The next morning, Jay walked into Watson Enterprises feeling sore and exhausted. Her arms ached from carrying stacks of files the previous night, and her eyes were still slightly puffy from staying late. She almost regretted taking this job—but only almost.
Mark Keifer Watson was already in his office when she arrived. His presence filled the entire floor, as if the air itself belonged to him. He didn't greet her, didn't even glance up from the documents in front of him. That didn't surprise her anymore. What did surprise her was the faint crease in his brow, like something had disturbed his perfect composure.
Jay quietly set down the coffee and files she had brought. "Good morning, sir," she said softly. Her voice trembled just a little, betraying her nerves.
"Morning," he replied flatly, not looking up.
The day passed as usual—calls, meetings, files—but something felt different. The office buzzed with whispers she couldn't ignore. A few employees were glancing her way, whispering just loud enough for her to catch bits of it.
"She's the new secretary, right? The one who stayed late last night?" one of them murmured.
"She's going to crack under pressure," another added.
Jay's stomach twisted. Her hands fidgeted with her pen. She wanted to say something, defend herself, but the words stuck in her throat.
Then she felt a sudden coldness behind her.
Keifer Watson.
He leaned against the edge of his desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp as daggers. "Is something amusing?" His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it that silenced the office instantly.
The whispering stopped.
Jay's cheeks flamed red. She looked down at her papers, trying not to shake. "N-no, sir," she whispered.
He didn't say anything else, but his eyes lingered on her for a long moment. Longer than necessary.
Finally, he straightened and returned to his work, leaving the air around her heavy with unspoken tension.
Jay exhaled slowly, her body trembling slightly with relief and exhaustion. She hated that he had that effect on her. She hated it—but part of her couldn't help noticing the way his presence filled the room in a way no one else could.
By evening, Jay's head was pounding. She had skipped lunch and worked through every single task without a break. Her hand shook as she typed the last report of the day.
Keifer didn't notice—or pretended not to—but when she set the file on his desk, he gave the briefest nod of acknowledgment. Just a tiny flicker of recognition. That was enough to make her heart race.
"You can go now," he said finally, not looking up.
Jay packed her things silently. She wanted to get out before she made a mistake in front of him, before her nervousness betrayed her even more.
As she walked to the elevator, she paused for a moment and glanced back. Keifer was still at his desk, staring at the skyline through the massive glass windows. The city lights reflected faintly in his eyes, and she could have sworn she saw something… different.
Something almost human.
She shook her head and stepped into the elevator, telling herself it was nothing.
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that the coldest man she had ever met… was starting to notice her in ways no one else ever had.
And maybe, just maybe… she was noticing him too.