The glass doors of Archer Global Inc. slid open, and Ava Thompson stepped inside, gripping her folder tightly.

“Okay… first day. Don’t screw this up,” she whispered.

The lobby was massive—marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, people walking fast like every second mattered.

This wasn’t just an office.

It was a battlefield.

And she had just entered it.

“Miss Thompson?” the receptionist called.

“Yes.”

“Mr. Ethan Walker is expecting you.”

Ava exhaled slowly.

Ethan Walker.

CEO.

Cold. Strict. Untouchable.

“Perfect,” she muttered. “Let’s meet the devil on day one.”

<⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠↗

Inside the CEO’s Office

She knocked.

“Come in.”

The voice was deep. Controlled. Sharp.

Ava stepped in—and froze for half a second.

Ethan stood near the glass wall, overlooking the city like he owned every building in sight.

Tall. Perfect posture. Dark suit. Even darker eyes.

He turned.

And just like that… the air shifted.

“You’re late.”

Ava blinked. “Excuse me?”

“9:00 means 9:00.”

She glanced at the clock.

9:01.

She looked back at him, unimpressed. “It’s 9:01.”

“In this company,” Ethan said calmly, walking toward his desk, “one minute late is still late.”

Ava crossed her arms slightly. “And in real life, one minute doesn’t define a person.”

Silence.

Tension.

Electric.

Ethan’s gaze lingered on her a second longer than necessary.

Most people avoided eye contact with him.

She didn’t.

“Sit,” he said.

She sat—but not submissively.

The “Interview”

“I’ve reviewed your resume,” Ethan said. “You’re overqualified.”

“Then you should’ve offered me a better position,” Ava replied instantly.

A pause.

Ethan looked up.

“You’re bold.”

“I’m honest.”

“You’re going to be difficult.”

Ava smiled faintly. “Only when necessary.”

Something flickered in his expression.

Interest.

Barely visible.

“Why do you want this job?”

Ava’s confidence dropped… just a little.

“I don’t want it,” she said quietly. “I need it.”

That answer changed something.

Ethan noticed.

He always noticed.

“Fine,” he said after a moment. “You’re hired.”

Ava blinked. “That was fast.”

“I don’t waste time.”

“Good,” she said, standing up. “Neither do I.”

She turned to leave—then paused.

“Oh, and for the record,” she added, glancing back at him,

“I’m not afraid of you.”

Ethan leaned back in his chair.

“Everyone says that… on their first day.”

Ava smirked slightly. “Then I guess I’m not everyone.”

And she walked out.

Outside the Office

The moment the door closed, Ava let out a breath.

“Wow… he’s exhausting.”

“You met him already?"

A cheerful voice interrupted.

Ava turned to see a girl with a bright smile.

“I’m Chloe.”

“Ava.”

Chloe leaned closer. “So? How bad was it?”

Ava shrugged. “He’s intense. And a little dramatic.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “You just described the CEO like that? You’re brave.”

“I’m honest,” Ava corrected.

Chloe laughed. “You’re going to survive here… or completely destroy the place.”

“Let’s aim for both.”

Back Inside

Ethan stood by the window again.

But this time… his mind wasn’t at work.

It was on her.

Ava Thompson.

Confident. Sharp. Unfiltered.

Different.

Dangerous.

He exhaled slowly.

“This is going to be interesting."

END OF CHAPTER!

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Hello friends!

I'm leah the author I'm fifteen year old! I love writing i found this app and find it interesting so.... I write this short story it has only 5 parts....I mean 5 total chapters so stay connected and please like my story comment in the story and subcrise the story.

Ava had barely settled into her seat when Chloe rushed toward her, slightly out of breath.

“He called you.”

Ava didn’t need to ask who.

She closed her file slowly, exhaling. “Of course he did.”

Walking back into Ethan’s office felt different this time. Not intimidating—just… expected.

Ethan didn’t look up immediately. He let the silence stretch, making her wait.

Ava leaned against the chair instead of sitting. “You called?”

He finally raised his eyes. “Sit.”

“No, I’m good.”

A pause.

Then, without reacting, he slid a thick file toward her. “You’ll be handling this project.”

Ava glanced at it, flipping through a few pages—and her expression shifted.

“This is a senior-level deal.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re giving it to me on my second day?”

Ethan leaned back slightly, studying her. “You said you’re capable. I’m giving you a chance to prove it.”

Ava closed the file and looked straight at him. “And if I fail?”

“You won’t.”

That wasn’t encouragement.

That was pressure.

“And I won’t be doing this alone,” she added.

