Alex adjusted the cuffs of his suit, his mind still replaying Mr. Carter's words. Lead strategist. Anna. His father had made his decision without consulting him, and now he was stuck working side by side with the one person who irritated him more than anyone else.
"Brooding already?"
Ryan's voice pulled Alex from his thoughts. He turned to find his brother leaning against the doorway of the empty boardroom. The party was still going on outside, but Ryan, as always, had found a way to slip out unnoticed.
Alex exhaled sharply. "What do you want?"
Ryan smirked. "Just checking in on my dear older brother. You looked like you swallowed a lemon out there."
Alex ignored the jab. "I wasn't expecting the announcement."
"No one was. Especially Anna." Ryan chuckled. "Her face was priceless."
Alex didn't respond. Instead, he glanced toward the large windows overlooking the city. The night felt heavier than usual.
Ryan studied him for a moment before speaking again. "You don't like this, do you? Working with her."
Alex clenched his jaw. "She's reckless. Unfocused."
"She also closed the deal that landed us this project," Ryan pointed out. "Whether you like it or not, she's good at what she does."
Alex knew that. He had watched Anna navigate the chaos of the office more times than he cared to admit. She was careless in some ways but sharp in others. She had a way of making things work, even when they shouldn't.
That didn't mean he wanted to work with her.
Ryan grinned. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're afraid of her."
Alex shot him a glare. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Come on, Alex. It's written all over your face. You're not worried about her messing up. You're worried about the fact that she gets under your skin."
Alex's hands curled into fists at his sides, but Ryan wasn't finished.
"Look, I don't care what history you two have, but let me give you some advice—if you go into this seeing her as a problem instead of an asset, you're going to lose before you even start."
Alex didn't reply. He just turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Ryan's words lingering in the air.
But no matter how hard he tried to ignore them, they stuck.
Because deep down, he knew Ryan wasn't wrong.
Anna's Realization
Anna sat at the corner of the event hall, her untouched glass of champagne on the table in front of her. Her mind still struggled to catch up. She had spent two years in this company trying to stay out of trouble, trying to be good enough without drawing too much attention.
And now, she was at the center of everything.
Her fingers tightened around the glass. She wasn't sure if she was excited or terrified. Maybe both.
The sound of footsteps approached, and she glanced up to see Alex standing by her table, his expression unreadable.
"What's wrong? Not feeling the celebration?" he asked, his voice devoid of any real interest. He seemed almost… detached.
Anna sighed and straightened up, glancing at her glass. "Just trying to wrap my head around everything that happened tonight."
Alex's gaze flicked over her briefly before his lips curled into a slight frown. "You've never been one for the spotlight, have you?"
She tilted her head, meeting his gaze. "No. But it seems the spotlight found me tonight."
He nodded as if he understood more than he let on, though his tone remained blunt. "It's getting late. Mr. Carter's about to leave, and he's expecting you to say goodbye."
Anna's chest tightened at the mention of Mr. Carter. She hadn't even realized the time had slipped away so quickly. She barely knew what to say to him, let alone face him now after the whole lead strategist announcement. But she couldn't exactly ignore it.
"Right. I'll go in a minute," she replied, trying to keep her tone casual.
Alex didn't wait for her to move. Instead, he stood for a moment, then added in that same impassive voice, "And I'll drop you home. It's late, and you've had enough of the spotlight for one night."
Anna blinked, surprised by his offer. "You don't have to do that."
"It's not a request," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Let's go."
Anna hesitated, but there was something about his tone that made her feel like arguing would be pointless. She gave a brief nod and stood up, forcing herself to walk past him as he led the way to the exit. Her thoughts raced as she tried to process everything that had just happened.
The Ride Home
The drive was silent, the only sound the hum of the engine as Alex navigated through the quiet streets. The city lights blurred past them, and Anna couldn't help but feel a weight pressing down on her chest.
She had been working for this moment, working to prove herself, but now that it was here, all she felt was anxiety. Working under Alex? The thought alone made her stomach twist.
Alex glanced over at her briefly, his expression unreadable. "You alright?"
Anna glanced out the window, trying to avoid his gaze. "I'm fine."
"Don't lie," Alex replied flatly. "I know how you get when things are too much. If you need time, I'll give it. But don't fool yourself into thinking this is going to be easy."
The honesty in his words struck her. He wasn't wrong. It wasn't going to be easy. But hearing it from him, after everything that had just happened, felt… strange. Like he wasn't just her boss, but someone who saw through her defenses.
"I'll manage," she said quietly, more to herself than to him.
Alex didn't say anything else. The rest of the ride passed in a tense silence, and when they arrived at her apartment, he parked the car, but neither of them moved right away.
Anna looked over at him. "Thanks for the ride."
He nodded once. "Don't make tonight harder than it needs to be, Anna. You've got this."
She didn't know if she believed him, but she forced a smile. "Goodnight, Alex."
He didn't reply, just gave a brief nod before driving off into the night. Anna watched him go, the weight of the evening still hanging over her as she turned and walked into her building.
Reflection
As Anna made her way up to her apartment, her mind continued to race. The night had been a whirlwind, but now that she was alone in the quiet of her room, she finally had a chance to breathe. She sat down on her bed, staring out the window at the city lights that never seemed to sleep.
Lead strategist.
It was still hard to believe. She had wanted this. Had worked for it. But now that she had it, the reality felt overwhelming. She wasn't just managing a project anymore. She was responsible for everything, and she was expected to do it all perfectly—especially with Alex looking over her shoulder.
Her thoughts drifted to him—his cold stares, his clipped tones, and the way his presence seemed to fill every room they shared. She had no idea how she was going to navigate this, but one thing was clear: This wasn't just going to be about strategy. It was going to be about surviving working with him.
But if she'd learned anything tonight, it was that she couldn't back down. She had to rise to the occasion.
She lay back on her bed, eyes closed, and sighed. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.
Not without a fight.
A soft creak echoed through the darkened hallway outside her apartment, breaking the silence. Anna's eyes snapped open, her heart racing.
She pushed herself up, listening intently.
The faint sound of footsteps—too quiet to be anything but deliberate—drifted toward her door.
She froze.
Her hand instinctively reached for her phone, but before she could react, the shadow of a figure loomed at the edge of her window, just out of sight.
Someone was watching her.