Chapter 1 The Worst First Impression

• **Lily’s POV**
• I had always believed that first impressions mattered. People loved to say that you should not judge a book by its cover, but the truth was that everyone judged everyone. A person could spend years building a reputation, but sometimes all it took was one careless moment to change how someone saw them forever.
• Unfortunately for me, my first impression at Cole Enterprises was not exactly memorable for the right reasons.
• It was not because I gave an impressive presentation. It was not because I walked into the building with confidence and proved I belonged there.
• No.
• My first impression involved a cup of coffee, an expensive suit, and the most arrogant man I had ever met. And somehow, that man would become the biggest unexpected part of my life.
• My morning had started terribly.
• Actually, saying it started terribly was being generous. It started like a disaster movie where the main character did not realize she was already losing.
• My alarm did not ring because apparently my phone decided that waking me up was no longer part of its responsibilities. When I finally opened my eyes and saw the time, I immediately sat up in panic.
• “That cannot be right.”
• I grabbed my phone and stared at the screen.
• It was right.
• I had exactly forty minutes before my first day at Cole Enterprises began.
• Forty minutes to shower, dress, travel across the city, find the building, and somehow appear like a professional woman who had her life together.
• A normal person would have accepted defeat. A normal person would have called and explained.
• But I was not normal.
• I was stubborn.
• And unfortunately, stubborn people often make questionable choices.
• I rushed through everything. I almost wore mismatched shoes, nearly forgot my identification card, and spent five minutes searching for my apartment keys while they were already in my hand.
• By the time I finally left my apartment, I looked like someone who had fought a battle and barely survived.
• But I was determined.
• Today was important.
• Getting a job at Cole Enterprises was not just another opportunity. It was the opportunity. The kind of chance people waited years for. The company had an excellent reputation, and working there could completely change my career.
• I refused to ruin it before it even started.
• That was the plan.
• Unfortunately, plans and reality rarely got along.
• When I arrived at the building, I was already late by seven minutes. I walked through the entrance as quickly as possible while trying not to look like I was running away from something.
• The receptionist greeted me politely.
• “Good morning. How can I help you?”
• I smiled.
• “Good morning. I am Lily Bennett. I am a new employee at this Company.”
• She checked the computer.
• “Your orientation is on the twenty-second floor.”
• I thanked her and immediately headed toward the elevator.
• The doors were closing.
• Of course.
• Because apparently the universe enjoyed testing my patience.
• “Hold the elevator!”
• The person inside pressed the button.
• I smiled in relief.
• At least one thing was going right.
• I stepped inside and turned around.
• That was when my coffee decided to betray me. My hand accidentally hit the side of the cup, and before I could react, the coffee moved through the air in slow motion. Straight toward the man standing in front of me.
• I froze.
• The coffee landed on him.
• The silence afterward was painful.
• Very painful.
• I slowly looked up.
• The first thing I noticed was his suit. Not because I cared about expensive clothing, but because I had just destroyed it.
• The second thing I noticed was his expression.
• The man looked calm. Too calm. He looked like someone who had never experienced inconvenience before.
• His eyes moved from his stained shirt to me.
• Then back to his shirt.
• Then back to me.
• I forced a small smile.
• “Okay.”
• He raised an eyebrow.
• “Okay?”
• I nodded.
• “Before you say anything, I want you to know that I can explain.”
• His expression remained unreadable.
• “I would love to hear this explanation.”
• I looked at the coffee stain.
• Then at him.
• “Technically, the cup moved.”
• He stared at me.
• I immediately realized that was not a good explanation.
• “That sounded better in my head.”
• For a moment, I thought I saw amusement in his eyes. But it disappeared quickly.
• “You spilled coffee on me.” He snapped.
• “Yes. I did….”
• “And your best explanation is that the cup moved?”
• “When you say it like that, it sounds less reasonable.”
• “Because it is less reasonable.”
• I sighed. “Fine. I am sorry.”
• He looked at me.
• “That was difficult.”
• “What?”
• “Apologizing.”
• I frowned. “I apologized.”
• “After trying to blame the poor Cup of Coffee”
• I crossed my arms. “Are you always this dramatic?”
• The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I had known this man for less than two minutes, and I was already calling him dramatic.
• Excellent.
• A perfect start.
• Instead of getting angry, he looked surprised.
• Then he smiled slightly.
• “You are interesting.”
• I blinked.
• “Was that a compliment?”
• “I have not decided yet.”
• I almost laughed.
• Almost.
• The elevator stopped, and he stepped out.
• Before leaving, he looked back at me.
• “You should be more careful.”
• I looked at my coffee cup.
• “With coffee?”
• His eyes met mine.
• “With your choices and with whatever comes out from that sharp mouth of yours.”
• Then he walked away.
• I stood there for a moment.
• “Unbelievable.” I whispered. “What kind of person says things like that before nine in the morning?”
• I continued to my floor, completely unaware that the arrogant man from the elevator was not just another employee.
• He was Adrian Cole.
• The CEO of Cole Enterprises.
• The same man I would be working directly under.
• When I entered the orientation room, I took my seat and tried to forget the embarrassing encounter. Then the door opened. Everyone immediately became quiet.
• The man who walked in looked familiar.
• Too familiar.
• My stomach dropped.
• No.
• It could not be.
• But it was.
• Adrian Cole walked into the room with the same confident expression and the same calm attitude.
• The man whose shirt I ruined and whom I called Dramatic. The man I insulted before even knowing his name.
• He looked around the room. Then his eyes stopped on me.
• For a second, neither of us spoke.
• Then a small smile appeared on his face.
• “Lily Bennett.”
• Hearing my name from him made my heart sink.
• “Yes?”
• He walked closer.
• “Welcome to Cole Enterprises.”
• The way he said it made me nervous. Because somehow, I knew my peaceful work life had just ended. And the worst part was that a small part of me was curious to see what would happen next.
• I just did not know yet that the most annoying man I had ever met would become the one person I could not imagine losing.