Chapter 4

Sophie arrived at the company, just as sunlight was appearing. The lobby was quiet as she walked down the hallway. She held her bag tightly. As she walked down to the secretary office, she prayed and hoped the day went well.

It was her first day, and she was determined to make a good impression. She didn’t have the history of failure—not with everything at stake.

“Miss Bennett, good morning,” said a cheerful voice. Sophie turned to see a young woman with neatly styled hair and a friendly smile approaching her. “I’m Clara, the welfare manager. I will be showing you around "

“Good morning,” Sophie replied, forcing a polite smile.

Clara led her to her new workspace, a sleek desk in the corner of the bustling office floor. The surrounding area buzzed with quiet activity as early arrivals set up for the day. “This will be your desk. You’ll primarily handle administrative tasks—scheduling, managing calls, filing reports. Mr. Steele can be... demanding, but as long as you stay organized, you’ll do fine.”

Sophie nodded, taking mental notes as Clara continued her explanation.

By the time Clara finished the tour, Sophie had a better understanding of her responsibilities. She was arranging her stationery when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. The atmosphere in the office shifted instantly. Conversations halted, and heads turned toward the source.

Adrian Steele had arrived.

Sophie glanced up, her curiosity high. The man who strode through the glass doors was more worst than the man she saw the day before. His suit was impeccable, but his tie was slightly tightened, and his eyes were shadowed with fatigue. The usual sharpness in his expression was dulled, replaced with something darker, heavier.

“Good morning, Mr. Steele,” They all greeted him, their tones cautious and harmonized.

Adrian barely acknowledged them, his piercing gaze scanning the office briefly before landing on Sophie. His eyes lingered for a second, unreadable, before he moved toward his private office without a word.

Clara leaned closer to Sophie, lowering her voice. “He’s... not in the best mood today. Just keep your head down and focus on your work.”

Sophie nodded, but her thoughts were based on Adrian’s expression. Why was he starring at her like that? She thought as she sat ready for the day's work.

***********

Sophie sat at her desk, trying her best to stay focused as the morning passed by in a blur. The weight of Adrian Steele’s presence loomed over the entire office, even as he remained locked away in his office. His dark mood hadn’t lifted since his arrival, and whispers of his temper had already begun circulating among the staff. She could feel the tension in the air, a strange mix of anticipation and dread.

Clara’s warning echoed in her mind: “Keep your head down, focus on your work.” Sophie had no intention of doing anything to attract attention, especially from Adrian.

Melissa arrived, greeted her and headed for her work too. What she liked about the place was, that the employees were kind. She hoped she won't have to see Adrian...

It was just after lunch when the call came.

"Sophie," a voice sounded through the intercom. "I need the Whitmore report—now."

Sophie’s heart skipped a beat. The Whitmore report. She had just finished organizing the files, but was unsure if she had grabbed the right one. Panic set in as she flipped through the folders on her desk, her fingers trembling as she picked up a file labeled *“Westfield Partnership.”*

That wasn’t the one. She quickly swapped it for the next file, but in her haste, the wrong one still found its way into her hands.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sophie walked toward Adrian’s office, her mind racing. This was it—the first real task assigned to her, and she couldn’t afford to mess it up.

She reached his office door and knocked, the sound far too loud in the silence.

"Come in," Adrian’s voice sounded from within hard and impatient.

Sophie stepped inside, holding the file in both hands as if it were a lifeline. Adrian sat behind his massive desk, his back to the door, but his posture was rigid. He didn’t look up as she entered, but she could feel his presence, his authority crushing around her.

“Mr. Steele,” she began, her voice steady despite the nerves twisting in her stomach, “I’ve brought the Whitmore report.”

Adrian didn’t even glance up at first, but when he reached out to grab the file, his fingers curled around it—and stopped.

His eyes flickered over the papers, scanning the label before his gaze snapped to hers. The look on his face made her insides tighten.

“This isn’t the Whitmore report,” he said, his voice laced with coldness.

Sophie’s stomach dropped. “I... I’m sorry, Mr. Steele, I must have grabbed the wrong one. I’ll get the correct file right away.”

But Adrian was already rising from his chair, his expression darkening by the second. His voice rose, sharp and filled with frustration.

“You must have grabbed the wrong one?” His words were like daggers, cutting through the her with brutal force. “How difficult is it to bring me the right file, Sophie? You had one job. One.”

Sophie’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath shallow as the weight of his anger hit her. She had only just started, and already she had disappointed him.

“I—I’ll fix it, Mr. Steele,” she stammered, her words rushing out in a desperate attempt to settle the situation.

Adrian didn’t even give her a chance to finish. He slammed the file back onto the desk with a force that made her shiver. His eyes were burning with anger now, his jaw tight.

“Fix it?” His voice was rising, furious. “You’ve wasted my time, Sophie. I don’t tolerate mistakes—especially from my staff.”

Sophie stood frozen, her mind racing for words to apologize, but before she could say anything else, Adrian’s next words hit her like a slap.

“Get out. Now.”

Sophie’s throat tightened, the sting of his dismissal cutting through her like ice. She had never felt so small, so insignificant. But she couldn’t argue. She couldn’t fight back. She simply nodded, biting back the tears that threatened to spill, and turned on her heel.

As she reached the door, Adrian’s voice followed her, low and dangerous. “Don’t come back until you’ve brought the right report.”

The door shut behind her with a quiet click, and Sophie stood in the hallway, her heart racing, her mind spinning with the humiliation of the moment. The office felt colder now, every pair of eyes on her as she made her way back to her desk.

Why was she always in trouble? She thought as her bad moments came cropping in, but she stopped it before it brought her emotions.

**********

Sophie was buried in her work, her hands trembling as she tried to steady herself Adrian's anger still burned in her chest, but there was little she could do now except push forward. She focused on her breath, inhaling deeply as she attempted to erase the memory of his cold dismissal. She had to be better. She had to prove herself.

As she began sorting through the remaining files, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Melissa standing beside her, her expression sympathetic but cautious.

"Hey," Melissa said softly, leaning in closer. "I know it’s your first day, but just... be careful next time, alright?"

Sophie nodded, forcing a tight smile. "I will. Thank you."

Melissa hesitated for a moment, her gaze moving to the closed door of Adrian's office. "Don’t take it personally. He’s tough on everyone. But you’ve got to stay sharp around him. One wrong move, and he’ll make sure you know about it."

Sophie swallowed, her throat dry. "I get it. I won’t mess up again."

Melissa patted her shoulder, a reassuring smile on her face. "Good. You’ll be fine. Just remember—work first, everything else second."

Before Sophie could respond, Melissa's phone buzzed, and she glanced at it before letting out a quiet sigh.

"I have to go. Big meeting with the clients in five minutes," Melissa said. "But don’t hesitate to ask if you need help with anything."

"Thanks, Melissa," Sophie replied, grateful for the brief moment of kindness.

As Melissa walked away, Sophie tried to gather herself, feeling the weight of the day press down on her shoulders. She needed to recover from the embarrassment. She needed to move on.

Just as she was about to open her laptop, her phone buzzed on the desk. The sudden sound made her jump, and she glanced down at the screen.

It was a number her mum's number...

"Why is mum calling me, she is aware am still in work" She hanged up but when the phone rang the second time, she picked it.

"Mummy..." There was silence as she heard what the speaker said, shock and tension hitting from beneath her.

"What!!!"