The morning sunlight spilled across Seraphina Cheng's kitchen table, glinting off the rim of her chipped coffee mug. She stared down into the steaming liquid as if it might hold the answers to all of life's questions. Her best friend, Elara Shin, perched on the counter with a bowl of cereal, smirking at her like a cat that had cornered a mouse.
"So," Elara said, spoon dangling from her fingers, "tell me again how the terrifying, godlike Adrian Ling hired you on the spot. You didn't trip, right? Didn't spill your water? Didn't call him 'sir scary-eyes' by mistake?"
Seraphina groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "Elara, please. I was professional. Sort of."
Elara leaned forward eagerly. "And?"
"And what?"
"And what was he like? In person?" Elara waggled her eyebrows. "You know. Was he as stupidly gorgeous as everyone says?"
Sera's cheeks warmed despite herself. She tried to focus on stirring sugar into her coffee. "He's… intimidating. Gorgeous, yes. Like, unfairly. But he's also—" She hesitated, searching for the right word. "Intense. He looks at you like he's reading something you don't even know about yourself."
Elara grinned. "Ooh. Creepy-hot."
"Emphasis on creepy," Sera muttered, though her mind betrayed her, replaying the moment she had told him she wasn't afraid. The way his lips had curved, slow and dangerous, like he found her amusing.
Elara hopped off the counter and grabbed her bag. "Well, creepy-hot boss or not, this is a big deal. First day at Ling Publishing, editor girl. Try not to combust."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Sera said dryly.
The Ling Corporation tower loomed like a glass-and-steel giant as Sera approached, heels clicking nervously on the polished floor of the lobby. Employees streamed past her—sleek suits, sharp heels, clipped conversations that buzzed like bees. Everyone here seemed to move with purpose, as though time itself bent around Adrian Ling's empire.
At the publishing division's office, Sera was greeted by a smiling manager who introduced her to the team and showed her to her desk. It wasn't glamorous, tucked into a corner with a half-functioning computer, but it was hers. She set her bag down and tried to breathe.
She had barely booted up her email when the air shifted—subtle, but undeniable. A quiet hush fell across the office. Heads turned.
And then he walked in.
Adrian Ling.
He didn't belong in this wing of his empire, where editors fussed over manuscripts and interns fetched coffee. Yet here he was, tall and immaculate in a charcoal suit, moving with the effortless confidence of a man who commanded empires. Lucien Han followed at his side, his gray eyes scanning the room with quiet precision.
"Good morning," Adrian said, his voice smooth but carrying the weight of authority. "I wanted to see how our newest editor is settling in."
Every employee stiffened, their nervous smiles plastered in place. Sera's heart thudded painfully in her chest. He was looking at her. Only her.
She stood quickly. "Mr. Ling. Um, I—I'm fine. Thank you."
Adrian's gaze lingered, cool and assessing, yet something unreadable flickered in his eyes. He stepped closer, and she caught the faint scent of ocean salt and something darker, like smoke curling at the edges of fire.
"Seraphina," he said, drawing out the syllables as though tasting them. "How… ordinary life must have felt until now."
The words confused her, and she opened her mouth to respond, but Lucien cut in smoothly. "Mr. Ling, we should be going. You have a board call in fifteen minutes."
Adrian's gaze held hers for one last, heavy beat before he inclined his head. "Carry on, Miss Cheng."
And then he was gone, leaving the office buzzing like shaken bees.
By lunch, Sera was exhausted—not from the work, which was manageable, but from the way every coworker had cornered her with questions.
"You actually spoke to him?"
"What did he say?"
"Was he… smiling? Or was that just the lighting?"
Sera forced polite answers, though inside her thoughts spun. She carried her tray into the cafeteria, only to find Elara waiting with a victorious grin.
"I told you," Elara said. "Dragon's den. And you survived the first day." She leaned in conspiratorially. "But don't think I didn't hear. He came down just to see you, didn't he?"
Sera frowned. "He probably checks on all new hires."
"Uh-huh." Elara's smirk said otherwise. "Careful, Sera. Men like Adrian Ling don't 'check on' people. They devour them."
That night, Adrian stood again at the window of his top-floor office, the city sprawling below like prey beneath a predator's claws.
Lucien lingered by the desk, arms folded. "You're reckless."
Adrian's expression remained cool. "I hired an editor. Nothing more."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "You stared at her as though she wasn't human. Tell me, Adrian—what did you see?"
Adrian turned back to the glass, his reflection dark and unreadable. "Something I don't understand." His voice dropped, almost a whisper. "Something… dangerous."