Chapter 2 Can I keep my heart locked

The Interview

The hallway leading to Cole Industries' executive floor was deadly silent - not the kind of silence that brought peace, but the kind that pressed against your lungs. Nancy adjusted her blazer again, her palms damp despite the icy air conditioning. She'd rehearsed her lines. She'd researched the company. She'd even watched videos of Cole Harrison speaking at conferences just to catch his demeanor - cold, calculated, brilliant.

"Mr. Cole will see you now," the assistant at the front desk said flatly.

Her heels clicked softly as she approached the large oak door. She wasn't prepared for how massive the office was - nor how distant he looked, standing near the floor-to-ceiling glass, back turned.

"Sit," he said without turning.

Nancy blinked. No "hello," no handshake.

"I-thank you," she managed, settling into the leather chair that somehow felt like a throne and an interrogation seat all at once.

Cole turned, finally. The rumors hadn't exaggerated his presence. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, pinned her to her seat. Handsome? Absolutely. But there was a chill in his manner, the way he moved like time belonged to him and everyone else was merely leasing it.

"Your resume," he said, tapping it with a finger, "says you're meticulous. I've had three assistants in the last eight months. None survived. Still interested?"

Nancy nodded, trying not to let her nerves show. "I am. I work well under pressure."

"Pressure?" Cole smirked faintly. "Miss Nancy... this isn't pressure. This is war in a tie."

Starting the Job

She got the job.

To this day, Nancy didn't know what she said that convinced him. But by the end of that ten-minute conversation, Cole had stood, extended a firm hand, and told her to start the next day.

The first week was hell.

Cole didn't like repeated questions. He hated mistakes. He didn't speak unless necessary, and he preferred his coffee hot at precisely 8:45 a.m. - no sugar, two drops of cream. She learned that by trial, error, and near-tears. But she was learning. Fast.

Nancy grew into the rhythm of his expectations. She anticipated his needs. She prepped schedules before he could even request them. She stayed late, sometimes sleeping in the office lounge just to get ahead for the next day. Cole never thanked her. But he noticed.

The more she worked, the more the whispers started reaching her ears.

"Bet she won't last long."

"Cole eats Pas for breakfast."

"He doesn't do small talk, doesn't do parties, doesn't even date. He's like a robot."

Nancy kept her head down. She wasn't here for gossip. But curiosity gnawed at her.

One Friday, while filing last-minute paperwork near the staff lounge, she overheard two interns whispering.

"Did you hear? Nathasha's his sister. The one who interviewed the new PA?"

"No way. I thought she was just HR."

"She's not. She only steps in when Cole lets her. They're close, but he never talks about her."

Nancy paused. Her fingers tightened around the file.

Nathasha... his sister?

Suddenly it made sense - the way Nathasha had been kind during the interview, how she'd smiled when she mentioned "you're going to do just fine." She wasn't just another corporate suit.

Four Months Later – Midnight Turns

The past few months had changed everything.

Nancy wasn't just surviving. She was thriving. Cole hadn't fired her. That alone felt like an award. She now knew how to decode his moods, how to walk the tightrope between efficiency and invisibility. They still weren't friends, not even close, but something had shifted. Sometimes, he even asked how her day was - and that meant everything.

And then came that night.

It started with Nathasha's voice, frantic over the phone.

"He's drunk, Nancy. I can't get him to wake up fully, and I don't know his phone code to call his driver. I was going to drop him at home but-he started throwing up."

Nancy didn't hesitate. She arrived at Nathasha's apartment within twenty minutes. Cole was sprawled across her couch, half-conscious, shirt wrinkled and eyes glazed.

"He never drinks this much," Nathasha whispered. "He had one argument with the board and just... spiraled. He wouldn't even let me take him home."

"He's heavy," Nancy murmured, trying to hoist him up. "Help me get him to the guest room."

It took both of them to lay him down. Nathasha left for water and ginger tea, leaving Nancy behind. As she turned to leave the room, Cole's hand grabbed her wrist.

She froze.

His voice was slurred, soft, but certain. "Don't leave... I always feel like I can breathe when you're close."

Nancy blinked. "You're drunk. Sleep."

But he wasn't done.

"You're the only one who's ever stayed. Everyone else - left. You didn't."

She didn't know what to say. He sat up, eyes on her face like she was the only thing grounding him.

"You drive me crazy," he muttered, voice thick with longing. "You challenge me. Make me feel... human again."

And before she could speak - his lips were on hers.

It was a slow kiss, hesitant at first, but deepening with each heartbeat. It should have felt wrong, but it didn't. It felt like every moment they'd buried beneath professionalism was finally breaking through.

