The Man With Blood on His Hands
Eloise's POV
The first thing I noticed about Zev Castor was the blood on his hand.
Enough to stain the white cuff of his white shirt.
Nobody else seemed to notice it.
Or maybe they did and were smart enough to pretend they didn't.
The charity gala continued around us anyway.
Soft music drifted through the ballroom while rich people laughed beneath chandeliers worth more than my yearly rent. Waiters moved around carrying champagne and expensive smiles.
And in the middle of all that perfection stood Zev Castor looking like he wanted to kill someone.
I looked away immediately.
Because staring at Zev Castor for too long always felt like a mistake.
“Stop staring at him,” Ivy muttered beside me.
“I wasn't staring.”
“You literally are.”
I rolled my eyes and reached for my champagne.
“I was looking at the blood.”
That got her attention.
“What blood?”
Before I could answer, movement erupted near the staircase.
A woman stumbled backward crying.
Mascara ruined.
One of the security men whom I assume were Zevs immediately appeared beside her and quietly escorted her away while reporters shamelessly tried to take pictures.
The room shifted with curiosity.
But Zev?
Zev didn't glance at the woman, not even once.
He calmly adjusted the cuff hiding the blood on his hand and continued speaking to a politician beside him like nothing had happened.
Something about that sat wrong with me.
“Jesus Christ,” Ivy whispered. “What did he do this time?”
I didn't answer.
Because Zev was suddenly focusing on me.
Directly at me.
His eyes trapped mine.
For two seconds.
He finally tore his gaze away.
I finally breathed again.
“Okay,” Ivy muttered. “Now I'm worried for you.”
I frowned. “For me?”
“You start work at Aether Global tomorrow.”
I chuckled.
“One, I'm not scared of Zev Castor. And two, I'm working as an executive assistant, not entering a war zone.”
Ivy looked at me for a long second.
Then she whispered quietly,
“Those are the same thing.”
**********
The Next Day
The next morning I realized Ivy might not have been joking.
Aether Global was worse than intimidating.
The building itself looked like something designed by people who hated ordinary humans.
Glass.
Steel.
Power.
Everyone inside moved too fast and looked too expensive.
I adjusted my blazer nervously while following Maya through the executive floor.
“Mr. Castor hates lateness,” she announced while walking quickly.
“I'm ten minutes early.”
“He also hates unnecessary talking.”
I blinked. “Okay…”
“And don't touch anything in his office unless he asks.”
“Alright.”
“And whatever happens don't cry.”
I almost stopped walking.
“What?”
Maya finally stared at me .
“You'll understand soon.”
That did absolutely nothing to calm me.
She stopped outside large glass doors and inhaled quietly before pushing them open.
My first view of Zev Castor in daylight somehow made him worse.
He was seated behind his desk reading through documents while someone spoke nervously on speakerphone.
“Mr. Castor, we're trying to resolve the issue… ”
“Trying?” Zev interrupted coldly.
There was silence.
“I don't pay people millions to try.”
The room felt colder instantly.
“Fix it before noon or clear your office before I get there myself.”
The call disconnected.
Slowly he lifted his eyes toward me.
That same cold expression from last night settled on my skin again.
Maya cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Sir, this is Eloise Ashton. Your new executive assistant.”
His burning stare stayed on me for a few long seconds .
“No.”
I blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“I said no.” He leaned back in his chair lazily. “Replace her.”
Maya looked terrified already.
“Sir, Mr. Hale approved her personally.”
“I don't care who approved her. Replace her.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
This man had known me for exactly four seconds.
Something inside me hardened immediately.
“With all due respect,” I urged carefully, “I'm highly qualified for this position.”
His eyes finally settled fully on me.
“And yet you're still standing there talking when nobody asked you to.”
The insult landed exactly the way he intended.
Maya looked like she wanted the floor to open.
I forced myself to remain calm.
“I can handle the job.”
Zev looked almost amused.
“Everyone says that before they disappoint me.”
Then he stood up.
And somehow he became even more intimidating.
Tall and dangerous.
He walked past me toward the door before stopping beside me briefly.
The scent of his cologne hit me first.
Then his voice.
Low and cruel.
“Let's see how long you last.”
********
By eleven in the morning I already hated him.
No.
Hate wasn't strong enough.
Zev Castor was exhausting.
Nothing I did pleased him.
Nothing.
“Wrong file.”
“This coffee is cold.”
“Did you even read the schedule before printing it?”
“At this point I'm beginning to wonder if incompetence is genetic.”
That last one made me look up sharply.
He didn't spare me a glance while signing documents.
I swallowed slowly.
“Excuse me?”
Finally his eyes lifted.
“Did I stutter?”
The insult hit harder than it should have.
Maybe because he sounded so calm saying it.
Like hurting people came naturally to him.
I placed the corrected documents on his desk carefully.
“The meeting with Solaris Group has been moved to four.”
“Who approved that?”
“You did yesterday evening according to Maya.”
“Then Maya is an idiot too.”
I clenched my jaw quietly.
He noticed.
“You seem angry, Miss Ashton.”
“I'm trying to work.”
“No.” He focused on me calmly. “You're trying not to cry. There's a difference.”
My cheeks burned instantly.
God I hated him.
He returned his attention to the documents like I no longer mattered.
“Fix the schedule.”
I stood there for a second longer before turning away.
Then his voice stopped me again.
“And Eloise?”
I looked back.
“If you expect kindness from me because you're a woman, resign now.”
Every word landed coldly.
“Because I promise you this job will destroy you long before I ever do.”
