Chapter 2

As she entered the expansive luxury structure, Aria gripped her sketchbook even more tightly, feeling more isolated by the interior's obvious luxury.

Her meeting with Heathen King from yesterday was still weighing heavily on her second day on the job site.

She had stayed up late reworking her designs, fueled by equal parts determination and frustration, determined to prove to him and her that she belonged here.

"Miss Chen," Anna called out, her heels clicking briskly against the marble floor.

The woman had a commanding presence: sharp eyes flicking between the clipboard and Aria.

"Mr. King has asked for a review of these proposed revisions before the contractors' meeting. He'll meet us in the west wing."

Aria hesitated mid-step. "Mr. King?"

But I thought he wasn't personally involved in these kinds of smaller projects.

Anna's speech sounded sharp; her lips pushed into a narrow line.

"Apparently, he changed his mind."

Aria felt the shock of the report. Heathen had hardly recognized her as more than a name on a portfolio yesterday. But in addition to being intimidating, the idea of seeing him so soon gave her an additional feeling of commitment.

She followed Anna through the building, her heels echoing against the polished floors until they reached the west wing a section of the property still undergoing renovations.

Heathen was already there.

He stood with his back to them, his broad shoulders framed against the sunlight streaming through the tall windows. He had the same air of authority, and his well-tailored suit and flawless physique gave the impression that he was nearly unbeatable.

Anna straightened herself. "Mr. King, Miss Chen is here with the revised designs."

Heathen slowly spun around, staring at Aria with sharp blue eyes. He had a sharp gaze, as though his goal was to reveal her darkest secrets in a single glance.

"Miss Chen," he replied, his voice strong but bland.

"We'll see if your changes resolve the problems".

Aria moved forward and placed her revised sketches on the table close by.

She started, her voice firm despite the tempest building in her chest, "I've changed the layout to better meet architectural restrictions."

"It guarantees commitment to safety regulations while preserving the initial beauty."

Heathen's gaze was unable to be read as he silently examined every sketch. The weight of his gaze weighed heavily on Aria as the seconds seemed to drag on

forever.

At last he said something. He said, "You've studied this complete" in a hushed but strong tone.

"It's… superior to what I planned."

She was surprised by the slight acknowledgement. She carefully said, "Thank you," not sure whether his words were an honest recommendation or a forced submission.

However, a disturbance broke out down the corridor before the tension could decrease.

A white-faced worker stepped into the room. "We have an issue boss".One of the beams in the north wing is unstable. We have to evacuate that section at once."

Heathen's face darkened. "Show me."

He walked out of the room with the contractor, leaving Aria and Anna to exchange worried glances. Without hesitation, Aria followed.

The north wing of the place had been a scaffolding maze with construction materials around, but men were already shuffling backward as Heathen strode through the chaos to command.

"What's going on?" Heathen rasped out loud.

"The beam gave way during work last night, and it will take how long before collapsing."

Heathen's jaw clenched up tight. "Get everyone outta here, pronto”.

As the workers frantically complied, Aria found herself moving forward. She had caught another detail the contractor missed, another section of scaffolding bent over against the weak beam.

"That scaffolding needs to be tied up," she said, taking a step forward. "If that falls, the whole thing will collapse."

The contractor hesitated but Heathen's gaze sliced over him. "Do you think so?"

"Yes," she said definitively.

He addressed the contractor. "Do it."

The men moved quickly, securing the scaffolding just as the beam protested with a nasty groaning sound. For a second there, it appeared that all could come crashing down, but the tension eased, and all remained as it was.

Heathen turned back to Aria. His eyes never wavered.

"You were right."

She swallowed hard, her pulse racing. "Just doing my job."

Something in his expression shifted a glimmer of respect peeling away at the wall of reserve he habitually used to guard himself. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"Anna," he said huskily, addressing his assistant.

"I want that report from the contractors regarding the incident. Miss Chen" His gaze snapped back to Aria.

"You will supervise the revisions for this wing. I will want to see daily reports."

He walked away before she could say anything, standing her there in the tailwind of the chaos.

That night, she was sitting in her tiny flat staring at her laptop. Today's events replayed on her mind, her brain circulating back to Heathen King.

She'd seen a factor odd in him today. Underneath the hard façade was a man who demanded respect while also carrying an unseen burden.

The way he acted during the time of trouble, decisive but controlled, hinted at a depth she hadn't anticipated.

But why did it matter?

She shook her head and forced herself to concentrate on her work. Heathen King was her boss and nothing more. Whatever hid beneath his surface was not her priority.

However, while she worked late into the night, she couldn't help but wonder whether their paths had crossed for a reason, and what secrets the mysterious millionaire might be keeping.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious hotel's rooftop suite, Heathen stood by the sky-high windows, holding a glass of scotch. The big city spread out before him, its lights flashing in the dark.

He was constantly thinking about Aria Chen the way she talked with optimism, the passion in her eyes as she stood firm.

She was unique type of person he'd previously collaborated with, eager to push him in ways that both irritated and attracted him.

He swallowed his glass, and the harsh burn of the scotch did little to calm the ideas spinning in his mind.

For so long, he had put work before all else, an empire in the making that he was using to try to forget the ghosts that he left in his past. And for the first time in years, someone finally came close enough to push those walls and he wasn't quite sure whether that was going to be a good thing or bad.

As he gazed out into the darkness of night, he clung

onto one thought only:

Who was Aria Chen, and why couldn't he stop thinking about her?