Chapter 2

EMMA 

The elevator door slid open, and for a split second, I froze.

Kian Wilson.

My one-night stand.

My boss.

His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, recognition flickering across his face. My heart nearly exploded out of my chest.

Shit.

I did the only logical thing—I ran.

“Hey—” a voice called, but I was already halfway down the hallway, my heels clicking against the marble floors.

“Why is she running?” I heard someone—probably his manager—ask.

I didn’t stop to find out. My only goal was to disappear before Kian could say anything.

But the universe had other plans.

Because as I turned the corner, my purse—my entire purse—slipped off my shoulder, spilling its contents across the floor.

Lipstick. Keys. Phone.

ID card.

A pair of polished dress shoes stepped into my vision.

Fuck.

Slowly, I looked up.

Kian was standing there, staring down at my ID card like he’d just discovered a plot twist in a novel. His fingers tightened around the plastic.

“Emma Anderson,” he murmured, like he was testing the name on his tongue. Then his eyes snapped to mine, realization dawning.

The air grew thick.

“I—” I grabbed my things as fast as I could, snatching my ID from his grip. “I have a meeting and some proposals to sort out.”

I bolted before he could say another word.

“She works here?” His voice was calm, unreadable.

John, the senior manager, gave a quick nod. “Yes, sir. Emma Anderson. Marketing department. She’s new and she is very hardworking.”

“Make Miss Emma Anderson my personal assistant.” The words were spoken casually, but there was an unmistakable finality to them.

Silence hung in the air.

Mark blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?”

John hesitated. “Uh, sir… she’s in marketing. That’s not exactly—”

A sharp look cut him off. “Did I ask for an opinion?”

Mark adjusted his glasses, still looking unsure. “Sir, if you’re looking for a new PA, we have several highly qualified candidates who—”

“I said,” Kian’s voice remained smooth but firm, “Make Miss Emma Anderson my personal assistant. Effective immediately.”

Mark swallowed hard. “Understood, sir.”

John exchanged an uneasy glance with him. “Should we inform her manager?”

“No need.” Kian slipped his hands into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the elevator doors—the same ones Emma had rushed through just moments ago.

“I’ll inform her myself.” he said firmly.

—-

I didn’t stop until I reached my desk, chest heaving. Lisa, my colleague, raised a brow from across the office.

“You okay?” she asked.

I collapsed into my chair. “No, do I look like I am okay, I am clearly in trouble.”

I wasn’t okay. Because I’d just found out that the man I had a mind-blowing one-night stand with wasn’t just my boss—he was the boss.

Kian Wilson. CEO of K&W Fashion House.

My freaking boss.

I dropped my head onto my desk. “I need to move to another country.”

Lisa snorted. “That bad?”

“You have no idea.”

I barely had time to process before my office phone rang.

I sighed and picked it up. “Emma Carter speaking, how may I help you?.”

A deep, authoritative voice came through the receiver.

“Miss Carter. My office. Now.”

My stomach twisted.

Kian.

My fingers clenched around the phone. “I have a busy schedule today, Mr. Wilson, I have to attend to some important clients”

A pause. Then—

“Cancel it.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the receiver in horror.

Lisa whistled. “That didn’t sound like a good call.”

I groaned. “It wasn’t.”

Reluctantly, I stood and made my way to the executive floor.

Kian’s Office

I knocked once before pushing the heavy door open.

Kian sat behind his desk, exuding power in an effortless way. His tailored suit fit like a glove, his expression unreadable.

He gestured to the chair in front of him. “Sit.”

I crossed my arms. “I’d rather stand.”

His lips curved slightly, like he enjoyed my defiance. “Suit yourself.”

I took a deep breath. “If this is about—”

“That night?” he cut in smoothly. “Oh, it’s definitely about that night.”

I stiffened. “It was a mistake.”

His blue eyes darkened. “Was it?”

My pulse stuttered.

“I don’t mix business with pleasure,” I said firmly.

Kian leaned back, fingers steepled. “Then you shouldn’t have slept with me.”

My face heated. “I didn’t know you were my boss!”

“And now that you do?”

I swallowed. “It changes everything.”

His gaze swept over me. “You’re right. It does.”

For a moment, we just stared at each other, tension crackling in the air.

Then Kian spoke again. “I need a new personal assistant.”

My brows shot up. “Oh, sounds great.”

His smirk deepened. “You start today.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You heard me, Miss Carter.”

I let out a short laugh. “No way.”

His jaw tightened. “You’re refusing?”

“Yes, Boss Kian.” I crossed my arms. “I work in the marketing department, not as some glorified secretary.”

He exhaled through his nose, like he was barely holding back his frustration. “It’s a promotion.”

“No, it's not helping, it's more like a punishment,” I shot back.

His eyes gleamed. “Are you scared?”

I bristled. “I’m not scared.”

“Then take the job.”

“No.”

Kian studied me for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, he smirked, “You will take the job, it's settled already.”

Relief flooded me—until his next words.

“Your department is being restructured.”

I froze. “Excuse me?”

“The marketing department,” he said lazily. “There are talks of downsizing. Layoffs.”

My stomach clenched. “You wouldn’t.”

He leaned forward, voice like velvet. “I would.”

Bastard.

My hands curled into fists. “Blackmailing your employees into positions isn’t exactly ethical.”

“Neither is running from your boss after sleeping with him.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Fine.” I gritted my teeth. “I’ll be your assistant.”

His smirk deepened. “Good girl.”

I spun on my heel before I could slap that smug look off his face.

I had no idea what I just got myself into.

But one thing was certain.

Working for Kian Wilson was going to be hell.