CHAPTER 2: The Job Offer

“Boss, she’s back,” Daniel said, his voice steady though his throat felt dry.

Malaki didn’t look up from the window, the skyline reflecting in his dark eyes. “Good. Send her a job offer. She’ll be my new assistant. That’s the only way I can keep her close.”

Daniel’s stomach twisted. His fingers curled around the folder he was holding as if it could anchor him. “But… boss, that’s my position. I’m your personal assistant.” His voice cracked at the end, betraying the fear he tried to bury. Did this mean he was being replaced—for her?

Malaki finally turned, his expression unreadable but his voice soft with finality. “No, Daniel. You’ll still handle my work. She won’t do much—I just want her near me.”

Daniel swallowed hard, jealousy burning like acid in his chest. He had worked years for Malaki, proven his loyalty a hundred times. And yet, for the woman he loved in silence, he was nothing more than a shadow.

Since the night Malaki had first seen Lyra—ten years old, wide-eyed, and full of fire—she had never left his thoughts. He had guarded her quietly through the years, watching over her from a distance, unseen but always present. She had forgotten him, but he had never once forgotten her.

“Send her the email. OilTech Company will make it official.” Malaki turned back toward the city below, hands clasped behind his back. “I want her close.”

Daniel forced a stiff nod, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. “Yes, boss.” He left the office before his voice betrayed him any further.

LYRA

“Baby, I’m home!” I shouted the second I pushed the apartment door open.

From the kitchen came a groan. “Gosh, shut up, Lyra! Life was so peaceful without you.” Laura’s voice floated out, sharp but playful. A second later she appeared, a wooden spoon still dripping tomato soup in her hand.

The smell hit me instantly garlic, onions, and simmering tomatoes. My stomach growled.

“You liar,” I teased, dropping my bag by the couch. “You missed me.”

Laura rolled her eyes, but the grin gave her away as she rushed forward and wrapped me in a one-armed hug, nearly smacking me with the spoon. “Fine. I missed your trouble. Nobody here to steal my food or hog the mirror.”

I squeezed her tighter. “I knew it.”

Pulling back, I eyed the pot on the stove. “What are you cooking?”

“Tomato soup. And before you ask yes, there’s chicken and cheese too.”

I groaned dramatically. “Finally, real food. Do you know what my parents tried to do to me? They practically held me hostage, Laura. Mom nearly killed me.”

Laura raised a brow. “Oh? What did they want this time?”

“They’re planning to make me take over my father’s organization.” I marched into the kitchen, already reaching for the pot lid.

“Don’t you dare touch my food!” she shrieked, sprinting after me. I laughed and slammed the kitchen door shut just before she could get in.

Inside, I stole a bite of fried chicken, then dunked a piece of cheese straight into the soup and shoved it into my mouth. Heaven. Pure heaven.

“Lyra!” Laura banged on the door. “I will kill you if you don’t open this right now!”

When she finally shoved her way inside, she caught me red-handed with the spoon. She snatched the cheese away and stuffed it in her mouth herself. “Honestly, I think you should just go back to your parents’ house and let me eat in peace.”

“But I’m starving,” I said, widening my eyes into the most pathetic pout I could manage.

She snorted. “That face won’t work on me.”

Dropping into a chair, I sighed. “Why would I even want that organization anyway? Werewolves? Hunters? Come on, Laura it’s all fairy tales. I don’t believe any of it.”

Laura stirred her soup, her voice gentler now. “So what will you do?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, slumping forward on the table. “I have four days to find a job. Four. And every application I sent got rejected. After that, my parents will drag me back and force me to join their so-called legacy.”

“You need to find something fast, girl.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but then my phone buzzed against the counter. My stomach sank. Another rejection, no doubt.

With a sigh, I pulled it out, not even eager to check. But the second my eyes landed on the screen, my heart stopped.

“What the” My breath caught. “Laura! Oh my God!”

“What?” She darted over, nearly spilling her soup.

“I got a job!” I screamed, spinning in a circle like a lunatic. “I really got a job!”

“Give me that!” She snatched the phone, eyes scanning the email. “‘Hello Lyra, pleased to inform you that OilTech Company has given you a job as personal assistant to Malaki Dragna…’”

Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping.

I froze. “Wait. Did you just say OilTech? I never even applied to OilTech.”

But the words didn’t matter. I jumped up and down, screaming, “I got a job!”

It wasn’t until the name settled in my chest like a stone that the panic set in. “Wait. OilTech. Malaki Dragna. Are you kidding me? I’ve heard he’s brutal. And now I’m supposed to be his assistant?”

Laura squealed, ignoring my horror. “Lyra, do you realize what this means? Everybody dreams of working at OilTech. And Malaki Dragna? He’s supposed to be gorgeous. This is your chance!”

“Laura,” I said, dead serious, “no one has ever seen him in public. No photos. No conferences. Nothing. For all we know, he could be a troll with horns.”

“Or,” she said with a wicked grin, “he could be your escape ticket from your parents’ hunter nonsense.”

I groaned, covering my face. “I don’t know if this is a blessing or a curse.”

“Well, girl,” Laura smirked, pointing her spoon at me like a weapon, “you’ve got two options: chase werewolves that don’t exist… or work for Malaki Dragna, the most powerful man in OilTech.”

My stomach twisted. Either way, my life was about to change.