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Fumbling with my phone, I quickly click it off before turning around, finding the ice monster standing there, looking like an overlord inspecting his minions in his navy suit and tie.

My favorite color on him.

I snap to attention.

Where on earth did that come from?

“Did you get off at the wrong floor? This is marketing.” What I really wanted to say was, are you lost, asshole ?

But considering his last name, I figured that probably wasn’t wise.

His perfectly styled hair—not a single strand out of place—gleams under the office lights.

Ethan’s lips twitch in a barely there smirk and the smallest thrill trembles inside me.

Smile, monster. Smile, dammit.

“Interesting.”

“That’s it? A one word response completely unrelated to my question?”

Ethan plays with his cuff links—the same black circular ones I’ve seen him wear every single time.

“Some things never change, apparently,” he murmurs cryptically.

“What are you talking about?”

“You always spoke your mind. It’s nice to see that quality hasn’t faded away.”

I arch my brow.

“I wasn’t aware I knew you back then. What makes you the expert on me? ”

He falters, and that half twitch-smile promptly disappears from his face.

Why do I get a sense he’s holding back something…

something important?

Straightening up, his eyes burn into me.

“I’ve heard plenty of stories from Liam. You were infamous.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare back at him.

“Have you read Pride and Prejudice ? In the story, Elizabeth Bennett is prejudiced toward the cold Mr. Darcy and Darcy, himself, is full of pride. They wasted a lot of time because of these qualities.”

Those ever-changing eyes of his sharpen, but this time, I see a spark of amusement in them.

“Your point is?”

“To have both qualities in one person is unfortunate. And sad. And I’m talking about you, if you haven’t figured it out yet.”

This time, a faint imprint of a dimple flashes on his face and my heart flips.

What devastation will he unleash if he smiles?

I bite my tongue. The man is too hot for his own good.

“I see you’ll do just fine here. Maybe give Rex a run for his money. I was worried for nothing it seems.” Ethan huffs out an amused breath before walking away.

He suddenly stops and raps his knuckles on the wall of my cubicle.

Clickety clack. It almost sounds villainous.

“I was going to tell you something important…but being so prideful and prejudiced, I forgot to think about anyone other than myself. I think I’ll wait for you to find out on your own.”

His gaze flashes with victory before he strides away, silent as a phantom, leaving me completely befuddled.

The asshole.

How is he related to Taylor and Grace?

And why am I smiling?

Dammit. We don’t like assholes, Lexy.

Repeat after me. No assholes.

Groaning, I turn back to my laptop and review the introductory emails.

Most of the background info is familiar because I did my research before coming in, wanting to prepare myself as best as I could .

I remember being pleasantly surprised at this drive I had for work.

I don’t recall having this much direction in high school, but maybe I discovered a passion in the years I’ve forgotten.

Dr. Riordan did say my brain matured while I was asleep.

Either way, it’s a win, and I’ll take it.

My laptop pings and I look up, surprised to see half an hour has passed by already.

It’s time for the meeting with my new boss.

Squaring my shoulders, I walk to the corner office and knock on the closed door.

“Come in. Your god awaits you.”

I snort, recognizing Rex’s carefree voice, and enter the room.

The man in question leans back in his leather chair, hands clasped behind his head, wearing the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

“Welcome, welcome. You may kneel at my feet.” He waggles his brows.

Laughing, I roll my eyes.

It’s easy to see why Felicity and the other folks all love him.

“Do you do this with all your employees or just me?”

He tsks.

“Equal opportunity lover, but HR tells me I’m not allowed to say that. Although, you may get some special treatment, being Charles’s sister and all.”

“Hold on—I don’t want special treatment. That’s why I’m working here—”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Calm down.” He leans forward, the earlier jovial expression wiped off his face.

This is the other side of him we don’t normally see.

“All jokes aside, we wouldn’t have hired you if we didn’t think you could succeed here. I know life has been stressful—thought I’d break the ice on your first day.”

My skin heats and I bite my lip.

“Sorry. I’m sensitive to people treating me like I can’t make it on my own.”

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through,” he murmurs, his dark eyes softening.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job with everything. Many people would’ve cracked by now.”

Knock.

Knock .

The door opens a second later.

“I’m late, guys. So sorry.” Lana brushes in, her long dark brown tresses flying behind her.

She pulls out a chair next to me and sits down, her distinct rose perfume wafting to my nostrils.

She smiles. “So, Lexy, how has your first day been? Settling in all right?”

Lana is only a few years older than me and is beautiful, accomplished, everything I want to become.

“It’s been great. Can’t complain. Hold on.” I eye the siblings and crinkle my forehead.

“This can’t be normal— two C-suite members meeting with me, an intern, on her first day? What’s going on?”

Lana grimaces before plastering on what I’m sure is a very practiced smile for her Chief of Public Relations role.

“Well, no sense in beating around the bush then. The truth is, we need your help.”

What?

“I don’t understand. This is my first day. What type of help do you need from me? I’ll do it, but I’m just confused.”

Rex clears his throat.

“You’ve heard of The Strata, right?”

