"Five years ago, I swore I'd never fall for him again. Too bad my new CEO… is my ex."
Chapter 1 – The Devil in the Boardroom
The boardroom felt like a pressure cooker about to explode.
The room itself was modern, sleek, and intimidating—glass walls, glossy mahogany table, and a giant digital screen humming softly at the front. Normally, Ava Cole liked this room. It smelled faintly of coffee and fresh paper, and she loved how sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bouncing off the steel skyline outside.
But today, the room reeked of tension.
Dozens of employees shifted in their seats. Nervous laughter broke out in small bursts, only to be quickly swallowed by silence. The buyout had been sudden—overnight, practically—and the news that a new CEO was stepping in had rattled everyone.
Whispers floated across the room.
"They say he's young."
"Ruthless, apparently."
"Did you hear he's the kind who fires half the staff on the first day?"
Ava kept her gaze on her notebook, pretending not to listen. She wasn't new to this world. Buyouts, mergers, cutthroat bosses—they were all part of corporate life. She could handle it. She had to handle it.
Because unlike some of her colleagues, Ava didn't have a safety net. No wealthy family. No connections to fall back on. Just her skill, her determination, and the promise she had made herself five years ago: Never depend on anyone else. Never again.
She brushed a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, trying to steady her breathing. Whoever this new CEO was, she wouldn't let him intimidate her. She had worked too hard to build this career.
The double doors at the end of the room swung open.
And the atmosphere shifted instantly.
The click of shoes on marble echoed like gunshots. Sharp. Deliberate. A rhythm that demanded attention.
The room fell silent.
A tall figure stepped inside.
And Ava's world came crashing down.
Her pen slipped from her hand. Her breath caught in her throat.
No. This isn't real.
But it was.
Adrian Black.
Her ex. Her first love. The man who had destroyed her five years ago—and the man she had sworn never to see again.
Her blood roared in her ears. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The sight of him was like being dragged backward through time—back to every stolen kiss, every whispered promise, every lie.
Adrian's presence filled the room like a storm. His black suit was tailored to perfection, clinging to broad shoulders and a tall frame that radiated authority. His tie hung slightly loose, as though he had already conquered the day and hadn't needed to try. Dark hair, perfectly styled, caught the light in just the right way.
And those eyes.
Gray. Cold. Stormy. The same eyes that had once softened when they looked at her. The same eyes that now seemed sharper. Harder. Deadlier.
When his gaze swept the room and landed on her, Ava froze.
For a split second, something flickered in his expression—recognition, surprise, a shadow of something she couldn't name. Then his lips curved upward, slow and deliberate, into a smile that chilled her to the bone.
"Well," his voice rolled through the silence like velvet dipped in poison. "What an… interesting surprise."
Her heart lurched violently in her chest. She forced her expression into neutrality, clenching her jaw so hard it hurt. He wasn't going to see her crumble. Not now. Not ever again.
Adrian let his gaze linger on her before addressing the rest of the staff.
"Good morning," he said smoothly, stepping to the head of the table. His tone was calm, almost casual, but it carried a weight that pressed down on everyone present. "As you know, I am Adrian Black. Effective immediately, I own and oversee this company."
Whispers rippled across the room again, but no one dared to speak out loud.
Adrian continued, his eyes sweeping over them like a predator surveying prey. "I expect efficiency. Loyalty. Results. Those who can't keep up… won't last."
The air seemed to thicken with his words. Ava's colleagues nodded furiously, some scribbling notes they'd never read again.
Ava gripped her pen tightly, her knuckles white. She could feel his gaze returning to her, pressing against her skin like heat, dragging her back to nights she had fought to bury. Nights when she had believed his lies. Nights when she had loved him enough to break herself.
Not again. Never again.
The meeting dragged on. Adrian outlined his vision for the company—new strategies, aggressive expansion, ruthless efficiency. But Ava barely heard any of it. Her chest felt tight, her pulse refusing to calm. Every time she thought his gaze had moved on, she'd catch him looking at her again, eyes unreadable but sharp enough to cut.
Finally, mercifully, the meeting ended. Chairs scraped against the floor as people scrambled to leave. Ava was among them, clutching her folder like it was armor.
She made it halfway to the door before a shadow fell across her path.
"Still pretending you don't know me, Ava?"
Her body went rigid. That voice. That damn voice. It was deeper now, rougher, but it still sank under her skin the way it used to.
Slowly, she turned.
Adrian stood inches away, taller than she remembered, more dangerous than she wanted to admit. He wasn't smiling now. He was studying her—like she was a puzzle he intended to solve, piece by piece.
Her throat felt dry, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "You're my boss," she said evenly. "That's all you are."
The corner of his mouth lifted. Not quite a smile—something darker.
He leaned closer, his cologne wrapping around her like a trap. Expensive. Sharp. Masculine. The kind of scent that stirred memories she had no right to remember.
"Liar," he whispered.
Her heart stuttered violently, betraying her composure.
Ava's nails dug into her palm, anchoring her to reality. She hated him. She hated the way his nearness twisted her insides, the way his voice dripped with sinful confidence, the way her body remembered him against her will.
But most of all, she hated that he knew it.
Adrian's gray eyes gleamed with the dangerous amusement of a man who had just spotted his favorite game.
And by the look on his face, Adrian Black wasn't here just to run a company.
He was here to ruin her.