Chapter One

"Come on, Caroline!" called Caroline Forbes' boss, Rebekah Mikaelson. They were, as usual, late and running down Vanderbilt Avenue. The cab driver hadn't been able to get all the way to the Biltmore Estate mansions, due to the sheer amount of cars that were parked along the street. "Bloody hell, I hate Brooklyn," Rebekah muttered, as they reached the grand entrance to the mansion at the end of the street. She strolled past the guards, and Caroline tottered after her, shaking out her windswept hair. "I don't know why on earth my parents decided to set up home here, when they had the whole of Queens to choose from."

Caroline tittered out the laugh that she reserved specially for Rebekah's frivolous little comments. She hadn't really wanted to come along to this party with Rebekah – it was girls' night with Elena and Bonnie, but she didn't really have much choice. Rebekah loved hanging Caroline's job on the line if she so much as disagreed with anything she said.

Rebekah Mikaelson was the woman that every girl in New York wanted to be. She managed the biggest fashion magazine company in America, titled Magnifique, which had only been established for the last three years, but had already taken over popular titles such as Vogue. People loved Rebekah's no-nonsense approach to fashion, celebrities, and every other aspect that she chose to run articles about. And it was Caroline Forbes who had been lucky enough to land an interview with Rebekah just short of six months ago, and gained a job of second assistant.

The second assistant apparently wasn't as good as the first assistant. The first assistant was called Nadia, and was a tall, tan woman with legs up to Caroline's neck. She was originally from Europe, and won people over with her sultry accent and her round, amber eyes. Of course, Nadia was already at the lavish party that they were attending – she had got there early, with the intent of meeting and greeting all of the guests who would be awaiting Rebekah's arrival. Being the only daughter of the Mikaelson family and running her own company at the age of twenty three, she definitely piqued the interest of most New Yorkers.

Of course, Rebekah didn't just walk into her fame and glory, as much as she would like people to believe. Since working for her, Caroline discovered that all of her family were lucky in that respect. Her parents were descended from royalty in England, according to Nadia, and they had given their children everything. All of the Mikaelsons had been put through expensive boarding schools in Britain, and were handed hefty trust funds when they turned eighteen.

Rebekah chose to use hers to establish her magazine. Finn, the oldest of her brothers, had a lot of assistance from his wife Sage with his trust fund. Together they had set up a wedding planning company. Finn dealt with planning receptions and leading the show, while Sage spent her time with the brides. Elijah and Niklaus had gone into business together, establishing an investment firm that was situated in the centre of Manhattan. Elijah did most of the hard work, running offices and such, whereas Niklaus seemed to have the more lavish lifestyle. Caroline didn't know anything about investments or finance, but she didn't think Niklaus Mikaelson did either. He seemed to spend his life at premieres and balls, whereas Elijah was always nowhere to be seen. The youngest brother, Kol, had spent his trust fun on a different source, and it was always something Rebekah was complaining about.

As they stepped over the threshold of the Mikaelson's enormous, lavish mansion, Rebekah was the first one to question Kol's whereabouts. "I don't think he'll be here, of course. What a waste of our parent's money, taking a trip around the world. I've been around the globe twice since I started Magnifique. He should have waited a little while, and done something more productive. As soon as that money runs out, he'll run straight back to Mum and Dad…" Rebekah's voice tailed off as she handed her shawl to one of the butlers that were walking by. "How do I look, Caroline?" she asked, looking at Caroline pointedly.

As much as her boss wound Caroline up on a daily basis, she couldn't deny that Rebekah scrubbed up well. She was wearing a shimmering floor length Versace dress, made from a sparkling nude-pink chiffon material, decorated with sequins and glitter. It was sleeveless, with a silky bodice, and the dress clung to her figure, right down to below her knees, where the dress sprang out, in mermaid fashion. Her pale blonde hair was curled to the side, and her pouty face was made up immaculately. "You look great, Rebekah," Caroline assured her. She immediately began to feel self-conscious about her insignificant attire.

Due to living in a central apartment with Elena, most of her wages were drawn out immediately. She spent most of her remaining money trying to dress appropriately – or, expensively – for work, as the competition in the office among the other women was just as onerous as it was if they were out on the town. So, when Rebekah had landed this party on Caroline just two days earlier, she really didn't have enough money to and buy a new, expensive dress. She had to scour the downtown boutiques last minute, and came out with a dress that Elena insisted was 'cute'. It was a cotton blue affair with strappy sleeves, the length of which only came down to her knees. She had accessorised with a nude clutch and a pair of Elena's shoes, and had thought she looked pretty good – but now, around all these other women who were dolled up to the nines in ball gowns she felt pretty minimal. Inwardly, she cursed Rebekah for not giving her an adequate dress code.

