The first week at Elion Global was a masterclass in tension.
Lila Grace walked the halls with her head high, but every step felt like a test. Her colleagues were polite, but distant. Whispers followed her like perfume. She could feel it—the weight of her first-day exchange with Luca Elion hanging in the air like a chandelier about to fall.
It was Monday morning when it happened.
She hadn't meant to disrespect him. Not really. But when Luca unexpectedly appeared in the office kitchen, she made a sarcastic comment about his "nepotism" and how some people got ahead without earning it. The words slipped out sharper than she intended, and the room seemed to freeze. Luca's eyes locked onto hers, a flicker of surprise and something darker passing through them.
And now, she was paying for it.
It started with the files.
"Lila," her supervisor said on Tuesday morning, "Mr. Elion would like you to review the contract revisions for the Halverson merger. He wants your notes by noon."
She blinked. "That's over two hundred pages."
He smiled. "Then you'd better get started."
She worked through lunch. Through the ache in her back. Through the burn in her eyes. She submitted the notes at 11:59.
At 12:03, she got a reply.
"Too shallow. Try again. This time, read like a lawyer, not a blogger." — L.E.
Her jaw clenched.
By Thursday, it was clear: Luca was testing her.
He'd show up at meetings she wasn't supposed to present in, then ask her to explain complex clauses on the spot. He'd assign her to teams with impossible deadlines. He'd send her emails at 2 a.m. with subject lines like "Still awake?"
And yet—she kept up.
Barely.
At home, Pearl noticed.
"You look like you've been hit by a bus," she said, handing Lila a mug of tea.
"More like a Ferrari," Lila muttered, collapsing onto the couch.
Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Luca?"
Lila groaned. "He's impossible. He's everywhere. And he's making my life hell."
Pearl smirked. "Sounds like someone's obsessed."
"I am not—"
"With proving him wrong," Pearl finished. "Relax. I get it. He's hot and annoying. The worst combo."
Lila rolled her eyes. "He's not hot."
Pearl gave her a look.
"Okay, he's hot. But he's also arrogant, manipulative, and—"
"—the reason you're working twelve-hour days and still dreaming about contracts?"
Lila threw a pillow at her.
Friday came like a lifeline.
Lila's friends had been begging her to go out, and she finally caved. She needed a break. A drink. A night where she wasn't being grilled by a man who looked like a GQ cover and acted like a Bond villain.
She met her crew at Velvet Room, the city's most exclusive rooftop club.
There was Zane, her college friend turned tech entrepreneur—charming, sharp, and always dressed like he had a stylist on speed dial. Then there was Nia, a fashion buyer with a laugh that could light up a room, and Tasha, a no-nonsense PR exec who didn't believe in subtlety.
They were halfway through their second round of cocktails when Nia squealed.
"Oh my God. That's my cousin!"
Lila turned.
Yuki.
And behind him—Luca.
Of course.
He was with Yuki and another guy—James, if she remembered right. All three of them looked like they'd walked out of a billionaire bachelor calendar.
Yuki spotted Nia and waved them over.
"Come join us!" he called. "We've got the VVIP section."
Lila froze.
Nia grabbed her hand. "Come on! It's just drinks."
But it wasn't just drinks.
It was Luca.
And the moment she stepped into that velvet-roped corner, she felt it—the shift. The tension. The way his eyes locked onto hers like a challenge.
"Miss Grace," he said smoothly. "Didn't expect to see you outside the office."
She smiled tightly. "I have a life, believe it or not."
He leaned back, sipping his drink. "I'm starting to believe it. Slowly."
Zane slid in beside her. "You two know each other?"
Luca's eyes didn't leave hers. "Intimately. Professionally."
Lila's cheeks burned. "We work together."
James raised an eyebrow. "So this is the girl who called you a nepotism case."
Lila's eyes widened. "You told them?"
Luca shrugged. "It was funny."
She stood. "I think I'll get some air."
He followed.
On the balcony, the city lights stretched like stars.
"You're enjoying this," she said.
He leaned on the railing. "A little."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first person who's ever looked me in the eye and told me I didn't earn it."
She turned to him. "Did you?"
He smiled. "Guess you'll have to stick around and find out."
She stared at him. "You're infuriating."
"And you're fascinating."
Silence.
Then he stepped closer.
Too close.
"Careful," she said, voice low. "You're in my space."
He didn't move. "Maybe I like it here."
She didn't back down.
But her heart was racing.
And she hated that he knew it.
Back inside, Pearl texted her.
"You okay?"
