Zaphyra Quinn pov.
New York smelled like power and possibility. The air was thick with ambition, and as I stepped out of the cab, the towering glass empire of Nexus Wealth Management reflected the morning sun like a diamond—sharp, unbreakable, and untouchable. Much like the man who owned it.
I adjusted my blazer, exhaling slowly. This was it. My fresh start. A new city, a new job, and an opportunity to prove that I belonged here. I wasn't just some small-town girl trying to survive—I was here to win.
The entrance doors slid open with a quiet hiss, and I stepped inside, my heels clicking against the sleek marble floor. The lobby was a masterpiece of wealth—modern, cold, intimidating. Just like the stories I had heard about him.
Rakan Malik. The man who owned this city.
I hadn't met him yet, but his name carried a weight that settled over this place like a storm waiting to break. Ruthless. Cold. A man who didn't tolerate weakness. And from what I had gathered, he wasn't just the CEO—he was a king in his own right.
"Excuse me, Miss?" A voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to see a receptionist with impeccably styled blonde hair and an assessing gaze. She looked me over, her red lips tilting into something between a smirk and curiosity. She knew I was new.
"Zaphyra Quinn," I said smoothly, forcing a polite smile. "I'm here for my first day."
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable before she nodded and gestured toward the elevators. "Your department is on the forty-second floor. Take that elevator. It's the only one that goes up to the executive levels."
Executive levels? My brows lifted slightly, but I didn't question it. Instead, I offered a simple, "Thank you," and made my way across the marble expanse.
As I stepped inside the gold-trimmed elevator, the doors closed with a quiet finality. This was it. My world was about to change, and I could feel it in my bones.
I was ready.
What I wasn't ready for… was him.
The elevator glided upward in silence, smooth and effortless—much like the world of the rich. I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, willing away the strange tension creeping along my spine.
Forty-second floor. My destination. My beginning.
The soft chime echoed as the doors parted, revealing a world that was nothing like the ground floor.
Minimalistic. Sharp. Unforgiving.
The executive level wasn't just luxury—it was intimidation wrapped in glass and steel. The lighting was dimmer, the furniture sleeker, and the silence heavier. This wasn't a place where people wasted time.
I stepped out, feeling eyes on me almost instantly. A few employees glanced my way—sharp suits, crisp dresses, and perfectly measured gazes. I was new, and they knew it.
But I wasn't here to impress them.
I clutched my bag tighter, scanning the space. A long hallway stretched toward a set of black double doors at the far end. Frosted glass offices lined the sides, a few occupied by men and women typing away with laser focus.
Before I could take a step forward, a voice snapped through the silence.
"You're the new one?"
I turned, meeting the sharp gaze of a brunette in a fitted gray dress. She stood with her arms crossed, her red nails tapping against her bicep as she took me in from head to toe.
"I'm Zaphyra Quinn," I replied, keeping my tone even.
Her lips curled. "Eva. Executive Assistant to Mr. Malik."
My stomach tightened—not out of fear, but something else.
I had heard of him already. The whispers. The rumors. The man who built an empire with his bare hands, ruthless in both business and life.
A man I hadn't met yet.
Eva studied me for a second longer before giving a clipped nod. "Follow me. Your desk is outside his office."
His office?
I blinked but quickly schooled my expression. I hadn't expected to be stationed so close to the CEO. No one mentioned that.
Without another word, Eva turned on her heels, leading me down the hallway. My pulse quickened with each step, a strange anticipation curling inside me.
I wasn't sure if it was excitement or something else entirely.
But I was sure of one thing.
I was about to meet Rakan Malik.
Eva's heels clicked against the polished floor as she led me toward the black double doors. Each step felt like a countdown, like I was walking into something irreversible.
I wasn't stupid—I knew power when I saw it. And this place reeked of it.
"Your workspace." Eva stopped abruptly, motioning toward a pristine glass desk just outside the massive office doors. "You'll handle reports, schedules, and whatever else Mr. Malik requires. Do not waste his time. He doesn't tolerate incompetence."
I nodded, keeping my face neutral. I wasn't incompetent.
"Good." She checked her watch. "He's in a meeting now, but you'll meet him soon enough."
I exhaled slowly, sliding into my chair as she walked off, her presence disappearing down the hall.
I was alone.
The air here was different. Thicker. Heavier. Charged.
I traced my fingers along the smooth desk, trying to settle my nerves. The scent of expensive leather and something darkly masculine lingered in the air, probably coming from the office behind me.
I wasn't expecting to meet Rakan Malik today, but some part of me… wanted to.
And then—the doors behind me clicked.
I turned my head just as they swung open, and the room seemed to shrink.
A man stepped out.
No, not just a man. A force.
Tall. Too tall. Broad shoulders encased in a sharp black suit, his presence swallowed the space. His walk was unhurried, calculated. He moved like a man who owned everything he touched.
Then my gaze reached his face.
I forgot how to breathe.
Ice-blue eyes. Cold, piercing, assessing. They locked onto me with a precision so sharp, it felt like he could see everything I didn't want him to.
His jaw—strong, carved from stone. His lips—full, sinful. His hair—dark, slightly tousled, falling just past his shoulders.
And his hands—long fingers, veined, powerful.
Fingers that looked like they could ruin a woman and make her beg for more.
The air shifted, thick with something unreadable as he stood there, expression unreadable, gaze unwavering.
Then—his voice.
Deep. Smooth. Dangerous.
"You're the new assistant."
Not a question. A fact.
I swallowed, forcing my spine straight. "Yes. Zaphyra Quinn."
A pause. A long, weighted pause.
His head tilted slightly, as if he were assessing something invisible about me. As if he had already decided whether I was worth his attention.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the hallway.
