Chapter 1
The New Boss Lady
My name is Ethan Carter, and I'm a guy who's pretty good at keeping things chill. I'm 30, single, and I work as a marketing coordinator at BrightWave Solutions, a fancy consulting firm in downtown Chicago. My job? I make PowerPoint slides look sexy, write catchy slogans, and nod enthusiastically in meetings. It's not rocket science, but it pays for my rent, my Netflix subscription, and my unhealthy obsession with takeout tacos. Life was cruising along just fine until she walked in.
It was a Monday morning, the kind where the coffee machine in the break room decides to betray you. I was already running on fumes, having stayed up late binge-watching a sci-fi show about alien invasions. My tie was crooked, my hair was doing its own thing, and I was clutching a lukewarm latte like it was my lifeline. The office was buzzing with whispers, though. Something big was happening.
"Ethan, you heard?" my coworker, Priya, hissed as she leaned over my cubicle wall. Her eyes were wide, like she'd just seen a ghost or a really good sale at Target.
"Heard what?" I mumbled, trying to fix a typo in a client email.
"Mr. Hargrove is retiring. Like, today. And his daughter's taking over."
I froze. Mr. Hargrove, our CEO, was a legend. Sixty years old, built like a linebacker, with a laugh that could shake the walls. He was tough but fair, the kind of boss who'd yell at you for missing a deadline but then sneak you a donut at the Christmas party. Retiring? That didn't compute. And his daughter? I vaguely remembered hearing he had a kid, but I pictured a teenager, not someone ready to run a company.
"His daughter?" I said, squinting. "Isn't she, like, twelve?"
Priya rolled her eyes. "She's twenty-seven, Ethan. Just graduated from Harvard Business School. Word is, she's a total powerhouse. And not the warm-and-fuzzy type."
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "As long as she doesn't mess with my taco budget, I'm good."
Priya smirked. "Good luck with that. Meeting's in ten minutes. Don't be late."
Ten minutes later, I was crammed into the conference room with the rest of the team, all thirty of us squished around a table meant for half that many. The air smelled like cheap cologne and nervous sweat. Everyone was whispering, stealing glances at the door like we were waiting for a celebrity or a firing squad.
Then she walked in.
Isabelle Hargrove. Holy smokes. She was… something else. Tall, with sleek black hair pulled into a bun so perfect it looked like it had its own ZIP code. Her navy blazer and pencil skirt screamed "I mean business," but her face? That was the kicker. Sharp cheekbones, piercing green eyes, and lips that looked like they'd never heard of a smile. She was beautiful, like a painting you'd see in a museum, but also terrifying, like she could fire you with a single blink.
She didn't sit. She stood at the head of the table, scanning the room like a hawk picking out which mouse to eat first. The room went dead silent. Even Dave, the guy who always crunches potato chips during meetings, stopped mid-chew.
"Good morning," she said, her voice crisp, like she was reading from a script she'd memorized in the womb. "I'm Isabelle Hargrove, your new CEO. My father has decided to retire, effective immediately, and I'll be taking over BrightWave Solutions."
A few people nodded nervously. I tried to look attentive, but my pen slipped out of my hand and clattered onto the table. Isabelle's eyes flicked to me for half a second. I swear I felt my soul leave my body.
"Let's get one thing clear," she continued, pacing slowly. "This company has potential, but it's been coasting. I'm here to make it great. That means hard work, efficiency, and results. If you can't perform at your absolute best, I expect your resignation on my desk by the end of the week."
A collective gulp echoed through the room. Resignation? I glanced at Priya, who mouthed, "Told you." My stomach did a flip. I needed this job. My landlord wasn't exactly the "pay me whenever" type, and I wasn't qualified to do much else. I mean, sure, I could probably sell tacos out of a food truck, but that was Plan Z.
Isabelle kept talking, laying out her vision for the company, more clients, bigger projects, tighter deadlines. Every word was precise, like she'd practiced it in front of a mirror. She didn't joke,
didn't soften the edges. And she definitely didn't seem like the type to sneak you a donut.But here's the weird part: I couldn't stop staring at her. Not just because she was gorgeous—though, yeah, that was a factor but because there was something about her. She was so… intense. Like a puzzle I wanted to solve. Or a storm I wanted to chase, even if it meant getting struck by lightning. Was I crazy? Probably. She'd just threatened to fire anyone who slacked off, and here I was, daydreaming about her like a lovesick teenager."Mr. Carter," she said suddenly, snapping me out of my haze.I blinked. "Uh, yes?"She was looking right at me, her green eyes drilling holes into my skull. "Your department's last campaign was… adequate. But adequate isn't enough. I expect a full report on your current projects by tomorrow morning. Can you handle that?"My mouth went dry. Everyone was staring. Priya kicked me under the table, which I took as a hint to say something intelligent. "Yes, ma'am. I mean, Ms. Hargrove. I'll get it done."She nodded, barely, and moved on to grill someone else. I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. Ma'am? Really, Ethan? I sounded like I was talking to my grandma.The meeting dragged on for an hour, but it felt like a year. By the time Isabelle dismissed us, my brain was mush, and my notepad was covered in doodles of tacos and her face. Not my finest moment.Back at my cubicle, Priya pounced. "So, what do you think of the Ice Queen?"I laughed, trying to play it off. "She's… intense. But she's got a point. We've been slacking a bit."Priya raised an eyebrow. "You're defending her? Wow, Ethan, you've got it bad already.""What? No way," I said, too quickly. "I just mean, you know, she's the boss. Gotta respect that.""Uh-huh," Priya said, smirking. "Just don't fall in love with her. She doesn't strike me as the type who dates employees. Or anyone, for that matter."I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks felt hot. Priya wasn't wrong...Isabelle didn't seem like she had a soft spot for anyone, especially not guys like me, who showed up to work with taco sauce stains on their shirts. But still, there was something about her. She was like the missing piece of a puzzle I didn't even know I was trying to solve.That night, I stayed.Concurrent writing session detected. I'll wait until you're done before continuing...