Chapter 1
Author’s note:
This is my first time publishing a book, and your comments and feedback would mean the world to me. Please bear with me if you notice any mistakes. If you find the story intriguing, don't forget to like and follow. Thank you so much for reading;)
****
"Mom!" I screamed, feeling my heart clench and my breath catch. "My baby, my darling, you will be fine… Mommy loves you, okay?" I heard my mother's voice before she was taken away. "Mom!" I screamed again, tears streaming down my face. It felt like someone was holding me back, preventing me from reaching her. Then, suddenly, everything went dark and quiet.
I woke up, my palms sweaty and my mouth shivering, gasping for air. I sat up in bed, my hands trembling as I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table. I could barely hold it steady, but I managed to take a sip. Despite having this nightmare countless times, I never got used to it. It grew scarier every single time.
Pushing my hair back, I glanced at the clock. It was already six in the morning. I had an interview for a PA position at the Lawrines Company today. This was my last chance. I had applied for so many jobs and been rejected each time. I hoped this time would be different. Unable to sleep after the nightmare, I decided to take a bath and prepare my outfit for the interview and made breakfast for my dad and I. "Dad! Breakfast is ready," I called, removing my apron and placing it by the sink. I set the table with plates and food.
All my life, it had just been the two of us. We weren't poor, but we weren't rich either. After my mom's accident that led to her death, my dad became distant, burying himself in books all day. I had to work hard to put food on the table.
"Good morning, honey," Dad greeted, settling into one of the chairs. I smiled at him and greeted him back. We sat down to eat breakfast together.
"Are you going for another interview today?" Dad asked. I took a sip of my juice before nodding. "Yes, it's one of the best companies here in LA. They pay well, especially their PAs," I explained.
He nodded in understanding. "I know you'll get the job. I trust you," Dad said, consoling me. I sighed deeply. "I hope so," I whispered to myself.
After breakfast, I went up to my bedroom to get ready. It was already 7 a.m. I tied my hair in a ponytail, added some gel, and curled it. I put on a long-sleeved white shirt and gray trousers, grabbed my bag, put on my heels, and applied a little makeup before leaving my room.
"Dad, I'm off to the interview," I said, grabbing my phone and house keys. Walking out of the house, I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air. It was still early, so I decided to stop by Grove Cafe to kill some time before my interview.
Arriving at the cafe, I wasn't surprised by how busy it was. "One lavender mocha, please," I said to Emma, the counter girl. "As usual. Good morning, Elle," Emma greeted with a warm smile. I smiled back, grabbed my cup, and walked outside.
I loved sitting outside while having my drink, observing everyone who walked in and out of the cafe. It always made me wonder if some of them weren't human. I believed that creatures like werewolves, vampires, and demons existed and lived among us. I was curious about how they could live comfortably among us without us even knowing. Don't you think?
Getting too lost in my own fantasy, I forced myself back to reality. I checked the time and saw it was already past eight. I quickly stood up and went back to the counter. "One take-away, please," I ordered. "Sure, coming right up," Emma said. Moments later, Emma handed me my drink. I paid for it and grabbed it from the counter. As I turned to leave, I bumped into someone and spilled my drink on them.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I didn't—" I trailed off when I locked eyes with a pair of beautiful silver eyes. They were cold, devoid of any emotions, yet mesmerizing. I couldn't help but get lost in them.
"Are you done staring?" the man spoke, breaking the spell. I blinked, coming back to my senses. "I'm so sorry," I said sincerely, trying to wipe off the coffee stains. But the man harshly pushed my hands away.
"Sorry? Do you even know how much this suit is worth? Looking at your appearance, I'm sure you could never afford to pay for it, even if you worked for years," he said coldly and harshly. He was incredibly rude. I bit my lower lip, trying to control my anger.
"Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can judge me however you please, mister. I might be poor, but at least I've got manners, unlike you," I said, eyeing him from head to toe. This man screamed wealth, but I wouldn't let him talk down to me.
He stared at me with disgust. "Who would even want to wear those? I mean, take a look at your crocodile shoes. They're not giving at all. You should go back home and get your manners because you clearly lack them," I said, grabbing the cup from the ground and placing it on the counter. Everyone in the cafe was staring at us; some were even taking videos. He must be a well-known person, but I didn't care. No matter who he was, I wouldn't let anyone talk me down.
I walked out of the cafe, my mood thoroughly ruined by that obnoxious man. Determined not to dwell on the encounter, I quickly hailed a cab and instructed the driver to take me to the company.
