My first day at Metro Daily felt nothing like I had imagined. It was louder, faster, and far more chaotic than I expected, yet there was something thrilling about it.
The newsroom buzzed with energy.
Reporters typed rapidly, phones rang without pause, and editors called out deadlines across the room like commanders on a battlefield.
For a moment, I just stood there, taking it all in. This was it.
The place I had worked so hard to get into.
The beginning of something real.
I tightened my grip on my notebook, my pen already in hand, as if holding onto them would steady the mix of excitement and nerves building inside me.
I was not going to mess this up. Not my first day.
"Amelia Winters?"
The voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see a man approaching me, tall and well dressed, his suit crisp and his expression calm but welcoming.
"I'm Liam, your editor," he said, extending his hand.
I shook it quickly. "Nice to meet you."
He smiled, but there was something knowing in it, like he had already decided something about me.
"Your first assignment," he continued, pausing slightly, "is going to be interesting."
I narrowed my eyes just a little.
"Interesting how?"
Liam leaned in closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a secret. "There's a corporate gala tonight. High profile. Steel Enterprises is hosting."
The name alone was enough to make my chest tighten.
Of course it had to be them.
"You'll be covering it," he went on. "It's a good opportunity.
High society, powerful people, and if you pay attention, you might find something worth writing about. Something bigger than the surface."
I nodded slowly, though my thoughts were already spiraling ahead. Steel Enterprises meant Xavier. And Xavier meant complication.
Still, I forced myself to stay composed. "I understand," I said.
"Good," Liam replied. "Don't just observe. Look deeper. That's where the real stories are."
By the time evening arrived, I had gone over every possible scenario in my head. None of it made me feel any more prepared.
Standing in front of the mirror, I adjusted the sleek black dress I had chosen. It was simple but elegant, fitting well enough to make me feel confident without drawing unnecessary attention.
I pulled my hair back neatly, keeping my look professional.
This was work. Nothing more.
The gala venue was everything I expected and more. The moment I stepped inside, I was met with a scene that felt almost unreal. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room.
Soft music played in the background, blending with the quiet hum of conversation. Guests moved gracefully across the polished floor, dressed in expensive fabrics and effortless elegance.
For a second, I felt out of place.
But only for a second.
I straightened my shoulders, reminding myself why I was there. I was not just another guest. I had a purpose.
And then I saw him.
Xavier Steel stood across the room, surrounded by people, yet somehow apart from them. He did not need to demand attention. It came to him naturally.
There was a quiet authority in the way he carried himself, something that made it impossible to ignore him even in a room full of influential figures.
As if sensing my gaze, he looked up.
Our eyes met instantly.
That same smirk appeared, slow and deliberate, like he had been expecting this moment.
My stomach tightened, but I forced myself to stay grounded. I was not here for him.
I was here to work.
"Winters."
His voice came from closer than I expected. I turned to find him standing right in front of me, his expression calm, almost amused.
"Reporting for Metro Daily?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, keeping my tone steady despite the way my pulse had quickened. "And you are…?"
His eyebrow lifted slightly, a quiet laugh escaping him. "Are we pretending now?" he said. "Fine. I'll play along."
There was something almost teasing in his voice, but beneath it was something sharper.
"Xavier Steel," he continued. "CEO of Steel Enterprises."
The casual way he said it only made the weight of it more obvious.
"I've read about your company," I said, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "The growth is impressive."
"Flattery," he replied, his lips curving slightly.
I shook my head. "Observation."
For a brief moment, neither of us looked away. The space between us felt charged, filled with something neither of us addressed.
Later, I moved through the crowd, doing exactly what I had come to do. I took notes, observed conversations, and captured small details that others might overlook.
Everything seemed normal on the surface, polished and controlled.
But something about the atmosphere felt too perfect.
Too carefully managed.
And then there was him.
No matter where I went, Xavier seemed to appear not long after. Near the champagne table, by the grand staircase, even in the quieter corners of the hall.
He never approached immediately, never made it obvious, but I could feel his presence. Watching. Waiting.
At one point, he stepped beside me, close enough that I became aware of him without even looking.
"You handle yourself well in this environment," he said quietly. "I didn't expect that."
Something in his tone struck a nerve.
I turned to face him fully. "I handle myself everywhere," I replied, my voice calm but firm, even though his words had irritated me more than I wanted to admit.
His lips curved again, that familiar, dangerous amusement returning. "That was a compliment," he said. "You don't have to take offense."
I let out a small laugh, though there was no real humor in it. "Then you should work on how you give them," I said. "I don't need compliments that sound like criticism."
For a moment, his expression shifted, just slightly. Not enough for most people to notice, but I did.
And then it was gone.
We did not say anything else after that.
Still, the silence between us felt louder than any conversation.
Throughout the night, my phone buzzed occasionally with messages from Beth.
He held the door for me. I think he is officially hooked.
Another message followed shortly after.
He keeps looking at me like I am the only person in the room.
I might actually like him.
I smiled at the screen despite myself, warmth settling in my chest. Beth sounded happy. Truly happy. After everything she had been through, especially with Kale, she deserved that kind of attention, that kind of certainty.
I typed back a quick reply before slipping my phone away, returning my focus to the event.
By the time the gala ended, my notebook was filled with observations, fragments of conversations, and details I would need to piece together later.
But my thoughts were not entirely on the story.
As I stepped out into the cool night air, I realized something I had been trying to avoid all evening.
Xavier was not just part of the assignment.
He was something more. Something complicated. Something I did not fully understand yet.
And the most unsettling part was not the danger I sensed around him.
It was the fact that, despite everything, a small part of me was drawn to it.
Drawn to him.