Chapter 6

The office was buzzing with quiet efficiency when Violet arrived for her first official meeting on the project. She clutched her sketchbook tightly, determined to make a good impression, but her nerves were betraying her. Her mind was still replaying yesterday's encounter with Ethan Sinclair—the way he had looked at her, unreadable and intense.

She barely had time to dwell on it as Jade Blackwood, the project's senior architect, approached her. "Miss Harrington, right?"

Violet nodded, shaking his outstretched hand.

"I'll be showing you around. You'll be working closely with Mr. Sinclair."

Her stomach twisted slightly at the mention of Ethan's name, but she kept her expression neutral. Jade led her toward the conference room where the rest of the project team awaited.

The moment she stepped inside, Ethan was already seated at the head of the long glass table, flipping through documents. His black coat was draped over the chair beside him, and as always, he looked impeccably put together—serious, focused, and completely unaffected by the world around him.

The moment he heard the door open, he glanced up. His gaze locked onto her for a fraction of a second before he returned to his papers.

"Miss Harrington," he acknowledged, his tone neutral.

"Good morning," Violet cleared her throat. 

Jade took a seat beside Ethan while Violet sat across from them. The meeting began with a rundown of the project—an exclusive art and design collaboration for a luxury hotel chain. As Ethan spoke, his voice was smooth and deliberate, exuding the same intensity she had seen in his eyes.

She tried to focus on his words, but her mind kept drifting to how effortlessly he commanded the room. He was intimidating, yes, but there was something magnetic about him. Even when he wasn't speaking, his presence was impossible to ignore.

When it was finally her turn to present her ideas, Violet took a deep breath and flipped open her sketchbook. She spoke with enthusiasm, her hands moving as she explained her concepts. The rest of the team listened intently, nodding at certain points, but Ethan remained unreadable.

"It's a start," then he leaned back, crossing his arms. 

A start? That was it?

"A start?" Violet blinked. 

"Some elements work. Others need refining," Ethan nodded. 

"And what exactly needs refining?" she frowned, gripping the edge of her sketchbook. 

"Your use of space. It's too safe. Too predictable," he met her gaze, unflinching. 

Violet felt a flash of irritation. Safe? Predictable? She had spent hours pouring her soul into these designs. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she noticed a flicker of something in his eyes—interest. He was testing her.

So she straightened her shoulders and smiled.

"Alright then, Mr. Sinclair. Challenge accepted."

For the first time, something close to amusement crossed his face, though it was gone just as quickly. He simply nodded and turned his attention back to the documents.

After finalizing the details, the team agreed to officially begin work the next day. As the meeting concluded, Violet exhaled, relieved yet slightly frustrated. She had expected Ethan to be tough, but she hadn't expected to feel this… challenged.

That evening, Violet sprawled onto her couch, staring at the ceiling. The entire day had been a whirlwind, and yet, her mind was stuck on him—his sharp criticism, his unwavering focus, the way he had barely reacted to anything she said, except for that single flicker of interest.

"He's impossible," she muttered, rolling onto her stomach. "And so… infuriatingly unreadable."

Kathy's voice rang in her head. Maybe that's why you're thinking about him so much.

Violet groaned, burying her face in a pillow. She needed to focus. Tomorrow was her first official workday, and she couldn't afford to be distracted by her brooding, mysterious boss.

Ethan, meanwhile, sat in his dimly lit office, nursing a glass of scotch as he skimmed through the project files. His mind, however, kept drifting back to her.

Violet Harrington.

He had seen talent before, but hers was something different. There was raw passion in her work, an unpolished boldness that intrigued him. And then there was her—clumsy, expressive, completely unlike the people he usually dealt with.

His fingers tapped against his glass as he recalled her defiance. Most people shrank under his scrutiny, but she had met his gaze head-on. There was something about her unpredictability that both irritated and interested him.

He exhaled and set his glass down. This wasn't something he had time to think about.

Tomorrow, the real work would begin.

The next morning, Violet arrived at the office early, determined to prove herself. She carried a cup of coffee in one hand and her sketchbook in the other, mentally preparing herself for the day ahead.As she stepped into the hallway leading to the design wing, her heel suddenly caught onto the carpet. The stack of files in her arms went flying and she let out a small yelp as the coffee cup wobbled precariously—

Only to be steadied by a firm grip.

She looked up, and there he was. Ethan Sinclair.

His fingers were wrapped around her wrist, preventing the coffee from spilling all over her dress. His dark eyes flickered down to her before releasing his hold. Meanwhile, all the papers fell right at Ethan's feet.

She slowly looked up, horror creeping onto her face as she met Ethan's gaze. He was standing there, watching her, one brow slightly raised.

"Oh… great," she mumbled. "Of course."

Ethan exhaled, then crouched down, picking up one of the fallen papers. His fingers brushed against the edge of her sketches, and for a second, he lingered. Then, as if nothing had happened, he extended the papers toward her.

"You have a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," his voice was low, almost teasing—but she couldn't be sure.

"And you have a habit of appearing out of nowhere," Violet scrambled to collect the rest of the files. 

"I don't."

"You do."

Ethan didn't respond. He simply handed her the last file, his gaze lingering on her for a second longer than necessary before he stepped aside.

"Try not to spill coffee on the clients today, Miss Harrington."

And with that, he walked past her, disappearing into his office.

Violet stared after him, gripping her cup tightly. Her heart was still racing.

Oh, she was in trouble.