chapter 5

The morning sunlight streamed through the glass façade of the office building, catching on the sleek chrome details and mirrored windows. I stood at the entrance, clutching my bag like it was a lifeline, my nerves jangling with both excitement and apprehension.

This was supposed to be a new beginning. A chance to prove myself in a competitive corporate environment.

Walking into the marble-lined lobby, I took a deep breath and tried to steady my racing thoughts. I reminded myself why I was here: to build a career, to establish my independence, to move forward.

“Miss Daniels?”

I turned to see a young receptionist with a warm smile. “Yes, that’s me,” I replied.

“Welcome to Grayson Holdings. I’ll take you to meet your supervisor,” she said, gesturing for me to follow.

My stomach churned slightly as we stepped into the elevator. I was no stranger to first-day jitters, but this felt different. There was a strange sense of foreboding I couldn’t shake.

“Your office will be on the executive floor,” the receptionist continued. “You’ve been assigned as the executive secretary for one of our division heads.”

Executive secretary? My heart lifted a little. It was a good opportunity, probably better than I’d expected for someone just starting out. Maybe this job would be a fresh start after all.

The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped out onto a floor that screamed luxury and power. Plush carpeting muffled our footsteps as we walked past glass-walled offices, where sharply dressed professionals typed away at their desks or held intense phone calls.

“Right this way,” the receptionist said, leading me down the corridor.

We stopped in front of a door with a gleaming nameplate that read: Elliot Grayson, Vice President of Corporate Strategy.

My heart stopped.

Surely, it couldn’t be..

No, can't be him..

The receptionist knocked lightly before opening the door. “Mr. Grayson, your new secretary is here.”

I stepped inside, and there he was.

Elliot.

Sitting behind a massive desk, his sleeves rolled up and a sleek laptop open in front of him, he looked every bit the part of a polished corporate executive. But the moment he looked up and saw me, his calm, professional demeanor faltered for a split second.

“You,” I blurted out, my voice barely above a whisper.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, a flicker of surprise flashing across his face before he quickly masked it. “You must be... Miss Daniels,” he said smoothly, rising from his chair.

I blinked, my mind racing. He knew. He had to know.

The receptionist, blissfully unaware of the silent war raging between us, beamed. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. If you need anything, just let me know.”

The door clicked shut behind her, and the room fell into an awkward silence.

“You’re my boss? How?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

He leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. “It seems that way.”

“You knew, how was I this dumb” I accused, my hands tightening around the strap of my bag.

His brow furrowed slightly. “Knew what?”

“That I’d be assigned to you!”

Elliot sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t. Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are.”

I narrowed my eyes, skepticism bubbling to the surface. “You expect me to believe that this is just a coincidence? After everything? You expect me to believe that?”

“I had nothing to do with this,” he said firmly. “The assignments were handled by HR. I didn’t even know you applied for a job here. Really!”

I folded my arms, struggling to suppress the anger rising within me. This couldn’t be happening. I had come here to start fresh, and now I was back under his thumb.

He watched me carefully, his expression unreadable. “Look, I get that this is... awkward. But we’re both professionals. We can handle this.”

His calm tone only irritated me further. “Professionals?” I scoffed. “You’re the reason I have to ‘handle’ anything.”

He flinched slightly at my words but didn’t respond right away. Finally, he said, “I’m not the same person I was back then. I thought I made that clear. I have changed. Erase what ever thought you have of me from the past.”

“That doesn’t erase the past,” I shot back, my voice shaking.

He opened his mouth as if to argue, but then closed it again, sighing instead. “You’re right. It doesn’t. But like it or not, we’re stuck with this arrangement. So, let’s figure out how to make it work.”

I stared at him, my mind whirling. How could I possibly work for him? The thought of taking orders from the person who had once made me feel so small was unbearable.

But what choice did I have?

I needed this job. Quitting wasn’t an option—not when I’d worked so hard to get here.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’ll do my job. But don’t expect anything more than that.”

His lips twitched, as though he wanted to say something, but he simply nodded. “Fair enough.”

He walked back to his desk, sitting down and gesturing to a chair across from him. “Why don’t we start with your responsibilities?”

I hesitated for a moment before sitting down, gripping the edge of my seat like it might keep me grounded.

As he began explaining my duties—scheduling meetings, organizing reports, handling correspondence—I forced myself to focus on his words rather than the bitter memories clawing at the edges of my mind.

But every so often, I caught him glancing at me, his gaze softening as though he wanted to say something more.

When our meeting finally ended, I left his office with a stack of files and a storm of emotions.

I had survived my first day—but barely.

And as I stepped into my small, newly assigned workspace, one thought consumed me:

How was I going to survive this?