"I got the job!" Seraphina shrieked, bursting into the kitchen, her socks sliding slightly on the tile floor as she waved her phone in the air.
Harper, who had been nursing a cup of coffee and scrolling through cake designs for her bakery, immediately jumped to her feet. "Are you serious? You got it?!" she squealed, setting the mug down and turning to face her properly.
Ariana nodded, breathless, grinning. "The company—the one with the insanely intimidating lobby and the interview where I thought I was going to faint? They just called. I got it. I'm the new secretary to the CEO!"
Harper threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. "Oh my God, Seraph, that's amazing! Wait—CEO? That sounds like serious billionaire energy."
Seraphina laughed into her friend's shoulder, still in shock. "You're telling me. I thought I tanked the whole thing."
She pulled back and glanced at her phone again, her expression shifting slightly. "Wait—oh, and they want me to come in today. Like, now. The CEO's schedule is packed and they need me to hit the ground running."
Harper blinked. "What? No time to even panic properly?"
"Apparently not," Seraphina said, still smiling but suddenly nervous. "They said to dress professionally, bring ID, and be ready to 'assist at an executive level.' Whatever that means."
"It means you're officially a badass," Harper said, already pushing her toward the hallway. "Go get dressed. I'll make you coffee and pack you a muffin. It's your first day on the road to billionaire drama, high heels, and overpriced espresso machines."
*. *. *.
"Oh, look, the great Alexander Starling, up early to play the perfect husband and father again. What a hero! " Karen said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and rolling her eyes at her husband.
Alexander let out a loud sigh, trying to maintain his composure. "I just thought I could help out this morning. Luca is still asleep. " He said softly, wiping his hands with a napkin and turning to face her properly.
Karen scoffed, crossing her arms, her eyes glaring daggers at him. "Help out? Or are you just trying to feel good about yourself? Pretending everything's fine? It's not fine, Alexander. Nothing's fine! " she yelled out.
The tension between them was thick, as silence lingered in the air.
Alexander took a deep long breath. He needed to stay calm. "I know you're hurting, Karen. I am too. But we have to be strong for_"
Karen interrupted him, her voice rising with rage. "For what? For who? Our daughter is gone, Alexander! We can't just gloss over with 'strong' or 'fine'. You act like she didn't matter to you, like moving on is simple! "
Alexander's expression changed, hurt evident in his eyes. "I'm not saying it's simple. I'm just trying to keep the family together. I'm doing my best and I expect you to atleast cooperate for the sake of our son. "
Karen stepped closer, invading his space, her breath quickening as her anger boiled over. "Your best? What best, Alexander? All you do is act like I'm the problem! "
Alexander sighs, frustration bubbling within him. "You're my wife! I love you! But I can't help you if you won't let me in, Karen. " He said, his voice firm but trembling.
Luca, their five year old son entered the kitchen, sleepy and innocent, oblivious to the turmoil.
"Mommy? Daddy? Whats wrong? "
Alexander kneels to his level, forcing a smile, trying to shield his son from the escalating tension. "Nothing, buddy. Just grown up talk. Why don't you go upstairs and let Penny dress you up for school so we can have breakfast and then I'll drop you off at school? " he smiled gently at his son, who nodded and left.
"You think this makes you the hero, don't you? " She scoffed.
Alexander stands up, taken aback. He glances at her, a mix of hurt and sorrow in his eyes.
"I just want us to be okay, Karen. Please. " Alexander pleaded, before exiting the kitchen.
The whole family sat round the dining table. The silence was defeaning - no laughter, no warm greetings, just the soft clinking of silver against porcelain.
Alexander sat at the head of the breakfast table in a crisp navy suit, his tie half done. He sipped his black coffee, eyes drifting toward the high chair at his side, where Luca sat, fidgeting with his untouched pancakes, his big blue eyes not as bright as they used to be.
Across the table, Karen sat like a sculpture - immaculate, cold and distant. Her silk robe clung to her form like an armor, her skin flawless. She didn't even glance at Luca.
"You haven't said a word to him all morning," Alexander said, his voice low but strained. "He's been looking at you. "
Karen dropped her cutlery and grabbed her magazine. She flipped a page without looking up. "Maybe if you didn't spoil him so much, he'd know how to do things himself. "
"He's five, Karen. "
"And I lost my child because of him. "
The word dropped like a guillotine in the room. Luca blinked up, sensing the change in tone even if he didn't understand the meaning.
Alexander stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly across the floor.
