MAYA”You’re no use to me if you faint at the office.” Silas’s voice broke the awkward silence, pulling me out of my shame.
He didn’t laugh at me.
“Now, sit up.
The food is coming.”
I immediately sat upright, tucking strands of hair behind my ear and focusing on the white tablecloth to avoid his eyes.
When the food arrived, the richness of the aroma was overwhelming.
We began to eat in a silence that felt different than the one in the car.
It was less suffocating, almost relaxed.
Compared to everyone else in that mansion, Silas was starting to seem like the only normal person left in the family.
As I ate, I couldn’t help stealing glances at him.
I waited for the lecture.
I waited for him to tell me I was sitting wrong, or that I was eating too fast, or that I was embarrassing the Blackwood name.
I kept expecting him to critique me, to treat this like an audition for a role I never asked for.
He caught me looking, his fork pausing mid-air.
“What?”
”You’re not going to complain?” I asked, my voice slightly muffled as I chewed.
“About my manners?
About me holding my knife like a common butcher?”
Silas picked up his coffee, taking a slow sip.
“I don’t care how you eat, Maya.
My father isn’t here, and the cameras can’t see through these curtains.”
”So you only care when people are watching?”
”I care about results,” he replied, his blue eyes meeting mine.
“And I care about my time.
Right now, your hunger is a distraction.
Now finish your meal.
We have work to do.”
I felt the tension finally drain out of my shoulders, but he wasn’t done.
“Consider this a stage,” he added.
“We’re here to be seen entering and leaving together in public.
The world needs to be prepared for the news before it breaks.
I also wanted to see how you would handle a high-society environment.”
”So, how did I do?” I dropped my fork and waited for his reply.
He paused for a few seconds, looking like he was actually considering it.
“You’re just my assistant for now, so I wasn’t expecting much this early.
You were okay.”
”Just okay?” I was kind of offended.
I had been smiling like a clown since I walked in here, and all he had to say was that I was okay?
He gave a small nod.
“I know you worked at your father’s company,” he said, changing the topic.
“But you’ve never been an Executive Assistant.
Not for a company like Blackwood Holdings.
I’ve arranged for someone to guide you today.”
I just nodded, my hunger finally winning out over my curiosity.
I didn’t care who the guide was, as long as they were less terrifying than the rest of the Blackwoods.
I had seen it online, but nothing prepared me for the sight of Blackwood Holdings in person.
Compared to this, my father’s company felt like a local start-up.
The glass and steel of the building reached so high I had to tilt my head back to see the top.
Silas didn’t wait.
He stepped out of the car and moved with long, heavy strides.
I glanced at his retreating shoulders.
At the restaurant, he had reached for my hand to help me out of the car, acting the part of the perfect gentleman.
Now, he didn’t even look back.
I preferred it this way.
It was all a show, anyway.
I would never understand how the Blackwoods worked.
He flipped his personality like a light switch.
The perfect gentleman had stayed at the restaurant; the man I was chasing now didn’t seem to care if I made it through the front door or not.
Inside, the lobby swallowed me.
My father’s entire company could have fit into this entrance hall alone.
Groups of people in dark suits spoke in low voices, their words echoing off the high walls.
Silas didn’t stop at the security desk.
The guards simply bowed their heads as he cut past the line.
He led me into a private elevator made of glass.
As the doors slid shut, the noise of the lobby vanished.
I looked at our reflection in the polished walls.
I looked small and breathless, while Silas stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the changing floor numbers.
The elevator climbed smoothly until we reached the executive level.
When the doors chimed open, the floor was silent.
The carpet was so thick it muffled the sound of my heels.
In the distance, a woman sat behind a massive desk.
As we walked toward her, I noticed her sleek black hair was pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful.
Her face was totally expressionless until she saw Silas.
Then, she immediately switched on a bright smile.
“Good morning, Mr.
Blackwood,” she greeted, standing up immediately.
She had a grace that made me feel clumsy in my own skin.
“Morning, Cynthia,” Silas replied.
He didn’t slow down as he headed for the large double doors behind her.
“This is Maya.
She’s my new Executive Assistant.
Ensure she has her security credentials by lunch.”
”Of course, sir.”
Cynthia’s smile stayed on her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes when she turned to me.
She looked me up and down, her gaze lingering on my face for a second too long.
“Welcome to Blackwood Holdings.”
”Thank you,” I managed to say.
I felt the weight of her stare on my back as I followed Silas into his office.
Great, I thought.
Another one.
Silas pushed open the heavy double doors.
His office was massive.
Floor-to-ceiling windows showed a view of the entire city, making the cars below look like toys.
The space was modern, filled with dark wood and charcoal leather.
To the right, a glass wall with closed blinds separated his area from another room.
I stood by a couch, my hands clasped together, feeling out of place.
Silas walked to his desk and pressed a button on a sleek intercom. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Frank.
My office.
Now.”
He sat down and cut the connection before anyone could answer.
A moment later, a side door near the glass partition opened.
A man walked in, and I actually forgot to breathe for a second.
He had messy black hair and a relaxed posture that was the complete opposite of Silas’s stiffness.
He was striking, with deep hazel eyes and a sharp jawline.
“You called, Mr.
Blackwood?” He stopped in front of the desk, but his eyes immediately drifted to me.
For a split second, he looked surprised.
“Frank,” Silas said, giving a dismissive flick of his hand.
“This is Maya.”
Frank walked toward me, a kind smile breaking across his face.
He reached out his hand, waiting for me to take it.
Finally, I thought.
Someone polite.
I took his hand.
His skin was warm, and he smelled like cedarwood.
My heart gave a heavy, traitorous thump.
A wave of guilt hit me.
I shouldn’t be feeling anything for a stranger, especially not here.
Get it together, Maya.
Remember why you’re doing this.
Remember Liam.
Frank’s thumb brushed lightly over my knuckles.
It was a small gesture, but he didn’t let go.
Neither of us did.
We just stood there, caught in a weirdly long handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maya,” he said softly.
I couldn’t find my voice.
I was too busy trying to hide the fact that I was blushing.
The silence was cut short by Silas clearing his throat.
I looked at him immediately.
He was staring at our joined hands, his eyes narrowed into slits.
“Frank,” Silas said, tapping a pen against the desk.
“You’re holding up the morning.
It’s just a handshake.
I think she gets the point.
You can let go of her hand.”
The sound of the pen hitting the desk snapped me back to reality.
I pulled my hand back instantly, my face burning.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I finally managed to mutter.
I looked from Silas back to Frank and gave a small, shaky smile.