****
"Did you delete all the videos from their phones?" I asked, entering the car with Kail. My irritation was palpable. How dare she talk back to me? "Yes, I did. Crocodile shoes—oops, I mean Steve," Kail mocked. I narrowed my eyes at him. I was already fuming, and he was only making it worse. "I swear, if we ever meet again, I'll make her life miserable," I said with cold determination.
"Calm down, Steve. She's just a naive little lady. I'm pretty sure she didn't know who you are, which is why she talked back," Kail said, trying to soothe me.
"Are you on her side or mine?" I snapped, my temper flaring. Kail always knew how to get under my skin. At least I had a spare shirt in the car.
"Yours, of course," Kail replied.
I sighed and grabbed my phone, deciding it was a waste of time to talk about that rude woman any longer. "What's my schedule?" I asked, shifting back to business. "You've got to stop using me as your PA, Steve. I have my own job, you know," Kail protested. "Oh, come on. It's not like you have any interviews or scenes to play. Stop complaining," I retorted. Kail had been my best friend forever, and he was the only one I could tolerate. "Fine, fine. You have an interview at nine, a conference call at twelve, and a visit to the construction site at three," he explained. "Is going to the interview necessary? You could just select someone for me," I suggested.
"No, no. I'm not buying that. Whoever I hire for you, you sack them within two weeks. Some didn't even last that long. Listen, Steve, you've got to find yourself a PA who can handle your stuff. I won't always be around," Kail insisted. "They're annoying and incompetent. They only want the job to get close to me," I complained. "You get irritated by anyone who breathes. Just give it a try this once, please," Kail urged. "Fine," I conceded, grabbing one of the files next to me and starting to go through it.
****
I arrived at the company five minutes before nine, relieved that I wasn't late. As I entered the building, I was awestruck by its size and grandeur. It was so big that I could easily get lost in here. Gratefully, I spotted someone at the reception counter and hurried over to ask for directions.
"Excuse me, good morning. Where is the interview taking place?" I asked. The lady eyed me from head to toe before giving me the fakest smile I had ever seen.
"You can use the elevator. The interview will be on the fifth floor," she said.
"Thank you," I replied, offering a polite smile before heading towards the elevator.
When I arrived on the fifth floor, it was bustling with people. A wave of anxiety washed over me. With all these candidates, my chances of getting the job seemed slim. They all looked so modern, rich, and professional. Not that I didn’t look good, but insecurities have a way of creeping in. I approached the secretary's table to make a few inquiries.
"Hi, I'm here for the interview," I said nervously.
The lady looked up and gave me a warm, professional smile, a stark contrast to the receptionist downstairs. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Elle Anderson," I replied.
She nodded, scrolled through her tablet, and then looked back up at me. "You're number six. Have a seat; the interview will start soon."
I nodded and found an empty chair next to her table. Being number six was a good thing, right?
After a while, the secretary called for our attention. "Listen up, Sir Steve has arrived and is on his way up. Please be on your best behavior. I know some of you are fans, but remember, you're here for a job interview, not a fan meeting, okay?" she announced. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Moments later, Sir Steve walked in, and the room buzzed with whispers and excitement. Some people even started taking photos.
"Oh my god, he looks so good," the lady next to me said in admiration.
I was too nervous about the interview to care much about Sir Steve's appearance. Besides, with everyone standing to get a better view, I could barely see him from where I was seated. "Number one, you can go in now," the secretary announced. I took a deep breath, my anxiety threatening to overwhelm me. "Elle, it's fine. It's just an interview," I reminded myself. I watched as each candidate before me walked in and came out with sad and annoyed expressions, which only made me more nervous. What were they being told in there?
"Miss Anderson, it's your turn," the secretary called out. I took a deep breath and stood up from my seat. With one last steadying breath, I opened the door to the interview room and closed it behind me. As I entered, I locked eyes with a pair of familiar, annoyingly silver eyes. The man from the cafe. "You!" we both said in unison. He looked at me with a mix of anger and disgust. "You're so done, Elle," I thought to myself. I hesitated before walking towards the interview panel. I never imagined this man would be here, interviewing me.
"Good morning," I greeted, trying to maintain my composure. Despite knowing my chances of getting this job had just plummeted, I had to give it my best shot. "Hi, my name is Elle Anderson..."
He cut me off with a cold, ruthless tone. "Miss Anderson, I see you've learned to mask your rudeness with a veneer of politeness, I’m impressed”
His words were meant to unnerve me, and they succeeded. But I wasn't going to put my job at stake, so I just ignored him and continued. "I’m... 22, I..."