"It's no longer about her, Karen. You're pushing everyone away - including Luca. You don't get to punish him because you're grieving. "
Karen's eyes finally met his - glassy and sharp, like ice that cut rather than cracked.
"Don't lecture me on grieve, Alexander. You weren't the one that carried her for nine months. You didn't feel her stop moving when she fell down the stairs because of his carelessness. "
Alexander swallowed, his jaw tightening. "You're right. I didn't. But I lost her too. I was her dad. And I'm still here. Still trying to keep us - what's left of us - afloat. "
"Maybe you should stop trying, " Karen said, rising slowly. "Maybe you should stop pretending this - " she gestured around the immaculate penthouse, the untouched breakfast, the silent tension - "is a life worth saving. "
Karen walked away, her slippers clicking down the hallway.
Alexander exhaled, rubbing his temples. This was too much for him. Luca whimpered softly and the billionaire rushed to him. Alexander dropped to his knees beside him, gently wiping syrup off his small fingers.
"I'm sorry, buddy, " he whispered. "I'm trying."
The sleek black Bentley hummed softly as they drove through the city. Alexander glanced at Luca through the rear view mirror. The boy was staring out the window, face pressed against the glass, a quiet sadness in his eyes, far too old for his age.
"You okay, buddy? " Alexander asked gently.
Luca shrugged. "Mom didn't say goodbye or talk to me again. "
Alexander's heart twisted. "She's... having a hard time, " he said, though the words tasted like ash. "But I love you, always. You know that right? "
Luca gave a small nod, still watching the world blur past.
When they reached the school, Alexander turned around fully. "Hey, " he said softly. "Be brave, okay? You're stronger than you know. "
Luca gave a small smile. "Like you? "
Alexander swallowed hard. "Yeah, like me "
***
The doors opened and Alexander stepped into the lobby of Starling Enterprises. The weight of home and worry for his dear son clung to him like a second skin.
His assistant, Derek, met him by the reception desk. "Morning, Mr. Starling. Your new secretary is waiting in your office - early. "
Alexander raised a brow. "Already? "
"Yes, sir. She said she likes being punctual. "
Alexander nodded and made his way to his office. The door was already ajar. Inside stood a woman - elegant, poised, sorting through a neat stack of files.
She looked up at the sound of his steps. Their eyes met. Hers widened, and for a brief moment, her breath hitched.
Alexander extended a hand. "Mr. Starling. "
She took it, her touch light but lingering. "Seraphina Blake. Your new secretary. "
"Welcome, " he said, his voice calm, but something shifted inside him. Something warm. Unexpected.
And for the first time that morning, Alexander felt like he could breathe.
Seraphina's heart was still pounding by the time Alexander's hand slipped from hers.
"God, he's married. " Seraphina thought to herself immediately, even though there was no ring. A man like that didn't stay single for long. But still - nothing prepared her for how effortlessly magnetic he was. That quiet power. That calm under pressure. And behind his eyes... something broken. Something beautiful.
"Thank you. " she said, her voice a little breathier than she'd like.
"Have you settled in? " Alexander asked, walking towards his desk. He moved with a grace that was both commanding and unintentional.
"Yes. I reviewed the weekly schedule, prepped the board meeting file, and flagged a few items you might want to prioritize. " she replied, gesturing towards the neatly organized folders on the corner of his desk.
"Keep it professional, Seraph. You're here to work. " she thought in her head.
Alexander glanced at the files, then back at her with a flicker of surprise. "Impressive. Most people take a week to catch up. "
"I like to hit the ground running. "
He nodded. "You'll fit in just fine. "
Seraphina watched as he sat down, his expression shifting - there was a weight there, the kind people carried silently. She noticed the way his shoulders tensed when he looked at the framed photo on his desk : a picture of a little girl, grinning wide and a boy who looked a smaller version of him. Her heart pinched. Was he married?
"So, " he said, snapping her attention back to him. "How long were you with your last firm?"
"Almost three years. " she replied. "I left because... well, I wanted to work somewhere bigger and felt like it mattered. "
Alexander gave a soft chuckle. "We mostly shuffle numbers and try not to lose our minds. Not exactly world changing. "
She smiled. "Still. I think the smallest details matter the most. "
Their eyes locked again. A moment passed. Then he blinked, and looked away, picking up a pen. "Let's see if you're right, Miss Blake. "
The door clicked softly behind her as Seraphina stepped out to grab them lunch.
So he's intense.
She leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breath. Hours spent alone with that man wasn't easy.
"You don't fall for your boss, Seraphina. Not on the first day. Not when he's clearly got a story written in pain. " she tried to remind herself.
But her heart was already writing chapters.