Chapter 9 5 minutes

ROSE

The tension in Adrian's office still lingered on my skin as I stepped out. My knees felt weak, but I didn't dare stumble not here, not now. Ethan was waiting just outside, ever composed, as if this was just another ordinary day.

"Come with me," he said simply, his tone clipped but not unkind.

I followed him down the corridor, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Sterling & Co. was a world of glass walls, muted colors, and quiet authority.

Ethan stopped before a sleek glass door and opened it. Inside, four workstations stood neatly aligned, sunlight spilling through tall windows.

Three women looked up from their desks as we entered. They were poised, elegant even their smiles seemed polished.

"Ladies," Ethan said, his voice carrying a quiet authority, "this is Rose. She'll be working under Mr. Sterling as his secretary."

I felt the weight of their eyes sweep over me, assessing, measuring. One of them, a tall woman with striking blonde hair and red lipstick, leaned back in her chair.

"Well," she said smoothly, "welcome to the lion's den."

The others chuckled softly. A petite woman with glasses offered me a genuine smile. "I'm Amelia ," she said warmly. "If you need help finding your way around, just ask."

I gave her a polite smile before thanking her.

The third, who looked as though she had walked out of a fashion magazine with her sleek bob and sharp eyeliner, only gave me a polite nod.

"Rose will take the empty desk near the window," Ethan continued, gesturing toward the neat workstation set up with a laptop, files, and a phone. "Get her settled in. Mr. Sterling doesn't tolerate mistakes. Make sure she learns quickly."

And with that, he left, his footsteps fading down the hall.

My desk, right by the window, caught the best of the sunlight. A little potted plant on the corner, it was the first thing I looked at, reminding me to breathe before diving into the mountain of files stacked neatly in front of me.

I sat at my new desk, smoothing my palms over the surface as if to steady myself. The laptop blinked to life, sterile and unfamiliar.

"Don't look so nervous," Claire whispered from across the room. "The first day's always rough. You'll get used to it."

Her kindness made my chest loosen a little, but the blonde whom I later learned was Kara , arched an eyebrow, smirking.

"Or you won't. Depends on how long you last."

I forced a small smile, refusing to show how her words stung.

"Smile, listen, and give your best," I told myself. "One day at a time, Rose. You've got this."

The sunlight streaming through my window felt like a blessing, warm against my skin. I decided to take it as a sign: today was a fresh start. Mistakes would happen, yes, but I'd learn. I'd grow.

Minutes ticked by as I tried to make sense of my new reality. My hands hovered over the keyboard when a message suddenly pinged across the shared system:

From: Adrian Sterling

To: Rose

Bring the files Ethan gave you. Ten minutes.

My stomach dropped. Another test.

With shaky fingers, I gathered the stack I had sorted earlier, my breath shallow as I headed back toward his office. The secretaries' eyes followed me, and I felt their unspoken thoughts prickling behind my back.

This was it, the real beginning.

The corridor leading back to Adrian's office felt longer this time, as though each step stretched endlessly. My heels clicked softly against the marble floor, but my heartbeat was louder, echoing in my ears.

I stopped just outside his door, clutching the files tight against my chest. My palms were damp, and my throat felt tight.

What if he knows?

The thought cut through me like a blade.

What if this entire "internship" was just a trap?

I closed my eyes for a moment, pressing my forehead lightly against the cool wall. No. Calm down. He doesn't know. He can't.

A secretary's words replayed in my head, depends how long you last.

I straightened my shoulders. I'll last.

Taking a steadying breath, I knocked gently.

"Come in," his voice commanded from the other side.

I pushed the door open.

Adrian Sterling sat behind his massive mahogany desk, the skyline of the city sprawling behind him through floor to ceiling windows. His presence filled the room without effort, calm, controlled, quietly powerful.

Ethan stood near the corner, sorting something on a tablet, but it was Adrian's gaze that pulled me in like gravity.

"Close the door."

I obeyed.

"Sit." He didn't raise his voice, yet it carried a weight that made my knees feel weak.

I lowered myself into the chair across from him, balancing the stack of files carefully on my lap.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment, unreadable, before shifting to the documents. "Place them here."

I slid them across his desk. His long fingers flipped through the first file with deliberate precision, and then he set it aside

"Do you know why I asked you here?"

My mouth went dry. "To... to bring the files, sir?"

A flicker of something, amusement, maybe, tugged at the corner of his lips, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Not entirely." He leaned back in his chair, studying me the way one might study a puzzle. "If you're going to be my secretary, you need to be more than a runner of papers. You need to be fast, sharp, and unflinching."

My stomach twisted, but I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good." He slid a single sheet from the pile toward me. It was dense with numbers and legal terms. "Summarize this. Right now. Keep it under five minutes."

I blinked at him, my heart dropping. He must be joking right five minutes... to summarize this stack of papers.."

"Is there a problem?" His voice was calm, but his gaze was piercing.

I straightened my back, forcing myself to breathe. "No, sir."

I lowered my eyes to the document, scanning the paragraphs. My nerves screamed, but I pushed through them, gripping the paper tightly.

Five minutes . I had five minutes to prove I wasn't just another intern.