Chapter 3 Power Play

The next few days blurred into one another, but in the way that made everything feel sharp and immediate. Amara had expected a quiet, passive role, maybe sorting through papers and answering emails, but Lucien's version of "assistant" was a far cry from the image she'd imagined. It was as if he expected her to handle the impossible with a smile and an air of calm.

The office was a high-tech war room. Every desk, every surface was designed for efficiency, but also for power. The glass walls reflected her, showing the quiet struggle in her eyes as she absorbed the whirlwind around her. Every phone call, every deal, every decision seemed to come through Lucien-he was a man who made things happen with an ease that made her ache with a mix of admiration and disdain. The control he wielded was intoxicating.

But it wasn't just his business prowess that made the air between them so thick. There was something else-something she could feel when he was in the room, even if he wasn't speaking directly to her. It was in the way his gaze lingered just a second too long, like he was waiting for her to slip up. It was in the tension that coiled around them whenever they had to exchange words-always sharp, always calculated, like they were both looking for leverage.

Today, however, things felt different.

She sat at her desk, eyes flicking between the screen and the clock on the wall. It was nearly four in the afternoon, and Lucien hadn't said a word to her all day. He'd been holed up in his office, and the only sign of his presence was the faint sound of his voice drifting out every so often as he spoke to clients or gave commands.

And yet, she felt his eyes on her.

A movement behind her caught her attention. She turned and saw him standing at the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, watching her. His jaw was tense, his eyes calculating as usual. But today there was something else there, something she couldn't quite place.

"Do you ever stop working?" he asked, voice low but with an edge to it.

She met his gaze, unflinching. "I'm not the one who's been holed up in there all day."

Lucien smirked, pushing off the doorframe and stepping inside her space. He didn't say anything for a moment, just stood there, watching her like he was sizing her up, testing the limits of her composure. She could feel the weight of his presence pressing down on her. There was something unsettling about the way he didn't have to speak to make her feel like she was being controlled.

"I didn't hire you to throw barbs at me, Amara," he said finally, taking a step closer. His voice was smooth, but there was a quiet challenge in it.

She swallowed, standing her ground. "You didn't hire me at all. You blackmailed me into this."

Lucien's smile was brief but there, a flash of something sharp. He moved a little closer, now only a few feet away. "Fair enough. But I didn't blackmail you into working hard, did I?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned back to her computer screen, trying to focus on the numbers in front of her. But the heat of his gaze remained. She could feel it on the back of her neck, making her pulse race in a way she couldn't explain. Her heart beat faster, not because she was scared-but because she was suddenly aware of how close he was. How easy it would be to make her lose track of everything she was supposed to be doing.

"You're good at this," he said, his voice quieter now, more reflective. "Better than I expected."

She looked at him, challenging him with her gaze. "I'm not here to impress you."

Lucien chuckled softly, as if he found her response amusing. "No, you're not. But you will. Eventually."

Amara didn't respond, her eyes back on the screen. There was a strange, uncomfortable silence hanging between them now. It wasn't the silence of enemies or strangers-but something heavier, more dangerous.

"You think you can handle this?" he asked, his voice lower, almost contemplative. "The games, the people... the pressure?"

Amara met his eyes again, refusing to look away this time. "I've handled worse."

Lucien's gaze softened just the slightest bit, and for a moment, she saw something there-something human. But it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

"Don't get too comfortable, Amara," he said, the shift back to his usual tone evident. "This is just the beginning."

She didn't respond. What was there to say? She had no idea what he meant by that-whether he intended to pull her deeper into his world or whether he was just toying with her. Either way, she wasn't going to back down. She wasn't going to let him play her like a puppet.

But as she watched him walk out of the office, his presence lingering like a shadow, she couldn't help but feel that he was right. This was just the beginning. And the game they were playing had only just begun.