"Perfection in a suit," someone whispered, but the words were lost under the hum of shuffling feet and the quiet symphony of morning greetings.
Mason Harrington, CEO and also the President of Harrington Tech Corporation, stepped into the towering glass building.
He strode with the ease of a man who owned everything within its walls...and perhaps, even beyond them.
His tall, broad frame exuded an undeniable authority, while his perfectly tailored charcoal suit hugged him like a second skin.
He didn't just walk...he commanded the space, each step echoing his dominance.
Everywhere he passed in the company, heads dipped respectfully. Some whispered greetings, others simply froze, watching him with thinly veiled awe.
Among the staff, the ladies couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves as soon as he was out of earshot.
"How can someone look that good this early in the morning?" one of them muttered dreamily.
"Imagine waking up next to that handsome face every day." Another lady sighed wistfully.
"Lucky woman," someone added with a huff.
"Lucky?" another voice interjected skeptically. "Who is his wife, anyway? Has anyone ever seen her? It's like she doesn't exist."
No one had an answer.
Mason Harrington's personal life was as untouchable as he was...private, and guarded.
But Mason didn't care about the whispers. He didn't care about anything outside his goals for the day.
With an air of icy arrogance, he strode toward his private elevator, his assistant, Daniel, trailing a step behind, juggling files and his ever-busy tablet.
In seconds, the elevator dinged open at his office floor. Staff in his direct department all rose to their feet.
"Good morning, sir," they chorused, standing in unison as soon as his silhouette appeared at the far end of the hall.
Mason offered no reply, only a sharp nod. He was nearly at his office door when something...or rather, someone...made him stop.
His footsteps halted abruptly, a sharp click against the marble floor. The entire room fell silent, the staff exchanging glances in awe.
Mason turned slowly, his piercing brown glossy eyes scanning the crowd like a hawk. And then he saw her.
She stood there, among the other employees...head slightly bowed, her dark long hair falling softly over her face. For a moment, Mason wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, it was her.
His wife. Anastasia.
She stood calmly, her posture poised and respectful, as though she were any other staff.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Mason's expression darkened.
His gaze flicked toward Mr. Williams, the Chief Human Resources Officer, who was sweating under the president's glare.
"Who is she?" Mason demanded coldly, his voice like ice.
"S-Sir, that's the new recruit." Williams stumbled to answer. "She started today in the operations department."
"New recruit?" Mason's jaw clenched.
"Y-Yes, sir." Williams nodded nervously. "She was assigned to—"
Mason cut him off with a sharp glare before turning his attention back to her.
His gaze bore into her like a drill, but she remained steady, only lifting her chin slightly to meet his eyes.
Before Mason could utter a word, his PA Daniel, leaned closer and murmured something into his ear.
Whatever was said made Mason's scowl deepen.
Without another word, he turned sharply and walked into his office, his long legs covering the distance in seconds.
The heavy door slammed shut behind him, leaving the room to exhale in relief.
"Holy hell," Sandra, one of the staff, whispered. "What just happened?"
"Did you see his eyes?!" Another person added, gesturing at his own face. "As if it could bring down this building!"
"You're in trouble newbie," Sandra murmured to Anastasia, eyes wide with pity. "That's not the way to start your first day."
Anastasia only smiled faintly. She said nothing as the others went back to their seats, though they continued stealing glances at her.
Her hands were trembling as she sat down, even as her mind raced. She had expected him to be angry, but not this angry. Then again, she was used to his cold fury.
Two years of loveless marriage had taught her that much.
Her gaze dropped briefly to her lap as the memories surfaced, uninvited and bitter. She had never been happy in their marriage, not even for a moment.
It had been an urgent arrangement, an obligation forced upon her when Mason's fiancée ran away on the day of their wedding.
Her family's crippling debt to Mason's mother had sealed her fate.
One decision. One day.
And life has been hell ever since.
Mason's indifference toward her had quickly turned into cold resentment. She was little more than a shadow in his house, someone to tolerate but never to see.
She walked on eggshells around him, afraid of breathing wrong, afraid of shattering whatever little peace existed between them.
Only his grandfather, Mr. Harrington Sr., ever showed her kindness.
He alone seemed to care about her well-being. But even his affection couldn't make up for the loneliness that had settled on her in Mason's house.
Now, sitting here, under the scrutinizing gazes of strangers, she forced herself to hold it together. She had chosen to come here. To work. To start something for herself.
But she should have known Mason wouldn't make it that easy...
---
Inside his office, Mason ripped off his suit jacket and threw it onto the leather couch, his movements rigid with barely restrained fury.
Daniel stood outside the President office, not daring to step inside despite knowing what's going on.
He knows better not to interfere when his boss is blazing with rage.
"Fuck!"
Mason cursed as he loosened his tie and grabbed his phone, jabbing at the screen to call the one person responsible for this madness.
The call barely rang twice before his grandfather picked up, his voice annoyingly cheerful.
"Mason, my boy! To what do I owe the pleasure this morning?"
"Cut the crap, Grandpa," Mason snapped. "What the hell is Anastasia doing here? Here—in my company?"
"Your company? Or the company I handed over to you?" His grandfather teased.
"Doesn't matter! It's mine now!"
"Oh," the old man giggled, not missing a beat. "That's good. She started today, I believe."
"Why did you send her here?" Mason cut to the chase.
"For her own good... And yours," his grandfather replied evenly. "You two need to get closer."
"Closer?" Mason's voice was laced with incredulity. "We live in the same house. Isn't that enough?"
His grandfather chuckled, unfazed by his grandson's tone.
"Living in the same house doesn't mean you're living as husband and wife. This will be good for your marriage."
Mason ran a hand through his dark hair, frustration evident in every sharp movement.
"She has no place here grandpa. She's not qualified, and—"
"Nonsense," the old man interjected, suddenly stern. "Anastasia is perfectly capable. You'll see."
"I won't," Mason replied coldly. "Because I'll make her quit before the week is over!"
The line went dead before his grandfather could respond. Mason tossed the phone onto his desk, the anger in his chest only growing.
How dare she come here into his space without so much as a word? He had been blindsided, and Mason Harrington hated being caught off guard.
"If she thinks working here would change anything between us, she is mistaken." Mason growled.
His icy gaze drifted to the window, looking down at the city below.
"Let the games begin Anastasia," he muttered darkly...
Outside the office, Anastasia sat quietly, pretending not to notice the stares or hear the whispers. She knew what they were saying.
That she had angered the president. That she wouldn't last long.
And maybe they were right.
But what they didn't know...what no one knew was that she wasn't here to win her husband's favor. She wasn't here to please him.
She was here for herself.
And this time, she wasn't backing down from him...