I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, Alan Sterling's piercing gaze haunted me, slicing through the lies I had carefully built around myself. My father's pale face floated in my mind, tethering me to reality. I had no choice but to walk back into that lion's den.
The next morning, the elevator ride felt endless. My hands gripped the straps of my bag so tightly I could feel the leather creasing under my fingers. I rehearsed my words over and over: be confident, be composed, don't slip. But deep down, I knew Alan didn't just see the words — he saw me, every flaw, every hesitation.
The receptionist greeted me with a polite smile that barely hid her curiosity. I returned it, my own nerves stretched taut. Stepping into the office, I could feel the tension before I even reached Alan's door. It radiated off him like heat, burning and intoxicating all at once.
"Ms. Hartley," Alan's voice cut through the room, calm yet sharp, "I hope you've reflected on yesterday's… revelations."
I swallowed hard, nodding. "Yes, Mr. Sterling. I understand the risks, and I won't fail."
He raised an eyebrow, walking around the desk with that predator's grace that made my pulse hammer painfully in my chest. Every step he took felt deliberate, suffocating, thrilling. I fought the urge to step back — not because I feared him, but because he wanted me to.
"I'll be watching," he said lowly, stopping just inches from me. "Every move you make, every word you speak… I will know if it's truth or deception."
I forced a steady breath. "I can handle that."
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, one that made my stomach clench and my mind spin. I hated the effect he had on me. I cannot want him. I cannot.
The morning passed in a blur of introductions and tasks. I tried to blend in, but Alan's eyes never left me. Every glance carried an edge, a warning, and something else — something raw and dangerous that I couldn't name.
During a staff meeting, I made a mistake — a small, innocent one, but enough to draw Alan's attention. He didn't call me out immediately, but the way his gaze landed on me made me flush, my heart hammering in my chest. I could feel the burn of scrutiny, the pressure of being seen.
Later, when everyone had left, Alan approached me in the conference room. He leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed, and that smirk returned. "Do you know what I see when I look at you, Julia?"
I shook my head, my throat dry.
"Fear. Desire. Guilt. And a desperate need to survive." His voice dropped, low and dangerous, almost intimate. "You're fascinating… and infuriating."
I wanted to deny it. I wanted to walk away. But instead, I felt heat rising in my chest, my body betraying me. "I'm here to do a job, Mr. Sterling. Nothing else."
He laughed softly, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "A job? Oh, Miss Hartley, this is more than a job. This… this is a game. And in my games, mistakes are punished."
Before I could react, he reached out, lightly brushing a strand of hair from my face — just a touch, but it made my pulse spike. I wanted to step back, to scream, to resist… but my body froze, caught in the magnetism of his presence.
"I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, voice softer now, almost conspiratorial. "But I will test you. Push you. See what you're made of."
"I—" I swallowed, my mind spinning. "I can handle it."
"Good." His smirk deepened. "Because you're not the only one who plays games in this office."
And then he left, walking with that effortless dominance that made my knees weak. I slumped into my chair, heart pounding. What had just happened? His words, his touch — the tension between us — it was wrong, dangerous, irresistible.
I tried to focus on work, but the moment Alan's presence disappeared, it was like a vacuum opened in my chest. Every glance, every word replayed in my mind. I hated that he affected me so much. I hated that I wanted him.
Around mid-afternoon, the office was quiet. I had my head buried in a stack of files when Alan's shadow fell across my desk. I looked up — he was standing there, arms crossed, leaning slightly. That smirk again, sharp and teasing.
"You're too tense," he said, voice low. "I can feel it. You think I don't notice every little tremor?"
"I… I'm fine," I said, trying to sound normal, but my throat betrayed me.
"No, you're not." He stepped closer, so close I could feel the warmth radiating off him. "And I like it."
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I forced myself to look down at my paperwork. I couldn't meet his gaze — not when every glance felt like a provocation, a challenge.
"Miss Hartley," he said softly, almost dangerous, "there are rules in this office. But sometimes, I like to see which ones you're willing to break."
I shivered, not from cold, but from something else. This is dangerous. I shouldn't want this. He's my enemy in every sense.
He left again, just as abruptly as he appeared, leaving me trembling and aware of every nerve in my body. I forced myself to focus, to remember why I was here: my father. His life. The lie I had to protect.
But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted — between us, between the walls of this office, between my careful control and the raw, forbidden tension that now hung in the air.
And I knew, with a sinking certainty, that this was only the beginning.
I was a fake heiress entering a world of power, lust, and danger — and Alan Sterling was the wildfire I couldn't put out.