The soft clinking of cutlery echoed across the vast dining hall like tiny bells announcing Selina Whyte's anxiety. She sat stiffly in her chair, every sense heightened every move carefully controlled as though one wrong breath would expose her completely.
The white shirt she wore, Andrew's shirt, felt like both a blessing and a curse. Too large on her but too small in places where it mattered. The top buttons had refused to stay closed properly, and she had given up trying after the third attempt. Her trembling hands couldn't fight with a fabric that didn't belong to her to begin with. The collar hung loose, giving too much glimpse of her neck and collarbone.
Every time she inhaled, the faint scent of him,oakwood and something clean like fresh rain wrapped around her. It smelled like safety. It smelled like danger.
Across from her sat Andrew Vele ,the billionaire who saved her from the storm last night. His cold, unreadable gaze occasionally lifted to her, sending bolts of electricity down her spine. He was elegance and power personified, his presence filling the room more than the expensive furniture ever could.
Selina tried to focus on her food. Tried and failed. Her fork scraped against porcelain as she pushed scrambled eggs around her plate without actually eating. Her mind wasn't present, not really. She kept wondering how she ended up here. How she woke up in a king-sized bed that didn't belong to her. How she could feel him without him even touching her.
Nick, one of the house staff, hovered nearby pouring fresh juice into glasses. Selina managed to mutter a soft, embarrassed "Thank you, Nick," trying not to make eye contact.
But Andrew noticed.
His gaze narrowed slightly as if analyzing every tiny detail she didn't want anyone to see, like the fact that the shirt's shoulder seam had slipped down her arm again. She tugged it up in a panic.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Andrew's voice broke the silence smooth, low, and dangerously calm.
Her fork almost slipped from her hand.
"No… sir. I mean yes… I mean—" She shut her eyes briefly, mortified by her own stuttering. "I'm just not used to… this kind of environment."
Andrew didn't reply for a long second. He simply cut into his toast with frightening precision, his jaw tense, his eyes darker than a stormy sky.
Calm down, Selina. He's just your boss. Just a man. A billionaire who rescued you, whose shirt you are wearing, whose house you are in… Okay, not helping!
Nick placed a bowl of fruit in front of them and stepped back.
"We don't usually have company at the breakfast table," Nick said lightly, smiling at Selina.
Andrew shot him a single warning look. Nick instantly straightened like a soldier. Silence returned.
Selina swallowed hard.
Great. Now she was embarrassing herself and getting staff in trouble.
She cleared her throat softly. "Thank you again for… everything last night, Sir. My phone died and—"
"You were drenched in the rain. It would've been irresponsible to send you home."
His tone held no warmth, just fact.
"But I could have—"
"You could have gotten sick," he cut her off without emotion.
Selina blinked. Was that… concern? Impossible. Andrew Williams didn't concern himself with anything that wasn't profit or perfection.
As she tried to finish at least three bites of food to look polite, the realization struck her like a slap,she was wearing the same shirt she slept in. His shirt. And she looked like a total mess in front of him.
God… kill me now.
Her cheeks burned so hot she wished she could dunk her face inside the juice glass to cool down.
When breakfast finally came to an end, Andrew sat back, his eyes fixed directly on her like he could feel her discomfort, like he wanted to study it.
"You should get ready for work," he said, pushing his chair back. "You won't be late."
A promise. A command. Both.
She nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. Thank you."
She almost tripped over the chair leg as she stood, clutching the shirt closed with one hand. Andrew said nothing, but she could feel that sharp gaze following her out of the dining hall until she disappeared up the staircase.
Back in the Guest Room
The moment the door clicked shut, Selina threw herself face-first into the soft guest bed and groaned into a pillow.
"What was that?" she muffled-screamed.
"Stupid heartbeat, stupid shirt, stupid… him!"
She sat up and slapped her cheeks lightly.
She had to dress. She had work. She was already running late. But when her gaze fell on her dress from the previous night soaked, wrinkled, and stained ,her stomach dropped.
"There is no way I'm wearing that to the office," she whispered in despair.
No makeup. Hair a mess. Wearing The Boss's Shirt Of Shame™.
She toyed with the collar irritably. What was she going to do? Go downstairs and ask Andrew if he sells spare miracle wardrobes?
Definitely not.
She was still spiraling through her "How to Avoid Ruining Your Life" thoughts when…
Knock. Knock.
Selina froze.
Who could that be?
She quickly hugged the shirt tighter around her body. "Come in?" she called out hesitantly.
The door opened to reveal Lucia,the stunningly beautiful housemaid she met briefly last night. Dark glossy hair tied neatly behind her head, uniform crisp and flattering, features so elegant she looked like she walked off a magazine cover rather than from a staff corridor.
Lucia held a luxurious navy-blue dress draped carefully over both arms sleek fabric shimmering under the soft lights, clearly very expensive.
Selina's jaw dropped. "Oh my… that looks…"
"Like it costs more than my life?" Lucia finished with a playful laugh. "Yeah, I know the feeling."
Selina's face flushed. Lucia was… friendly. Warm. It eased a little of the nervousness curling in her stomach.
"Mr. Andrew asked me to bring this to you," Lucia said, stepping inside. "He figured you wouldn't want to wear yesterday's outfit."
Selina's heart thumped. He noticed.
"But… this dress… It's too much."
Her voice cracked as she stared at the fabric, unable to even touch it.
Lucia smiled kindly. "Selina, sweetheart… if the boss chooses something for you, don't argue with the price tag. Just wear it, look stunning, and show up like the confident queen you are."
Selina blinked. "…Is that how it works here?"
Lucia giggled. "Pretty much."
For the first time that morning, Selina felt a small genuine smile tug at her lips.
Lucia stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Selina's arm. Her touch was soft, reassuring.
"Look, I can tell you're overwhelmed," she said sincerely. "Anyone would be. But you're here now, and he wants you downstairs. That alone tells me you're not just 'any employee.'"
Selina's heart skipped.
Not just any employee…
But she forced the thought away. That path was dangerous.
She inhaled shakily. "Okay… thank you, Lucia."
Lucia nodded with a light wink. "Get dressed. I'll help with your hair if you want."
Then she turned to leave but paused at the doorway, looking back with a knowing smile.
"Oh, and Selina?" she added.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Andrew is waiting for you downstairs."
Then she disappeared into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Selina exhaled slowly, staring at the luxury dress now lying across the bed.
Her palms pressed against the soft fabric.
Everything had changed.
And she wasn't sure if she should be terrified… or excited.
But she knew one thing for sure:
This was only the beginning.