I didn't expect a free moment at the office. The phone hadn't stopped ringing, and the emails didn't either.
"Miss Carter."
I looked up. Jason, one of the junior associates, was leaning against the doorway, a small, confident smile on his face.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"About work?" I asked, wary.
He shook his head. "No… just… you."
Before I could respond, the door to Alexander Kane's office opened. He stepped out, coat in hand. His gaze landed on Jason and froze.
"Miss Carter." His voice was low, sharp, deliberate.
"Yes, sir?" I said, standing straighter.
Jason shifted, suddenly aware of the space. "Uh—"
Alexander's eyes narrowed just slightly. He didn't move, didn't speak more, just stared. Jason swallowed, then stepped back.
"Sir?" I whispered.
Alexander turned and walked back into his office, closing the door with quiet finality.
Jason muttered something under his breath, straightened, and left.
I exhaled slowly, my hands trembling as I sat back down.
My phone buzzed once. A single message from my sister.
Ellie… I'm scared. The surgery is tomorrow.
I gripped the edge of my desk and stared at it. My chest tightened.
You'll be fine. You're stronger than you think. I'll be right there after.
Her reply:
Promise me you'll stay calm.
I promise.
I set the phone down, blinking away the sudden heat in my chest.
I leaned back in my chair, trying to focus, but my mind drifted to Claire.
I remembered the day she came into our lives. She was tiny, wrapped in a hospital blanket, her tiny hands curled into fists. I was six, barely understanding the idea of a baby in the house that wasn't mine. My parents had adopted her after my mother couldn't have another child following complications with my birth.
I remembered standing at the edge of the crib, staring at this tiny stranger with wide, trusting eyes.
"She's ours now," my father said softly, crouching down so I could see.
I nodded slowly, unsure what that meant, unsure what I was supposed to feel.
"She'll need you, Ellie," my mother said, brushing my hair back. "You're going to be a big sister."
I stared at her, then at the baby, and whispered, "I'll… I'll take care of her."
I meant it then, though I didn't know the weight of that promise.
Those early years passed in a blur of midnight feedings, scraped knees, bedtime stories, and whispered reassurances. By the time I was sixteen and Claire was ten, the world shifted again when our parents died unexpectedly. Suddenly, it was just us. I had to grow up fast, work, provide, protect. Every choice I made, every hour I worked, every sacrifice I endured—it was all for Claire.
Now, Claire was lying in a hospital bed, needing heart surgery. The same brave little girl I had once held so carefully as a baby now trembled under the weight of fear.
My phone beeped, it was the notification I set for the surgery later in the day.
Later that afternoon, Kane called me into his office.
"Miss Carter, stand there."
I moved to the corner of his desk, heart hammering.
He leaned against the edge, arms folded, eyes sharp, watching me.
"You handled yourself well this morning," he said.
"Thank you," I replied, voice low.
"That doesn't excuse distraction," he said. "Or the fact that someone dared approach you."
"I didn't—"
"You didn't have to. But you did not stop it. That is your responsibility. You are under my supervision. That includes interactions outside the office."
"Yes, sir," I whispered.
He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him.
"I do not like distractions," he said. "Especially those that compromise my control."
"I'm careful, sir," I said.
He studied me, eyes sharp, scanning me as if trying to find a flaw.
"You may go."
The rest of the afternoon blurred. Every time Kane's door opened, I flinched slightly, waiting for judgment that never came—but I could feel the weight of his gaze, sharp, possessive, always present even when he wasn't speaking.
By the time the office emptied, I realized I hadn't breathed properly all day.
That night, Claire sent a single message:
Ellie… I'm really scared, but I'll be okay. I'll see you after.
I read it twice, remembering the tiny, vulnerable baby I had once held. The girl I had promised to protect, the girl I would always protect.
I shook my head and whispered, "…you can do this."
And then, Kane's words from the office flickered through my mind: "You are my assistant. Nothing else matters."
I couldn't stop thinking about the way his eyes had narrowed when he caught Jason staring at me, the subtle possessiveness, the silent control.
I exhaled slowly, trying to will my heartbeat to settle. Tomorrow would be long, full of questions, of fear, of waiting. But tonight, I allowed myself a single thought: that I was strong enough to carry the weight of responsibility, for Claire, for myself… and maybe, for the space Kane occupied in my life that I wasn't ready to confront.