Arnetta watched the digital floor indicator climb higher and higher. Her stomach tightened with every passing second. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, making sure they sat perfectly on the bridge of her nose. She smoothed down the front of her shapeless gray jacket.

The elevator chimed. The metal doors slid open.

Arnetta stepped out. The difference between the junior bullpen and the top floor was staggering. The air up here was cool and smelled of expensive leather and citrus polish. Her cheap heels sank into the thick, sound-absorbing carpet. The walls were lined with modern art encased in glass.

She walked down the wide, silent corridor. At the end of the hall stood a massive set of double walnut doors.

Arnetta approached the doors, her grip tightening on the red Kirkland file.

Before she could reach the handle, a woman stepped into her path.

It was Alexis Ware, Vanguard's senior executive. Alexis wore a sharp, tailored suit. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a flawless ponytail. She looked Arnetta up and down, her eyes lingering on the cheap gray suit with obvious disdain.

"You are lost," Alexis said, her voice dripping with condescension. "The mailroom is in the basement."

Arnetta did not flinch. She held up the red folder.

"I am not lost," Arnetta said evenly. "I am here to deliver the preliminary modeling for the Kirkland Industries merger."

Alexis scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "A junior analyst? Absolutely not. Hand me the file and get back to your cubicle before I have security escort you out."

Arnetta tightened her grip on the folder. "My manager authorized me to deliver this directly to the client."

Alexis reached out to snatch the file. "I said, give it to me."

Before Alexis's fingers could touch the cardboard, the heavy walnut doors clicked open.

"What is the problem out here?"

The deep, resonant voice sent a violent shiver down Arnetta's spine. Her breath caught in her throat.

Brennan Kirkland stood in the doorway.

He wore a custom-tailored navy suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. He had one hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket. He looked exactly as he had in the hotel room, radiating an aura of absolute dominance and control.

Brennan's gaze swept over Alexis and landed directly on Arnetta.

Arnetta's spine went rigid. Her fingernails dug into the cardboard folder. She stared back at him through her thick glasses, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Brennan's dark eyes locked onto hers. For two agonizing seconds, the air between them vanished. A flicker of dark amusement crossed his eyes. He recognized her. He knew exactly who she was beneath the terrible clothes.

But his face remained a mask of cold indifference.

"She is a junior analyst, Mr. Kirkland," Alexis said quickly, trying to regain control of the situation. "She is confused about protocol. I will take the file."

Brennan ignored Alexis completely. He kept his eyes fixed on Arnetta.

"Bring the file here," Brennan commanded. His voice was flat, betraying nothing.

Alexis reached out again, assuming the order was for her.

Arnetta sidestepped Alexis entirely. She walked straight up to Brennan, stopping mere inches from his chest. The scent of his cologne hit her, bringing back a visceral flash of the hotel bed. Her stomach flipped.

She held the red folder out to him.

Brennan reached for it. As he took the file, his long fingers deliberately brushed against hers.

The physical contact was like a spark of static electricity. The heat of his skin burned against her cold fingertips.

Arnetta yanked her hand back as if she had been burned. She shoved her hand into her jacket pocket, her fingers curling into a tight fist.

Brennan's lips twitched upward into a microscopic smirk. He opened the folder and flipped through her financial models. His eyes scanned the numbers with terrifying speed.

He closed the folder with a sharp snap.

"Alexis," Brennan said, not looking away from Arnetta. "I need a new executive assistant."

Alexis blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Sir, we have a pool of highly qualified candidates from Ivy League-"

"I don't want them," Brennan interrupted. He raised the red folder and pointed the corner of it directly at Arnetta's chest. "I want her."

Alexis's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Kirkland, she is a junior analyst with zero administrative experience. She is entirely unqualified for-"

"I decline," Arnetta cut in, her voice sharp.

Both Brennan and Alexis looked at her.

"I am an analyst," Arnetta said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "I belong in the analytics department. I have no interest in being an assistant."

Brennan took a slow step forward. The sheer physical presence of him forced Arnetta to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact.

He leaned down, his face inches from hers. He lowered his voice so only she could hear.

"You don't get to decline," Brennan whispered, his tone laced with a dark threat. "You work for me now. Or you don't work in this city at all."

Arnetta's jaw clenched so hard her teeth ached. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to slap the arrogant look off his face. But the mission flashed in her mind. Ira needed her on the top floor. She needed access to Vanguard's core secrets.

She swallowed the bitter taste of humiliation. She forced her tense muscles to relax.

"Fine," Arnetta said through gritted teeth.

Brennan straightened up, his expression instantly shifting back to a cold, corporate mask. He turned to Alexis.

"Get my legal team on the phone immediately," Brennan ordered.

Alexis scrambled to pull out her tablet. "Yes, sir. Regarding the merger?"

"No," Brennan said, his voice turning vicious. "Regarding my divorce."

Arnetta stood perfectly still, her face blank.

"Tell the lawyers to draft the most aggressive settlement possible," Brennan continued, his tone dripping with venom. "That wild, party-girl wife of mine has been bleeding my accounts dry for three years. I want her cut off. Completely. Make sure she walks away with absolutely nothing."

Arnetta listened to him tear into his wife. She felt absolutely nothing. She had no idea that the greedy, wild woman he was describing was her. She just thought he was a miserable, cruel man taking his anger out on a woman he hated.

"I want the papers on my desk by tomorrow," Brennan finished. He turned on his heel and walked back into his massive office, leaving the door open.

Alexis let out a long, stressed sigh. She turned to Arnetta, her eyes filled with venomous hatred.

"Don't think you've won anything," Alexis hissed. "He will chew you up and spit you out in a week."

Alexis pointed a perfectly manicured finger down the hall.

"Your desk is in the corner outside his door," Alexis ordered. "Get to work."

Chapter 3

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