"You need to see this."
I looked up from my computer to find James, one of our junior analysts, standing in my doorway with a concerned expression. It was barely 8 AM on Monday, and I'd come in early to prepare for the Singapore presentation later that day.
"What is it?" I asked, taking the tablet he held out to me.
"Our competitor's new campaign launched this morning. It's... remarkably similar to what we've been developing."
I scrolled through the images, my stomach sinking. The visuals, the messaging, even some of the exact phrasing we'd been fine-tuning for weeks—it was all there, repackaged under Nova Tech's logo.
"How is this possible?" I murmured, more to myself than to James.
"I don't know, but Mr. Thornton is going to—"
"Going to what?"
We both turned to see Alexander standing in the doorway, coffee in hand, expression unreadable as always. James paled visibly.
"I'll let Ms. Bennett explain," he said, backing out of my office with surprising speed.
Alexander raised an eyebrow, waiting. I handed him the tablet wordlessly, watching his face as he took in what I'd just seen. His expression didn't change, but I'd learned to read the small signs of his anger—the slight tightening around his eyes, the almost imperceptible clench of his jaw.
"Come with me," he said after a moment, turning and walking toward his office without checking if I was following.
I grabbed my notebook and hurried after him, mind racing. How had Nova gotten our campaign details? We'd been so careful with the information, limiting access to only the core team.
Inside his office, Alexander closed the door and turned to me. "Explain."
"I can't," I admitted. "The campaign materials were secured. Only five people had access to the complete package."
"And yet, here we are." He set the tablet down on his desk with controlled precision. "Nova Tech has managed to scoop us three weeks before our launch."
"I'll find out how this happened," I promised. "And I'll develop a new approach. Something even better. We still have time to—"
"Who knew about the Singapore details?" he interrupted.
I counted off on my fingers. "You, me, James, Vivian, and the head of our Singapore office, Mr. Chen."
Alexander was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he walked around his desk and picked up his phone. "Vivian, reschedule my meetings for today. And tell the executive team we're having an emergency session at 10." He paused, listening. "Yes, all of them."
After he hung up, he looked at me with an intensity that made my nerves tingle. "You and I are going to fix this."
"We... are?" I hadn't expected him to want my help directly.
"Unless you'd prefer I handle it with someone else?"
"No," I said quickly. "I want to fix this."
Alexander nodded once. "Good. I need coffee. Real coffee, not whatever they're serving in the break room. There's a place down the street. Join me."
It wasn't a request, but I was learning that few things were with Alexander Thornton.
Outside, the morning was crisp and clear, early autumn painting the city in golden light. Alexander walked at a brisk pace, and I had to take two steps for every one of his to keep up.
"You don't think it was me, do you?" I asked suddenly, the question that had been burning since he'd appeared in my doorway.
He stopped so abruptly that I nearly collided with him. His eyes searched my face. "Is that what you think of me? That I'd suspect you of industrial espionage after personally hiring you?"
"I... I don't know what to think. You've been... difficult to read."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "So I've been told." He resumed walking. "No, Eliza, I don't suspect you. If I did, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
At the coffee shop, Alexander ordered for both of us without asking what I wanted—a presumption that should have annoyed me but somehow didn't. As we waited for our drinks, he leaned against the counter, studying me.
"You're different today," he observed.
I self-consciously touched my hair, which I'd left loose around my shoulders instead of in my usual professional updo. "I was running late this morning, so I didn't have time to—"
"I like it," he said simply, and then turned to accept our coffees from the barista.
I felt my cheeks warm at the casual compliment and took a sip of my drink to hide my reaction. The coffee was perfect—how had he known exactly how I took it?
As we walked back to the office, Alexander outlined his plan. "We need to completely rebuild the campaign, but with a twist. Something that will make Nova look like they're copying us, not the other way around."
"A reverse-preemptive strategy," I mused. "That's brilliant. We launch a small teaser campaign now that deliberately conflicts with what they stole. Then when our full campaign launches, it'll look like they pieced together fragments and got it wrong."
Alexander glanced at me, his expression softening slightly. "This is why I hired you."
Back at the office, we commandeered the largest conference room, covering the glass walls with paper to prevent anyone from seeing what we were working on. For the next twelve hours, we worked side by side, rebuilding our strategy from the ground up.
Working with Alexander in crisis mode was exhilarating. His mind worked at lightning speed, and instead of dismissing my ideas, he built upon them, pushing me to think bigger, more creatively. We ordered in lunch and then dinner, barely pausing to eat as we refined our approach.
"This is good," he said at one point, studying the mockup I'd just created. "No, this is excellent."
Coming from Alexander Thornton, it was the highest praise possible. I felt a rush of pride, followed immediately by exhaustion as the adrenaline that had been keeping me going began to ebb.
I stifled a yawn, and Alexander glanced at his watch. "It's almost midnight."
"Is it?" I hadn't realized how late it was. "I should finish this section before—"
"You should go home and sleep," he interrupted. "We have the framework now. The details can wait until tomorrow."
I nodded, suddenly aware of how tired I was. As I gathered my things, I noticed Alexander watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"You're good in a crisis," he said finally. "Most people panic. You focus."
"So do you," I pointed out.
"I've had more practice." He hesitated, then added, "I'll drive you home."
"That's not necessary. I can grab a cab or—"
"It's midnight, Eliza. I'm driving you home."
His car was as luxurious as I'd expected—sleek, black, with butter-soft leather seats and that same subtle scent of his cologne permeating the interior. Alexander drove with the same focused precision he applied to everything, his strong hands confident on the wheel.
"Your address?" he asked, and I realized I'd been staring at his profile.
I gave it to him, embarrassed that after our business dinner, he'd forgotten where the car had picked me up. Of course, he wouldn't remember—he probably had dozens of business dinners each week.
The city streets were quieter now, the late-night emptiness giving Manhattan an almost peaceful quality. We rode in comfortable silence until he pulled up outside my building.
"Thank you," I said, reaching for the door handle. "For the ride. And for not suspecting me of corporate espionage."
Alexander's mouth quirked up at one corner. "Don't thank me yet. Tomorrow will be brutal."
"I can handle brutal."
"I know you can." His voice had dropped lower, and something in his tone made me look up and meet his eyes.
The air between us suddenly felt charged, like the moment before a lightning strike. Alexander reached across the space between us, his hand hesitating for just a moment before he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my cheek.
"Alexander..." I whispered, not sure what I was going to say.
His phone rang, shattering the moment. He pulled back, checking the screen with a frown.
"I should go," I said quickly, opening the door before I could do something foolish. "Good night."
"Eliza," he called as I stepped out.
I turned back.
"I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning. We have work to do."
I nodded and closed the door, watching as his car pulled away from the curb. Only when it had disappeared around the corner did I let out the breath I'd been holding and press my hand to my cheek where his fingers had been.
This was dangerous territory. Alexander Thornton was my boss—brilliant, demanding, and completely off-limits. I needed to remember that, no matter how my heart raced when he was near.