The CEO's Match

The Coffee Confrontation

Nova's pov

The morning sunlight streamed through the towering glass windows, reflecting off the polished marble floors as I strode down the long corridor toward Alexander Blackwood's office. My heels clicked with each step, the sound a perfect staccato rhythm that echoed through the otherwise silent hallway. I could feel the fabric of my sleeveless blouse moving with me, the short tie zigzagged with tiny diamonds adding just the right touch of sparkle against the stark white. My black skirt, hemmed to just the right length, hugged my curves with the confidence I always carried into his lair.

My shiny brown hair swayed with each step, brushing against my back like a familiar comfort as I balanced a cup of coffee in one hand and the weight of my thoughts in the other. It was the start of another day working for the most ruthless man in the business world, and I was ready-armed with my sharp tongue and enough sarcasm to cut through his inevitable foul mood.

As I reached the door to Alexander's office, I paused for a moment, collecting myself before entering the battlefield. The solid wood door, imposing and uninviting, might have intimidated anyone else, but not me. I pushed it open and walked in without knocking. Manners were something he could lecture about when he wasn't the one screaming orders.

The office was as I'd left it yesterday-immaculate, cold, and dominated by the man behind the massive desk. Alexander Blackwood was already hunched over a pile of papers, his brow furrowed in frustration. His suit jacket hung on the back of his chair, his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal forearms tensed with agitation. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut, and I could almost hear the gears grinding in his head as he wrestled with whatever crisis had landed on his desk this morning.

"Good morning, Mr. Blackwood," I said sweetly, placing the coffee on the corner of his desk with a delicate precision that was more to annoy him than to be polite. "I brought you your usual-black, bitter, and soul-crushing. Just the way you like it."

His eyes flicked up at me, a sharp contrast to the storm of papers he was drowning in. "Nova," he grumbled, not bothering with a greeting. "Didn't I tell you to get me the revised numbers from finance by nine?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's 8:45. I'm not a miracle worker, Alexander. Though, given my track record, you could probably argue otherwise." I offered a smirk, knowing it would only irritate him further. He didn't need to be reminded that I was always on time, even when I appeared to be cutting it close.

"Then stop wasting time and get them," he snapped, running a hand through his already tousled hair. I could see the strain in his eyes, the frustration of a man who could never quite control everything around him, no matter how hard he tried.

"Actually," I said, leaning casually against the side of his desk, "I already emailed the numbers to your inbox. You might have seen them if you weren't so busy glaring at those poor, defenseless papers."

He paused, his gaze narrowing as he realized he'd been outmaneuvered. Again. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"I don't think, Alexander. I know," I replied, my voice dripping with the kind of confidence that comes from years of navigating his tempestuous moods. "And I also know that if you keep frowning like that, you'll end up with more wrinkles than you're already starting to get. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

He exhaled sharply, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he buried it beneath that trademark stoicism. "Is there anything you can't turn into a quip, Nova?"

"Only things that aren't worth my time," I shot back, straightening up and adjusting my tie with a flourish. "Now, is there anything else you'd like me to do before I start running this place single-handedly?"

Alexander leaned back in his chair, eyes locking onto mine with that intense scrutiny he reserved for when he was trying to figure out if I was more trouble than I was worth. "Just don't burn the place down while you're at it."

"Noted," I said with a mock salute, turning on my heel and heading toward the door. But just before I left, I threw one last look over my shoulder. "And Alexander? Try not to let the paperwork bite. It's already doing a number on your mood."

As I left his office, the door closing behind me with a soft click, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Every day with Alexander Blackwood was a battle of wits, and every morning I relished the chance to go toe-to-toe with him.

It was only 9 a.m., and the day was already off to a promising start.