Chapter 1
Chapter One: A View from the Top
Eva Delgado tapped her pen rhythmically against her planner, eyes on the glowing skyline outside her office window. As the executive assistant to Dominic Vale, CEO of Vale Industries, her days were a relentless blur of board meetings, email triage, and crisis aversion.
But today felt... different.
"Eva," came a deep, measured voice through the intercom. "Come in, please."
She stood quickly, smoothing her pencil skirt and adjusting her glasses before stepping into the lion’s den—also known as Dominic’s glass-walled office.
He was standing by the window, navy suit tailored to precision, his hand resting on the frame as if he could hold up the whole city himself.
"You needed me, Mr. Vale?"
He turned, and for a second, his eyes softened. Just for a second.
"Drop the 'Mr.' We're not in a courtroom," he said, his lips curving into the ghost of a smile. "Have a seat."
She did. He leaned against his desk, a rare informality for the man who ran billion-dollar deals like poker hands.
"I need you to accompany me to the gala Friday night. We’re hosting the Wexler Group, and I need someone I can trust by my side."
"A… date?" she asked before she could stop herself.
He raised a brow. "A strategic companion. But yes, I suppose that’s one way to look at it."
She blinked, thrown off by the calm confidence in his voice. She wasn’t just his secretary—she managed his life. But this… this wasn’t just about logistics.
"You trust me for that?"
His voice dropped slightly. “I trust you more than anyone in this building.”
Her breath caught.
He stepped closer, his cologne a mix of cedar and something stormy.
"And Eva," he added, voice low, "wear something that will make them forget why they came."