Rebekah shot Caroline a toothy smile. "Remember, you're not here to have fun. I know this is an out-of-work event, but you're still here as my assistant. So speak to the guests, and answer whatever questions they have about the magazine. Feel free to have a dance and enjoy the buffet, but keep your BlackBerry on vibrate if I need you," she told her, and then sauntered off towards the far end of the ballroom, where Caroline assumed her family would be.

Caroline sighed, and took her work phone from her pocket, setting it to vibrate mode. Frankly, she didn't know why Rebekah had insisted she come along, when Nadia was here. As if on cue, Nadia floated towards her from a thick throng of men in tuxedos. As expected, the first assistant was dressed head to toe in an effortless black number, wearing a string of pearls around her neck. "Caroline, darling," she greeted in her drawling accent, and leaned forward, offering her an airy kiss on the cheek. "You look…" she backed up, her golden brown eyes scanning her up and down. "…adorable!"

It wasn't really the look Caroline had been going for, but she smiled back at Nadia anyway. "Thanks! You look amazing too."

"Thank you, darling," Nadia did a quick turn in her dress. "It's Prada," she lowered her voice. "Don't tell anyone, but it's a next season number. Mother is good friends with Miuccia – they spent time in Venice together."

Caroline's smile began to strain. Of course, Nadia's mother was friends with one of the most famous designers in the world. "That's…really great!" suddenly, Caroline's BlackBerry started buzzing, and she stepped back. "Excuse me," she stepped away from Nadia, and checked the BlackBerry.

'BRING MY SHAWL TO THE BALCONY,' read the instructive message. Caroline rolled her eyes, and sought out the cloakroom, where the butler had placed Rebekah's thin shawl on a coat stand by itself. She grabbed the shawl, folding the thin material neatly in her hands, and then wandered back out into the ballroom, searching for the balcony.

As she headed there, she had a chance to take a look around the mansion. It really was a beautiful building; with a tiled, shiny floor, and magnificent chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. There were tapestries and enormous, ceiling-to-floor painting with gold plated frames marking the walls. Caroline was nervous of where to step; she had never been in such a beautiful building before.

When she found the balcony, she blanched. Rebekah was stood with her brothers, Niklaus and Kol. She recognised Kol as the only one who was dressed more casually than her, choosing not to wear a tie or a blazer, and was dressed in a Hawaiian style floral shirt, which was certainly an eyesore. He was extremely tanned, and his dark hair had lighter flecks in it, so Caroline assumed he must have paused his world tour to come back to his parents' soiree.

Caroline was most shocked by Niklaus' appearance. She had never seen him in person; he was someone who remained confined to the television, or the pages of the glossy magazines that Elena left on the coffee table. Famous people were meant to stay in those places – not wander the streets. He appeared to make some kind of effort in his attire, wearing a charcoal grey suit with a maroon red shirt, but he had the top buttons of his shirt undone, exposing a scattering of light hair across his chest. He was tall, but not as tall as Rebekah in her six inch Louboutins, and he had bright, blue eyes and short, thick, dark blonde hair. Caroline had never thought much of Niklaus Mikaelson when she saw him in person, but seeing him in all his attractive splendour, she felt as though every nerve in her body was alight.

She shook herself off, and stepped towards the small group confidently. Rebekah was in deep conversation with her two brothers, but she turned around when Caroline cleared her throat. "Thank you," she told her dismissively, taking the shawl out of Caroline's hands, and wrapping it around her shoulders. She turned her back on Caroline almost immediately, as if to let her know that her presence wasn't necessary anymore. Tactfully, Caroline stepped away quietly, secretly glad that she didn't have to try and make conversation with the prestigious celebrity.

"Wait," a smooth, British voice spoke, just as Caroline reached the doors. She turned around slowly, and became aware that all three of the Mikaelsons were looking at her. Rebekah looked mildly irritated, Kol looked amused, and Niklaus was wearing an interested half-smile. "Aren't you going to introduce us, little sister?"

Caroline groaned inwardly, wishing she could just run back to the party. But somehow, she found her feet walking her back to the three siblings. "Of course, Nik," Rebekah replied, stiffly. Caroline knew just how much Rebekah hated to be interrupted, and she was automatically taking this out on Caroline. She hated upsetting her boss, because it never ended well. Rebekah was hard to please, but Caroline did her best. "This is Caroline. She's a new addition to the company; one of my assistants. Caroline, this is my brother Kol, and my brother Niklaus."

Kol opened his mouth to speak, but Niklaus got there first. He stuck out his hand to Caroline. "Pleasure to meet you. Call me Klaus," he greeted in a low voice, his eyes boring into her. She took his hand tentatively, and shook it. Straight after, she offered her hand to Kol too.

"Nice to meet you, Mr's Mikaelson," she said to both of them, and then looked at Rebekah expectantly. Her mouth was a straight line, staring down at Caroline.

