KISS'S POV
The moment I stepped out of Goodwill International Group, my lungs finally remembered how to breathe.
The glass doors slid shut behind me with a quiet hiss, but the tension inside my chest didn't ease. If anything, it tightened—like invisible hands squeezing my ribs.
I didn't wait for the interview to officially end.
I didn't wait for Oscar to escort me out politely.
And I definitely didn't wait for Adrian Goodwill to say another word.
I walked fast—too fast—down the wide marble steps and straight onto the street, my heels striking the pavement like a warning.
I hailed the first cab I saw and yanked the door open.
"Drive," I snapped, sliding inside. "Anywhere but here."
The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, startled, but nodded and pulled away.
Only then did I allow myself to sink back against the seat and took a deep breath.
The city blurred past the window—towering buildings, flashing lights, moving lives—but my mind was trapped in one place.
Adrian Goodwill.
CEO.
Power incarnate.
Control wrapped in an expensive suit.
And now… my potential employer.
The irony was almost cruel.
I had walked into that building thinking I could remain invisible—just another woman trying to survive without a famous last name to protect her. Instead, I'd walked straight into the center of his world.
Into his territory.
Into his reach.
My fingers curled into fists on my lap.
How stupid could I be thinking I could run from him?
By the time the cab pulled up in front of my house, anger had replaced shock. I paid the driver quickly, muttered a thanks, and stepped out into the evening air.
My phone buzzed violently inside my bag.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
I didn't need to check the screen to know who it was.
I ignored it and crossed the street—
🚗 SCREEECH—!
The sound ripped through the air like a scream.
A black luxury car swerved sharply, stopping inches from my body.
My heart slammed into my throat.
"What the hell?!" I shouted, stumbling backward as adrenaline surged through me.
The driver's door flew open instantly.
"Are you insane?" a man barked, his voice sharp and commanding—then he stopped.
Mid-sentence.
Mid-breath.
His eyes locked onto mine.
The silence stretched.
"You could've been killed," he said finally, his tone lower now, controlled, dangerous. "Are you blind, or do you enjoy testing fate?"
I straightened, fury igniting in my chest. "Excuse me? You're the one who almost ran me over!"
He studied me closely, his gaze slow and deliberate—like he was assessing more than just my anger.
"I stopped," he replied calmly. "Which means I was paying attention. You weren't."
I scoffed bitterly. "Fantastic. So now I get a lecture too? Is today some kind of rich-men-humiliate-Kiss day?"
A slow smile tugged at his lips.
Not apologetic.
Not embarrassed.
Amused.
"My name is Chris Blackwood," he said smoothly. "And you should be more careful. This city isn't kind to distracted women."
I rolled my eyes, exhaustion mixing with irritation. "I don't need your concern, Mr. Blackwood. Keep it."
I turned to leave—
"Wait."
His voice stopped me cold.
"You're Adrian Goodwill's new secretary now, aren't you?"
My steps froze. Slowly, I turned back. "What did you just say?"
Chris leaned casually against his car, hands in his pockets, eyes gleaming with something sharp and unsettling.
"Relax," he said. "I know him. We share… history. Business. Other things."
My stomach twisted painfully.
"Then tell your friend to stay out of my life," I snapped. "Because I'm not interested in being caught between two overgrown egos."
Instead of being offended, Chris laughed softly. That laugh sent a chill down my spine.
"Oh," he said, eyes never leaving mine. "You're definitely interesting."
"I'm not," I replied quickly.
"People who say that usually are," he countered. "Especially people who attract men like Adrian Goodwill."
I clenched my jaw. "I didn't attract him. I made a mistake."
His smile faded just slightly.
"In our world," he said quietly, "mistakes don't happen by accident."
He stepped back toward his car, but paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"Be careful, Kiss Hilson," he added. "You just caught the attention of the wrong man."
My heart thudded violently.
"And in our world," he finished, opening the door, "attention is never accidental."
The engine roared to life, and within seconds, the car disappeared down the street.
I stood there long after he was gone, my body trembling—not from fear alone, but from realization.
First Adrian.
Now Chris Blackwood.
I had wanted to disappear.
Instead, I had stepped directly into a war I didn't understand yet.
And somehow… I was standing at the center of it.
---
ADRIAN'S POV
I watched her leave the building from my office window.
Her heels struck the marble floor like a warning—but she moved fast, impatient, unaware that she had just stepped into my world.
Then my phone buzzed. A message from an old associate: "She's being watched. Another player is aware of her."
I frowned, jaw tight.
Chris Blackwood. That name brought back memories I didn't want to revisit.
And my pulse quickened—not from anger, but from something far more dangerous.
She didn't know it yet, but every step she took outside that building drew her deeper into my life… and into the dangers I couldn't control.
This was only the beginning.
And I swore… no one would touch her.
Not while I was breathing.