Chapter 3 The Man Who Challenged Me

• **Lily’s POV**
• I had always considered myself a reasonable person. I was not the type of woman who started unnecessary arguments. I did not enjoy creating problems, and I certainly did not wake up every morning looking for someone to annoy.
• At least, that was what I believed.
• Then I met Adrian Cole.
• Somehow, within less than twenty-four hours, he had managed to bring out a side of me that even I did not recognize.
• The worst part was that he seemed to enjoy it.
• My first week at Cole Enterprises was supposed to be about proving myself. I wanted people to see me as someone capable, hardworking, and deserving of the opportunity I had been given.
• Instead, I became the employee who spilled coffee on the CEO. A title I was certain nobody else wanted.
• The moment I entered the office that morning, I could feel people looking at me.
• Not everyone.
• But enough people.
• I tried to ignore it.
• I placed my bag on my desk and opened my computer, pretending I did not notice the whispers around me.
• “Is that her?”
• “I heard she spilled coffee on Mr. Cole.”
• “On his shirt?”
• “Yes.”
• I closed my eyes.
• Wonderful.
• Apparently, my embarrassing moment had become company history.
• I turned around.
• “Just so everyone knows, the coffee was not intentional.”
• The small group of employees immediately became quiet.
• One woman smiled.
• “We know.”
• “Good.” I nodded. “Because I would hate for people to think I have a personal mission to attack expensive clothing.”
• A few people laughed.
• That was better.
• At least I could still make people laugh. Humor had always been my way of surviving uncomfortable situations. My best friend, Emma, always said I used jokes as a shield.
• She was probably right.
• I just refused to admit it.
• A few minutes later, my supervisor gave me my first assignment.
• A marketing proposal.
• Important enough to matter but also difficult enough to test me.
• I spent the entire morning working on it. I researched, planned, edited, and checked every detail twice. I wanted my work to speak louder than the coffee incident.
• By noon, I was finally satisfied.
• Then I received an email.
• It was from Adrian Cole.
• My stomach immediately tightened.
• I opened it.
• Come to my office. We need to discuss the proposal.
• That was it. No greeting. No explanation. Just a command.
• I stared at the message.
• “Of course.” I whispered. “The CEO communicates like a villain in a movie.”
• The employee beside me looked confused.
• “Did you say something?” The employee asked.
• I smiled.
• “No.” I grabbed my notebook. “Just preparing myself.”
• For what?
• I had no idea. But knowing Adrian, probably something annoying.
• When I reached his office, I knocked.
• “Come in.”
• I entered.
• Adrian was standing near the window, looking over some documents. The first thing I noticed was that he looked exactly like he belonged there. Confident. Controlled. Completely comfortable.
• It was irritating.
• Some people worked hard to appear successful. But Adrain was different. Adrian looked like success was something he was born with.
• “Sit.”
• I sat down.
• He placed my proposal on the desk.
• “I reviewed your work.”
• I waited.
• That was the dangerous part about Adrian.
• He knew how to create suspense.
• “What did you think?”
• He looked at me.
• “It was good.”
• I blinked.
• Good?
• That was it?
• “You sound surprised.”
• “I am.”
• “Why?”
• “Because I expected a longer speech.”
• His eyebrow lifted. “About your work?”
• “About everything.”
• He almost smiled.
• Almost.
• “You think I enjoy giving speeches?”
• “I think you enjoy making people nervous.”
• “Do I?”
• “Yes.”
• He leaned back. “And you are not nervous?”
• I thought about it. “I am.”
• His expression changed slightly. “Really?”
• “Yes.” I nodded. “But I am also curious.”
• “About what?”
• I hesitated. “Whether you are always this serious.”
• That surprised him.
• “Serious?”
• “Yes.”
• “You think I am serious?”
• “I think you walk around like someone who has a schedule for breathing.”
• For a moment, he stared at me. Then he laughed. Actually laughed. And I was not prepared for that. Because until then, I had only seen Adrian as a cold, intimidating businessman.
• But when he laughed, he looked different.
• More human.
• I quickly looked away.
• That was unnecessary information. I did not need to know that Adrian Cole could smile. Especially because it made him more attractive.
• Which was inconvenient.
• Very inconvenient.
• “You are honest.”
• His voice pulled me back.
• “Is that a problem?”
• “No.” He looked at my proposal again. “It is rare.”
• I shrugged. “I do not know how to be anything else.”
• Something about that answer seemed to catch his attention. Before I could ask why, he changed the subject.
• “There is one thing I want you to improve.”
• I nodded. “What?”
• “Confidence.”
• I frowned. “I have confidence.”
• “You do.” He looked at me. “But you hide it behind jokes.”
• The words caught me off guard. Because they were accurate.
• Too accurate.
• “I do not.”
• He gave me a knowing look. “You just did.”
• I opened my mouth.
• Then stopped.
• Annoyingly, he was right.
• “I dislike when you are correct.”
• “I noticed.”
• “Does that happen often?”
• “More than you would like.”
• I rolled my eyes. “There is the arrogance.”
• “And there is the attitude.”
• I smiled.
• “At least we understand each other.”
• For a moment, neither of us spoke. And strangely, it did not feel uncomfortable.
• It felt easy.
• That was the part I did not like. Because Adrian Cole was supposed to be annoying.
• He was supposed to be the arrogant CEO who ruined my first day.
• He was not supposed to make me curious. He was not supposed to make me laugh. And he definitely was not supposed to make me wonder what he was like when nobody else was watching.
• I stood up.
• “Thank you for the feedback.”
• He nodded.
• “Lily.”
• I looked back.
• “Yes?”
• “Good work.”
• Two simple words. But they meant more than I expected. Because I had worked hard for this opportunity and hearing that from someone like him felt strangely satisfying.
• I left his office and returned to my desk. But the entire afternoon, I kept thinking about one thing.
• Adrian Cole was not what I expected.
• And that was dangerous.
• Because the more I learned about him, the harder it became to dislike him. And I had a feeling that was going to become a problem.
• A very big problem.