The next morning began before sunrise. The city outside her hostel window still slept, but Leah was already dressed, hair pinned, eyes alert. She walked the six blocks to Voss Tower beneath the pale blue dawn, her breath visible in the cold air. Every step repeated the same thought: don't give him a reason to regret hiring you.
Inside, the building was quieter than usual. Lights hummed softly. A notification blinked on her desk monitor—Board Meeting: Conference Room Alpha. 7:30 A.M. Attendees: Executive Staff + Leah Morgan (Minutes).
She frowned. She hadn't expected to be summoned to a board meeting. Erin arrived moments later, coffee in hand.
"Big morning," Erin murmured. "You're taking notes for the top floor. Don't interrupt, don't react, and never record anything you hear."
Leah's pulse quickened. "Understood."
At seven-thirty sharp, she entered the conference room. The air was chilled, the long table set with sleek tablets and printed summaries. Twelve men and women in tailored suits murmured quietly. Adrian Voss sat at the head, unreadable.
"Miss Morgan," he said without looking up, "sit here." He gestured to the empty seat beside him.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened her notepad. The meeting began—financial forecasts, mergers, private investments. Numbers, code names, directives. Leah wrote fast, catching fragments of conversation that were not meant for public ears.
Halfway through, Adrian's voice cut across the room. "Delete that last line."
She froze. "Sir?"
His gaze flicked to her notes. "The word acquisition doesn't leave this room."
Leah quickly crossed it out, heat crawling up her neck. "Yes, Mr. Voss."
The others shifted, eyes flicking between them. Adrian's attention lingered a second too long, then returned to business. When the meeting ended, he spoke without looking at her. "Stay."
The executives filed out. Silence replaced their murmurs. Adrian leaned back in his chair, studying her like a problem he couldn't yet solve.
"You didn't flinch," he said.
"I—wasn't sure if I should."
"That's the right instinct."
He stood, closing the folder in front of him. "Erin will show you your next assignment. You'll be assisting me directly for the remainder of the quarter."
Her breath caught. "Directly, sir?"
He nodded once. "You have a precision most don't. Don't lose it."
When he left, Leah sat motionless. She felt the weight of what had just happened. Assistant to the CEO—on her second day.
Later, Erin cornered her near the elevators. "You're either very lucky or very cursed," she whispered. "No one gets that close to him without a reason."
Leah forced a smile. "Maybe he just needs help."
"Adrian Voss doesn't need anything," Erin said, walking away.
By evening, Leah was back in his office, sorting through contracts and travel schedules. The office itself felt like another world—minimalist, controlled, with a wide window overlooking the whole city. On a shelf behind his desk stood a single framed photograph: a young boy standing in the rain beside an older man. The boy's face was familiar in a way that made her stomach twist.
She stepped closer. The rain on the glass made the photo shimmer. She couldn't look away.
"You shouldn't touch that."
His voice came from behind her. She turned sharply. Adrian was standing by the door, coat half-off, expression unreadable.
"I wasn't—" she began.
He crossed the room, stopping just close enough that she could smell cedar and steel. "You've seen enough for today, Miss Morgan."
Her throat tightened. "Yes, sir."
He said nothing more, just watched her until she left.
Down the hall, Leah exhaled. Her hands were still shaking. Somewhere in that photograph was the answer to a question she didn't yet know she was asking.
And in the silence of Voss Tower, a contract neither of them had signed had already begun binding them both.