"Shouldn't you be along now, Caroline," she hinted expressively. Caroline nodded, and offered both the brothers a smile, before rushing away from the balcony before she could be stopped again.

When she reached the ballroom again, she swiftly snatched a tall glass of champagne from one of the trays the butlers were carrying around. She wasn't supposed to be drinking on the job, but due to the heat that Klaus had brought to her cheeks; she needed one. She downed the pink champagne almost immediately, and placed the glass atop of a nearby table.

Most of the guests of the party were dancing, or sitting at the white-clothed tables, nibbling on caviar and taking small mouthfuls of their Foie Gras. When Rebekah said buffett, Caroline ridiculously had expected sausage rolls and cheese sandwiches, not this expensive luxury food that Caroline definitely wouldn't be entertaining. She turned her nose away when a butler came forward with a tray of unusual looking chocolate truffles, which were dotted with suspicious black berries.

"I don't blame you," the voice behind her made her jump, and she dropped her clutch bag in shock. It was Kol – he leaned down and picked up her bag, handing it to her.

"Thanks," Caroline replied, tucking it back under her arm.

"My apologies for startling you," Kol told her, smiling. Caroline realised he was quite young, probably the same age as Elena's brother Jeremy. He immediately began engaging her in conversation about his dislike of the foreign foods, and his wish that his mother had organised something a little tastier for dinner.

"Aren't you supposed to be travelling around the world?" Caroline asked suddenly. She was glad that someone was talking to her, even if it was her boss' little brother. "I mean, don't you come across this sort of food all the time?"

He grinned. "The beauty of the globe, Caroline: everyone wants to taste American food. I'm never far from a McDonalds, even in the Alps."

Caroline laughed. Kol was funny – she didn't really know why Rebekah chose to complain about him all the time. As if on cue, she spotted her boss atop of an inward facing balcony on the upper level of the ballroom. She was with an older woman, who Caroline could only assume was her mother, and she was staring intently at Caroline. Rebekah had insisted that Caroline talk to the guests that would be asking questions about the magazine, not fraternizing with her brothers.

Taking the hint, Caroline excused herself from Kol, and ushered herself into the party. So far, no one had asked her a single question about Rebekah, and if her presence turned out to be pointless, Caroline knew that she would pay for it at work tomorrow.

However, just as she reached a large throng of people, there was the sound of coughing into a microphone. The party looked up, towards the balcony where Rebekah had previously been stood, at the woman that she had been talking to. It was definitely Rebekah's mother – she was dressed in a velvet, navy blue gown, and had her auburn hair fastened neatly on top of her head. "Welcome, everyone," she said huskily into the microphone. "I'm sorry to interrupt your engagements, but could you all step into onto the dancefloor and take the arm of a lady – as we are going to commence the first dance."

As the gaggle of people around her began to partner up, Caroline ushered back. None of the middle aged men in this room appeared single, and Caroline didn't want to irate Rebekah any more than necessary by choosing one of her brothers as a partner. However, it turned out that she didn't have much choice in the matter – Kol had spotted her across the room, and was striding towards her.

He didn't get far. Caroline was forcing a smile, preparing to give him an apologetic excuse – but then Klaus stepped in front of her. His left hand fell to her waist, and his right one caught her free hand before she could react. "Mr Mikaelson," she stated quickly. He smiled his seductive smile at her, and Caroline felt her stomach flutter.

The music started immediately – a tinkling piano music that filled the room, and everyone began to dance. Klaus led her around the ballroom expertly, his eyes never leaving hers. Caroline became aware that she was suddenly under the attention of most people in the room – especially the women, who were offering her snide, jealous looks whenever they passed. "Isn't there someone else you could have danced with, Mr Mikaelson?" Caroline asked in a quiet voice, as he pulled her forwards so that her head was by his shoulder.

"Nobody else piqued my interest, love," he replied, twirling her around.

"You have the interest of a lot of other women here," she stated in response, as Nadia was spun past by a tall, dark-skinned gentleman. She shot Caroline an appalled, yet utterly envious glare as she was swept away. Klaus simply chuckled.

"My brother is quite smitten by you already, Caroline," he told her.

Caroline looked around the room, and spotted Kol. He hadn't managed to find a dance partner, evidently, and was sitting alone in one of the seats against the wall. Caroline bit her lip, feeling a little bad – but it wasn't her fault. "Your brother was coming over to dance with me."

"I know," Klaus replied. He lowered his head, so that it was aligned with her ear. "But I always get what I want." His breath was hot on her skin, and Caroline felt shivers running down her spine. She pulled back as the music ended, and turned away, feeling her skin burning red.