They tumbled onto the bed, a tangle of tension and want.

That night, lines blurred. Names were whispered like confessions. When she woke beside him hours later, he was asleep again, arm thrown across her waist like he was afraid she'd vanish.

Back to Present – The Party Plea

"Nancy," Nathasha called from the doorframe of the office, holding a box wrapped in black ribbon. "Please."

Nancy shook her head. "No. I can't go to his birthday party. It's just... too weird."

"You're literally the only one not coming. Do you know how much he's asked if you'll be there?"

Nancy stood, crossing her arms. "He hasn't said a word to me in a week."

"That's because he doesn't know how to deal with what happened. Trust me, he's messed up over it."

"I just... I need to keep things professional."

"Too late for that, babe." Nathasha grinned, then softened. "Please. Just show up. Smile. You don't have to stay long. Just give him this one night."

After a long pause, Nancy sighed. "Fine. One hour. That's it."

Nathasha beamed. "Perfect. Wear red."

Scene: The Birthday Dinner Party

The ballroom was bathed in gold and champagne light, soft jazz humming in the background as suited men and elegant women mingled with glasses of wine and fake laughter. Cole Harrison's 34th birthday was no small affair.

The press wasn't allowed in. This was private, personal - for close associates, friends, and very few family members.

Nancy walked in wearing the red dress Nathasha had picked. It hugged her curves with effortless grace, dipped low enough at the back to feel risky, but not reckless. She stood still by the entrance, suddenly unsure.

Would he even want her here?

Would he remember what happened between them?

She scanned the room.

Nathasha caught her eye from across the hall and gave her a thumbs-up before walking toward the center table where Cole sat, dressed in all black - sharp suit, shirt slightly unbuttoned at the collar. He looked untouchable, unreadable.

He didn't look up. Not yet.

Nancy's pulse thrummed under her skin. She didn't know what terrified her more - being seen, or being ignored.

"Champagne?" a server offered.

She took the glass.

"Miss Nancy," a voice said behind her - smooth, deep, familiar.

She turned slowly.

Cole stood there, now only a few feet away. His expression unreadable, but his eyes... God, his eyes were dragging over her like a slow burn. He was tense, almost like he hadn't meant to come speak to her, but couldn't help himself.

"You came," he finally said.

"You invited me," she replied, lips tight.

There was a pause between them - full of the night they never talked about.

"I wasn't sure you would," he admitted, voice lower now. "After that night... you've avoided me."

Nancy's grip tightened on her glass. "You never brought it up either."

Another beat of silence.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to," he said. "I don't regret what happened, Nancy. But I didn't want to cross a line you weren't ready to cross."

She blinked. "You were drunk."

"And you were there," he said simply. "You didn't run."

Nancy turned her face away, heart thudding. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes," he said, stepping closer, "it does."

Before she could reply, Nathasha appeared between them with a disarming smile. "Alright, you two. Let's not kill the mood. Nancy, come meet some of the board members. Cole, sit. The cake's coming out in five."

Nancy followed Nathasha, her body still warm from the tension.

But Cole watched her the entire time. Every glance, every smile, every moment of eye contact she shared with anyone else - his gaze tracked it.

Scene: After the Dinner

An hour passed.

Cole gave his toast. It was formal, as expected. He thanked everyone, his voice cool, controlled - only flickering when he briefly mentioned "those who've kept me grounded this past year."

Nancy could've sworn he looked at her when he said that.

She slipped out toward the garden afterward, needing space. The air was cool, brushing her skin like silk. She leaned against the railing, trying to slow her thoughts.

"Do you always run from things that scare you?" came Cole's voice behind her.

She closed her eyes.

"You shouldn't be out here," she whispered.

"But I am."

He stepped beside her, hands in his pockets. "I keep thinking about that night."

"I don't," she lied.

"Liar," he murmured.

Nancy turned to face him. "I work for you."

"Then quit."

The words hit like thunder.

"What?" she breathed.

"I said quit. If that's the only thing stopping you from letting this be real... then quit."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I worked my ass off for that position. I fought for my place. And I won't throw it away for a one-night mistake-"

He stepped in, crowding her space. "You think it was a mistake?"

"I-"

Cole leaned in, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. "Because I think about it. Every night. The way you looked. The way you said my name like it meant something."

Nancy's breath caught.

"Don't do this," she said.

"Then look me in the eye," he whispered, "and tell me you don't feel the same."

Her silence was answer enough.

They stood like that, caught between desire and fear, until Nathasha's voice echoed from the ballroom.

"Cake's on fire, Cole!"

Cole stepped back slowly, his hand lingering against Nancy's arm before he walked away.

And she stood there, trembling.