CHAPTER 2

ARIA

 

My soul quietly left my body. I stared at the man sitting at the head of the long conference table. The same man. The same cold grey eyes. The same man I had called an asshole less than ten minutes ago.

Maybe if I closed my eyes long enough, he'd disappear. He didn't. The room was silent. Every executive sat perfectly straight as if they were afraid to breathe too loudly.

 

And there I was... Trying to remember if prison accepted people whose only crime was insulting their future boss. "Miss Bennett." His deep voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked.

 

"Y-Yes, sir." "If you're done staring at me..." His lips curved ever so slightly. "...please have a seat." Heat rushed to my cheeks.

 

I forced my legs to move and sat in the empty chair opposite him. The leather seat suddenly felt like an electric chair. One of the interviewers cleared his throat.

 

"Good morning, Miss Bennett. I'm Richard Evans, Head of Human Resources. I smiled politely."Good morning." He glanced at my resume.

 

"You graduated with distinction." "Yes." "You also completed two internships." "Yes." He nodded approvingly. The first few questions were easy.

 

I answered each one confidently. Slowly, I started relaxing. Maybe this won't be so bad. Then Damien closed my resume.

The room instantly became quiet. His fingers tapped lightly against the file. "Miss Bennett." "Yes?" "What is your biggest weakness?"

 

I smiled nervously. "I..."I talk too much when I'm nervous." One interviewer coughed to hide a laugh. Damien looked at me for a long second.

 

"I noticed." I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole. "Right..." I sighed dramatically. "Well, honesty is my second weakness."

 

That earned a few chuckles around the table. Even Damien's eyes softened for a brief second. He leaned back in his chair. "If I ask you to stay late every night, what will you do?" "I'll complain." Every head snapped toward me. I quickly continued. "...Then I'll stay and finish the work."

 

Damien simply nodded. "Fair enough." He folded his hands together. "What if you think I'm wrong?" "I'll tell you."

"Even if I'm your boss?" "Especially because you're my boss." The room became silent again. "You'll tell the CEO he's wrong?"

 

"If he is." I met his gaze without looking away. "Respectfully."   He slid a folder across the table. "Look at this." I opened it. I looked up."You want me to criticise your company's campaign?"

 

"I asked for your opinion," Damien replied calmly. "Not your approval." I took a deep breath and glanced through the pages. "It looks beautiful," I admitted. "Professional. Expensive."

 

I looked back at him. "But it doesn't make me feel anything." One executive frowned. "What do you mean?" "People don't remember perfection," I said. "They remember emotion."

 

I closed the file. "This campaign tells customers how great Blackwood International is." I met Damien's gaze. "But it never tells them why they should care." Silence filled the room. No one said a word.

"The interview is over." I blinked. "...That's it?" "Yes." I stood slowly. "Thank you for your time."

 

I walked out of the conference room, closed the door behind me, and leaned against the wall. I let out the biggest breath of my life.

"I definitely didn't get that job." A security guard passing by looked at me. "You okay, miss?" I smiled weakly.

 

"I think I accidentally argued with the CEO." He blinked. "...Good luck." "Thanks." "I'll need it." Half an hour later, I was sitting at a bus stop with a paper cup of coffee in my hands.

 

The city moved around me, but my mind was still stuck in that conference room. Why was I even thinking about him? I took a sip of coffee. It was cold. Just like my chances of getting hired.

 

I noticed an old man standing outside the building. He's staring directly at Damien's office. Not at the company, employees. Only Damien's office. Our eyes meet for one second. The old man suddenly walks away.

 

My phone suddenly vibrated. Unknown number. I answered the call. "Miss Bennett?" "Yes?" "This is Human Resources from Blackwood International."

 

I closed my eyes. Here comes the rejection. Instead, "Mr Blackwood has personally selected you." My jaw drops. "Selected me... for what?"

 

"You'll be working directly under him." "...Excuse me?" "As his personal assistant." The call ended. A laugh escaped my lips. It sounded somewhere between happiness... And absolute panic.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

 

Damien enters his office. His assistant asks, "Sir, are you sure about hiring Miss Bennett?" "Sir, there were candidates with more experience." He looks toward the city.

"I know." "Then why, Miss Bennett?" "She challenged me." The assistant looks confused. "I don't hire people because they agree with me."

 

"I hire people brave enough to disagree." "I'm tired of it."  Then his eyes fall on an old family photo. His smile disappears. He turns the frame face down.

 

Damien Quietly says, "Welcome to the Blackwood International, Miss Bennett." "Let's see how long you survive."

 

Far away, inside a black luxury car parked across the street from Blackwood International, a man lowered his phone. “She got the job.” A deep voice answered from the other end.

 

“Good.” “And Damien?” “He suspects nothing.” A long silence followed. Then the man smiled. “Perfect.” “The first piece is finally on the board.”

 

The call ended. The man looked up at the towering Blackwood building. Hatred burned behind his eyes.

“This time…” “I’m taking everything from the Blackwoods.”