CHAPTER 2 — MONDAY MORNING
CHAPTER 2 — MONDAY MORNING
Monday arrived with all the elegance of an execution.
The towering glass headquarters of Leprince Corp reflected the pale morning sun like a monument built for people who never failed.
I stood across the street clutching my coffee so tightly the cardboard cup had begun to collapse beneath my fingers.
You earned this.
Four years of university.
Three internships.
Countless nights sleeping beside chemistry textbooks.
Nothing—not even the mysterious stranger from Thursday night—was going to ruin today.
I took a deep breath and walked inside.
The lobby was breathtaking.
Marble floors.
Living walls filled with herbs used in the company's research kitchens.
A massive sculpture shaped like a wheat stalk stretched toward the ceiling.
Everything whispered wealth without ever saying the word.
"Welcome to Leprince Corp."
The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Intern orientation?"
"Yes. Elila Smith."
She handed me a visitor badge.
"Twenty-third floor. Conference Room B."
The elevator ride felt endless.
Around me stood executives in tailored suits discussing acquisitions worth more money than I could imagine.
No one noticed the nervous intern trying not to spill coffee on herself.
Conference Room B buzzed with excitement.
Twenty-five interns.
Fresh graduates.
Future scientists.
Marketing analysts.
Finance majors.
Everyone wore the same expression—
equal parts ambition and terror.
A cheerful woman entered carrying a tablet.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Melissa from Human Resources."
The orientation began.
Company history.
Research divisions.
Security policies.
Confidentiality agreements.
Benefits.
My attention wandered only once.
Toward the framed portrait hanging near the presentation screen.
The founder.
The current CEO.
Andrew Leprince.
I barely glanced at it.
The image was too far away to see clearly.
Just another billionaire in an expensive suit.
At exactly ten-thirty, Melissa smiled nervously.
"And now..."
Her voice changed.
"...our CEO likes to personally welcome every new internship class."
The room instantly straightened.
Conversations stopped.
Someone whispered,
"He's actually coming?"
"I heard he never misses orientation."
"I heard he remembers every employee's name."
"I heard he's terrifying."
The doors opened.
Footsteps.
Calm.
Measured.
Confident.
I looked up.
Then the entire world disappeared.
No.
No.
No.
It couldn't—
It was him.
The man from the bar.
The stranger whose apartment I had left before sunrise.
The man whose number I never received because neither of us had asked for names beyond first introductions.
Andrew.
Except he wasn't simply Andrew.
He was Andrew Leprince.
CEO.
Founder.
Owner.
My boss.
Every sound vanished.
My pulse hammered so violently I thought everyone could hear it.
He stopped walking.
For one impossible second...
he looked just as shocked as I felt.
His blue eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
Recognition.
Disbelief.
Then years of executive discipline snapped into place.
His expression became perfectly neutral.
If anyone else noticed, they gave no sign.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Melissa said proudly, "please welcome Mr. Andrew Leprince."
Applause erupted.
I couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Andrew stepped toward the podium.
His gaze swept across the room.
When it reached me...
it lingered.
Only half a second.
Barely noticeable.
But I felt it like lightning striking directly through my chest.
"Congratulations."
His voice was exactly the same.
Deep.
Controlled.
Dangerously calm.
"You were selected from more than twelve thousand applicants."
Several interns looked impressed.
I couldn't hear another word.
My brain replayed Thursday night over and over.
His smile.
His laugh.
His hands.
His whispered,
"Stay until morning."
I hadn't.
I had slipped out before sunrise because I was embarrassed by how quickly I'd trusted a stranger.
Now that stranger was discussing quarterly innovation goals in front of an audience.
The presentation ended.
Everyone applauded again.
Melissa beamed.
"Mr. Leprince has generously agreed to greet each intern personally."
My blood turned to ice.
No.
Please.
Anyone but me.
The line formed.
One by one.
Handshake.
Smile.
Brief conversation.
Good luck.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Finally...
me.
Andrew extended his hand.
His face revealed absolutely nothing.
"Miss Smith."
My fingers trembled as they touched his.
His grip tightened—
only slightly.
Enough for only the two of us to notice.
"Our chemistry division is fortunate to have someone with your academic background."
Professional words.
Professional smile.
Professional distance.
Except...
his thumb brushed the inside of my wrist for less than a second.
A silent confirmation.
I remember everything.
"So are we," Melissa interrupted happily. "Elila graduated top of her class."
Andrew didn't look away from me.
"I'm aware."
Those two words carried far more meaning than anyone else understood.
The moment the orientation ended, I escaped.
Bathroom.
Fast.
I locked myself inside a stall and slid down against the door.
"Oh my God..."
I whispered into shaking hands.
What had I done?
I'd slept with the CEO.
Before my first day.
Without knowing who he was.
If anyone discovered the truth...
My internship would be over.
My reputation destroyed.
Everything I'd worked for...
gone.
Someone entered the restroom.
Two women.
They began talking while touching up their makeup.
"I heard Mr. Leprince hasn't dated anyone publicly in years."
"They say he practically lives in the office."
"I've never even seen him smile."
I squeezed my eyes shut.
You should have seen Thursday.
By lunchtime I had almost convinced myself everything would be fine.
He was professional.
I would be professional.
We'd pretend we'd never met.
Problem solved.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
Andrew: Conference Room 31. Five minutes.
I stared at the screen.
Another message arrived before I could breathe.
This isn't optional.
My heart stopped.
May you like
The nightmare...
had only just begun.
