Chapter One

The Mistake That Changed Everything 

Lexington & Co. served as more than a traditional law firm for Maya because it had become her life-long professional goal.

The elegant glass enclosure of the law firm presented a powerful aura through its elegant structure along with whispers of significant court cases and echoing designer heels striking marble flooring while employees remained focused because one single misstep could destroy their professional status. 

Maya Sinclair dedicated herself to avoiding any errors during her first day at the law firm. 

At least, not on her first day. 

But life had other plans. 

She took a deep breath when outside the mahogany door leading to his office space then she used both hands to straighten her blazer lapels. As the extreme senior partner Damien Knight ruled over the law firm while maintaining his solid position as an untouchable figure along with his ruthless and cold demeanor. 

A whispered rumor surrounded his name throughout the office. 

A man feared. 

She was poised to encounter the man in the most unpleasant manner. 

Her breathing stopped as she tapped the door. She opened the door a small amount to reveal the empty space within his office. 

Empty. 

She hesitated before stepping in. Maybe she was early? On her previous visit, the assistant asked her to come directly to this location. 

The almost perfect cleanliness of the room blended with a lingering aroma from expensive cologne filling the space. The expansive windows running across the wall exposed a beautiful city skyline before her. 

The intimidating workspace featured his desk as its central point with neat organization and minimalist structure. 

Her fingers itched. Maybe she could leave a note? 

She reached for a pen. 

Big mistake. 

As soon as her fingers touched a desk folder, a deep voice broke the total silence. 

''Anyone touching that folder will have reasons to regret their action.'' 

Maya froze. 

The room's atmosphere transformed abruptly and the temperature seemed to decrease by ten degrees. Slowly, she turned. 

And there he was. 

From the entrance Damien Knight observed her in a sophisticated black suit as he stood composed yet his eyes directed a frozen stare toward her. 

A hunting mentality burned in his steel eyes which turned them extremely dark and intense as he looked at her. 

"I—" Her throat went dry. "I was just—" 

''Your current actions show exactly what you were doing''. A soft tone emerged from his mouth yet the strength in his words made her shiver intensely. "Going through my things." 

Maya's heart pounded. "No! I held the item briefly since I needed to— 

He stopped right in front of her while speaking in a low and captivating tone. He revealed through his expression that no one would force their way inside his personal space. 

 The way he stood suggested he would easily end her upcoming career. 

She rushed to explain that she did not violate his privacy. "I was leaving a note. Your assistant instructed me to come straight to you—" 

His eyes narrowed. "Did she?" 

Maya swallowed. This wasn't going well. 

 Silence remained unbroken between them as an intense atmosphere hung in the air. His eyes studied her with the same calmness he used to examine solutions to solved puzzles. 

Then, finally— 

"Get out." 

Her breath hitched. "What?" 

His jaw tightened. "Did I stutter?" 

Maya straightened. She didn't travel such a distance to let someone treat her as if she was a child without authority. I apologize, Mr Knight but I carried out what orders you gave me. 

He raised his eyebrow while keeping a blank expression to display his annoyance. ''I am now providing you with a different set of instructions.'' 

Her balled fists rested at the sides of her body. A new beginning was meant to become reality but she was facing nothing but disasters instead. 

With an apology, Maya could return to face the other direction and begin her exit. 

Or… 

She could stand her ground. 

Maya lifted her chin. ''You are known for being challenging across the board but I won't secret-steal your files nor touch your precious documents because I need to work. I am not here to lift classified documents from your systems nor access your sensitive files. I'm here to work. You should discuss the situation with the person who engaged my services if my presence proves bothersome to you.'' 

A brief moment passed where she saw a subtle flash of surprise look through his eyes. Amusement? 

The moment elapsed as quickly as it had arrived. 

A deep breath escaped his lips through a forced command to control his angry state. After turning his back he descended into his office chair. "Close the door." 

Maya hesitated before obeying. 

"Sit." 

She sat. 

He quietly observed her while keeping his attention on the pen he tapped on the desk. The tension was suffocating. 

He eventually came to say "Your résumé made an excellent impression on me." "Top of your class. High recommendations." He leaned back. 

