Chapter 0002

‘Holy shit,’ I thought blankly to myself. ‘He does remember me.”

Part of me wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or not. It had been over six years since we last saw each other. James had no real reason to remember who I was. Back then, I was just an ordinary, overweight girl who always felt socially awkward around others.

Granted, not much of that has changed. I’d lost a lot of weight; however, it was obvious by my sheer inability to simply answer a basic question, that I was still greatly awkward.

My jaw went completely slack as I struggled to find my voice all the while, I felt James’ scorching eyes search nearly every inch of my face.

“Y-Yes,” I breathed. “Hello, James.”

I could have sworn that I saw the corners of his mouth curve upward. James steadied me back to my feet where the two of us were able to have a better, proper look at one another. The moment he dropped his arms, I found myself missing his warmth and security.

Unlike my disheveled appearance, James wore a crisp, well-tailored suit, looking even more handsome than when I last saw him all those years ago.

Right as he was about to speak, another well-dressed employee came rushing into the room. He glared at James while trying to catch his breath. “Sir, as your trusted assistant, may I ask what inspired you to rush out of the meeting?”

James merely waved his hand in the air. “I had other important matters to settle, Daniel,” he said.

My eyes grew wide. Assistant?

I always knew that Crescent Moon belonged to his family, but I never realized how far up the corporate ladder James stood. The man had his own secretary, making me come to the vast conclusion that he’d become the company’s CEO.

“Tell me,” he insisted. “How have you been? What have you been doing since I last saw you?”

My cheeks gave a noticeable blush. I was about to answer until I felt a cold chill and was crudely reminded of my current situation, regarding my wrecked apparel.

That damn water Jackson threw at me had drenched my top clinging to my chest, revealing a large area of semi-transparent flesh color and clearly outlining every curve. I started to panic while failing to cover up myself with my arms which only drew in more unwanted attention.

I felt James’ gaze lingering on my chest. His expression grew with displeasure as he quickly slipped out of his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I instantly enveloped back into his comforting warmth that I never wanted to escape.

“Thank you,” I said meekly. I cleared my throat. “And, um, I recently graduated from college and now I’m just working a few small jobs here and there.”

I really didn’t want him to pry in any further, hoping to spare myself from any further humiliation. Thankfully, he kept the conversation rolling and inquired about my brother and his current whereabouts.

“Oh, you know Chris. He’s off on another digging excavation somewhere over in Egypt,” I explained.

I was then graced with an even brighter smile. “Yes, your brother always did enjoy getting his hands dirty.”

I let out a giggle while his gaze started to lower down to my stomach.

“And your pregnancy? Is everything going well? Are you—” The words were practically caught in his throat. “Are you married?”

My mind immediately fell to my boyfriend—or rather my missing boyfriend, Peter. I’d told him about my pregnancy and I hadn’t seen nor heard a word from him since. That was several weeks ago.

I felt utterly deflated as I gently shook my head. “The baby is mine, and mine alone,” I told James.

Suddenly, James’ expression softened considerably upon hearing my response. As much as I was intrigued to learn more about his personal experiences over the missing years, I needed to put myself first. I had to know if it was possible to get another interview.

I pulled my eyes up from the ground. “James? Would it be, at all, possible if I could get another interview here?”

Daniel spoke up. “I’m sorry, Miss. But Crescent Moon has already found another suitable candidate—”

“Come back here tomorrow morning at eight sharp,” James told me firmly.

My brows drew together in confusion. “Wait, what? Didn’t he just say that the position has already been filled?”

James shrugged his shoulders back in disinterest. “Doesn't matter,” he said confidently. “I have a more important position for you. You’re going to be my personal secretary.”

My stunned expression mirrored his assistant’s. Daniel’s eyes widened in disbelief, clearly, this was a spur-of-the-moment decision by James.

Again, I shook my head. “But, I couldn’t possibly take that sort of position. I told you, I’ve only just recently graduated and I don’t have much experience.”

Even though I would be exposed to important affairs of Crescent Moon if I were to work as his personal secretary, I was still far too worried that I wasn't built for the role.

James must have somehow sensed my uneasiness. He took a decent step forward, shrinking the space between us. He reached out to curl his finger under my chin, forcing me to lift my head up to look at him.

My heart slammed frantically within my chest, I could have sworn that it was going to break through my rib cage.

Between his deep, honeyed voice and the calloused touch of his hand, I was completely subdued to his being.

“Don’t question my decisions, Mia,” he said sternly. “All you need to do is show up here tomorrow morning. Remember, eight sharp.”

I watched him turn on his heels and head back in the direction he originally came from with Daniel trailing behind him.

“Oh, and Miss Johnson?” James spoke over his shoulder. “May I suggest wearing a less translucent blouse tomorrow?”

My cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink as the sound of James’ chuckling echoed off the walls.

Oh my God. What the hell have I gotten myself into?