Leaving me sitting there—pulse erratic, breath uneven, body tingling with something I didn't dare name.
I had just met Rakan Malik.
And nothing felt the same.
I exhaled slowly, willing my heartbeat to settle as Rakan Malik disappeared down the hallway.
What the hell was that?
His presence had been suffocating, his energy too raw, too sharp. He hadn't even said much—just a few words—but it felt like he had stripped me bare with one look.
I turned back to my desk, inhaling deeply. Focus. Work. That's why you're here.
I powered on my computer, opening the company's database, scanning through my tasks. Reports, schedules, financial statements. It was nothing I couldn't handle. Numbers made sense. Work made sense.
But he didn't.
A shadow moved in my peripheral vision. Before I could react, a stack of thick files landed on my desk.
"Review these. Have a report ready before noon," Eva said flatly, her expression unreadable.
I glanced at the sheer weight of the documents. "Before noon?"
She arched a perfectly shaped brow. "Problem?"
I kept my face neutral. "No."
Her red lips tilted slightly, almost amused. "Good. Welcome to NWM."
With that, she walked off, leaving me alone again.
I shook off the lingering energy of my encounter with Rakan and got to work. Time passed in a blur as I combed through data, making notes, building my report.
By the time I looked up, it was 11:45 AM.
Just in time.
I grabbed the printed report, double-checking the numbers before standing and smoothing down my dress.
Then, I hesitated.
His office.
I had to go in there.
My stomach tightened slightly, but I forced myself forward. This is just work. He's just a man.
I knocked twice, the sound echoing in the silence.
Nothing.
I frowned, debating whether to knock again. Was he even in there?
The door swung open suddenly.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
There he was.
Closer. Bigger. More dangerous up close.
His scent—clean, expensive, intoxicating. His shirt—black, unbuttoned just enough to tease the cut of his collarbone.
His gaze dragged over me slowly, assessing, deliberate.
"You knock like someone who isn't sure they belong here," he murmured.
I straightened. "I have your report."
Another beat of silence.
Then, he stepped aside, motioning for me to enter.
This was it.
I stepped into Rakan Malik's world.
And I had no idea what I had just walked into.
The door clicked shut behind me.
His office was exactly what I expected—dark, sharp, commanding. Black leather chairs, a sleek glass desk, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the New York skyline. It was the kind of place built for a man who didn't need to say he was powerful—he simply was.
And right now, that power was focused entirely on me.
Rakan leaned against his desk, his arms crossing over his broad chest, watching me. Those ice-blue eyes pinned me in place, unreadable and unnerving.
I swallowed, forcing myself to keep my composure. This was just a meeting. Just work.
I stepped forward, placing the report on his desk. "Your financial summary for this quarter. I compiled the key projections and noted areas that need restructuring."
His gaze flickered to the papers, but he didn't move. Instead, he tilted his head slightly. "You work fast."
"It's my job," I answered evenly.
He studied me for a long moment, then reached for the report. His fingers brushed the edge of the papers—long, veined, impossibly elegant for a man so dangerous.
I was noticing too much.
He flipped through the pages, silent. The tension in the air thickened, stretching the seconds.
"You studied economics," he murmured, scanning the document. "Master's program?"
"Yes."
His lips curved—not a smile. Something sharper.
"You don't seem intimidated by me."
I met his gaze, my heart hammering. Was this a test?
"I don't scare easily," I said, keeping my voice calm.
He exhaled a soft, dark chuckle. "That will change."
The air shifted, something electric crackling between us. My breath felt shorter, my skin warmer.
He closed the file and set it aside, standing to his full height. Too tall. Too imposing. Too dangerously attractive.
"Eva will give you further tasks. Dismissed."
It wasn't a request. It was a command.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to turn, walk away, act unaffected.
But as I reached the door, his voice stopped me.
"Zaphyra."
I turned, pulse spiking. He had never said my name before.
His gaze burned into me, slow and deliberate. "I expect perfection. Don't disappoint me."
I nodded once, then slipped out of his office, the door clicking shut behind me.
I exhaled sharply. My hands were shaking.
I had just survived my first encounter with Rakan Malik.
And I had the terrifying feeling this was only the beginning.
I walked back to my desk, my heart still hammering too hard.
What the hell was that?
I had met powerful men before. Smart men. Ruthless men. But none of them were like Rakan Malik. None of them made my stomach twist with a mix of something dangerously close to… fear. And something else.
Something I wasn't ready to name.
I dropped into my chair, my fingers gripping the armrests for stability. The report had been fine. My work had been flawless. So why did I feel like I had barely survived that meeting?
"You made it out alive."
Eva's voice cut through my thoughts.
I blinked up at her. She was leaning against the desk, arms crossed, watching me with a knowing smirk.
"Excuse me?" I said, schooling my expression.
Her dark red lips curled. "Your first meeting with him. He didn't fire you. Or make you cry." She tilted her head. "That's impressive."
I frowned. "I wasn't expecting to cry."
Her gaze flickered with something unreadable. "That's what they all say."
Something about her tone made my stomach tighten.
I straightened. "Is there something I should know?"
Eva let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, sweetheart." She leaned in slightly. "You have no idea what you just stepped into, do you?"
I held her gaze. "I think I'll be fine."
She hummed, unconvinced. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
With that, she pushed off my desk and walked away, leaving behind a cloud of expensive perfume and unanswered questions.
I exhaled, shaking my head. I wasn't here to play office games. I had a job to do.
Still… something about her words stuck to me like static electricity.
As if I had just stepped onto a chessboard where the game had already started, and I didn't even know the rules.
And somewhere across this office, Rakan Malik was watching.