“The boutique hotel chain catered to the college-aged demographic that Fleur opened fifteen years ago? Three hundred fifty-six locations across the globe on all continents, excluding Antarctica?”

He whistles and claps.

“This is what I’m talking about. When we saw you working your ass off in recovery, we knew you’d be up to the task.”

“Just some basic research—didn’t want to waste any more time.” Warmth infuses my insides at his compliment and I curl a lock of hair behind my ear, brushing the mysterious hummingbird earrings I’m wearing in the process—they seemed like a good luck charm when I picked them out this morning.

“So, what the public doesn’t know is that division is struggling,” Lana murmurs.

“Our numbers are declining and the stock market has caught wind of it. The target consumers are choosing Airbnb or other options now. With this trend, we’re concerned about the stock price and how this may impact our other portfolios.”

I frown—obviously, I haven’t done any traveling since I got out of the hospital, so I’m not sure how I can help.

Clearly seeing the questions in my eyes, she answers, “As you know, Ryland is a full-time professor now. He’s trying to improve student internship programs so that the interns can actually make a difference instead of running errands or grabbing lunch orders. We want to test drive his new program and give him feedback.”

“So I’m your guinea pig? But I’m not part of your target demographic.”

I’m almost thirty—not the early twenties population who frequents The Strata.

Lana nods, a glint of excitement sparking in her eyes.

“True, on the surface. But you bring something rare to the table.”

She leans in, her voice confident and persuasive.

“You’re older, but you’re also in college and immersed in their world. And thanks to your time away,” I don’t miss how she avoids the word coma , “you have a perspective unclouded by the cynicism that comes with working in the grind. You’re the perfect bridge between generations—mature, driven, and unbiased.”

She pauses just long enough to let her words sink in.

“This isn’t just about market research; it’s about shaping the future of a division. You’ll gain real world experience, fulfill your course requirements, and leave your mark—all while doing us a huge favor. A win-win, right?”

Clasping her hands on her lap, she looks expectantly at me.

The room falls quiet—I can hear the AC humming in the background.

A sizzle of energy prickles of my skin as I mull over her words.

It sounds exciting and meaningful—a challenge for sure, but she seems to have faith in me.

I glance at Rex, finding a mysterious smirk on his face, then at Lana, who’s still exuding whatever positive, bright, magical energy she apparently has been blessed with .

She’s good.

“No wonder you’re the head of PR. You could probably sell my old ballet shoes at a premium and no one would complain.”

Lana laughs.

“It’s only the truth. So, what do you think?”

“Well, you don’t have to convince me since I’m an intern, but from an ‘unbiased’ viewpoint, what you’re saying makes sense. I’m excited to help.”

“Damn right, sis.” Rex raises his hand and Lana rolls her eyes before giving him a high five.

“I taught her everything she needs to know about human psychology.”

“Oh please, Rex. Who comes to me with women problems? Who runs his big marketing designs by me before they’re released?”

Shaking his head, he appears nonplussed.

“Have to give you some opportunities to shine. The solar system can’t only rely on the sun. Got to let the moon come out sometime.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake.”

I giggle, watching the two bicker.

They remind me of my relationship with Liam—constantly wanting to kill each other, yet ready to destroy anyone who tries to hurt the other.

After a few minutes, Rex clears his throat.

“Sorry. Lana drives me nuts. Anyway, to begin this project, you’ll be partnering with the bore of the Anderson family.”

“What do you mean?”

“A struggling division means numbers. Revenues, occupancy rates, budgets for revamps. This info will be the basis of a new marketing campaign to turn things around. That means,” a sharp glint appears the dark gray eyes that run in his family, “your new best buddy will be my younger and most unfortunate brother, Ethan, because he runs the finance department.”

My breath stalls in my throat.

Working with Ethan? I must’ve misheard.

“Sorry, come again?”

I think back to the smug look on Ethan’s face before he strode away earlier.

The damn bastard must’ve been talking about this .

Rex glances at Lana—a strange look passing between them.

I narrow my eyes. What’s going on?

He clears his throat.

“For the next two months, you’ll be working with Ethan—reviewing and analyzing the numbers, interviewing, and whatnot. We know one thing that the younger generation wants—transparency. We also know one type of person the same generation doesn’t trust—CFOs and CEOs. So, you’ll start with him, gather enough info, then conduct an interview we’ll use in our campaign. Then, you’ll move on to Maxwell. Finally, we’ll put everything together and create another award-winning marketing makeover under the direction of the god of marketing,” he points to himself, “and the brat of PR.” He points to Lana.

“Asshole.” Lana playfully jabs Rex, who bats her away.

“Toxic work environment. I’m talking to HR and—”

“Ugh, how are you older than me?” She shakes her head and pats my icy hand.

“It’s a lot, but don’t worry, you won’t be alone—we have other managers and team members assigned to help you. Take some time to soak it in.”

The Andersons direct their two toothpaste-commercial grins at me, and I falter, my heart suddenly sprinting laps around my rib cage.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m overwhelmed at the scale of the project and the spotlight that’ll be shined on it…

Or if it’s because I’ll be in close proximity with a man who unsettles me.

A man who looks like he holds the secrets to my new world.