Chapter 3 – The Proposal She Didn’t Expect

Evelyn sat at her desk, still reeling from the meeting with Alexander Drake. Though only a handful of words had been exchanged between them, they echoed in her head on repeat. "That's why I noticed."

What did that mean, exactly?

She stared at her planner, unable to focus. Her team buzzed around her, catching up on tasks, cracking jokes about the event, and grumbling about new deadlines. Yet none of it touched her. Not really. Not when her thoughts were so completely occupied by the man upstairs. The one who had specifically requested her at the meeting. The one who had told her she surprised him and not in a bad way.

Her email pinged again.

This time, it was internal and marked Confidential.

The subject line read:

Project Concept Review – Immediate Start Requested

It was from Linda. And the content was short.

Evelyn,

Please report to 35th floor conference room B at 2:00 p.m. sharp.

You've been assigned to support the executive-level product strategy team on the Veridian Campaign. Mr. Drake will lead.

Do not be late.

– Linda

Evelyn's mouth went dry. The 35th floor was hallowed ground and home to the executive offices, corporate legal, and the senior strategy division. It was an elevator button most employees never touched.

She checked the clock. One hour.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and went straight to the restroom to freshen up. Her reflection stared back at her. She was wide-eyed, anxious, but undeniably different than she'd been the day before. Something had shifted. A door had opened. Whether she was walking into a golden opportunity or a professional trap, she didn't yet know.

At exactly 1:58 p.m., Evelyn stepped off the elevator onto the 35th floor. The atmosphere was different here. It was quieter, more deliberate. No one rushed. The walls gleamed. Every surface was minimalist and polished, like success had its own aesthetic.

She found Conference Room B. Her fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the door handle.

Inside, a long table stretched beneath soaring windows. At the head sat Alexander Drake, flipping through a leather folder. Two other executives murmured over a tablet. One of them, a tall woman in a tailored suit, gave Evelyn a cool once-over.

"You're Hart," she said.

"Yes," Evelyn answered, stepping inside. "Evelyn Hart."

Alexander didn't look up. "You're late."

Evelyn checked the clock on the wall and she still had one minute to spare. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought I was early."

A pause. Then, with the faintest upward tilt of his lips, Alexander glanced at the wall clock and said, "We value precision."

Heat climbed her neck. Was that a joke? A test?

The woman gestured toward an open chair. "Sit. Let's get started."

The next hour blurred as Evelyn was pulled into a project that would usually take years to touch. The Veridian Campaign was a full-scale brand pivot for one of Drake Industries' legacy clients and a billion-dollar relaunch. Alexander, of all people, was directly overseeing it.

Most shocking of all? He had requested Evelyn.

She listened carefully, offering a few tentative comments when prompted. And to her surprise, no one dismissed her. When she suggested integrating influencer content early in the rollout to generate momentum, Alexander looked directly at her.

"Explain."

She did. Clearly, concisely. He nodded.

"Have Hart build that into the timeline," he told the room.

The woman in the suit raised a brow. "She's never worked on an executive-level launch."

"She has now," Alexander said.

No one argued.

By the end of the meeting, Evelyn felt like she'd run a marathon in heels. Her nerves were raw, her shoulders tight but under it all was a quiet thrill. She had stood her ground. She had held her own.

And he had backed her.

As the others left the room, Evelyn gathered her notes, preparing to slip away. But Alexander's voice stopped her.

"Miss Hart. Stay a moment."

Déjà vu.

She waited as the door closed behind the others. Alexander turned toward her, folding his arms as he studied her with that same infuriating calm.

"You handled yourself well."

"Thank you," she said, unsure what else to offer.

"I've reviewed your work," he added. "You're underutilized."

Evelyn blinked. "I thank you. I try to contribute where I can."

"I don't want you to 'contribute where you can,'" he said. "I want you embedded in this campaign."

She stared. "Me?"

"Yes."

"But I'm not senior staff."

"No," he agreed. "But you're smarter than most of them. And less political."

It wasn't a compliment so much as a judgment. Evelyn wasn't sure whether to be flattered or alarmed.

"Is this…" She hesitated. "A trial?"

Alexander stepped closer not in a threatening way, but with a presence that filled the room. "Call it a proposal. Not the kind that requires an answer now. But you'll accept."

"Why?"

His voice dropped a note. "Because you want more."

Her breath caught. He wasn't wrong. But the fact that he saw it - the ambition she tried so hard to keep neatly folded between her planner pages - shook her more than she expected.

"I'll let you get back to your team," he said, eyes never leaving hers. "Start tomorrow. My assistant will coordinate your new schedule."

And just like that, she was dismissed.

Evelyn walked out of the room in a daze. Not because of the promotion but because of the strange current between them. The way he looked at her. The way he spoke to her. She wasn't just a name on a roster to him.

And that scared her.

Because Alexander Drake didn't notice people.

And yet he noticed her.