Chapter 2 The Empire Group
At the office, they stepped into the elevator.
Alexander entered first. A few employees followed, and Mia slipped in last. Alexander, who had been standing in the corner, subtly shifted—his movements calm and unhurried—as he closed the space between him and Mia.
He positioned himself behind her, close enough that the warmth of his chest loomed just a breath away from her back.
Mia stood straight, pretending not to notice, her fingers wrapped around her phone. A soft, familiar scent drifted up from her. Alexander lowered his head slightly, inhaling without thinking.
‘Why does she always smell so good?’ His eyes softened.
Just as the elevator doors began to close, hurried footsteps echoed. The elevator stopped and opened again.
Janet hurriedly stepped inside.
The moment she saw Alexander, her body stiffened. Her eyes widened before she quickly looked away, retreating into the farthest corner of the elevator as if trying to disappear. She held the files in her hands tighter, her knuckles turning white.
‘He’s following me? What is wrong with him?’ she thought, panic flickering behind her lashes.
The elevator doors opened on the next floor. Janet nearly bolted, rushing out the moment she could escape. A few others exited as well, leaving the elevator quieter and far less crowded.
Alexander stepped even closer to Mia. His head dipped again, eyes closing for a moment as he breathed her in.
‘She smells like the flowers I used to give her when we were young… No wonder I searched for that scent in perfumes for years and never found it. It was never a flower. It was always her.’
A faint smile pulled at his lips.
Then his eyes shifted to the phone in her hand. Mia was holding her phone, typing a message. Smiling at whatever she read.
His smile faded. His brows drew together slowly.
‘Who is she talking to? A friend?… or someone else?’
His gaze subtly lowered, trying to glimpse the screen. His chest tightened.
‘It couldn’t be James… I removed him from her life. So why does he still keep trying to find her?’
His eyes darkened, a cold shadow passing through them.
The elevator opened again.
Mia stepped out. She turned her head to look back at him—just as the doors slid shut and cut her off from his view.
***
It was around midday when Allen knocked twice on the glass door before stepping inside Alexander’s office. The room was quiet—just the soft hum of the AC and the faint clicking of the wall clock.
Alexander leaned back in his chair, one elbow resting on the armrest, fingers drumming lightly against his chin as his eyes scanned the contract before him.
His posture was relaxed, almost lazy—but there was an edge to it, a quiet control that made the room feel smaller. He didn’t look up immediately.
“Mr. Graves… you asked for me?” Allen’s voice was respectful, hands clasped neatly in front of him as he waited.
At last, Alexander lifted his gaze. “Where is Mia working?”
Allen straightened. “Mrs. Graves is at the Managers Department, sir. I have already made sure that she is settled in nicely.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened, his fingers tapped once against the table—sharp, controlled, irritated. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he didn’t like the answer. The silence in the room thickened, almost suffocating.
Then, he straightened in his chair. “Transfer her to the secretary division. Make her my personal secretary.”
For a split second, Allen’s eyes widened—then he quickly masked it with a nod, beginning to turn.
Alexander’s voice cut through again, darker, more commanding. “If she refuses… convince her.”
Then his eyes lifted directly at Allen and he added. “Your salary will be doubled.”
This time, the shock was unmistakable. Allen’s back straightened instantly, a grin spreading across his face.
“Yes, Mr. Graves! I’ll take care of it immediately,” he said, almost bowing, his steps hurried, a little too eager—like a man who had just won the lottery.
***
Allen stepped onto the Managers Floor. The atmosphere was busy—papers moving, keyboards clicking, quiet work conversations here and there.
Mia was sitting at one of the desks, shoulders slightly hunched forward as she focused on the computer screen.
Her hair fell over one side of her shoulder, her fingers typing slowly but neatly. She looked calm, almost small in the big workspace.
Allen approached and stopped in front of her.
“Miss Bennett?” he said in a polite tone.
Mia looked up, blinking in mild confusion, her hand pausing over the keyboard.
“Mr. Graves has requested to see you,” Allen continued.
Mia blinked, surprise flickering in her eyes. She nodded quickly, smoothing her dress as she stood. Several coworkers glanced up—just a second longer than normal—watching as she followed Allen out.
Janet entered just then. Her heels clicked sharply across the floor. She paused mid-step when she saw Allen leading Mia out.
