Chapter 1: The Interview

The city below pulsed with late-night life, neon veins and flashing arteries, the heartbeat of industry and impulse. From the top floor of the AetherCorp tower, Ember could see it all, but none of it interested her. She was far more curious about the man standing in front of her desk.Or rather, the boy. Barely eighteen, golden hair slicked back like he’d walked out of a European fashion campaign. Blue eyes too clear for this dirty world. But he had the look of someone who had decided to take what he wanted, not ask for it.

“You’re late,”

Ember said, her voice a low purr wrapped in iron.Leon didn’t flinch.

 “Your assistant told me the time. I showed up ten minutes early.”

She smiled. “Then she lied. Welcome to the first test.”

He didn’t apologize. Ember leaned back in her chair, letting her silk robe slide open just enough to catch his eyes and it did. But only for a second.Good, she thought. Controlled hunger. Teachable.

“You want to be my secretary,” she said, tapping her fingernails on the glass desk. “You think you’re cut out for that?”

“I know I am,” Leon said. “No one else will work harder.”

“Oh, sweet boy,” she purred, standing up slowly, “this isn’t about working hard.”

She walked around the desk, her heels like gunshots on the marble. She stood in front of him now, just inches away. The scent of her perfume hit like warm smoke alluring, heavy, impossible to ignore.

“This is about handling pressure. Heat. Intensity.”A pause.“Me.”

Leon didn’t move. He swallowed, just once.

“So here’s the deal,” Ember said, tugging her robe loose. “You want the job? Then you pass the second test.”

His breath caught, but he nodded. “What kind of test?”

“A physical one,” she whispered. “If you can’t satisfy me now, what makes you think you can satisfy my expectations when real pressure hits?”

Leon blinked. “Wait, is this...”

“Yes,” she cut in. “This is real. And it’s happening. If you want to back out, now is your chance. But you won’t be getting another shot.”

Another pause.Then he moved.Bold. Confident. Almost reckless. Ember raised an eyebrow as his hands found her waist, and she felt the shift he wasn’t just going to take this test. He was going to try and win.

And that thrilled her.

Leon grabbed Ember's waist, pulling her close, then turned her around and slapped her big ass hard. Her red hair cascaded down her back as he seized a handful and slapped her ass hard again.

He bent her over and immediately began thrusting against her on the table. She let him take the lead at first, wanting to test his prowess. Then, asserting control, she pushed him with her body weight, and he fell to the floor.

Ember crawled toward him slowly, her hand grasping his dick firmly before guiding it inside her. She rode him fiercely, almost to the point of overwhelming him. Leon fought to conceal any weakness, struggling against the urge to climax as she dominated him with relentless intensity.He grabbed her breasts, pinching her nipples with all he had. After a few minutes of her riding him, Leon seized her firm buttocks, flipped her onto the floor, and positioned himself on top. He thrust deeply, gripping her tightly with his strong hands as his body and balls slapped against her, driving deeper with each motion.

He lifted her legs onto his shoulders and pounded even harder. With her long legs draped over him, Ember squeezed them around his neck, as if trying to overpower him. He continued thrusting quickly, but she used her legs to push him back, sending him to the floor again.Ember grabbed his cock, stroking it hard and fast. Leon remained determined not to show weakness, but soon he cummed intensely. Ember looked at him with a triumphant smile.

++++++Around Twenty-five minutes later++++++

The room was hot. Ember lit a cigarette, took one drag, then put it out.

“That was… unexpected,” she muttered.

Leon sat on the armrest, chest still rising and falling. His lips curled into a smug, boyish smile.

 “So. Am I hired?”

She stood, pulled her robe back on with grace, and slapped him across the face not with anger, but finality.

“You’re not entitled to me just because you did well,” she said, tightening her belt. “You had your moment. That part of your life is over.”

He was serious. “You’ll change your mind.”

She turned sharply. “No. I won’t. That was indulgence. A rare slip. From now on, I own your hours not your body, not your desire. Understand?”

Leon’s expression shifted. Determination returned to his posture.“I want to be useful,” he said. “Whatever it takes.”

Ember studied him. “Good. Because from this point forward, you’ll work under stricter rules than anyone in this building. You’ll speak only when prompted. You'll arrive at six, not six-oh-one. You will anticipate needs before I voice them. And you will never, ever mistake this for a romance.”

Leon nodded. “Understood.”

Ember walked to the bar, poured herself water this time. She didn’t offer him one. “I like Germans,” she said casually.

Leon blinked. “I’m half-German.”

“Pragmatic. Calculated. Efficient.” She turned to face him. “Not like these desperate, emotional types that whine when expectations are too high. You’ll fit the system if you follow it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “System?”

“Yes. I run everything by a systemic model,” she said. “Everything from my wardrobe to my daily routine to who I allow into my personal space is pre-weighed, categorized, ranked by efficiency and long-term value. Even tonight’s... test.”

“Calculated,” he echoed.

“Exactly. Emotion complicates things. Feelings make people sloppy. You can’t run an empire with a bleeding heart.”

Leon stood. “And if I prove useful?”

“Then you rise. No favoritism. No intimacy. Just results.”

He stepped closer. “But you said I’d never have you again.”

“I did.”

“And what if I pass all your tests?”

Ember walked past him, brushing his shoulder. “Then you’ll learn that sometimes, even winning doesn’t get you the prize.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++The Next Morning++


Leon stood at the same glass wall she had the night before, now in a fresh suit provided by the company. Ember didn’t greet him. She simply passed by, dropped a thick folder on the desk, and said, “Orientation packet. You'll memorize every name, title, and protocol in it by tomorrow.”

“Yes, Ms. Ember,” he said.

She paused mid-stride.“Good. Now shut up and follow me.”Leon followed.And as the elevator doors closed behind them, he realized he’d walked into something far bigger than a job.He was in her world now ruled not by kindness or lust, but structure, control, and ruthless clarity.And he couldn’t wait.