Chapter 2
Eloise's POV
By noon I already wanted to quit.
Because I couldn't keep up with Zev Castor.
He's impossible to deal with, one conversation with him was enough to ruin my mood.
"Miss Ashton."
I looked up immediately.
He stood near the glass wall of his office holding a document in one hand.
Cold gray eyes fixed on me.
"This report is terrible."
I blinked in confusion and stood up quickly.
"I used the exact format Maya sent me."
"Then Maya is incompetent too."
Maya, who sat two desks away from me, quietly lowered her head and continued typing like she suddenly couldn't hear.
I took the file from him and flipped through it quickly.
Everything was complete.
Everything.
"The financial breakdown is attached at the back," I insisted carefully.
"I can read."
Something about the way he says everything always ends up as humiliation.
I inhaled slowly.
"Then what exactly is wrong with it?"
His eyes lifted to mine slowly.
The silence stretched long enough to become uncomfortable.
"Your existence is beginning to irritate me."
I stared at him.
For one dangerous second I almost forgot he was technically my boss.
But then Maya gave me a tiny warning look from behind him.
Don't.
I swallowed the response trying to climb out of my throat.
I took a deep breath.
Zev dropped the file back onto my desk carelessly before walking away.
"Fix it."
I looked down at the perfectly fine report and genuinely considered resigning.
The executive floor felt less like an office and more like a kingdom ruled by fear.
Nobody spoke loudly.
Nobody relaxed.
Every assistant moved around carefully like Zev might appear from thin air and destroy their self esteem.
And honestly?
That fear seemed valid.
"Does he enjoy keeping everyone on their toes?" I whispered to Maya later that afternoon.
Maya looked horrified immediately.
"Lower your voice."
"He insulted me four times in one hour."
"That means today is actually going well."
I stared at her.
"You're joking."
"I wish I was."
Before I could answer, the elevator doors opened.
And suddenly the atmosphere shifted.
Heads turned subtly.
A woman stepped out wearing a fitted black dress and heels that probably cost more than my salary.
She looked stunning.
She walked through the executive floor at an easy pace, one hand lightly trailing along the glass wall of the corner office.
A junior analyst hurrying toward the printer almost bumped into her and quickly stepped aside with a flustered "sorry." She gave him a small, absent nod and kept going, her shoulders relaxed, eyes calmly ahead.
Then she stopped directly in front of Zev's office doors.
"She's here," Maya whispered quietly.
"Who?"
"Reina Drake."
Ah.
I knew that name.
Head of Corporate Strategy.
The woman every business magazine seemed obsessed with.
She pushed Zev's office door open without knocking.
That alone told me enough.
Five minutes later she walked out again.
Her eyes landed on me briefly.
Then she smiled slightly.
"You're the new assistant?"
I nodded politely. "Eloise Ashton."
"Interesting."
I frowned slightly.
"Sorry?"
She tilted her head almost thoughtfully.
"You've survived an entire morning."
Then she sauntered away.
I stared after her.
Okay.
That was unsettling.
By evening exhaustion had already seeped into my bones.
Zev had sent me back and forth across the building all day.
Redo this.
Fix that.
Print again.
Schedule another meeting.
Cancel the meeting.
No, not like that.
At some point I became convinced he was inventing problems simply to irritate me.
And somehow… It was working.
I entered the office kitchen quietly to make coffee before the next meeting.
My head was pounding.
I barely slept last night because of anxiety and now my entire body feels tense.
I poured hot water into the mug absentmindedly while thinking about the endless pile of work waiting on my desk.
Then suddenly…
Pain shot across my fingers.
"Shit…"
The coffee spilled instantly across my hand.
The mug slipped from my grip and shattered against the floor loudly.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
The burn stung badly.
Footsteps approached immediately.
Zev.
Because apparently humiliation followed me everywhere now.
His eyes dropped briefly to my reddened hand.
Then the broken mug.
Then back to me.
His expression was unreadable.
"Congratulations," he sneered. "You've managed to fail at even carrying coffee."
The humiliation burned hotter than the injury.
"I'm sorry," I muttered quietly.
"Your 'Sorry' doesn't clean the floor."
I exhaled softly.
I crouched trying to gather the broken pieces carefully.
One sharp edge sliced against my finger.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
A shadow suddenly appeared beside me.
For one stupid second I thought Zev might actually help.
"Careful," he mocked flatly. "I'd rather not explain to HR why my assistant bled to death over basic motor skills."
And with that he walked away.
I stared at his back in disbelief.
What kind of person even says things like that?
It was almost nine when the executive floor finally emptied.
My shoulders ached badly as I organized the final documents Zev had requested.
Everyone else had already left.
Except me.
Of course.
I picked up the completed files and walked toward his office quietly.
The lights inside were still on.
I reached for the handle…then I heard voices.
"I said I'll handle it myself." Zev snapped.
" This is getting reckless" another voice answered.
Silence followed briefly.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion."
Something about Zev's tone made my entire body stiffen.
I pushed the door slightly open before I could stop myself.
And immediately regretted it.
Zev stood near the desk rolling his sleeve upward.
My eyes instantly landed on his hand.
Bruised knuckles.
Fresh blood.
Again.
Just like yesterday at the gala.
I recognized the second person, Finn.
CEO of meridian capital.
His expression changed immediately.
But Zev…
Zev straightened slightly , lifting his eyes to mine.
And saw me standing there.
The air suddenly felt too thick to breathe.
Something dark shifted across his face.
"Tell me," he breathed.
Something about his calm tone made my pulse spike.
"How long have you been standing there?"
