PHASE ONE

I got home drained, today’s events still playing in my head. “Thor hasn’t replied to my message yet.” It felt wrong, like something sitting too still. Director Kade’s words kept looping in my head; he had told me to do research on the interviewers.

I sat in front of my laptop and forced myself into it, writing down everything I could find on the company portal. It was past midnight, my eyes already dry, my focus slipping in and out. I have to find just one loophole or else…

The network failed. I tried again. It loaded, stalled, then redirected me.

“How on earth…”

I stared at the screen longer than I should have, and at some point, my eyes just gave out, and everything went black.

I woke up and checked the time. I'm late!!! I ran through the house getting ready as fast as I could, grabbed two slices of bread without thinking, rushed out and got to the bus stop still trying to catch my breath.

I sat down and leaned back for a second, just a second, before getting off at my stop and fixing myself before entering the company. I can’t believe I’m late on my second day under Lucian Blackwood. Jobs are hard to find.

I ran toward his office, stopped at the door, took a breath that didn’t fully settle, and knocked once before entering.

“Good morning, sir.”

He checked the time. “You’re late.”

My feet went cold, and I opened my mouth, but nothing came out before he spoke again.

“Give me the report on the task by evening.”

“Alright, sir.”

Oh, thank goodness. I left quickly, but my mind was already moving faster than my legs. I had to gather as much as I could today.

“Good morning,” I said at the Digital Records and Compliance Unit. “I need access to interview records.”

The woman looked at my ID, typed longer than necessary.

“The files are currently unavailable due to a system glitch.”

“A glitch?”

She gestured for me to move closer, and I did. “Well, it was actually said to be a glitch, but according to the investigators, the data was tampered with.”

“Is there anything left, related to what I want at all?”

She shook her head.

I noticed the way her cursor kept jumping back to the same folder, opening and closing it like she wasn’t allowed to settle on anything, then I turned away.

I moved to another department and collected details on the people who planned the interview, marking their faces, writing their names, holding onto every small detail that felt useful.

Later, I went to the Surveillance Section and showed my ID. The guards let me in. I checked the footage, and at first, nothing looked wrong, just routine recordings playing back like normal.

Then I saw her, the woman Thor had bribed.

A glitch flashed when she entered restricted storage access with a younger employee.

“Who’s that employee?” I took a photo without looking away from the screen.

Another clip came in. Same woman again, rooftop this time, with one of the question curators. They were too self-conscious, like they had something to hide.

“Isn’t everyone aware of the rooftop camera?” I asked.

“Except us, the CEO, and the Director, now you,” the guard said.

“Okay,” I replied, standing after taking the last shot.

I checked the company platform. A worker had been flagged for tampering with data in Digital Records and Compliance.

“It's going to take days to fix that,” I thought, putting my phone back into my coat pocket.

I stopped halfway.

Wait… my steps slowed for a moment.

“No way,” I murmured.

The younger employee was the same one in the system flag.

I turned and bumped into a solid chest, almost losing my balance, but a hand caught me before I hit the floor. His scent hit before his voice did.

The CEO.

“The floor is slippery,” he said casually.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, steadying myself and bowing slightly.

I looked down after he left, and nothing about the floor was slippery. Then it clicked.

I called Thor, no answer. “This is urgent,” I muttered under my breath. He really thinks I’m a pushover.

I went back inside and checked the resumés again. The only loophole I could find was my identity. I printed everything along with the planned punishment and a resignation letter.

If this goes wrong, I don’t exist here anymore. Mr. Blackwood entered, and I felt it immediately. He sat down, looked at me once, then continued working.

My eyes drifted to the files on his table, and I moved closer just enough to see without making it obvious. He already knew; he signaled to me to step back.

“I wanted to give you an update on the task, but I…” The words got stuck when I saw his expression. “Kindly approve it, sir.”

He took the paper, and his mouth twitched.

“I don’t prefer resignation letters in this format. Bring another one.”

“Sir…” I placed it back again.

“I’m going to be fired anyway. I didn’t complete the first task.”

“Wait until I fire you then.”

I froze for a second, and he stood up.

“You’re still within the task.”

I blinked.

“You’re staying.”

No.

He crumpled the letter lightly and dropped it aside. “Trash that.”

“I have another copy.” I placed it on the desk.

He opened a drawer and placed a file in front of me. My contract. “I can leave if there’s a valid circumstance.”

“You cannot resign until I terminate your contract.”

He leaned back. “Blackwood is not a mall.”

I don't think there's any section stating that. I scanned the contract, and I found it. I opened my phone and checked the contract copy on it.

Surprisingly, they matched. I thought I was too careful to miss something like this.

“It's over.” I tried to keep myself together.

And then his voice came again, calm, certain.

“Even your defiance can’t save you from me. Because I find it intriguing.”