Chapter 1
The rain fell harder than expected, turning the streets of Manila into a blur of gray reflections and rushing footsteps.
Umbrellas collided. Cars splashed through deep puddles. The sky was heavy, like it was pressing down on the entire city.
But Lia Santos didn't move.
She stood in front of a towering glass building that seemed to touch the clouds. Every window reflected the storm, every light inside looked distant and unreachable.
Cruz Enterprises.
Just the name made people stop talking.
A company built from nothing into one of the most powerful corporations in the country. People said only the smartest survived there. Others said only the strongest emotionally survived it.
Lia tightened her grip on the damp envelope in her hands.
Inside it was her resume. Her last hope.
Her third attempt.
If she failed again, she didn't know what else she could do.
"Please," she whispered under her breath, almost like a prayer. "Just give me a chance this time."
The wind pushed against her, but she finally stepped forward.
Each step toward the entrance felt heavier than the last, like she was walking into something she didn't fully understand.
Inside the lobby, the world changed instantly.
Warm air replaced the cold rain. Marble floors reflected golden lights from above.
People in suits moved quickly in every. direction-talking, typing, calling, always rushing like time itself belonged to them.
Lia suddenly felt small.
Invisible.
But she straightened her shoulders anyway.
She wasn't going to turn back.
"Excuse me," she said softly to the receptionist.
The woman barely looked up. "Name?"
"Lia Santos."
A few clicks.
A pause.
Then a nod.
"Top floor. Interview room A."
That was all.
No smile. No encouragement.
Just instructions.
Lia swallowed her nervousness and walked toward the elevator.
The elevator doors closed with a soft chime.
Silence filled the small space as it began to rise.
Numbers lit up above the door.
10... 15... 20...
Each floor felt like she was leaving her old life behind one layer at a time.
Her reflection stared back at her from the metal walls.
She looked tired. Nervous. Human.
"You can do this," she whispered to herself. "Just breathe."
But her heart didn't listen.
It kept beating too fast.
By the time the elevator reached the top floor, her palms were already sweaty.
Ding.
The doors opened.
And everything changed.
The hallway was quiet. Too quiet. No noise of employees. No phones ringing. Just silence and glass walls that showed the storm outside.
And at the end of the hallway-
A man stood behind a desk.
He didn't look at her at first.
He was reading something on a laptop, perfectly still. His posture was straight, controlled, almost too precise to feel natural.
Everything about him felt distant.
Cold.
Like he didn't belong in the same emotional world as everyone else.
Lia hesitated at the doorway.
Her throat tightened.
Then he spoke without looking up.
"You're late."
His voice was calm.
But it carried authority that made her stomach tighten.
"I-I'm sorry," Lia said quickly. "The traffic and the rain-"
He raised one hand slightly.
She stopped immediately.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
Slowly, the man closed his laptop.
Then he looked up.
Ethan Cruz.
The name now had a face.
Dark eyes. Sharp features. An expression that showed nothing-no warmth, no softness, no welcome.
Just control.
He studied her like she was a problem he hadn't decided how to handle yet.
Lia felt her breath catch.
This was the man people talked about.
The CEO who built an empire before thirty.
The man who never smiled in interviews.
The man who didn't waste time on emotions.
And now he was looking at her like she didn't belong in his world.
"You're here for the interview," he said flatly.
"Yes," she replied quickly. "I'm Lia Santos."
He repeated her name in his mind, but didn't show it on his face.
Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Why do you want this job?"
The question felt heavier than expected.
Lia hesitated.
Not because she didn't know the answer.
But because the truth felt too personal to say in front of someone like him.
Still, she answered.
"Because I want to prove I'm not useless," she said honestly. "I don't have connections. I don't have experience like others. But I work hard. I don't give up easily."
A long silence followed.
Ethan stood up slowly.
He walked toward the glass window behind him.
The entire city stretched below-busy, alive, chaotic.
But he looked untouched by it.
"You think hard work is enough?" he asked without turning around.
Lia hesitated.
Then answered anyway.
"It's all I have."
That sentence hung in the air longer than expected.
The rain tapped softly against the glass walls.
Ethan finally turned his head slightly.
Just enough to look at her again.
This time, his gaze stayed longer.
Not softer.
But more interested.
Like something about her didn't fit into the usual pattern of people he met.
And that alone was dangerous.
For both of them.