A stillness washed over her before her expression shifted—eyes narrowing, lips pressing together.
‘So he brought her to work as well? What does Alexander want with this woman?’ Her fingers curled around the file in her hands as she watched Mia disappear around the hallway corner.
‘Is this because I told him our contract is over? Because I refused to be his secretary a few years ago? So now he is trying to replace me?’
Her gaze lingered on Mia’s small frame. The girl’s posture was calm, almost unaware. A shadow crossed her expression.
‘Should I warn her to stay away from this evil man?’
But then her expression hardened, her chin lifting in quiet arrogance.
“Never mind. Maybe she threw herself at him, like all the rest. Maybe she tried to seduce him, forced herself into his life, and married him for his name, his money… Women like her always do. She deserves whatever he’s going to do to her.”
She let out a quiet, humorless breath, the kind that didn’t reach her eyes. Her face smoothened into calm indifference as she walked back to her desk.
Then, she lowered herself into her seat, crossing her legs tightly. A tired and exasperated look appeared on her face.
“Just like every other woman before me…” Janet muttered under her breath. “This new girl will also get fired soon for trying to seduce Alexander.”
Her chest constricted, a frustrated, almost suffocating breath catching in her throat.
“Why is he doing this?” she muttered, her voice barely more than a strained whisper, heavy with exasperation. “I told him I don’t want him near me… yet he keeps doing things like this—as if any of it could ever affect me.”
The office suddenly erupted into a sharp chorus of phone alerts, each notification cutting through the silence. Heads snapped up. Chairs scraped across the floor. The air buzzed with a sudden, electric tension, everyone on edge as they picked up their phones to check.
Janet blinked in confusion and then lifted her own phone. The screen flared to life in her hand.
Before she could even read a single word, a sharp gasp pierced the office. A woman nearby half-stood from her chair, eyes wide with something between shock and disbelief.
“Oh my God—did you guys see this?!”
Another leaned forward, gripping her phone like it was a lifeline. “I just saw! Mia… she’s Mr. Graves’s personal secretary now?”
A stunned silence rippled — then whispers burst everywhere.
“But didn’t she just join today?”
“How did she become the CEO’s secretary that fast?”
“There must be something going on.”
“Who is she?”
The office buzzed like a hive of gossip.
Meanwhile, Janet slowly placed her phone face-down on the desk, her fingers stiff and unmoving. Her expression drained — shock hitting hard.
‘What is happening? Doesn’t he despise every other woman except me? Especially the ones who try to get close to him?’
Her voice came out low, cracking with disbelief: “Then… why would he make that woman his secretary?”
A cold darkness spread across her expression, seeping into every line of her face. Her shoulders stiffened, and a bitter laugh threatened to escape.
“So what was the meaning of his words all these years?” she whispered harshly. “When he said I’m going to be the only woman around him? In the end, it turns out he was hooking up with random women. Who knows how many others he had behind my back all these years.”
***
At the CEO’s office, the door suddenly opened. Alexander had been leaning back in his chair, one hand impatiently adjusting the cuff of his shirt. His gaze kept flicking to the door as if he’d been waiting far too long for someone.
When Mia finally walked in with Allen following behind her, Alexander’s eyes instantly locked onto her. The file he had in his hand was upside down—he quickly flipped it the right way and tried to make his expression appear composed.
Allen and Mia approached his desk. Alexander rose to his feet and stepped out from behind the desk, his eyes never leaving her.
“Mr. Graves,” Allen announced politely, stopping before the desk, “as you requested, I have updated Mrs. Graves’s position. From today onward, she will be your personal secretary.”
Alexander waved a hand lightly, dismissing him. Allen bowed slightly and left the office, closing the door behind him.
Now it was just the two of them.
Alexander looked down at Mia. She smiled, polite and sweet, her hands folded lightly in front of her. “Mr. Graves,” she asked teasingly, “what would you like me to do?”
Alexander’s lips curved into a slow, deep smile.
“Miss Bennett,” he murmured, “your job is simple. The only thing you need to do is take care of me.”
Mia blinked, surprised and a little confused. “Take care of you? How?”
Alexander didn’t answer right away.
He stepped closer—close enough that she could feel his warmth. He slid a hand around her waist, drawing her toward him, lowering his head until his breath brushed her ear.