked, surprised. “Thank you.”

His gaze held hers, steady and unreadable. “But you’re distracted.”

Her throat tightened. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.” He leaned closer, not enough to touch, but enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. His eyes searched hers, intense and unrelenting. “Tell me… is it the work that distracts you? Or is it me?”

Selena’s breath caught, her mind spinning. The question hung in the air, heavy, dangerous, impossible to answer.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension was electric, alive, a current sparking between them. She wanted to step back, to break free from the pull—but her feet wouldn’t move.

Then, just as quickly, he straightened, slipping his hands back into his pockets, expression unreadable once more.

“Go home,” he said simply, turning back to the window.

The dismissal was final, yet his words lingered in her chest, echoing long after she walked out the door.

And Selena knew one thing for certain—this month was spiraling into something she could no longer control.