Chapter 1 The message to my boss
Chapter one
“If you’re free tonight, want to watch something… adult, raw and crazy?”
The moment I hit send, my world froze.
It took me three full seconds to realize the horror of what I had just done.
That message wasn’t supposed to go to Mr. Adrian Cole, my boss.
It was meant for my boy friend, Ethan
My thumb hovered over the screen, trembling. Maybe he wouldn’t see it. Maybe I could unsend it before.
Ding.
No. No, no, no.
The message was marked seen.
My lungs refused to work. I dropped my phone on my desk and pressed my palms against my face, muttering, “God, just delete me from Earth.”
I peeked through my fingers at my phone again. No reply. Not yet.
Maybe he’d think it was spam. Or a prank.
Please, let it be a prank.
“Lila, are you okay?” someone asked.
I looked up and saw Mia, my coworker, watching me with a frown.
“Do I look okay?” I whispered.
“I think I just flirted with the boss.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait, you didn’t...”
“I did!” I hissed. “I texted him by mistake! Oh my God, I’m fired. I’m officially fired.”
Before she could respond, my phone buzzed. Once.
I froze. Mia leaned closer. “Don’t tell me that’s him.”
It was.
Mr. Cole: Be specific, Lila. What kind of adult?
Mia slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
I, on the other hand, stopped breathing entirely.
My boss Mr. Adrian Cole had replied.
And not just any reply. A teasing reply.
This man never joked. Never smiled. Never even blinked twice during meetings. He was the definition of “don’t talk to me unless it’s work-related.”
“What do I do?” I whispered, panicking.
Mia snatched the phone from my hand. “Block him and run to HR—”
Buzz. Another message.
Mr. Cole: My office. Now.
I grabbed my bag. “I’m dead.”
The elevator ride felt like a trip to the underworld. Every second ticked louder, echoing in my skull.
When I reached the top floor, I almost turned back but his secretary had already seen me.
“Mr. Cole’s expecting you,” she said with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Of course he was.
I stepped into his office, the door closing behind me with a soft click.
He was standing by the window, hands in his pockets, staring out at the city skyline. The sunlight caught the edge of his suit, tracing his tall frame.
“Miss James,” he said without turning. His voice was deep, low and dangerous.
“Do you usually send your boss those kinds of invitations during work hours?”
My throat went dry. “Sir, it was an accident...”
He turned, finally facing me. His eyes were calm, unreadable. “An accident?”
“Yes! It wasn’t for you, I swear!”
His gaze lingered on me for a long second. Too long.
Then, the corner of his lips lifted slightly. “Interesting mistake.”
I blinked. “I—I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
“I hope not,” he said quietly. “Because next time, I might not be this patient.”
My heart thudded painfully.
He walked past me, close enough for me to smell his cologne—fresh, expensive, intoxicating.
When the door opened, I expected him to dismiss me.
Instead, he paused.
“Lock the door on your way out,” he said, voice low.
Then he added, almost lazily, “And Lila—don’t text what you can’t handle.”
The door shut behind him.
I stood frozen, cheeks burning, heart racing so fast it hurt.
What did that even mean?
Before I could process it, my phone buzzed again.
Mr. Cole: You’ll stay late tonight. We have… unfinished business.
My hand shook as I read the message.
Unfinished business?
What business could possibly be unfinished between me and my boss?
And that was how one wrong text started the biggest disaster of my life.
