Christy's alarm blared, jolting her awake. Her eyes shot open, and she grabbed her phone.
7:45 AM.
Her heart dropped.
She was supposed to be at the office by 8:00 sharp.
Panic surged through her as she jumped out of bed. She had planned to wake up earlier, but the excitement and nerves of starting her new job had exhausted her.
She rushed through her morning routine, barely managing to pull on her best office outfit, a neatly pressed green blouse and a black pencil skirt. It wasn't much, but it was all she had.
By the time she made it to Gold Star Enterprises, it was already 8:30 AM.
Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she hurried toward the elevator, heart pounding.
First day, and she was already late.
She arrived at Mr. Adams' office, breathless. The hiring manager gave her a hard stare, his expression unreadable.
"You were supposed to be here at 8 AM sharp, Miss Christiana," he said coolly, looking at his watch.
"I'm so sorry, sir. It won't happen again," she said quickly, bowing her head slightly.
Mr. Adams sighed, shaking his head. "I certainly hope not. The CEO does not tolerate tardiness especially not from his secretary."
Christy swallowed hard. She hadn't even met the CEO yet, and she was already off to a bad start.
Mr. Adams gestured to the door. "Go to the top floor. His office is at the end of the hall. Introduce yourself and start studying his schedule immediately. And do not be late again."
"Yes, sir," Christy said, nodding.
She left the office, nerves eating at her as she made her way to the CEO's floor.
As Christy stepped into the CEO's office, she straightened her posture, determined to make a good impression despite her rocky start.
The room was massive, a very large floor to ceiling window which overlooked the city, and the decor was sleek and modern, filled with bookshelves, a luxurious black leather couch, and an imposing large desk.
A man sat in a high-backed chair, facing the window.
His voice, deep and authoritative, cut through the silence.
"Tardiness shouldn't be a characteristic of my secretary."
Christy froze.
That voice… It sounded familiar.
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," she said, bowing slightly.
The chair turned slowly.
And when Christy's eyes finally landed on her new boss, her breath caught in her throat.
Nathan.
Her mind went blank.
For a moment, all she could do was stare.
It had been four years since they had last seen each other.
Back in college, Nathan had been playful, carefree, always full of laughter and teasing remarks. But the man sitting before her now was… different.
His once warm brown eyes were cold, sharp. His posture was rigid, his jaw tense. He had always been handsome, but now there was something intimidating about him, like a storm brewing beneath the surface.
"Oh my God… Nathan?" she finally said, a small, hopeful smile forming.
But Nathan's expression didn't change.
"You should address me as Mr. Carter," he said icily.
Christy's smile faded instantly.
Her chest tightened.
He had changed. The Nathan she remembered was gone.
"I'm… sorry," she said quickly, lowering her gaze.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning her from head to toe.
She still looked the same. Same dull outfits. Same lack of effort.
"You should do better with your dressing," he said bluntly. "I don't want my secretary looking like that."
Christy's stomach twisted.
She had worn her best outfit.
But the way he said it, as if she was beneath the standards of this office. It made her feel small.
"I'll do better, sir," she said quietly, clenching her fists at her sides.
Nathan didn't react. Instead, he grabbed a stack of papers from his desk and tossed them onto the floor beside her feet.
"That's my schedule, drafted by my previous secretary," he said coolly.
Christy swallowed her pride and bent down to pick them up.
"Study it," Nathan continued. "And make sure you're always on time."
She gripped the papers tightly. "Yes, sir."
Nathan's gaze didn't waver. "I have a meeting at 10 AM. Meet me at the car lot before then."
Christy nodded. "Understood."
"You can leave my sight now."
She turned quickly and left the office, her hands trembling slightly as she shut the door behind her.
As she walked down the hall, she exhaled sharply.
What the hell just happened?
Nathan had completely shut her out.
And now she had to work under him.
Was this a blessing?
Or a nightmare waiting to unfold?
Christy felt like the air in Nathan's office had suffocated her. The moment she stepped out, she released a deep breath and pressed her hand against her racing heart.
What just happened?
She knew Nathan would change one day, but she never expected this. Cold, distant, and downright hostile.
She barely had time to process it before Mr. Adams approached her, holding a small set of keys.
"This is for your office," he said, gesturing to the door just a few feet away from Nathan's.
Christy nodded and stepped inside.
The space was small but neat, a simple wooden desk, a chair, a laptop, and a shelf filled with documents. A large window overlooked the city skyline, making it a bit more welcoming.
She collapsed into the chair, rubbing her temples.
"What's wrong with Nathan?" she muttered to herself.
She could still hear his voice echoing in her head. His sharp, indifferent tone when he told her to address him as Mr. Carter.
She shook her head. "He acted like he doesn't even know me."
Christy sighed and reached for the stack of papers Nathan had given her. She flipped through them, and her eyes widened at his schedule.
Four meetings today.
One at 10 AM- meeting with the foreign investors. Another at 12 PM- meeting with Sterling firms. One more at 4 PM- meeting with the grand counselor. And the last at 6 PM- dinner with the Senate.
Her jaw dropped.
"When am I supposed to close from work, then?" she mumbled in disbelief.
Nathan had always been a laid-back, carefree person in college, but now? He was running a schedule that barely left him room to breathe.
"This is too much… He's going to burn out at this rate," she muttered, grabbing a pen.
She started going through the schedule carefully, drafting a more manageable one that would give him at least some time to rest. If she was going to be his secretary, she wasn't just going to take orders, she was going to fix this mess.
She got so focused that she lost track of time.
It wasn't until she heard the giggling voices of some of the female staff then she looked up.
"Oh my God, Mr. Sterling is so handsome," one of them whispered outside her office.
"I wish I had his baby," another sighed dreamily.
Christy rolled her eyes.
Some things never change.
But then it hit her, if they were gossiping about him, that meant Nathan was out of his office.
She grabbed her phone and checked the time.
9:50 AM.
Her heart stopped.
She needed to be at the parking lot before 10, and Nathan was already on his way down.
"Holy Crap!" she gasped, grabbing her things.
She sprinted toward the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly. It didn't move.
"Come on, come on, come on!" she muttered, but the elevator seemed determined to sabotage her.
Her eyes darted to the staircase.
She was on the 21st floor.
There was no way she was making it in time.
Still, she had no choice.
She yanked open the door and ran down the stairs as fast as her heels would allow.
Her breath became ragged, and her legs burned, but she didn't stop.
She had already messed up once today, she wasn't going to do it again.
But by the time she burst into the parking lot, she was too late.
Nathan was already standing by his sleek black car, his bodyguard holding the door open for him.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps, eyes scanning her untidy appearance.
Hair messy. Breathing heavy.
She looked like she had run for her life.
Nathan let out a small scoff, shaking his head.
"You really do have a thing for lateness," he said coolly.
Christy clenched her fists, trying to catch her breath.
She wanted to argue but technically, he wasn't wrong.
Without another word, Nathan slid into the car.
Then, without even looking at her, he said,
"Get in."
Christy hesitated for a second before quickly walking to the other side and getting in.
As soon as the door shut, the driver pulled out of the lot.
The tension in the car was suffocating.
Christy could feel Nathan's gaze on her, but he said nothing.
She swallowed hard, staring out the window, her mind racing.
Four years ago, they were frenemies.
Now? She was nothing more than his secretary.
And if today was any indication of what was to come…
She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle it.