Aurora held his gaze.
The silence in the office stretched—thick, suffocating, deliberate.
Lorenzo Martini didn't rush.
He studied.
Measured.
Decided.
Then finally—
"You're hired."
Aurora blinked.
Just like that?
No discussion. No formalities.
Something about it felt… too easy.
But before she could respond—
"On one condition."
There it was.Aurora straightened slightly. "What condition, sir?"
Lorenzo stood this time.
Slow. Controlled.
The movement alone shifted the atmosphere.
He walked around the desk, stopping just a few steps away from her. Up close, his presence felt heavier—like standing too close to something dangerous without fully understanding why.
"You don't ask questions," he said calmly.
Aurora frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry?"
His eyes didn't leave hers.
"You do your job," he continued. "You follow instructions. And you don't involve yourself in things that don't concern you."
A pause.Then—
"Can you do that?"
Aurora's brows drew together.That wasn't a normal condition for a secretary.
Not even close.
Her instincts whispered something was off.
But logic pushed back harder.
She needed this job.
More than that—she needed stability.
Opportunity.
A way out.
Aurora inhaled softly.
"I believe every employee deserves to understand their responsibilities," she said carefully. "But if you mean unnecessary interference… then yes. I can do my job professionally."
For a brief second—
Something flickered in Lorenzo's eyes again.
Approval?
Amusement?It was gone too quickly to tell.
"Good," he said simply.
Then he stepped back, already losing interest in the conversation.
"Report tomorrow. 8 a.m. Don't be late."
Just like that.
Dismissed.
Aurora stood slowly.
"Thank you, sir."
He didn't respond.
Didn't even look at her again.
Aurora turned and walked out, her mind racing.
The moment the office door closed behind her—She exhaled.
"What… was that?" she whispered under her breath.The receptionist glanced at her briefly but said nothing this time.
Aurora didn't stop walking.
Didn't slow down.
Not until she stepped outside the building.
The city air hit her differently now.
Heavier.
Unsettling.
She got the job.
But it didn't feel like a win.
It felt like stepping into something she didn't fully understand.
By the time she got home, exhaustion had settled deep into her bones.
She dropped her bag on the small couch and kicked off her heels, wincing slightly.
"Worth it…" she muttered, though she wasn't entirely convinced.Her eyes drifted around the apartment again.
Same walls.
Same silence.
Same life.
But something had changed.
She could feel it.
Aurora reached for her phone almost instinctively.
There was only one person she wanted to talk to.
She dialed.
"Finally!" the voice on the other end burst out almost immediately. "I've been waiting for your call all day!"Aurora couldn't help the small smile that formed.
"Hi, Britney."
Britney Lawson.Her best friend.
Her complete opposite.
Where Aurora was composed and cautious, Britney was bold, loud, and completely unfiltered. They had met years ago during one of the lowest points in Aurora's life—and somehow, Britney had refused to leave.
"You sound tired," Britney said instantly. "Don't tell me the interview went bad—I will personally come and fight them."
Aurora let out a soft laugh.
"No, don't worry. I got the job."
A scream exploded through the phone.
"I KNEW IT!" Britney yelled. "Of course you did! You're literally the smartest person I know—like, it would be illegal for them not to hire you!"
Aurora shook her head, smiling.
"It wasn't that simple."
"Oh?" Britney's tone shifted immediately. Curious now. "What happened?"Aurora hesitated.
Then sat down slowly.
"The CEO interviewed me personally."
There was a pause.
"…Wait. The CEO?" Britney repeated. "As in the CEO? The mysterious one nobody talks about?"
Aurora nodded, even though she couldn't see her.
"Yes."
"And?" Britney pushed. "What's he like?"
Aurora's mind flashed back instantly.
Dark eyes.Cold voice.
That presence.
"…Intense," she said quietly.
Britney gasped dramatically.
"Oh my God, he's hot, isn't he?"Aurora rolled her eyes.
"That's not the point."
"So he is hot," Britney confirmed. "Continue."
Aurora sighed softly.
"There's something… off about him," she admitted. "And the condition he gave me—"
"Condition?" Britney cut in sharply.
Aurora paused again.
Then explained.
Silence followed.
A different kind this time.
Then—
"Okay," Britney said slowly. "That's not normal."
"I know."
"And you still accepted?"
Aurora leaned back slightly"I needed to."
Another pause.
Then Britney exhaled.
"…Alright. Then I need you to do something for me."
Aurora frowned.
"What?"
Britney's voice dropped slightly.
Serious now.
"I want you to find out everything you can about him."
Aurora's heart skipped.
"Britney—"
"I'm serious," she insisted. "Something about this doesn't sit right with me."
Aurora looked down at her hands.
Neither did it sit right with her.
"…I'll be careful," she said quietly.Britney didn't sound convinced.
"You better be."
Aurora leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
Her new job.
Her new boss.
Her new life.
Everything had changed in just one day.
And somehow—
She had a feeling this was only the beginning.