Irreversible Love

They say you can't take love by force, but I once believed otherwise.

My mind still lingers on Gabriella Rosecroft. I wanted her love, yet all she sees when she looks at me is the girl who once tormented her.

I thought I'd never see her again.

That was before I applied to a company that promised the kind of salary I desperately needed. I had debts to repay, debts my parents had left behind for me to deal with alone.

I never saw them again.

Cowards. That's what they were, just as I had been.

How could they abandon me to face the loan sharks alone? How could they leave their own child to clean up the mess they'd made?

Did they never truly love me? Or were they simply more afraid of losing their own lives than of losing their daughter?

I once had everything a girl could want. Then, in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was all stripped away from me.

Afterward, my dreams became a torment of their own. I would be falling, endlessly, and no matter how many times I experienced it, it always felt real. The helplessness, the terror, the sensation of losing everything all over again.

Perhaps it was the guilt I carried, or the affection I'd wanted so desperately but could never have. Maybe it was both, haunting me night after night, trapping me in the same nightmare from which I could never seem to escape.

I stood before a building that promised me a better life. All I needed was to get through one flawless interview.

It shouldn't be that hard, right?

I repeated the thought to myself, desperately trying to believe it. Otherwise, I'd be an emotional wreck before I even stepped through the doors.

Rosella Croft.

A well-known company that had practically exploded across the internet three years ago. Its rapid success was impressive, to say the least. Whoever sat in the CEO's chair clearly understood business, strategy, and how to stay ahead of the competition.

Wonderful. Now I was nervous.

My gaze drifted back to the company name displayed above the entrance.

Rosella Croft.

Wait.

Croft?

Rosella?

I stared at the lettering for a moment longer.

No, there was no way.

It couldn't be her.

Croft was a common enough surname, and Rosella was hardly an exact match for Gabriella Rosecroft. I was reaching for connections that didn't exist.

Gabriella Rosecroft had no reason to be here.

And I had no reason to think about her.

With a shaky breath, I straightened my clothes and stepped inside.

I approached the reception desk.

“Hello, ma'am. I'm here for an interview.” I straightened my back, hoping to appear more confident than I felt.

“Name?”

The woman barely acknowledged me, her attention fixed on the computer screen in front of her.

“Selene Ashstorm.”

Her fingers paused over the keyboard. She lifted her head, her eyebrows rising slightly as she looked at me.

What?

She'd barely shown any interest in me before. Why the sudden change?

“Wait a moment.” She picked up the phone and dialed a number without another word.

How rude. The least she could do was excuse herself.

I shifted my weight nervously as I waited for her to finish the call. To make matters worse, she'd turned her back to me. Did she really have to take an important phone call in the middle of our conversation?

“Alright, I will.” That was all I managed to hear.

Was that call about me? What the heck is going on?

“Alright, your interview is on the top floor,” she said abruptly.

I blinked.

“But I applied for a receptionist position.” The receptionist barely glanced at me.

“You'll be meeting someone upstairs for your interview.”

I stared at her, thoroughly confused.

The top floor was reserved for the company's higher-ranking employees. Executive assistants, marketing directors, brand managers, market research analysts—the people responsible for keeping Rosella Croft running behind the scenes.

What business did I have up there?

I was applying to answer phones and greet visitors, not discuss marketing strategies with executives.

Had something changed? Was there a mistake with my application?

What the hell is going on?

“Alright, no problem. Thank you.” I offered her a graceful smile, careful not to let my confusion show on my face.

With that, I turned away from the reception desk and made my way toward the elevators, still puzzled by what had just happened.

Why was my interview on the top floor? Had they mistaken me for someone else?

I pressed the elevator button and waited, my thoughts spiraling with every passing second.

Please, don't tell me there's been some kind of mistake.

It took a few minutes for the elevator doors to open. Inside stood a woman with long black hair, dressed in a fitted dress that hugged her figure. Her back was turned toward me.

I hesitated.

Why was she facing the back of the elevator? Most people faced the doors, didn't they?

Then I noticed the phone in her hand.

Her fingers were small and delicate, and there was something familiar about the graceful way she held it. I couldn't quite place it, but my gaze lingered on her hands longer than it should have.

Why did they look so familiar?

I shook the thought away. I was probably overthinking things again.

“Excuse me,” I said politely, stepping into the elevator.

She didn't answer me.

Why hadn't she stepped out? This was the ground floor, wasn't it? Wouldn't someone exit the elevator here to leave the building?

The entire interaction was becoming increasingly bewildering. First, my interview had been moved to the top floor for reasons no one bothered to explain. Now, this woman was standing in an elevator with her back to me, ignoring my presence entirely.

What the hell was going on today?

“Did you miss your floor? Which number should I press for you?” I asked softly, careful not to let my uncertainty seep into my voice.

The elevator doors finally slid shut. She still hadn't answered me.

Well, that's rather rude. Was everyone in this building like this?

I pressed the button for the top floor and shifted my weight uneasily. My fingers began fiddling with the strap of my bag as I glanced at the illuminated floor numbers.

This had to be the most awkward elevator ride I'd ever experienced. And I hadn't even made it to my interview yet.

The elevator began to move. Only then did the woman turn to face me.

The moment I saw her face, I swore my heart leaped out of my chest and into another life.

Gabriella…

Gabriella Rosecroft.