HIS COLD GAZE MY SECRET FLAME

CHAPTER ONE

Lucia as she carefully organized the stacks of paperwork on her desk. Her fingers moved quickly, almost mechanically as she sorted through contracts,financial reports,and other corporate documents. She had long since mastered the art of staying invisible in this cold, corporate world where power,ambition and ruthlessness reigned supreme.

Her job as an Assistant at Kursh Organization had started out as a quiet,unassuming position at least that's how it seemed. Lucia had been content in the shadows quietly taking care of the administrative tasks and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. But now, nearly two years into her role she was all aware of the high stakes and the dangerous game played behind closed doors. The CEO of Kursh Organization Brian Bethel was an enigma to most of the staff. Cold, calculating, untouchable.

His reputation preceded him as an heir to a legacy of corporate power with eyes as sharp as a blade and a mind even sharper. Lucia had never been particularly interested in the gossip that was swirled around him in the office. After all she was just his Assistant, a cog much larger than her.

But despite her efforts to remain detached there was something about him that gnawed at her, something that lingered in her thoughts long after interactions. His presence was commanding. When he walked into a room, everything shifted, the air grew heavier, colder and she couldn't help but notice the way everyone in the office straightened, their voices lowering in deference.

Today, like every other day, Lucia was engrossed in her work. She had a meeting scheduled with Mr Bethel's executive team and she needed to ensure everything was in order. She shuffled through the last of the papers on her desk when her phone buzzed signaling a message "Mr Bethel requests your presence in his office immediately". Her heart skipped. Lucia knew the drill the CEO didn't summon anyone without a reason, it wasn't that she feared him at least not in the way others did but there was something about being in his direct presence that always set her on edge. She took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves and stood from her desk.

The corridors of Kursk Organization building were sleek and polished, every corner an embodiment of power, The walls were decorated with artworks that conveyed both elegance and authority. Lucia walked briskly, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she made her way to Mr Bethel's office. The glass loomed ahead, the world outside barely visible through the reflection of the building's towering facade. She knocked lightly before entering, the sound of her knuckles against the door seeming louder than it was. The office was as cold and imposing as the man who occupied it.

The CEO stood by the window, his broad shoulders were stiff, his posture perfect, a man in control of his environs, his back to her as he surveyed the city. His black suit fit him like it was specifically for him and his silver tie shimmered faintly in the dimming light, Lucia's voice was steady " you sent for me, Sir?" though a part of her felt uneasy. She'd never been entirely sure of how to read him despite her best efforts. Without turning around, he spoke "Close the door, Lucia" , his voice low and cold as instructed, the sound of the door shutting seemed to fill the space between them, amplifying the quiet tension. Bethel turned slowly, his gaze sharp and calculating, his eyes locking with hers, the intensity of his stare made her stomach flip.

"You'll have to take notes at the meeting tomorrow" he said "make sure the details are precise, I don't tolerate mistakes". Lucia nodded, already preparing mentally for the hours of work ahead, "Sure sir, I'll be ready" she replied keeping a calm voice despite the tension that was thickening in the room. For a moment, neither of them spoke; it was as if the silence between them had weight.

Then without warning, Bethel took a step towards her, his movement slow and deliberate, Lucia's mind was racing with uncertainty. He stopped just a few inches away "You've been working here for two years, Lucia" he said with a low and smooth voice.

"I'd love to know, what do you think of the company?" His question seemed simple but she couldn't change the feeling that it was a trap, maybe he was probing for something she didn't understand. "It's a great company sir" she said , her voice steady "Very successful", " Oh, I see you're a loyal employee that's good". Before she could respond, the phone on his desk buzzed, he glared at it and said "that'll be all for now, Lucia" his tone was dismissive but not unkind "We'll need to move quickly on this project, I expect you to be ready for tomorrow."

Lucia stepped back, offering a quick nod. "Yes, sir," she said, her voice steady despite the thudding of her heart. She turned to leave, but her hand hesitated on the door handle for just a second longer than necessary. She could feel his eyes still on her watching, calculating, weighing something she couldn't quite decipher.

As she stepped into the corridor, the door clicking softly shut behind her, the air outside his office felt somehow thinner like the room had taken something from her. Or maybe it had given her something she wasn't ready for.

Her heels echoed against the marble floor as she walked briskly, forcing herself not to look over her shoulder. But her mind was elsewhere. Swirling.

Why had he asked her what she thought of the company? That wasn't idle curiosity. Brian Bethel didn't waste time on small talk. He was strategic. Always.

"You've been working here for two years, Lucia..."

His voice echoed again in her memory. Smooth, low, unreadable.

It hadn't always been this way. She remembered the first time she'd met him on day one at the Kursh Organization. She had just finished college, her hopes still bright, her ambition raw but eager.

The HR rep had taken her through the maze of the building with a fake cheeriness that didn't reach her eyes. "Keep your head down, do what you're told, and don't cross the man upstairs," she had said with a short laugh, tapping her nails against a tablet.

Lucia had smiled politely, unsure of what that meant at the time. Until she saw him.

He had emerged from his office in the middle of a meeting. Sharp black suit. Crisp white shirt. A wristwatch that probably cost more than her yearly salary. The corridor had fallen silent like someone had turned down the volume on the world.

Their eyes hadn't met that day, he hadn't even glanced in her direction. But even without that, Lucia had felt it. That silent shift in atmosphere. That magnetic chill.

A storm in a tailored suit.

Lucia returned to her desk, barely noticing the folders she had neatly arranged earlier now seemed out of place. She sat down, the leather chair creaking beneath her, and exhaled slowly.

She reached for her phone. No new messages. No tasks from the executive group chat. But her screen still showed the last message.

"Mr. Bethel requests your presence..."

She locked the screen and placed it face down.

There was no denying the shift. He had never summoned her like that before. He usually worked through his personal assistant for direct meetings. Today was different. Personal.

Why now? she thought. Why me?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a colleague Mark from Accounts. "Late night again?" he asked as he passed by her desk.

Lucia looked up, offering a tight smile. "Looks like it."

Mark gave a small laugh. "Better not let the ice king keep you too long. We still need someone around here with a pulse." She laughed softly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Ice king.

The name fit, but there was something about it that felt too simple now. There was more to him. And she had seen a flicker of it in his gaze, a question he hadn't asked, an answer he didn't need.