Soraya's POV
The second I stepped into Mr. Vander's office, I got this… weird feeling.
Not fear exactly. Just… off. Like the air was thicker, heavier, and I couldn't quite breathe right.
He was standing at the window, his back to me, staring out at the skyline like the city belonged to him. The light hit his suit just enough to make him look like something cut out of stone.
"Mr. Vander?" I called, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't answer right away. Just stayed there, still as anything. Then, finally, he turned.
His eyes found mine—dark, steady, unreadable.
"Cancel all my appointments for today," he said.
I frowned. "All of them?"
"Yes."
"Even the investor briefing at three?"
He didn't reply.
He just started walking toward me. Slow. Purposeful.
I didn't even think about moving back—I just did. One step, then another. My pulse was hammering now, and I didn't know why. Something about the way he was looking at me… it was like he was seeing straight through me.
Then my back hit the glass wall and I froze.
He didn't stop.
He came closer, close enough that I could feel the heat coming off him. His hand lifted, fingers brushing into my hair. Slow, careful.
My chest tightened. My wolf stirred, restless, almost leaning toward him without me telling it to.
His touch slid down, fingertips ghosting over my neck until they hovered dangerously close to my cleavage. I held my breath, caught between wanting to pull away and not wanting to move at all.
Then, without warning, he leaned in, his face dipping to my neck.
I stiffened immediately.
His scent surrounded me—dark, rich, and wild, like pine smoke curling in the night. I felt him inhale against my skin, and something deep inside me shivered.
Was he… going to kiss me?
My thoughts spun wildly—about the open office doors, about someone walking in—but none of it mattered in that moment.
His voice broke the silence, low and close to my ear. "Get my things downstairs."
I blinked. "What?"
But he was already pulling back, stepping away as if nothing had happened.
"You can go back to your normal post," he said without looking at me. "We're done for the day. Lock up when you leave."
And just like that, he was gone.
I stayed there, pressed against the glass, my heart pounding like it was trying to break out of my chest.
What the hell just happened?
A test? A warning?
Or something else entirely?
I touched my neck without thinking, my fingers brushing the spot where his breath had been seconds ago.
Ethan Vander was getting under my skin…
And the worst part?
I wasn't sure I wanted him to stop.
The moment I stepped out of the revolving door with the CEO's office bag in my hand, I was stunned. Parked right in front of the building was a sleek convoy—black SUVs gleaming under the lights, lined up with military precision. In the middle, a Klassen VIP Splinter stood slightly apart, the windows tinted darker than the rest, like it was the heartbeat of the whole arrangement.
The automatic door slid open as if it had been waiting for me. Inside, Ethan sat back in the plush executive seat, his posture so effortlessly commanding it made the air feel thicker. His eyes met mine—calm, unreadable—and with a single crook of his fingers, he beckoned me closer.
"Get in," he said, his tone smooth but leaving no room for argument. "We're going to dinner at my father's house. I'll need your assistance at the dinner."
I couldn't believe my ear. "Dressed like this?" I glanced down at my simple work clothes—nothing close to the elegance a dinner at his family's home would demand.
"It'll be sorted," he replied without hesitation, then turned to one of the security men outside. "Take the bag from her."
The man stepped forward immediately, and I handed it over. My heart was already drumming in my chest—not because of Ethan's words, but because of what his father's house meant.
A dinner there wasn't just a dinner. It was a gathering of Alphas and Betas. A night surrounded by power, influence… and the raw, unsettling energy of werewolves in their element. My stomach twisted in knots.
"Just give me a moment," I said carefully, "I need to pick up something from the mall."
He studied me for a moment, then gave a short nod. "Five minutes."
The hot afternoon air hit me as I walked away from the car. I kept my pace steady, but inside I was tense, my thoughts spiraling. I could already picture the sharp smiles, the probing questions, the heavy weight of their presence. I wasn't ready—not tonight, not in this outfit, not in this state of mind.
And underneath it all, I was still shaken from what had happened earlier in the office—or rather, what almost happened. The way he'd leaned in, his voice low and warm, the subtle pull between us that made my breath catch.
Still lost in those thoughts, I pushed open the glass doors of the mall and stepped inside. My feet carried me on instinct toward the small coffee counter near the entrance—until my gaze snagged on a face I hadn't expected to see.
"Hi, Soraya."
I blinked. "You?"
Kael—the same man I had interviewed a while ago—was standing behind the counter, leaning slightly forward, a faint smile on his lips. For a second, my brain refused to process it. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice sharper than intended.
Before he could answer, another voice cut in from behind me.
"You haven't been informed?"
I turned and found Mr. James, our supervisor, watching us with his usual mild expression. "He was employed today," he said casually. "He's your replacement."
"My… replacement?" The word felt heavy on my tongue.
"Yes," Mr. James went on. "The CEO has officially transferred you to the role of his personal assistant. Kael will be taking over your position here in the sales department."
I stared at him, speechless. My mind raced—half of it still tangled in thoughts of the dinner ahead, the other half reeling from the fact that my entire work routine had just shifted in a single sentence.
Kael gave me a small, almost apologetic smile. "Looks like you've leveled up Soraya," he said softly.
I gave out a faint smile, but inside, something prickled. Out of everyone they could've hired… it was him?
It couldn't just be a coincidence.
The timing, the shift in my role, Kael stepping into my old position—it felt… deliberate.
And my suspicion toward him just got stronger.