Lila stared at the message.
Then at Luca.
Then back at the city.
No.
She wasn't okay.
She was in trouble.
And it was only chapter four.
The first week at Elion Global was a masterclass in tension.
Lila Grace walked the halls with her head high, but every step felt like a test. Her colleagues were polite, but distant. Whispers followed her like perfume. She could feel it—the weight of her first-day exchange with Luca Elion hanging in the air like a chandelier about to fall.
She hadn't meant to disrespect him. Not really. But she also hadn't expected him to be here. To be this. And now, she was paying for it.
It started with the files.
"Lila," her supervisor said on Tuesday morning, "Mr. Elion would like you to review the contract revisions for the Halverson merger. He wants your notes by noon."
She blinked. "That's over two hundred pages."
He smiled. "Then you'd better get started."
She worked through lunch. Through the ache in her back. Through the burn in her eyes. She submitted the notes at 11:59.
At 12:03, she got a reply.
"Too shallow. Try again. This time, read like a lawyer, not a blogger." — L.E.
Her jaw clenched.
By Thursday, it was clear: Luca was testing her.
He'd show up at meetings she wasn't supposed to present in, then ask her to explain complex clauses on the spot. He'd assign her to teams with impossible deadlines. He'd send her emails at 2 a.m. with subject lines like "Still awake?"
And yet—she kept up.
Barely.
At home, Pearl noticed.
"You look like you've been hit by a bus," she said, handing Lila a mug of tea.
"More like a Ferrari," Lila muttered, collapsing onto the couch.
Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Luca?"
Lila groaned. "He's impossible. He's everywhere. And he's making my life hell."
Pearl smirked. "Sounds like someone's obsessed."
"I am not—"
"With proving him wrong," Pearl finished. "Relax. I get it. He's hot and annoying. The worst combo."
Lila rolled her eyes. "He's not hot."
Pearl gave her a look.
"Okay, he's hot. But he's also arrogant, manipulative, and—"
"—the reason you're working twelve-hour days and still dreaming about contracts?"
Lila threw a pillow at her.
Friday came like a lifeline.
Lila's friends had been begging her to go out, and she finally caved. She needed a break. A drink. A night where she wasn't being grilled by a man who looked like a GQ cover and acted like a Bond villain.
She met her crew at Velvet Room, the city's most exclusive rooftop club.
There was Zane, her college friend turned tech entrepreneur—charming, sharp, and always dressed like he had a stylist on speed dial. Then there was Nia, a fashion buyer with a laugh that could light up a room, and Tasha, a no-nonsense PR exec who didn't believe in subtlety.
They were halfway through their second round of cocktails when Nia squealed.
"Oh my God. That's my cousin!"
Lila turned.
Yuki.
And behind him—Luca.
Of course.
He was with Yuki and another guy—James, if she remembered right. All three of them looked like they'd walked out of a billionaire bachelor calendar.
Yuki spotted Nia and waved them over.
"Come join us!" he called. "We've got the VVIP section."
Lila froze.
Nia grabbed her hand. "Come on! It's just drinks."
But it wasn't just drinks.
It was Luca.
And the moment she stepped into that velvet-roped corner, she felt it—the shift. The tension. The way his eyes locked onto hers like a challenge.
"Miss Grace," he said smoothly. "Didn't expect to see you outside the office."
She smiled tightly. "I have a life, believe it or not."
He leaned back, sipping his drink. "I'm starting to believe it. Slowly."
Zane slid in beside her. "You two know each other?"
Luca's eyes didn't leave hers. "Intimately. Professionally."
Lila's cheeks burned. "We work together."
James raised an eyebrow. "So this is the girl who called you a nepotism case."
Lila's eyes widened. "You told them?"
Luca shrugged. "It was funny."
She stood. "I think I'll get some air."
He followed.
On the balcony, the city lights stretched like stars.
"You're enjoying this," she said.
He leaned on the railing. "A little."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first person who's ever looked me in the eye and told me I didn't earn it."
She turned to him. "Did you?"
He smiled. "Guess you'll have to stick around and find out."
She stared at him. "You're infuriating."
"And you're fascinating."
Silence.
Then he stepped closer.
Too close.
"Careful," she said, voice low. "You're in my space."
He didn't move. "Maybe I like it here."
She didn't back down.
But her heart was racing.
And she hated that he knew it.
Back inside, Pearl texted her.
"You okay?"
Lila stared at the message.
Then at Luca.
Then back at the city.
No.
She wasn't okay.
She was in trouble.
And it was only chapter four.