Jay had already briefed Maya on her soon-to-be boss but even hearing it didn't prepare her for standing in front of the man himself.

Apparently, anyone who was anybody knew who Richard Steel was.

Founder and CEO of Steel Enterprise—one of the largest insurance corporations in New York—Richard had built an empire from nothing. But it wasn't just the company that earned headlines. Richard himself was a mystery wrapped in luxury suits and silence. No matter how hard the press tried to unravel him, they always came up empty.

No personal life. No scandals. No origin. Just a ghost in a glass tower.

And now Maya stood in front of that very ghost, trying not to fidget.

Richard didn't look up. His eyes were fixed on the documents in his hand, his expression unreadable. He'd long lost count of how many secretaries he'd hired—and fired. Most didn't last a week. Some didn't last the day.

He remembered catching a glimpse of Maya when she walked in. Nervous. Timid. Already halfway out the door, in his mind.

Jay had recommended her, though. And while Richard didn't trust much that came out of a human's mouth, he figured he'd give her a few days—see how quickly she cracked.

Still, something about her made him pause.

There was... a sensation. A quiet friction beneath his skin. Something he hadn't felt around humans before. It made him cautious. Curious, even.

His voice was low, clipped. "Your job mostly consists of being around me."

Maya blinked, nodding faintly as he continued without looking up.

"You'll be responsible for errands, managing my schedule, attending events, and joining business-related trips. You go where I go."

With a sharp motion, he slid the contract toward her.

"That's the agreement. You have the choice to decline. But once signed..." His hands folded together on the desk. "...you're bound to me."

His words dropped into the room like iron.

Maya met his eyes—and was caught.

They held her in place, gold-brown and bottomless. Something about them felt unnatural, not quite human. The longer she looked, the more the color darkened into a muted red, like embers behind glass.

The seconds stretched thin.

Maya looked away, cheeks warm. She wasn't sure if it was embarrassment, fear, or something she didn't have a name for. All she knew was that it left her unsteady.

"Make a decision," he said quietly.

He placed a pen in front of her. Simple. Final.

Maya hesitated—but only for a moment. She reached for it with trembling fingers.

"Yes... where do I sign?"

He tapped the space at the bottom of the page. She skimmed the contract. It was straightforward. Ruthless. Just like him.

She signed.

Whatever it took to stay here, to succeed, to survive.

Richard reached for the paper—but froze.

Pain.

It hit him like a spear, sharp and deep in his chest. His jaw tightened, breath caught. It passed in a blink, but the impact lingered.

Maya noticed the shift—barely perceptible, but real. His face flickered. His shoulders tensed. His brow drew together like a man trying not to scream.

Then—nothing.

He returned to stillness, like nothing had happened.

But his eyes... his eyes were not the same. The red in them pulsed faintly before dimming again, like something behind a curtain—watching.

He took the contract, placed it beside him, and turned away.

"Jay is waiting in the lounge," he said, his voice returning to its usual cold detachment. "Get your instructions from him."

"Yes, sir," Maya replied, a little louder than she intended. Her voice cracked with leftover nerves.

She made a note to practice better composure. Every emotion she felt showed on her face. If she wanted to survive here, that had to change.

As she turned to leave, hand on the doorknob, his voice stopped her.

"Maya."

She froze, turning back.

"When you're done," he said, his expression unreadable, "bring me a cup of coffee."

Her eyes flicked to his face—and there it was again.

That flicker.

That unnatural glow in his eyes, red bleeding through brown like rust in water.

She gave a small nod. "Yes, Mr. Steel."

Then she slipped out the door and into the hallway, breath releasing only after she'd fully left his presence.

She didn't know it yet, but that moment had marked the completion of her first trial. She'd been hired, and her identity—still untouched. Hidden. Safe.

Back in the office, Richard sat alone.

The pain returned, harder.

He clutched his chest, gritting his teeth as his vision blurred. The contract crumpled slightly in his grip before slipping from his hand.

Papers scattered to the floor, ignored.

He rose unsteadily, dragging himself toward the large door at the far end of his office. His sanctuary.

He stumbled inside, hand fumbling for the lock behind him.

Then he slid down the door, back to the wood, breathing hard.

Behind that door was the part of his life no one had ever seen. His true home—master bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, and sitting area—all hidden within the walls of his empire.

No one knew. Not even Jay.

The press had speculated endlessly about where he lived, about why he disappeared every night without being seen. They'd never know. Because Richard never left.

Not unless he had to.

He lived in isolation by design.

Because when the change came—when the monster clawed its way forward—it was safer this way. For everyone.

He could feel it now. The slow unraveling of his human side. The loss of what little remained of his soul.

He'd been told it would happen. That he would become what he was born to be—dark, cold, eternal.

The fight between his two selves grew more violent each time.

And one day soon... he would stop fighting.

He curled his fingers into fists and pressed them against the floor.

It was only a matter of time.

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