Rain drummed against the towering glass walls of the SkyEmpire building — the empire that belonged to him, Ethan Rei Lancaster — the youngest CEO in the country, known for his ruthless decisions and cold, unreadable gaze. To the world, he was perfection: wealth, power, and the kind of arrogance that could silence a room with a single look.
But to me, his secretary — Liana Grey — he was something else entirely. A storm I could never escape.
I’d been by his side for three years — organizing his meetings, canceling his dates, and pretending his midnight phone calls didn’t make my heart twist. I told myself I was just doing my job… until the night everything changed.
It was after hours. The office was empty except for the two of us. He stood by the window, his tie loosened, his shirt sleeves rolled up. The city lights reflected in his eyes — sharp and beautiful.
“Liana,” he said quietly. His voice was deep, smooth — dangerous.
“Yes, Mr. Lancaster?” I managed, keeping my tone professional, though my heart was racing.
He turned to me. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
I froze. “I—I haven’t—”
“Don’t lie.” He walked closer, his footsteps echoing through the silence. “You think I don’t notice when the person I see every day suddenly starts keeping her distance?”
My breath hitched as he stopped in front of me — close enough that I could feel his warmth. “You’re my secretary, Liana. But lately… it feels like you’re something else.”
I looked away. “You’re my boss. That’s all this is.”
“Then why can’t you look me in the eye?”
He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. My reflection stared back at me in those dark, unreadable eyes. The world seemed to fade, leaving only us — and the weight of everything unspoken.
“I don’t mix business with emotions,” I whispered.
“Then tell your heart that,” he murmured, his thumb brushing my cheek.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I wanted to step away, but my body wouldn’t listen. Instead, I felt his hand fall away, and he turned back to the window.
“You’re dismissed,” he said softly. But I heard the pain beneath his calm tone.
That night, as I walked out into the rain, I realized the truth — no matter how hard I tried to stay professional, my heart had already chosen him.
The next morning, the headlines exploded:
“Ethan Lancaster Announces Engagement to Heiress of Knight Corp.”
My world shattered. I was just his secretary. Nothing more.
But as I handed him his coffee that morning, he caught my wrist — firm, desperate.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” he whispered. His eyes burned into mine. “I don’t want the heiress. I want you.”
And just like that, I knew — my life would never be the same again. 💔🌹
