Chapter 2 - The Lioness at the Gate
The following morning, the Northstar lobby felt different. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the sharp, aggressive click of stilettos. Elena Sterling had arrived.
She didn't look like a vengeful ex-girlfriend from a movie; she looked like a queen coming to reclaim her throne. She was draped in a designer coat, surrounded by two assistants who were practically running to keep up. When she saw me standing at the coffee station, she stopped dead in her tracks.
The silence that followed was suffocating. She walked over, her eyes scanning me with a mix of amusement and calculated disgust.
"So," she said, her voice smooth and polished like glass. "You’re the little analyst everyone’s been whispering about. The one Nathan has been wasting his precious time on."
I kept my head high, even though my hands were shaking. "I’m Maya, yes. Can I help you with something, Ms. Sterling?"
She laughed, a sharp, cold sound. "You’re so brave. It’s cute. But Nathan has a history of collecting things until they break. He’s already ruined my reputation once, and he’ll do the same to you the moment he gets bored. Do you really think a man who lives in skyscrapers wants a girl who’s waiting for a fairytale?"
"I don't think he’s looking for a fairytale," I said, surprising myself with the steadiness of my voice. "I think he’s looking for someone real."
May you like
Elena leaned in close, her scent cloying and sweet. "Real? Maya, he’s a titan. Titans don't date analysts. They use them as pawns in games they don't even know they're playing. Watch yourself. You’re playing with fire, and you have absolutely no idea how flammable you are."
She turned on her heel and walked into Nathan’s office without knocking. Five minutes later, the sound of glass shattering echoed through the executive floor.