''You have managed to create a terrible initial impression despite your otherwise outstanding academic track record.'' 

Despite her face heating up Maya kept looking directly at him. "I can fix that." 

He briefly registered a faint smirk although he suppressed those feelings quickly. "Can you?" 

"Yes." 

Another long pause. 

"Good," he said, standing abruptly. "Then prove it." 

Maya blinked. "Excuse me?" 

The chief has officially placed you on duty for the Montgomery investigation with guidance from his direct supervision. Your assignment starts now as my direct reporting staff. 

Shock rippled through her. She anticipated a gradual start by handling papers instead of taking ownership of significant cases. 

"I—thank you, sir." 

His eyes darkened. "Don't thank me yet. If you fail, you're out. No second chances." 

His authoritative challenge in his voice caused her whole body to tense up. 

"I won't fail." 

A beat of silence. 

A ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips for the very first time during the conversation. "We'll see about that." 

Her first day nightmare transformed into danger the instant he gave her his interrogation. 

Something thrilling. 

Survival did not seem possible to her at this point. 

The hour passed as Maya tried to read legal documents while convincing herself that her meeting with Damien Knight had not turned out completely disastrous. 

Her attempts to focus on the Montgomery case work failed because she could not shake off the strong impact of his persistent gaze from their earlier meeting. 

His behavior demonstrated intolerance toward mistakes in any situation. She entered his office space to give him the entire encounter without resistance. 

She took a breath to release the tension of her nervousness. It didn't matter. 

She needed to demonstrate her right to be at this level of practice. 

When the clock struck one Maya gathered all her papers then walked to the conference room. When she neared the room the surrounding pressure intensified alongside the inside discussions which sounded formal in tone. 

Stepping inside the room she almost smashed into Damien. 

With quick precision he captured her wrist preventing her from falling but released it right afterwards. 

Maya took a quicker breath then swiftly moved backward to control her emotions. "I'm sorry, sir." 

The man stayed quiet without showing any trace of emotion. The moment vanished completely when he moved his attention to the people in the room. "Take a seat, Miss Sinclair." 

She sat down in a chair under intense observation from the four senior associates. 

"We can start our meeting now that our junior associate has joined" Damien announced with control although the edge remained in his voice. 

Throughout his presentation of the case details Maya maintained her gaze on the floor. The Montgomery case offered Maya the opportunity to work on her dream matter: a high-stakes corporate lawsuit that was extremely complicated yet extremely messy. 

She took notes, absorbing everything. The challenging atmosphere in the room stemmed from Damien's dominant position which combined his masterful speaking voice with exact delivery of instructions. 

His vision paused for a brief instant to look at her while he spoke. "Miss Sinclair." 

The pressure of her fingers pressed harder against the pen. "Yes, sir?" 

''Brief the essential components of Montgomery's defensive plan that his attorneys will present.'' 

Maya's heart pounded. He was testing her. Again. 

She straightened. The defense strategy will probably ignore connecting and direct proof that links Montgomery to fraud. They will present the financial reporting discrepancies as they believe these problems stem from both clerical errors and independent decisions by entry-level employees. 

A beat of silence. 

Then, Damien nodded slightly. "Not bad." 

Although not true appreciation, he offered her some recognition. 

Time passed through the meeting since Maya sensed a clear transition. All senior associates who had first ignored her now actually began to notice her during discussions. 

The exhausting but gratifying experience ended as she left the room. She had held her own. 

The others departed from the room but Damien stayed seated while looking at documents. 

Maya hesitated before standing. The time has come for me to start composing the initial report for tomorrow morning delivery. 

He didn't look up. "Yes. Please deliver the report to my office by eight in the morning''. 

''Tomorrow morning''? She checked her watch before realizing she had only nineteen short hours to carry out the task. 

Still, she nodded. "Understood." 

The moment she tried to exit his office he addressed her by saying her name. 

"Miss Sinclair." 

She turned back, pulse quickening. 

With their eyes locked Maya struggled to read his expression as usual. ''If you want to step inside my office please knock on the door first.'' 

Maya swallowed. "Yes, sir." 

She walked away from his office while his eyes watched her until she disappeared from view.