BOUND TO THE BLACKWOOD BILLIONAIRE

een disbelief and panic. Assist him personally? On her first day? On his project? It didn't make sense.

widening when she saw the sender

ly, her voice st

esn't choose new employees. Or assis

pered. "Should

She patted Lila's shoulder sympathetically. "He's intense,

ose for Aiden Blackwood's attention. A warning? A

lt more

g her onboarding materials, though her eyes barely focused. Her

strac

ista

tachm

d like a mantra c

level entirely. It wasn't just authority he possessed-it was gravity, pull

ad to report

e hall and immediately

t even pretendi

inst a filing cabinet with her arms crossed. Her eyes traveled down Lila's outfit-a cheap blou

aged a w

dn't smi

d walked over with slow, confident ste

oice cool, "you're

ected gently, "

led. "Let's pretend

ked. "I'm

urmured. "If you want to survive here, don't get in over your head. And defi

not anger, but confusion. "

d with a thin smile.

way, her heels clicking

breath she didn't kn

, and someone had already decided to

email again, her

Blac

m. s

ally a

nreal, like some

2:55. Her palms were sweating. Her throat dry. Her sto

ad toward the executive hallway-the one lined with frosted gla

was at the very end

ap and silently begging the universe not to let her embarr

nt

lid through the d

ng into the largest o

of the city. Dark wood. Black leather. Min

ing out at the skyline as though it be

urn around

're

e. "It's.

s not

owed. "My

turning to fac

urried strides. His presence filled the

it

g not to grip the

began speaking with the

ration. However, due to staffing issue

rily?" s

ed. "Until I

dded q

ation this quarter. I need someone fast, organized, and ab

htened. "I

beat longer than nec

ed her

timelines. Read it. Understan

he first page-a

ncial projections. Corporate te

ced her

ok conc

onestly. "I didn't expect to be worki

ly-close enough that she could see the faint stub

idating because

impl

evelopment," he said. "I need ef

xed on hers

irectly under me must

lungs t

raigh

stract

no

mist

her

attach

-not casual, not impersonal

breath

and," she

it worse-almost accusing, almost curious. "Th

ping only a foot away from her,

acted," he said quie

ning wa

sence, his world-none o

ye

dangerous in the w

he wasn't

oked aw

best, Mr.

pped. "Because this projec

ng more than

e office phone rang. Aiden l

es

pa

d he

hun

Jenna walked i

stiff

slow and suspicious, but Aiden di

Miss Hart will be joining the Evergreen

e. "Sir...

" Aiden rep

to argue-but one look

l the jealousy radiating o

aid through clenched teeth be

ed his atten

morning at six," he

es

be late

things quickly, her heart rac

the hallway, her

sonally assist

e company's bi

she had barely wrap

't just a

torm she was

t been placed