Eva's alarm blared at exactly 5:30 a.m., yanking her out of a restless sleep. Her first thought was to hit snooze, but the memory of Nathan Burns' piercing blue eyes and Diana's stern warnings had her bolting upright. Today was another chance to prove herself, and she wasn't about to blow it.
She hurried through her morning routine, keeping her outfit simple but professional: a white blouse, tailored black trousers, and low heels. She wanted to blend in, not stand out. Stay invisible, do the work, survive, she told herself as she stepped into the elevator of her building.
By 7:15 a.m., she was already at her desk, organizing the stack of notes and documents from the previous day. Nathan's schedule was packed, as usual, with back-to-back meetings, calls, and presentations. Eva double-checked the details, ensuring there were no mistakes.
"Miss Blackwell," Diana's voice cut through the quiet. Eva looked up to see her standing a few feet away, holding a tablet and looking as polished as ever. "Mr. Burns wants the quarterly report summaries on his desk before his eight o'clock call. Have you prepared them?"
"Yes, they're right here," Eva replied, grabbing the neatly organized files from her desk.
Diana gave a curt nod. "Good. And make sure his coffee is on his desk in five minutes. He gets particularly irritable without it."
No pressure, Eva thought as she rushed to the office kitchen.
Nathan was already seated at his desk when Eva arrived with his coffee. He glanced up briefly, his expression unreadable.
"Miss Blackwell," he said, motioning for her to place the cup on the coaster.
She did as instructed, then stood awkwardly, waiting to see if he had further orders.
"You're early today," he remarked, taking a sip of the coffee.
"I thought it would be best to get a head start," she replied carefully.
Nathan set the cup down and leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp. "Smart. Let's see if you can keep up. I need you to sit in on today's nine o'clock meeting with the legal team. Take notes and make sure they're concise. After that, there's a lunch reservation with Mr. Hannigan from GTS Holdings. I'll need you to confirm the details with his assistant. And clear my afternoon schedule—I want uninterrupted time to review these reports."
Eva nodded, furiously typing the instructions into her tablet. "Understood, Mr. Burns."
"One more thing," he added, his tone casual but firm. "Don't let Sabrina Hartwell derail you. She has a habit of testing new employees."
Eva stiffened, surprised he'd noticed the exchange from yesterday. "I'll handle her," she said, a hint of steel in her voice.
Nathan's lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but he said nothing more.
The nine o'clock meeting was a whirlwind. The legal team spoke in rapid-fire jargon, referencing contracts, clauses, and compliance issues that made Eva's head spin. She took notes as best as she could, focusing on capturing the key points Nathan would need later.
At one point, Nathan glanced at her, his eyes briefly scanning her notes. He gave a subtle nod of approval, and Eva felt a small surge of pride.
By the time the meeting ended, she had a headache and a tablet full of notes to organize. She returned to her desk and began typing them up, determined to have them ready before Nathan asked.
At noon, Eva made her way to the reception area to confirm the lunch meeting with Mr. Hannigan. As she was finishing the call, Sabrina appeared, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.
"Still here, I see," Sabrina said, her tone dripping with condescension.
Eva forced a polite smile. "Yes, still here."
Sabrina leaned against the counter, studying Eva like a predator sizing up its prey. "Word of advice: Nathan doesn't do 'nice.' If you're looking for praise or recognition, you're in the wrong place."
"I'm just here to do my job," Eva replied evenly.
Sabrina's smirk widened. "We'll see how long that lasts." With that, she sauntered off, leaving Eva seething.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of tasks and emails. Eva barely had time to think, let alone eat. She delivered Nathan's notes for the morning meeting, confirmed his appointments for the following day, and fielded a dozen questions from various departments.
At one point, she overheard two employees whispering near the break room.
"Did you see the new assistant? She's lasted two days already. That's a record."
"Don't get too excited. Nathan will find a reason to fire her soon enough."
Eva clenched her fists but kept walking. She wasn't about to let gossip or doubt get in her way.
By 6:30 p.m., the office was finally quieting down. Eva was at her desk, finishing up a report, when Nathan stepped out of his office.
"Miss Blackwell," he said, his voice breaking the silence.
She looked up, startled. "Yes, Mr. Burns?"
He handed her a folder. "Review these documents tonight and have a summary ready for me by eight tomorrow morning."
Eva took the folder, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Of course."
Nathan studied her for a moment, his gaze lingering. "You're doing well so far. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
The unexpected compliment caught her off guard. "Thank you, Mr. Burns."
He gave a curt nod and turned to leave, but Eva couldn't help but feel a flicker of warmth at his words.
That night, as she sat at her tiny dining table, poring over the documents Nathan had given her, Eva realized something: this job was more than just a paycheck. It was a chance to prove to herself that she could build a new life, one where she wasn't defined by her grief or her past.
And if that meant surviving Nathan Burns' trial by fire, so be it.