Guarded King (Empty Kingdom #3)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

CHLOE

I ’m hit with a sense of déjà vu as I make my way through the foyer of King Plaza.

The man behind the security desk is different from the one I met on the morning of my interview. “Hi. My name’s Chloe Callahan. I’m starting work with the King Group today.”

He taps at his computer, then nods and flashes me a grin. “You need to head up to the fifty-third floor. If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll call to make sure someone’s there to meet you. Then I’ll send you up.”

He picks up his phone, presses a button, and talks briefly to someone. A moment later, he escorts me to the elevators and waits with me until the doors slide open.

He gestures for me to step inside, swipes a card against the scanner, and hits the button for the fifty-third floor.

“Thank you.” I give him a bright smile, doing my best to camouflage my nerves.

When he winks as the door closes between us, I’m not sure I did a very good job.

As the elevator silently ascends, I take a deep breath to steady myself. This building—and my new boss—might be far grander than where I last worked, but the job is the same: work hard, keep the boss organized, always be professional. So why am I so nervous?

After what feels like the space of a heartbeat, the elevator dings softly and the doors slide open. When I step out, I’m met by an auburn-haired woman with sparkling hazel eyes and a big smile.

She holds out her hand. “You must be Chloe. I’m Sophie Emerson, Tate King’s assistant.” She looks a few years older than me, and the friendliness in her expression immediately puts me at ease.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’ll show you around and help you get set up today,” she says. “Let’s stop by your desk first, and then we’ll pick up your security pass and make sure all your accounts are working.” With that, she’s already hustling away.

Gripping my bag tightly, I scramble to keep up with her longer strides—she’s several inches taller than my five-foot-four frame.

When I fall into step beside her, she grins and slows her pace. “Sorry, you get used to moving fast around here.”

“It’s that busy?”

She grimaces, though the look is good-natured. “Always.” Then a laugh bubbles up. “But I love it. I love the variety of the work and the vibe in the office. Plus, my boss, Tate, is pretty easygoing.”

“What about Roman?”

Lips pursed, she glances at me from the corner of her eye. “Um, well…”

I laugh. “That’s okay. When I met him, I got the impression he wasn’t exactly the easygoing type.”

“Maybe not quite as relaxed as Tate.” She shoots me a teasing smile.

Her effortless warmth is reassuring, and even more of my nerves dissipate.

As we round a corner, she points to a desk. “This is yours.” Then she nods toward a large mahogany door set in a frosted glass wall across from it. “That’s Roman’s office.”

I stare at the door, my heart picking up speed. Is he inside? The memory of our meeting in the elevator—the moment when he looked at me with such intensity—comes rushing back to me.

Butterflies stir in my stomach.

With a quiet huff, I shake my head, brushing away the reaction. He’s my boss, not a prospective date.

Sophie steps behind the desk and pulls open a drawer at the bottom of it. “You can leave your things here, and I’ll take you to get your pass.”

I tuck my bag away, then follow her again as she rushes off.

Half an hour later, we’re back. My still-warm pass is clipped to my waistband, I have a brand-new tablet under my arm, and I’m holding a sheet of paper with my passwords printed on it.

Once I’m successfully logged in to my computer, Sophie leans over my shoulder and points out a few of the programs I’ll be using. I’m just about to navigate to my inbox when movement draws my attention—a man rounding the corner and approaching with powerful strides.

Broad shoulders, imposing height, and a perfectly tailored suit.

Roman .

My stomach does an odd little swoop as those piercing gray eyes lock with mine.

He comes to an abrupt halt, a line etching its way between his dark brows. Turning to Sophie, he points at me. “What’s she doing here?”

My spine snaps straight. He may be gorgeous, but clearly, he’s rude, considering I’m sitting right here.

Sophie looks from him to me and back again. “Um, this is Chloe Callahan. She’s your new executive assistant.”

That chiseled jaw clenches. “No, she’s not.”

The previous swooping sensation in my stomach turns into a sharp drop. “What do you mean?”

He stalks forward, eyes now fixed on me. “I’m afraid Lena made a mistake when she hired you, Miss Callahan. Unfortunately, you’re not the right fit for this position.” He turns back to Sophie. “Call the agency. Let them know there’s been a misunderstanding and that there’s no fault on Miss Callahan’s part.” He flicks a glance back at me. “You can…”

My heart pounds a painful beat in my temples, drowning out his next words. What is he talking about? I need this job.

Sucking in a deep breath, I shove my chair back and stand, angling my chin up and meeting his gaze head-on. “Why exactly am I not the right fit?”

He raises his brows, probably not used to being challenged by his employees. Maybe it would be wiser to keep my mouth shut, but since I’m apparently going to lose this job if I don’t say something, it doesn’t matter if I annoy him.

His jaw gets even tighter, and he gives me a once-over, his expression icy and unreadable. “You can’t have more than three or four years of experience. I need a seasoned professional—someone who can assist with business operations, provide strategic support, and be a first point of contact for contracts worth billions of dollars. Not to mention, someone who can handle clients that have more ego and power than they know what to do with.”

I barely hold back a snort. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. I’d point it out, but I don’t think it will do me any favors.

“As I mentioned,” he says. “Sophie will call the agency and?—”

I’m not going to stand by and let this job slip through my fingers because another arrogant jackass in a suit thinks he’s better than me. “Yes, I’m young,” I interrupt him again, and I swear his teeth snap together. “But that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of doing all of those things. I’ve been working as an executive assistant for the last three years, and while that company wasn’t as big as this one, it was fast-paced and high-pressure, and I handled it just fine. You have no valid reason to believe I’m not capable of doing this job. Lena obviously thinks I am.”

Sophie’s watching our exchange with her mouth open and eyes wide.

Roman’s brows pull low. “Look, Miss Callahan. I’m not questioning your skills. I’m merely telling you that you’re not suitable for this particular position. That’s not an insult to you. It’s the reality of the situation. I apologize for wasting your time, but the sooner Sophie can talk to the agency, the sooner we can get this sorted out.”

He turns toward his office, but before he can disappear, I rush out from behind the desk, my heart in my throat. “Give me until the end of today, and I’ll prove I can do it.”

He pivots slowly, his features an enigmatic mask as he scrutinizes me. I hold his stare, even as I hold my breath, certain he’ll laugh in my face and send me on my way.

Instead, he rubs his chin, letting the silence stretch on and the tension rise until finally, he nods. “All right, Miss Callahan.” The rough edge to his voice when he says my name almost makes me shiver. “Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes to impress me.”

Without waiting to see my reaction, he strides into his office and shuts the door behind him.