She needed to find somewhere quiet to hide out, just for a little while. Klaus was making her uncomfortable, with his intense stares and his seductive little comments – and she didn't want Rebekah to be angry with her. She hadn't greeted a single other guest yet, and she knew that Rebekah would be watching. But for now, Caroline just needed to take a breather.

Knowing that the balcony would be empty, she hurried up there, and closed the doors behind her. She stepped over to the edge, breathing in the fresh, night air, and admiring the balcony view over the posh townhouse apartments on Park Avenue. Her brief getaway wasn't much, as she was soon followed by Klaus.

He opened the balcony doors quietly, and wandered over to where she stood. She groaned inwardly as he appeared behind her, and turned her head to face him. "Shouldn't you be at the party?"

"Shouldn't you?" he shot back. "I'm sure Rebekah will be annoyed if you don't stay in there."

"Rebekah will only be annoyed if I keep getting caught with her brothers, Mr Mikaelson."

Klaus offered a small laugh. "Poor Rebekah. She just can't stand the attention you're getting. You see…being the only daughter of our family, she's always been the apple of most eyes. She won't be enjoying the fact that we are all so interested in her little assistant."

"All the more reason for you to steer clear," Caroline replied in a falsetto sweet voice, and made to abandon the balcony. Before she could, Klaus reached out and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"You mistake me for someone who cares what my bratty little sister thinks, Caroline," responded Klaus, with a tiny smirk.

"Well I do," Caroline worried that she was starting to sound aggravated – the last thing she wanted was for people to know that one of the assistants at Magnifique had the nerve to talk rudely to Niklaus Mikaelson. "There's hundreds of other girls running around New York who would love to have my job; if I upset Rebekah, she'll drop me instantly."

Klaus still didn't look perturbed. He gave Caroline's arm a gentle yank, pulling her back to the balcony. "Now stop running away – I just want to talk to you, Caroline."

She couldn't withhold her irritation anymore. She had an apartment to uphold one half of. She liked her job – as condescending as Rebekah could be, sometimes. And the more Klaus continued to hassle her, the more likely it would be that she would anger Rebekah. "Why?" she begged to know, her voice rising. "There are a hundred girls in that ballroom that are desperate to talk to you – can't you see that? Or is your ego so enormous that you can't bear the fact that one girl doesn't want to be around you?" she clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she had said it, but Klaus didn't look angry. Instead, his smirk had simply widened. He reached out both hands, and cupped her face, causing her to flinch.

"This might be my ego talking, but I've had girls like that running after me since I came into the spotlight," he drawled. "So you may be right – there's something quite interesting about the pretty blonde assistant who keeps trying to run away from me." When he finished speaking, he didn't let go of her face. Caroline could feel the heat coming from his fingertips, and his breath on her face – she hadn't realised how close they were to each other, until she found herself staring at his lips.

It seemed almost natural for them to be moving closer, until the tips of their noses collided, and they were just a breath away from pressing their lips together.

"Caroline, a word," a shrill voice sounded from the doorway. Caroline sprang back from Klaus, embarrassment flooding her face, and hurried towards the intruder. It was Rebekah, and she did not look impressed. She glared at Klaus pointedly, until he tactfully removed himself from the balcony.

"Rebekah," Caroline started. "I'm sorry, that's not what it looked like—"

"—not interested," Rebekah responded breezily. "Collect your things tomorrow. You're fired. Effective…ah yes, immediately." Without further ado, Rebekah made to leave the balcony, striding past her brother.

Caroline stared after her in shock. "No…no, no, no…" she turned back to the balcony, and found herself clinging to her hair. What was she going to do now? Elena couldn't afford the rent on her own. Oh God, they would have to go back into shared accommodation. "Oh…no…" she gasped, feeling sick. There was no way she would be able to get a job so quickly.

"Caroline?"

The last person she wanted to see right now was Klaus. She spun around on her heel, uncaring what he thought of her, now. "This is your fault!" she hissed at him, tears springing to her eyes. Klaus stepped towards her, holding up his palms.

"What happened, love?"

"She fired me! I told you!" Caroline turned back to the balcony and recommenced pulling out her hair in frustration.

"Fired…oh, she is pedantic," muttered Klaus. "Caroline, I'll fix this," he placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him hopefully.

"Will you talk to her?"

"No," Klaus tried to resist a smirk. "I have a better idea."

Caroline eyed him suspiciously.

"How about you come and work for me? I will increase the wage that Rebekah was paying you by forty percent, and I can guarantee the stresses of working at Magnifique will be lessened."

"I don't understand," replied Caroline.

"You're an assistant, aren't you?" Caroline nodded. "Well, I've been contemplating getting a personal assistant for some time."

As hailed a cab after the party, and set off home, she couldn't help but feel extremely confused. How many people walk into an event and manage to lose their job, and then gain a new one – all in less than fifteen minutes?