Melody's POV
The black car waited outside like a silent warning. Tinted windows. Driver in all black. I didn't speak. I just climbed in.
The drive was quiet, almost eerily smooth. No radio. No small talk. Just city lights flickering across the windows like ghosts. When we pulled up in front of the same building
S.H Group.
I didn't hesitate this time.
I walked through the door like I belonged there.
Same cold lobby. Same sleek black walls. Same woman at the front desk who didn't even flinch when she saw me.
"He's expecting you," she said, typing something fast into her computer. "Elevator. Top floor. Don't touch anything."
Touch what, exactly? There was nothing here but shadows and silence.
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have. As it opened, I stepped into a hallway that led straight to a single door his office.
I knocked once.
"Enter"
His voice was calm, but something about it made my heart trip.
Marvis Harper stood by the window, back turned, hands behind him. The skyline stretched behind him like a kingdom. This wasn't just an office. It was a throne room.
"You made it," he said without turning. "You always had two options. Walk away, or walk in."
"I walked in," I said.
He finally turned, eyes meeting mine. Calm. Calculated. But watching.
"Then let me be clear," he said. "From this moment, you work for me. Not with me. Not beside me. For me. There's no room for emotion. No leaks. No fear."
I nodded once. "Understood"
He studied me for a moment, then walked over to his desk. He slid a new folder toward me.
"Your contract. Personal Assistant. Hours are irregular. Salary is triple the average. But your loyalty? Not negotiable."
I flipped open the folder. Legal language. Non-disclosures. Silent clauses. But the final line chilled me.
"Termination of this contract may result in immediate elimination. By any means necessary."
My eyes darted up.
Marvis didn't smile.
"I don't like liabilities," he said simply.
I picked up the pen, heart steady. And signed.
Just like that, my life changed.
He took the folder, slid it into a drawer, then nodded once to a man standing silently in the corner. I hadn't even noticed him until now.
"This is Nico," Marvis said. "You'll shadow him until further notice. He'll train you, test you, and watch you. Fail once, and you're out. Permanently."
Nico nodded sharply. "Ready?"
I looked at Marvis one last time. "One question."
He raised a brow.
"The man with the tattoo, the one who used to work for you, What was his name?"
Marvis stared at me for a beat. Then answered coldly.
"Lucien."
The name cut through the room like a blade.
And I knew…
This wasn't just a job. It was war.