“You won’t,” he replied calmly. “You’ll be working directly with me.”

Ava stared at him for a second, then let out a small laugh. “This is either a promotion… or a punishment.”

“That depends on how you perform.”

The next few days blurred into long hours and endless discussions.

Ava quickly realized something about Ethan—he didn’t tolerate mistakes. Not even small ones.

“You missed a detail here,” he said, tapping the report.

“It’s not relevant to the main proposal,” Ava replied.

“It is if the client notices it.”

“And they won’t.”

Ethan looked up, his gaze sharp. “You don’t assume in business.”

“And you don’t overthink everything,” she shot back.

Silence fell again.

It happened often between them.

Arguments that didn’t feel like arguments… just two strong minds refusing to back down.

Late evenings became routine.

Most employees left by seven.

Ava stayed.

Ethan stayed longer.

One night, she rubbed her temples, staring at the screen. “If I look at this spreadsheet any longer, I might actually lose my mind.”

“You won’t,” Ethan said without looking up. “You’re too stubborn for that.”

Ava glanced at him, slightly surprised by the comment.

“Was that a compliment?”

“No.”

She smirked faintly. “Sure.”

A few minutes passed in quiet.

Then Ethan spoke again, his voice lower this time. “Why do you push yourself this hard?”

Ava hesitated.

She wasn’t used to that kind of question from him.

“Because I don’t have a choice,” she said simply.

Ethan looked at her then.

Really looked.

And for the first time, he didn’t respond immediately.

END OF THE CHAPTER!

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The pressure kept building.

The closer they got to the deadline, the sharper Ethan became.

And Ava… didn’t back down.

“This isn’t ready,” he said one afternoon, tossing the file onto the desk.

Ava’s patience snapped. “You’ve said that three times already. Maybe try being specific.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “The structure is weak.”

“No, it’s not. It’s different.”

“Different doesn’t mean better.”

“And strict doesn’t mean right.”

Their voices weren’t loud—but the intensity between them was enough to silence the entire room.

Ethan stood up. “You’re letting emotions affect your decisions.”

Ava laughed bitterly. “And you’re pretending you don’t have any.”

“That’s what makes me good at this.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s what makes you cold.”

The word hung in the air.

Ethan didn’t react immediately.

But something in his expression hardened.

“If you can’t handle professional criticism, you shouldn’t be here.”

That hit harder than he intended.

Ava went still.

For a moment, it looked like she might argue again.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she picked up her file quietly.

“Understood,” she said.

And walked out.

The next morning, her desk was empty.

Chloe noticed first.

“Where’s Ava?”

No one had an answer.

Ethan didn’t ask.

Not at first.

But by noon, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“Where is she?” he asked, his tone controlled.

Chloe hesitated. “She took leave.”

“For how long?”

“I… don’t know.”

Ethan nodded once, dismissing her.

But the silence that followed wasn’t normal.

The office felt… off.

And for the first time in a long time—

Ethan couldn’t focus.

.

.

.Three days passed.

Three long, quiet days.

By the fourth, Ethan stopped pretending it didn’t matter.

He found himself standing outside Ava’s apartment, staring at the door longer than necessary.

Then he knocked.

The door opened slowly.

Ava stood there, clearly not expecting him.

“What are you doing here?”

Ethan exhaled. “We need to talk.”

“About work?”

“No.”

That caught her off guard.

She stepped aside reluctantly, letting him in.

The apartment was simple. Small. Nothing like his world.

Ethan noticed.

Ava crossed her arms. “Say what you came to say.”

A moment passed.

Then—

“I was wrong.”

She frowned slightly. “About?”

“The way I spoke to you.”

Silence.

Ava looked at him carefully, as if trying to figure out if he was serious.

“You don’t usually apologize,” she said.

“I don’t,” he admitted.

“Then why now?”

Ethan didn’t answer immediately.

Because he didn’t fully understand it himself.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said,” he repeated. “You didn’t deserve that.”

Ava looked away, her voice quieter now. “You don’t know what I deserve.”

“Then tell me.”

Another pause.

And this time—

She did.

“My dad’s in the hospital,” she said softly. “I’m handling everything alone. Bills, work, everything.”

Ethan’s expression changed.

That explained a lot.

“That’s why I need this job,” she added.

The room fell silent again.

But it wasn’t tense anymore.

It was… heavy.

“You won’t lose it,” Ethan said firmly.

Ava shook her head slightly. “You can’t guarantee that.”

“I can.”

She looked at him.

And for the first time—

She believed him.

.

END OF THE CHAPTER