Natalie Pov
It's been years since I stood this close to him.
Years since I let myself even imagine the sound of his voice, the heat of his skin, the weight of his gaze.
It's insane how time can twist everything.
Nine years ago, one look from Alex could've melted me into a puddle. One touch would've sent me to euphoric oblivion.
Nine years ago, Alex Pierce was the center of my teenage universe.
Nine years ago, I loved him so hard it physically hurt.
Because of him, I used to hide in school toilets with my knees drawn to my chest, crying where no one could see Natalie Brooks crumble. Because of him, my body and mind went to war with each other. Because of him, everything I thought was solid in my life shattered like glass.
But that was then.
And this is now.
It's strange how grief and time can strip a person down to something unrecognizable. How love can rot, how softness can harden into steel.
I wish I'd met him now.
I wish he were just my boss—a difficult, jerk-faced CEO with too much power and not enough kindness.
I wish he wasn't the boy who once owned me without even knowing it.
Maybe then my pulse wouldn't stutter when his fingers curl around my elbow like they used to.
Maybe then I wouldn't feel heat seeping through my sleeve, burning straight into my skin.
He's always grabbed me by the elbow. Never anywhere else. Except once....
Like he's allergic to touching me more than necessary—but somehow, even that tiny point of contact is enough to wreck me.
I force my chin up.
I force my eyes to meet his.
And I wish I hadn't.
His jaw is locked tight, nostrils flaring, and those eyes… Those damn eyes that once felt like home are now the eyes of a judge. Cold. Condemning. Like everyone else back then.
Of course he's no different.
If anything, Alex Pierce could be crowned president of the Anti-Natalie Fan Club.
Yes, he's a man now—sharper, colder, more dangerous—but underneath, he's still the boy who punched my heart bloody and walked away like it was nothing.
"Can you let me go?" I hear myself say, calm when I should be shaking.
"Why?" His voice drops lower, darker. "Are you uncomfortable?"
"Yes. Surely you know this is sexual harassment."
His breath brushes the shell of my ear when he leans down. "You of all people shouldn't talk about sexual harassment… when you're the one who put a date rape drug in my drink."
My stomach turns to ice.
He remembers.
For a second I'd convinced myself he didn't. That I was invisible again, just a convenient punching bag for his temper. But no—he knows exactly who I am.
The dread is a living thing clawing up my throat.
"Is that what you think?" I whisper. "That I drugged you?"
"It's not what I think. It's what I know. You put something in that drink. I drank it. And you didn't stop me."
"You didn't give me the chance," I snapped before I could stop myself. "And it was ecstasy. Not a date rape drug. And I took one myself."
Why the hell am I explaining myself? Alex doesn't believe me. He never did. Once upon a time, he labeled me a liar, manipulator, and snake. And no matter what words I use now, I can't scrape that label off.
His grip tightens like a vice. "Why? Why did you take it, Nat? Was it for you and Marcus? Did I ruin your little plan?"
Hearing him say my name—Nat—hits me like a gut punch. It's been "Ms. Brooks."Now, suddenly, he's dragged the past back into the room with one syllable. And my body reacts like the scar never healed.
My vision flickers. I smell smoke, weed, cheap cologne. My breath shortens, syncing with the panic beating in my throat.
"Let me go," I whisper.
"Did I hit a nerve?"
"Please." A tear slides down my cheek before I can stop it. "I know you hate me. I know I'm the rock in your shoe. I know I'm beneath you. And I'm fine with that. I'll call you sir. I'll swallow my pride every single damn day to keep this job. But I'm begging you—stop touching me."
Any decent human being would stop.
But Alex was never decent.
Not only does he not let go, he reaches up and wipes the tear from my cheek. Slowly. Methodically.
Then he rolls it between his fingers like he's examining evidence.
His eyes… God, his eyes are hungry and fascinated in a way I've never seen before. Like my pain is a puzzle he wants to solve.
"So you do cry," he murmurs.
Before I can move, his hand clamps around the back of my neck—familiar pressure, suffocating familiarity.
"Why the fuck do you think you can cry?" he hisses. "Do you feel wronged? Victimized? Or maybe you still want sacrifices at the altar of Saint Natalie Brooks?"
My stomach flips.
"I'm going to make your life hell," he continues, voice like cold steel. "I'll crush everything you build. I'll make sure you never have the power to fix it. You'll regret ever stepping back into my world."
He shoves me away, and the impact isn't just physical. It rips through the last fragile pieces I've been holding together.