He cut me off again. "What’s this? You’re stammering now? Did a cat catch your tongue? Do you really think someone like you has any chance of getting hired here?"
I clenched my fists, trying to control my anger. I was doing my best to be professional because of Sir Steve; I didn't want him to get any wrong impressions of me. If not for that reason, I would have put this man in his place. Putting on a fake smile and ignoring him once again, I continued, "I have my PhD and..."
The guy cut me off again with a tsk and a laugh. "I doubt it. You..."
But this time, I cut him off. "Sir, would you please just shut up so I could introduce myself to Sir Steve here?" I said, unable to hold back. He was really getting under my skin, and I couldn't help myself.
Both Sir Steve and the arrogant man paused, looking at me. The arrogant man smiled, standing up from his seat and walking up to me. "You think he is 'The Steve'? At first, I thought you were just crazy, but now I see you're stupid as well. I'm Steve Lawrines, owner of the Lawrines Company, and having someone with such a low fashion sense and knowledge like you as my assistant is the last thing I'm thinking of," he said, emphasizing every word
After realizing who the real Steve Lawrines was, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Now I definitely knew I wasn’t getting this job. "Steve, at least let me interview her before you decide," the guy whom I thought was Steve earlier finally spoke up.
"Gosh, Elle, how could you embarrass yourself like that?" I scolded myself. Unlike Steve, this guy was really nice and polite.
"She's rude, poor, and her fashion sense is zero," Steve said, making me clench my hands into fists. Who does this man think he is? Just because he has money, he thinks he can downgrade and look down on me.
"Sir, just because you own this company doesn't mean you can treat people like dirt. It's a wonder you have any employees left with that charming personality," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe if you spent less time on your overpriced suits and more on treating people with respect, you might actually have a company worth bragging about."
Steve's face flushed with anger, and I could see I had hit a nerve. The room went silent as true man who was sitting with him just stared at us.
I stared up at him with all the confidence I could muster. I knew I had already lost this job, so I might as well defend myself. We stood there, locked in a staring match as if we wanted to tear each other apart. Honestly, this man was beautiful—he looked like a god—but it was a shame his personality said otherwise.
"You two should just calm down. Steve, let her finish her interview. And miss, please mind your words," the man interrupted us. I took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, sir," I said to the man.
"Just call me Kail," he replied. I nodded my head. Steve, without saying another word, walked back to his seat.
"Please start over again," Kail requested. I nodded, taking a few deep breaths. My eyes wandered back to Steve, who just stared at me with disdain.
"Hi, my name is Elle Anderson. I'm 22 years old. I have a PhD and a degree in management," I began.
"Miss Anderson, are you sure you can handle this job? You will not only have to manage Steve’s schedules but also use laptops, balance various tasks, bring up ideas, and much more," Kail asked.
"Yes, sir. I can do all of it, and I know how to use computers very well," I responded.
Kail nodded and gave me a slight smile, while Steve on the other side just narrowed his eyes and tapped on his phone. "Thank you so much for coming for the interview, Miss Anderson. We will get back to you later if you’re hired," Kail said.
I nodded. I knew I wasn’t going to get hired, but at least I did my best and put that guy in his place. "I will take my leave now," I said, giving Steve a quick glance before walking out.
***
"Why the hell did you do that for?!" I exclaimed in anger the moment that lady walked out.
"Steve, just listen to me… she has potential," Kail said.
I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you hearing yourself? She talked back to me! Even after knowing who I really was, she still talked back to me! You’re not thinking of telling me to hire her, are you?"
"All I'm saying is she's bold. Bold enough to stand up for herself, to talk back to you. And above all, she hates you. Isn’t that what you wanted? Someone who just cares about their work and not you? In my opinion, I think she’s perfect for you."
I gave him a stern look. "I mean… as your PA. And she’s smart too. Think about it," Kail added.
I flicked the pen in my fingers. It would be fun to make her life a living hell here. I would make her fear me, make her life a living nightmare. Just thinking of how helpless she would look begging me formed a smile on my face.
"Fine… if you say so, then I agree," I said as the mischievous smile kept playing on my lips.
"What are you planning, Steve?" Kail asked worriedly.
"Nothing," I said. I grabbed my phone and dialed my secretary. "Tell everyone to go home. I have hired someone," I said the moment she picked up the call, then hung up after I finished talking.
