Chapter 0003

—Klein.

I ignored Mr. Alvarez's question because, frankly, I had no idea what kind of answer he was expecting. Instead, I asked, "What are you doing in the forest?"

No reply.

I raised an eyebrow. Seriously? Was he ignoring me? His cold expression was obvious on his face. I swallowed the urge to tell him life wasn’t meant to be lived in a permanent state of frostbite. A bit of warmth wouldn’t kill him.

"We’re not in the office, alright?. Out here, we’re just people. Friends, maybe?" I grinned and gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.

His eyes sharpened like daggers, and he tilted his head slightly. "Did you just speak casually to me?"

I stifled a laugh. He’s adorable. Not that I’d say it out loud and risk being killed by one of his glares. "Sorry, sir," I said, pressing my lips together to keep myself from laughing. "And thank you, by the way, for whatever magic trick you pulled. I really appreciate not getting beaten up by my chasers."

He remained silent, his face as unreadable as ever.

Without waiting for more of his stone-faced charm, I turned to leave. I’d barely taken three steps when I noticed the chasers, Brian the guy I had called bald, and his group of friends reappearing. They weren't gone yet? They scanned the trees, eyes sharp. Then they spotted me.

Oh, come on.

I darted back to Mr. Alvarez’s side, heart racing, and flashed him a wide, nervous smile before slipping behind him. He had broad shoulders and a solid chest that made for an ideal shield. He was taller and much bigger than me, even though I wasn’t exactly small. At 5'10 feet tall, I towered over my best friend, Simone. But compared to this guy, with his towering height and unnecessarily long legs, I was practically short.

Mr. Alvarez didn’t even blink. Instead, he turned on his heel and began walking away, his pace calm.

"Seriously?" I muttered, glancing between him and the looming threat that was now locking eyes with me. I had no idea what kind of dark magic Silvio was using, but whenever I was near him, Brian and his gang of shitheads seemed unable to see me. The moment Silvio stepped even a few paces away, though, their eyes zeroed in on me like a pack of wolves spotting prey.

The buzzing of my phone in my pocket pulled me from my thoughts. I fished it out and read the message from my brother.

"Mom wants to know if you’ve been kidnapped or dead"

I rolled my eyes. Typical.

By the time I looked up again, Mr. Alvarez had disappeared. One second he was walking like a snail, and the next... vanished?.

"What the...?" I whispered, my eyes darting around for any sign of him. Is he a ghost? A ninja? A wizard?

Before my thoughts could spiral too far, Brian jogged up to me, breathless. “Hey, have you seen a guy run through here? Young, wearing a blue jacket, and looks… shitty?”

From the description, I knew he was looking for me. But shitty? Seriously? “Nope. Haven’t seen him.”

He nodded and moved on without a second glance. I furrowed my brows, glancing behind me and then back at Brian.

What the hell? Brian was asking me about me! How did that even make sense?

Didn’t he recognize me? What kind of trick was the universe pulling this time? Everything had felt strange ever since I met my boss.

I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my nerves. Maybe this was a good thing after all. With that thought, I started walking again, glancing once more toward the place where my boss had vanished.

Who is he, really? I wondered, shaking my head as I stepped out of the dense forest.

Once out, I waved down a cab. The driver barely slowed before I dove inside like I was fleeing a crime scene. The ride home was filled with silence, except for my occasional glances in the rearview mirror to make sure no dark magic or chasers were still after me. Paranoid? Maybe. By the time I arrived, I could already see the cozy family tableau through the glass window. My dad, mom, and younger brother sat together, laughing over something like they were straight out of a heartwarming commercial.

And me? I was the outsider.

When I walked in, all conversation halted.

"Klein," my dad called out.

I rolled my eyes in response and made my way to the dining table. A maid set a plate of food in front of me. The aroma should have tempted me, but I was too tired to care. My dad, however, didn’t waste any time.

"So," he began, "did you get the job?" He added between bites.

I cut him a look. "Table manners, Derrick."

He smirked, unimpressed. "The wisdom of a jobless man."

I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. Jobless? Joke. "I’m not jobless. I work for Crystcorp Gaming Company." I paused for effect, letting my grin widen. "Not just any position, mind you...I’m the secretary to Silvio Alvarez."

"But you don't even know what gaming is all about." My brother raised a brow but i Ignored him. He was right Yes. But dad's expression made me rolled my eyes, again.

I watch as the fork stopped halfway to my dad’s mouth. His eyes narrowed. "Does that mean you’re getting fired tomorrow?"

I resisted the urge to facepalm myself. "Why would you even ask that?"

He shrugged. "History, Klein, history"

I couldn’t argue. My job history was… colorful. Being a secretary wasn’t my first stint in the workforce...it was just my second chance at not screwing it up. The first time? Let’s just say slapping my boss for trying to frame me wasn’t my proudest moment. But I was honest to a fault, and I wasn’t about to let someone ruin that.

What can I say? I’m many things, but dishonest isn’t one of them.

"I doubt it," I replied, shrugging as Mr. Alvarez's face came to my mind. "This one’s different. My boss is an introvert. I think I’m safe."

Mom’s expression didn’t change, but her silence said everything. She probably had a mental timer running down until my inevitable unemployment.

I pushed back my chair and stood, having finished my food in record time. “I’ll surprise you all,” I muttered with a wink before heading to my room for a shower.

Freshly cleaned and finally relaxed, I threw myself onto my bed, determined to stay awake long enough to plan for tomorrow’s challenges.

Instead, sleep claimed me before I could even fully close my eyes.

*****

The next morning, I woke up with a jolt. One look at the clock and my heart nearly stopped. Late. Not just a little late...extremely, dangerously, possibly-career-ending late.

Was my dad right? Was I already getting fired?

I launched myself out of bed, skipping the whole luxury of stretching or blinking properly. I dashed into the bathroom, brushed my teeth so fast I nearly swallowed the toothpaste, and scrubbed my face with water that was too cold to be legal. A quick swipe of deodorant, a messy attempt at combing my hair, and I was out the door.

Breakfast? Who had time for breakfast? I grabbed my skateboard, hopped on, and sped down the street like my life depended on it. Because it did.

When I arrived at the company, I jumped off my board and burst through the doors, nearly crashing into the receptionist’s desk. I kept running like I was in the middle of an action movie chase scene.

People in the hallway turned to stare. Some shook their heads, and I even caught someone whisper, “Day two, and already doomed.”

I ignored them all.

The elevator was too full, and I couldn't wait, so I bolted up the stairs two at a time. My lungs burned. My legs screamed. But I didn’t stop until I reached Mr. Alvarez’s office.

I threw the door open...bad idea. It slammed against the wall with a loud bang, making me wince. Mr. Alvarez looked up, his face cold as ever. Those silver eyes barely flicked in my direction.

"Good morning, sir," I gasped, leaning forward with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

He stared at me for a second. No expression. No sympathy. Just a blank, unreadable cold face.

"You’re... fired," he said, plain and simple.

I blinked, straightening up. "Excuse me?"

"You're fired." He repeated, as plain and direct as a brick to the face.

Was this a joke? This was the job I promised my parents would last. The one I needed to last. But now, on day two, I was getting fired.

"You can't be serious. You can't fire me, sir!." I blurted out.