But this time, I didn't fold. I don't run to the bathroom and cry like I did in the past. I lift my chin and give him my best glare.
"You think you hate me more than I hate you?" My voice doesn't shake, even though my heart is bleeding out between the lines. "You think I'd choose to work for a narcissistic prick like you if I had any other option? I'm not here for you, Alex. I'm here to keep a roof over my family's heads. You can try to break me, but you won't."
His brow arches. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's a fact."
"I can still fire you," he snaps. "Remember that before you open your smart mouth again."
When he snaps his fingers, it's like he's dismissing a dog. "Get out. Now."
I slam the door on my way out. Not gently.
---
The elevator ride to the cafeteria is my only breathing space.
Two secretaries step in with me, gossiping about pro bono cases and senior partners as if the world isn't falling apart inside my chest.
"…Laura's workload has doubled since David started interfering again," one whispers.
"Of course. The man's made a career out of being petty," the other replies.
I barely register their chatter until they say the magic name—"David Titan."
Alex best friend and co-founder of Pierce Holdings and Titans Capital Law Firm.
Though I've never met him but seen his face plaster on magazines and on the internet and I've heard so many rumors about him and all I can see is that he is very handsome and charismatic.
By the time they step out, I realize I've missed my floor.
Lunch can wait. Let me explore this building.
---
The elevator doors open onto the senior partners' floor—marble, glass, polished money. And the first thing I hear isn't the echo of my heels.
It's shouting.
Laura Shaw and David Titan are going at it like a courtroom on fire.
Laura's a redhead with cheekbones sharp enough to commit assault. She's elegant, fierce, and clearly seconds away from homicide.
David, on the other hand, is tall, broad-shouldered, unfairly good-looking in a dangerous, "oh-no-he's-trouble"way.
"Stop meddling!" Laura's voice cracks through the air like a whip.
David slides his hands into his pockets, posture relaxed, smirking . "Define meddling."
"Meeting my opposing counsel for dinner is meddling. In fact, it's treason."
"Treason?" He laughs, the kind that's equal parts sin and charm. "Laura, sweetheart, this is a law firm, not the Game of Thrones."
"Then stop acting like the villain."
"Villains have more fun."
Laura rolls her eyes so hard I swear I hear it. "You're infuriating."
"And yet here you are, yelling at me again. Face it, Shaw, I'm the highlight of your week."
"Highlight?" She laughs darkly. "More like chronic migraine."
David tilts his head. "You really need to admit you enjoy our little verbal foreplays."
"Verbal foreplay?" she repeats, scandalized. "The only thing I want to do with your mouth is stuff it with legal briefs."
David grins wider, unbothered. "Kinky."
Okay, definitely shouldn't be here.
I'm about to backtrack to the elevator when his gaze snaps to me. Sharp. Predatory. "And who do we have here?"
I freeze like a deer in headlights. "I—I pressed the wrong floor."
"Did you now?" His lips quirk. "A little lost lamb wandering into the wolf den."
Laura crosses her arms. "Titan, leave the poor woman alone."
But David's already squinting at me. "Wait. You're Natalie Brooks. Alex's assistant."
"Yes, sir."
His grin splits across his face like sunlight through a storm. "I'm David Titan. Alex's best friend, business partner, and—arguably—the funnier, more handsome half of this empire."
I blink. "…Nice to meet you, sir."
"Drop the 'sir.' Makes me sound old. Or respectable. Neither applies."
Laura groans. "He's insufferable."
"Delightfully so," David counters.
I force a polite smile. "I'm Natalie Brooks. It's an honor to work here."
David leans in slightly, curious.
I've heard so much about you, he said.
I was startled before quickly composing myself.
"And how are you coping with Alex the Grumpy?"
I almost laughed. Almost.
"If I say he's a handful, will you fire me or promote me?"
His grin widens. "Promote. And maybe give you hazard pay."
"God, don't encourage him," Laura mutters, then turns to me with a warm smile. "I'm Laura Shaw. Also known as the only sane senior partner in this place.
I smiled
"Thank you, Miss Shaw."
"Drop the Miss. Just Laura. We're not that formal around here. Well, except for Alex. He was born with a stick up his ass."
David clutches his chest dramatically. "Blasphemy."
Laura ignores him. "I have a feeling we'll be friends."
For the first time today, I smiled without forcing it.
But in the back of my mind… Zade's letter is still there. Sitting in my bag like a live grenade. And I know the second I open it, something in my life will shift again.
I just don't know if it'll be for better… or for worse.