I drummed my fingers lightly on the glass table, pretending not to feel the growing knots twisting inside my stomach.
The hallway buzzed faintly around me — a distant hum of keyboards, low conversations, the occasional chuckle drifting from some unseen corner.
I pulled my blazer tighter around me, crossing my legs and uncrossing them again.
Get it together, Selene. It's just a job. Just a stupid office job.
Yet my heart refused to listen.
Not when everything here — the spotless marble floors, the massive screens lining the walls, the quiet, cold efficiency of it all — screamed power. Control. Secrets.
And not when Laura herself, had left me with nothing but a brief "Wait here, someone will come for you soon," before disappearing down the endless, gleaming corridor into the elevator.
I glanced around nervously, wondering if I should get up and look for someone — anyone — when a shadow fell across the table.
"Hey," a voice said, bright and boyish. "You must be the new girl. Selene, right?"
I looked up — and blinked.
Was I already that popular at the company? Everyone I met always knows my name.
This guy,
He was tall, almost lanky, with sandy-blond hair tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed, and eyes the warm color of whiskey. His tie was half-loosened, like he was either incredibly relaxed or constantly late to meetings.
I forced a small smile. "Yeah, that's me."
"Nelson." He stuck out his hand, grinning in a way that made it impossible not to respond. "Welcome to Skype. Where we either work you to death or bore you to death. Sometimes both."
I laughed — a soft, startled sound. "That's… comforting."
He plopped into the chair across from me without waiting for an invitation, tossing a slim file onto the table. "Figured I'd introduce myself since apparently, we're going to be... office buddies."
"Office buddies?" I echoed, tilting my head.
"Yeah, partners. Well, sorta. Jacob's orders."
He shrugged like it was no big deal, but his eyes flickered carefully over me, assessing.
"He said you'd need someone to show you the ropes. Guess that lucky someone's me."
Jacob.
The name hit me like a pulse through the air — familiar and already carrying a strange weight.
I shifted uneasily in my seat, smoothing down my skirt.
"Uh, about that…" I said. "I'm not even sure where I'm supposed to be. I got dropped off here and then—"
I made a helpless little gesture toward the endless maze of glass and chrome around us.
"I have no idea how to find Mr. Gerard's office."
Nelson chuckled, a low, easy sound that didn't quite ease my nerves.
"You're not the first. Skype's basically a high-tech maze designed to make new hires feel stupid."
I gave a tight smile.
"Mission accomplished, then."
He picked up his file, tucking it neatly under his arm, and stood.
"Tell you what. Let me just dump this crap in my office — it's right over there."
He nodded toward a door just opposite where we sat.
"Then I'll personally escort you to the big man's lair. Trust me, it's better than you wandering around and accidentally triggering a security lockdown or something."
I bit back a laugh.
"That bad, huh?"
"Worse."
He winked and sauntered off, leaving me sitting there with my heart doing weird somersaults.
I watched him disappear into his office, my mind spinning.
Jacob Gerard.
The CEO.
The one who'd accepted my application.
The one everyone whispered about — the cold, brilliant heir to the Gerard empire.
I had no idea what he would say.
Only that somehow, my future rested in his hands.
My fingers fidgeted with the strap of my purse, nerves bubbling up again.
Why am I nervous?
It's just an interview.
You've survived worse, Selene.
You've survived... loss.
You've survived heartbreak.
But somewhere deep inside, I knew this was different.
Something about today felt... irreversible.
Nelson reappeared a moment later, tossing me an easy grin.
"Alright, ready to go?"
I nodded, rising to my feet and smoothing down invisible wrinkles from my skirt.
As we walked, Nelson launched into a cheerful monologue about Skype's ridiculous hierarchy, the endless corporate politics, and who to avoid if I valued my sanity.
I barely heard him.
My pulse thundered in my ears with every step closer to Jacob Gerard's office.
We finally stopped outside a large, ominous door — sleek black, with a single silver plaque: CEO - Jacob Gerard.
Nelson rapped twice, then flashed me a quick smile.
"Good luck. And if you survive, maybe we can grab coffee later. First round's on me."
Before I could answer — before I could even think — the door swung open automatically.
And everything inside me went very, very still.