Chapter 1: The First Encounter
The city skyline was ablaze with the dying light of the day as Neil stepped into the sleek, glass-walled office building for his first day. Fresh out of college, he was eager to make a mark, but as he walked through the hushed corridors of the company, his nerves gnawed at him. The place reeked of professionalism, success, and power—attributes that he admired yet felt unworthy of. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he saw her for the first time.
Sia.
She was standing by the large windows, her silhouette framed by the golden sunset. At 35, Sia was the epitome of a woman who had everything under control—her career, her appearance, and most dauntingly, herself. Her sharp eyes caught his for a fleeting moment, sending a jolt of electricity through him. He quickly looked away, but that brief connection was enough to set something alight within him. The sight of her left a deep impression on Neil, one that he couldn’t shake off.
As the days turned into weeks, Neil found himself drawn to Sia in ways he couldn’t understand. Every interaction, every passing glance, seemed loaded with meaning. It was in the little things—the way she spoke to him, her voice calm yet commanding, the way her fingers would sometimes brush against his when she handed him a file, or the subtle scent of her perfume that lingered in the air long after she had passed by.
Neil’s fascination with Sia grew with each passing day. He admired her from afar, watching the way she navigated the office with ease and confidence. She was everything he wasn’t—experienced, knowledgeable, and utterly self-assured. Yet, there was something in the way she looked at him that made him think she wasn’t as invincible as she seemed.
