Chapter 2: Under His Eyes
Ethan barely slept that night.
Not because he was afraid.
But because the memory of Adrian Kessler’s gaze lingered in his mind.
“You will.”
The words replayed over and over.
Most Alphas used intimidation like a weapon. Ethan had met enough of them to recognize the signs.
But Adrian was different.
He wasn’t trying to scare him.
He genuinely believed it.
And somehow, that made it worse.
⸻
The next morning, Ethan arrived early.
The CEO division was still quiet.
He settled at his desk and began reviewing the reports assigned to him.
For the first hour, everything was peaceful.
Then the elevator doors opened.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Employees straightened.
Conversations died.
Even the air seemed to become heavier.
Adrian Kessler had arrived.
Tall.
Composed.
Dangerously calm.
Without looking at anyone else, Adrian walked directly past the staff.
Then he stopped.
Right beside Ethan’s desk.
Ethan looked up.
“Good morning, sir.”
Adrian studied him for a moment.
“You’re early.”
“I prefer being prepared.”
A strange look crossed Adrian’s face.
Almost approval.
Almost.
Then he walked away without another word.
⸻
By noon, Ethan had completed every assignment given to him.
When he submitted the final report, several employees stared.
One of them leaned closer.
“How did you finish that already?”
Ethan smiled politely.
“I worked on it.”
The employee laughed nervously.
“No, seriously.”
Before Ethan could answer, a voice interrupted.
“Come to my office.”
Everyone froze.
Adrian stood at the end of the room.
Looking directly at Ethan.
⸻
Minutes later, Ethan entered the massive office.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Adrian sat behind his desk, reviewing Ethan’s reports.
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Adrian placed the documents down.
“You made corrections.”
Ethan nodded.
“There were errors in the projections.”
Most employees would have apologized.
Most employees would have been terrified.
Ethan simply stated the truth.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“You assumed I wanted your opinion.”
“I assumed you wanted accurate work.”
The room became very quiet.
For a brief second, Ethan wondered if he had crossed a line.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on Adrian’s lips.
It vanished almost immediately.
But Ethan saw it.
And somehow that felt more dangerous than anger.
⸻
For the rest of the day, Adrian found himself watching Ethan.
Not intentionally.
At least that’s what he told himself.
He noticed how Ethan always thanked people who helped him.
How he stayed calm under pressure.
How he listened before speaking.
Most people changed around power.
Ethan didn’t.
That should have made Adrian lose interest.
Instead, it did the opposite.
⸻
Late that evening, almost everyone had gone home.
Ethan remained behind, organizing documents.
When he finally looked at the clock, he realized how late it was.
The office floor was nearly empty.
He gathered his things and headed for the elevator.
The doors opened.
And Adrian was already inside.
Alone.
Ethan hesitated.
Then stepped in.
The doors closed.
Silence surrounded them.
The elevator descended slowly.
Neither spoke.
Until suddenly—
The lights flickered.
The elevator jerked violently.
And stopped.
Ethan grabbed the handrail to steady himself.
A warning alarm echoed through the small space.
The elevator had broken down.
For the first time all day, Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.
When he looked up, Adrian was watching him.
Closely.
Far too closely.
The confined space filled with tension neither of them could explain.
And neither realized that being trapped together for the next hour would change everything.
To be continued… 🌙
