Chapter 7

Violet wasn't sure what unnerved her more: the fact that she was working directly under him or the strange pull she felt toward him despite his cold demeanor.

"This is just work," she whispered to herself. "You can handle this."

As she stepped into the sleek, modern office space, she was greeted by Jade Blackwood, the senior architect who had first introduced her to the team.

"Morning, Miss Harrington. Ready for day one?" he gave her a reassuring smile.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, forcing a smile.

"Come on, I'll show you to your workspace," Jade chuckled. 

She followed him through the open-concept office, where employees bustled about, discussing blueprints and sketches. The energy was invigorating, even if the pressure was undeniable. Finally, Jade stopped at a desk near a massive window overlooking the city skyline.

"This is you," he said. "You'll have access to the team's resources, but most of your work will be in collaboration with Mr. Sinclair."

Of course.

"Speaking of which," Jade continued, lowering his voice slightly, "a word of advice: Ethan is brilliant but demanding. He expects perfection, and he won't sugarcoat his feedback. Don't take it personally."

"I'll keep that in mind," Violet nodded, gripping the strap of her bag. 

"Good," Jade smirked. "And, for what it's worth, I think you'll be great."

She exhaled slowly as he walked away, leaving her to take in her new environment. Before she could settle, a familiar deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're late."

Violet turned sharply to find Ethan standing a few feet away, his sharp eyes flicking to the clock on the wall. It was barely two minutes past her start time.

"I got here exactly on time," she straightened. 

"On time is already late," Ethan arched a brow. 

She bit the inside of her cheek, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she grabbed her sketchbook and followed him down the hallway to one of the conference rooms. The rest of the team was already inside, reviewing project plans on a large screen. Ethan moved with purpose, his presence commanding the room the moment he stepped in.

"Let's get started," he said, voice smooth yet firm.

For the next hour, they discussed the design elements of the luxury hotel chain, with Violet presenting her initial concepts. She explained her vision, the artistic influences behind her work, and how she planned to integrate unique, modern touches while preserving a timeless elegance. The team listened intently, nodding at certain points, but Ethan remained silent, his expression unreadable as he skimmed through her sketches.

When she finally finished, she glanced at him expectantly.

"You have potential," there was a pause before he spoke. 

It wasn't exactly high praise, but coming from him, it wasn't bad either.

"You'll refine these by tomorrow," he added. "I expect better."

Violet's jaw tensed. She was starting to understand his language—he never gave outright compliments, only challenges.

"Noted," she replied, matching his intensity.

Ethan held her gaze for a beat longer than necessary before turning to the team. "Meeting adjourned."

By lunchtime, Violet had already spent hours reworking her sketches, determined to prove that she wasn't some amateur who couldn't handle criticism. As she sat at her desk, deep in thought, she reached for her coffee—

And promptly knocked it over.

She gasped as the cup tipped, dark liquid spilling dangerously close to her stack of designs. Scrambling, she grabbed a handful of napkins, muttering frantically under her breath.

A shadow fell over her desk.

"Your coordination is truly impressive."

Violet froze, napkins in hand, as she looked up to see Ethan watching her with what could almost be amusement.

"It's not—this was just—" She groaned. "Okay, fine. Maybe I'm a little clumsy."

Ethan's lips twitched, just slightly, almost imperceptibly. Then, without a word, he reached for the top design she had saved from the spill and studied it.

His silence stretched, making her nervous.

Finally, he set it down and met her gaze. "Better."

"Just 'Better'?" Violet raised an eyebrow. 

"Would you prefer I lie?" Ethan glanced at her, a flicker of amusement barely visible. 

"No," she huffed, crossing her arms. "But some elaboration would be nice."

He leaned back slightly, tilting his head as if considering her words. "Your use of space has improved. The composition is bolder. But the color palette—" he tapped one of her sketches lightly with his finger "—lacks depth."

Violet stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll work on it."

Ethan didn't say anything, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly. Approval? Maybe. She wasn't sure.

Then he walked away, leaving her stunned. It wasn't exactly praise, but coming from Ethan Sinclair, it might as well have been a standing ovation.

She let out a breath, shaking her head as she wiped up the last of the mess.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of discussions, brainstorming, and revisions. Ethan remained his usual enigmatic self, observing her, offering critiques in his precise, no-nonsense manner. He pushed her limits, but strangely, she didn't mind. She found herself wanting to meet his expectations, to prove that she belonged here.By the time the evening rolled around, Violet was exhausted. She had spent hours refining her designs, scribbling notes, and mentally preparing herself for Ethan's next round of assessments. As she packed up her things, she realized he was still in the studio, standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city skyline.For a brief moment, she watched him—this man who carried the weight of his world so effortlessly, yet never let anyone close enough to share it. There was something undeniably fascinating about him, something beyond his sharp critiques and unwavering perfectionism.

As if sensing her gaze, Ethan turned. Their eyes met across the room.

Violet quickly looked away, pretending to gather her things.

"Good work today," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Uh… thanks," she blinked, caught off guard. 

He nodded once before turning back to the view.

Violet exhaled, heading toward the door. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but one thing was clear.

This job was going to be far more complicated than she had anticipated.