CHAPTER ONE:

The sound of alarm blared in the small, bright room occupied by a young woman. She turned and dropped her brush on the table before walking over to her bed to turn the alarm off.

Jane was less enthusiastic about the new day, she had woken up earlier than her alarm and rushed to get ready for work. The whole office had been preparing for this day because apparently, the boss was back in town.

The workload from previous days was weighing heavily on her shoulders and she quietly cursed this boss of hers. Jane was still new to West&Co, having started work just a few months ago. She had never met her boss, but stories from her coworkers already fostered a strong dislike towards him.

They had talked about how he was precise with everything, and the extra work that had to be done for his arrival.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, she sat down on her dresser chair and combed her hair before putting it in a tight bun. She stared at herself in the mirror and forced a tight lipped smile.

Jane knew the day was going to be hectic, and she was slightly prepared.

————

The scorching sun beat down as Jane drove her BMW into the parking lot adjacent to her office building.

“Today seems much more packed and busier than usual,” Jane murmured, noticing the rows of unfamiliar cars parked in the building.

Not giving it much thought, she drove her car forward, her eyes scanning the crowded parking lot for an empty spot, and finally saw one. Jane maneuvered her car till she was perfectly parked in the space, then turned off her engine.

Just as Jane was about to open the car door, the sound of a loud crash boomed, her car jerked forward with force as she let out a scream.

Hurriedly, she pulled the car door handle before jumping out of the car.

Someone or something had hit her car from behind and she felt her heart skipping beats as her eyes widened in fear and anger.

Jane whipped her head to the left and saw the dark Benz that had crashed into her car, she tried to look into the window to see the driver but the windows were tinted.

Getting up, she dusted her suit pants and top before storming over to the other car and banging at the window, demanding that the driver roll it down.

“You just crashed into my car!” She yelled as the tinted windows moved down, revealing the driver.

In the driver seat, a young man in his mid 30s, turned to face her, his expression uninterested and bored.

“You parked in my space,” he said in a deep, smooth voice that sent chills down her spine.

He had shiny brown hair, perfectly styled at the top of his head and broad shoulders. His lips were set in a firm line, and his dark eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at her.

Jane scoffed in disbelief, “Excuse you?! Are you crazy?! This parking lot is not your property!” She yelled at the stranger in front of her.

“It is,” he simply replied, his voice unyielding.

Her anger reached a boiling point and she was sure she was going to explode, “You don’t own a space here and you are going to pay for damaging my car, I’m calling the cops!” She replied, suppressing the overwhelming urge to slap him.

“Your car would’ve ended up at the repair shop anyways, it looks beaten,” he replied, raising a brow at her.

Jane had had enough. She turned, walked towards a stone laying on the ground, picked it up and marched towards his car. The man's eyes widened in shock as he realised what she was about to do, but it was too late.

She raised the stone and hurled it at his windshield, a sharp smile spreading across her face, “Now, we’re even.”

He stepped out of his car, his tailored suit showcasing his muscular build. His face twisted in anger and he snarled, “You bitch! How dare you?!”

Jane ignored him and walked towards the building, a satisfied smile spreading across her face now that she has taught the rude, arrogant, jerk a lesson.

“You will regret this!” He shouted, his voice through the parking lot.

Jane chuckled to herself, flipping him the bird before striding into the door to her office building.

“Jane! Where have you been? Mark is losing his mind,” Jess called out as soon as Jane stepped into the building.

“Morning to you too, Jess,” her tired voice called out, this morning had already been chaotic enough for her.

Jess let out a sigh and walked over to Jane, taking her bag from her. She ran over to her desk and dropped it, removing her ID and clipped it on her shirt.

“Come on, let’s go. All the executives are already on the top floor. The Boss has arrived,” Jess said.

Grabbing her arm, she pulled her towards the elevator and without a word, Jane followed. They arrived at the top and made their way over to the conference room, where they took seats at the long table.

Few minutes had passed before the door to the office burst open and he walked in.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Our CEO has arrived,” the executive manager announced, and the room fell silent as everyone stood up to welcome him.

Jane felt her eyes widen in complete horror and shock as she beheld the face of their boss.

“Welcome back, Mr. West,” the executive manager said, “It’s an honor to have you with us again.” He finished.

Everyone in the room applauded as they welcomed him but Jane felt her face pale in shock. Her mind went haywire as her body froze. Because standing in front of her was the stranger whose car she had vandalized.

His face remained stoic, his expression angry, until his piercing gaze met her. Her heart leapt from her ribcage as it pounded wildly in her chest. Mr. West gaze locked onto hers, a wicked smirk spreading across his face.