THE BOSS' MISTRESS

The office buzzed like a relentless hive as Anna waked in the next morning. She held her bah close to her body, shoulders squared,her chin slightly raised because she had promised herself she would walk into this new job with confidence, no matter how intimidating everything felt. She ignored the stares, whispers and the way the receptionist, that same rude woman from yesterday, gave her a slow smirk that felt like a slap.

Anna stepped into the marketing floor, where rows of sleek desks stood in perfect alignment. Her colleagues were already settled, clicking away on keyboards or pretending to work while eyeing her. Especially now that everyone knew she had been sent directly to the CEO's office in her first day. That alone had caused a storm of gossip. And she felt it floating around her like perfume.

She dropped her bag, opened her laptop, and tried to pretend her hands weren't shaking. Before she could even take a breath,her office phone blinked. Incoming call:CEO's office Her heart jumped. She swallowed hard and answered. " Good morning sir." Blake's voice filled her ear, love and steady. "Come up."

Just that. Two words.

She quickly stood, smoothed her skirt down, thankfully not his clothes today and hurried into the elevator. The climb felt slow, suffocating, as if every floor stretched the moment. When she stepped into his office, Blake was already seated, posture perfect, eyes unreadable. "Sit," he said, but this time, Anna obeyed. He folded his arms. "I have a task for you. You'll be in charge of revving a wine brand that has been dying for months." He slid a file across the table. " Chàteau Rouge." Anna opened the file and winced. The numbers were terrible. Sales were low. Reviews were mixed. Marketing attempts had failed. " It's one of our poorest performing labels," Blake continued. " I want you to push it. You want to prove yourself? Then prove it."

Something flickered inside Anna's chest, not approval, not encouragement, but a challenge.A flame. She nodded. "I'll do it "

He gave a small, satisfied smirk. " Good . You have two weeks."

Her breath hitched. "Two -?"

" That will be all. You're dismissed."

Anna left the office, half terrified, half determined. As the elevator doors slid shut, she exhaled shakily and pressed a palm to her chest.

Two weeks, one failing product. A whole company watching her to see if she would fail. She didn't know whether Blake believed she could do it...or whether he wanted to see her struggle. Either way,she would prove him wrong.

ANNA POURED HERSELF INTO project till it consumed her. She studied every detail of the wine; it's origin, the vineyard, the flavor profile. She visited the warehouse to see the bottles firsthand. She took notes, observed, asked questions until staff grew irritated. She mapped out a new marketing strategy. She created; A series of aesthetic social media posts showing the wine in luxury settings. She worked endlessly and tirelessly, from both the office and home. Shey stayed late, came early, edited videos and handled customers feedback manually so the algorithm stayed alive. There was rumors all around her "Why is she stressing so much?"

"Does she think she's the new favorite?"

"Watch her embarrass herself."

Anna heard everything; every sharp remark disguised as a joke, every eye roll. Something it stung badly. Sometimes she cried in the bathroom and washed her face before coming out again. But she refused; flat out refused to fail.

And slowly.... the numbers began to move. At first it was a spark. Then a flame. Then a wildfire. By the end of the first week, sales had increased by 15 percentage. Chàteau Rouge because an overnight sensation. Anna could barely contain her joy; her exhaustion, her relief.

She hadn't slept more than four hours a day, but seeing the sales chart spike felt like magic. She printed the reports, held them tight against her chest, and rushed to give Blake the news.

She knocked on his office door.

No answer.

She knocked again.

" Come in," he finally said. Anna entered, smiling brightly her cheeks hurt. " Sir, I have the numbers" Blake looked up slowly, and the expression on his face was unreadable. "I did it," she continued, breathlessly." Sales doubled within time target. Chàteau Rouge is back on the charts. I thought you'd want to see...." She stretched out the file but Blake barely glanced at it. " Good," he said, in a tone as cold as steel. " You did your job."

Anna blinked, the smile faltering. " Success has no limits. Don't be overexcited over something small. There's always more to do."

Her heart cracked quietly like a glass shattering inside her chest. "I... understand," she whispered. He nodded once. " Close the door on your way out." She walked out slowly, each step heavier than the last. Her vision blurred as she reached the hallway. She had worked so hard, pushed herself given everything, solved the puzzle a whole company couldn't in two weeks. And he called it small.

BLAKE HAD ALWAYS believed his company was efficient, but in the last two weeks it became unstoppable. The sales reports were undeniable. Chàteau Rouge had transformed from a failing label into one of their top selling wine and the shift began when Anna took over. He noticed it immediately. Every morning, the analytics team brought him new numbers. He tried to pretend he wasn't impressed. He tried to pretend she wasn't responsible for the sudden spark running through his company. But he knew the truth, she was brilliant. Relentless Creative in ways his entire marketing team hadn't been in months.

But the worst part was that he wanted her badly. More than appropriate for a CEO who had strictly, firmly and clearly been told that their relationship must remain nothing more than workplace professionalism.

Damnit it, Anna...

He stood and walked towards the window, watching the city breathe. He needed her close, but she didn't want closeness. He respected her choice, but it frustrated him.