chapter 004

NORA POV

I must have drifted off against the edge of Liam’s bed, my hand still holding his small fingers. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but the sudden, harsh vibration of my phone against my thigh jolted me awake.

I sat up quickly, rubbing my gritty, sleepy eyes with my free hand. The harsh hospital lights made me squint as I pulled the phone out. The screen showed an unfamiliar, official-looking number. I cleared my raspy throat and pressed the receiver to my ear.

"Hello?" I murmured, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake my sleeping son.

"Is this Miss Bellick?" a professional female voice asked on the other end.

"Yes, this is she."

"Congratulations, Miss Bellick. You got the Personal Assistant job," the woman said cheerfully. "We’ve reviewed your background, and we would like to bring you on board immediately."

I blinked, completely stunned. My mind scrambled through the last few weeks of desperate job hunting. "I'm sorry... what job? I don't remember applying for a position with your office... whatever your office is."

"Well, we have your details on file for our administrative executive role," the voice explained. "The salary package includes comprehensive medical coverage and other standard benefits."

Medical coverage... those words rang in my ears. I didn't care that I couldn't recall sending an application to this specific place. Just before I fell asleep, I had looked at my sick baby and prayed with every single shred of my soul for a stable job to save us. If this was the universe giving me a sign, I was going to accept it. It felt like a massive stroke of luck, an answer to the exact prayer I had sent into the dark a few hours ago.

"Thank you," I said, my heart starting to fill with sudden hope. "When do I start?"

"That's the thing, Miss Bellick. We need you to try and meet up with an appointment right away," she said, her tone becoming urgent. "The CEO is actually in the office right now and wants to interview you personally before officially giving you the job. Can you make it to the corporate headquarters in forty-five minutes?"

"Yes! Yes, I can make it," I exclaimed, throwing off the hospital blanket that had been draped over my legs.

The woman gave me the address, and the moment she hung up, a wave of frantic excitement washed over me. I quickly dialed Sarah. Luckily, she picked up immediately, sounding groggy but alert.

"Hey. Are you done at the party yet?"

"Forget about that. Sarah, please, I need a massive favor," I rushed out. "A company just called me for a direct interview with their CEO. If I get this, Liam’s medical bills are covered. Can you please come to the hospital right now and stay with him? I just need to rush home, freshen up and get to the office."

"Oh my God, Bellick, yes! Go!" Sarah said, completely waking up. "I'm grabbing my keys right now, I'll be in the hospital in fifteen. Go get that job."

Sarah arrived twenty minutes later, rushing into the room and waving me out. I sprinted out of the hospital, caught a quick bus back to my apartment, and flew through my front door. I took the fastest shower of my life, scrubbing away the smell of champagne from earlier.

Then I threw on my only decent corporate outfit—a simple navy dress and a pair of plain black flats. I grabbed my old leather accordion file, which contained my resume. I had kept it prepared and hidden away in my closet for months, just in case an opportunity like this ever showed up.

When the taxi pulled up outside the corporate headquarters a few minutes later, I stepped out onto the sidewalk and stopped dead in my tracks.

It was a massive, glittering sky-scraping building that seemed to pierce the New Orleans clouds. All of a sudden, I was terrified. How could little old me impress anybody who worked here?

I took a deep, shuddering breath, holding tightly on my file, before walking in.

The lobby was bustling with people in expensive suits. I walked straight towards the high marble front desk and cleared my throat to catch the attention of the receptionist.

"Hello, my name is Nora. I was called in for an interview with the CEO."

The receptionist looked up, tapped her computer screen, and gave me a professional nod. "Ah, yes. Miss Bellick. We have been waiting for you."

She picked up the desk phone, placed a quick call, and spoke into the receiver in a hushed tone. Then she gestured for me to follow her. I followed her away from the desk, my fingers clutching through the cardboard of my file.

Why is everything happening so fast? I thought. I just couldn't hold the joy building up in my chest. It felt like a dream. But underneath the excitement, I was still terrified. I prayed silently, scared to death that I wouldn't actually get the job once they met me.

The receptionist led me to a massive conference room.

"Please sit down," she said, opening the door for me. "The meeting will begin shortly."

"Thank you," I said, walking over to the large mahogany table and pulling out a leather chair.

I sat down, placing my file neatly in front of me, and waited. The minutes stretched into an hour. Still, yet, nothing happened. Nobody walked through the door.

The joy in my stomach began to sour into a cold, sick feeling. At some point, sitting alone in that massive room, I felt as though everything was a prank. It felt like a cruel joke. Why would they rush me here, tell me they were waiting for me, and then leave me sitting alone for over an hour?

My leg began tapping furiously against the carpeted ground, my shoulders tense as I tried to hold back my rising anger. Did they just call me here to prank me? Was there actually no job offer, nothing at all?

On top of the humiliation, I was stressed by the fact that I had left my sick son in a hospital bed just to sit in an empty corporate room. Pulling out my phone, I typed out a quick message to Sarah, asking how Liam was doing.

A moment later, Sarah replied: He's sleeping peacefully. Don't worry. Focus on your interview.

Just then, the heavy mahogany door swung open with a sharp, echoing click.

I slowly lifted my eyes towards the direction where the sound came from. The moment my eyes landed on the figure walking into the room, my mouth went dry. It was Eric.

He was standing right in front of me, looking commanding in a dark designer suit. The corporate power oozing off him was suffocating.

With a swift movement, I stood up. My mind was in absolute chaos. He was the CEO?!

Eric walked into the room and adjusted his suit jacket, then sat right in front of me at the massive table. He crossed his legs, leaning back into his chair, and looked up at me with cold eyes.

"I think this is a mistake," I muttered. "I have to take my leave now."

I turned toward the door, but his voice stopped me. "Remember I did you a favor back at the hospital. So you should come back and sit your ass down."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to make of the whole thing happening right in front of my eyes. Was this guy trying to pull me into some sick game? We ended our relationship five years ago, and I had promised myself I would never step back into his world.

The memory of his mother’s vicious face from five years ago flashed in my mind. Her cold words, and her cruel threats to destroy my family if I didn't leave her precious son—that was enough to scare me off for a lifetime. I wasn't ready to take any step that would lead me back into that terrifying trap again. I couldn't risk it. Not with Liam to protect.

"No," I retorted. "I'm leaving."

Eric didn't move from his chair, but his dark eyes narrowed into ice. "You know if you walk out of that door, don't blame me for my next action."

That was the final straw. I glared at him from across the room. "What are you going to do to me, Eric? Why can't you just leave me alone? Don't ever think or have the delusion that we would ever be back together! That part of my life is dead!"

A faint, mocking chuckle escaped his lips. He inclined his head, looking at me like I was being ridiculous. "Be with you? In your dreams, Nora. I know you need this job. So, think about your next move very, very carefully."

I wanted to walk out. My pride was telling me to run away and never look back. But then I thought of little Liam, pale and hooked up to machines, and the nurse’s voice telling me how much the treatment would cost.

I had to put my pride aside for Liam.

With heavy steps, I walked back over to the mahogany table. I pulled out the leather chair and sat down, staring right back at Eric. For several excruciating seconds, neither of us said a word.

Suddenly, Eric reached across the table and pulled my old leather file toward him. He opened it, his fingers turning over my resume and my university transcripts. Then he shut the file with a sharp thud, looked directly into my eyes, and leaned forward.

"You got the job," he told me, all businesslike. "You start tomorrow."