Beneath His Empire

Part 4 –

Back on the 27th floor, Lila shut the door to the event department and leaned against it, heart still racing like she'd run a marathon through a minefield.

Ethan Wolfe.

She had expected arrogance. Power. Control.

What she hadn't expected was the challenge in his eyes, the way his words cut and probed—not to belittle her, but to test her. He wasn't just looking for competence. He was looking for someone who could match his fire.

And somehow… she didn't hate it.

"Lila!"

Helena's voice snapped her back to earth.

Lila straightened quickly. "Yes?"

"How did it go?" Her supervisor didn't even glance up from her screen. "Did he destroy the layouts?"

"No," Lila said slowly, "he actually… liked them. Asked for it to be pushed further."

Helena raised an eyebrow. "He talked to you?"

"Yes. Why?"

Helena leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "Ethan Wolfe doesn't talk to anyone unless he absolutely has to. He gives orders. Feedback, maybe. But conversation? That's rare."

"Well, we didn't exactly bond," Lila muttered.

But Helena was still looking at her strangely. "Be careful, Monroe. That man doesn't do 'casual.' He's not the type to smile and offer you a donut at meetings."

"I'm not here for donuts," Lila replied with a half-smile. "I'm here to do my job."

Helena narrowed her eyes. "Good. Keep it that way."

Lila returned to her desk, trying to shake off the strange sense of electricity that had settled over her skin since leaving the top floor.

But the memory wouldn't leave her alone.

The way he'd looked at her calculated, curious. Like she was a puzzle he hadn't decided whether to solve or discard.

That night, she stayed late at the office, combing through the previous Winter Gala designs, notes, budgets, and vendor lists. She jotted ideas furiously, researching exclusive décor, personalized guest experiences, interactive tech things no other Wolfe event had ever done before.

When she finally left the building, it was nearly 9 p.m., and the streets were bathed in golden light. New York shimmered with the promise of ambition and exhaustion.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her roommate:

"You alive? Or did you fall into a billionaire's lap?"

Lila smirked.

"More like spilled coffee into one. Long story."

The next morning, she was in early.

Lila arrived before most of the Events team, armed with a new mood board, design sketches, and her laptop buzzing with possibilities.

But what she didn't expect was the notification waiting in her inbox.

Subject: Meeting Request Office of the CEO

Time: 8:45 a.m.

Attendees: Ethan Wolfe, Lila Monroe

Her stomach flipped.

He wanted to see her. Again.

She smoothed her blouse, tucked her hair back, and told herself this is work. Just work.

When she arrived at the top floor, the same receptionist waved her through without a word.

Ethan's office door was already open.

He stood near the window again, his back to her, a file in hand. Morning light poured over him like something from a painting—too sharp to be real, too sculpted to be fair.

"You're early," he said, not turning around.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting," Lila replied, stepping inside.

"Good." He turned then, and for the first time, Lila noticed the smallest crease near his eyes. Like he hadn't slept.

He gestured toward the small sitting area off to the side of the office. It wasn't cozy, but it was less formal than the glass desk.

"I reviewed your notes," he said, sitting across from her. "You're ambitious."

"Is that a problem?"

"No," he said. "But ambition without precision leads to chaos. I don't do chaos."

"Neither do I," she said, matching his gaze.

They sat in silence for a moment—charged, wordless.

Then Ethan leaned forward slightly. "Why events?"

Lila blinked. "What?"

"Why this? You're smart. You're sharp. Why not finance? Strategy? Why choose a job that's built around aesthetics and stress?"

She paused, surprised he was asking. Surprised he cared.

"I like creating things people remember," she said softly. "Moments that live longer than the night. A good event can shift an entire brand's reputation. That's power, in its own way."

Ethan studied her like she was a page from a book he couldn't stop reading.

"You see beauty where others see risk."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he said, "but it's dangerous."

Her breath caught. "To whom?"

He didn't answer. Just sat back, watching her in that slow, deliberate way that made her feel both exposed and seen.

After a beat, he stood and walked to his desk.

"You'll work directly with me from now on," he said simply.

Lila blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You have ideas. You're not intimidated. And you don't bore me. That puts you ahead of most people in this building."

Her pulse picked up.

Working directly with him?

Every instinct screamed that this was a dangerous line to walk. That once she crossed it, things would never be the same.

But all Lila said was:

"Understood, Mr. Wolfe."

As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.

"And Lila?"

She looked over her shoulder.

"Don't try to impress me. Just keep being honest. It's rarer than you think."

Her heart skipped once, hard.

And then she walked out, heels clicking softly against the floor.

She didn't know it yet, but the line between personal and professional had already begun to blur.