Chapter 4

Victor’s expression shifted almost immediately.

The faint amusement disappeared, replaced by something far more controlled.

Strict. Focused. Exact.

The kind of man who did not make decisions emotionally—and did not allow situations to drift outside his standards.

He glanced once at Rafael Sarmiento.

“No assumptions,” Victor said calmly. “I want her evaluated properly.”

Rafael straightened. “Understood, sir.”

Then Victor returned his attention to Kathleen Jane Pajate.

The warmth in the room dropped several degrees.

“You will not be hired because I find you interesting,” he said evenly.

Kathleen blinked slightly, caught off guard by the sudden change in tone.

Victor continued, voice precise.

“And you will not be placed anywhere above entry-level because of credentials alone. At Colitz Holdings Philippines, performance is measured—not guessed.”

Kathleen nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

That was the version she expected. The real interview. The structure. The discipline.

Good. This was safer.

Victor leaned back in his chair, studying her again—but now without softness.

“You applied for an analyst position,” he said. “You will be tested like one. No adjustments. No exceptions.”

“I understand.”

“If you pass, you earn the role.”

A pause.

“If you fail, you leave without negotiation.”

Kathleen held his gaze. “That’s fair.”

That answer pleased him more than anything she had said so far.

Victor’s tone remained firm.

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“You will address me as Mr. Colitz. Not sir. Not casually. Not depending on mood.”

Kathleen immediately nodded. “Yes—Mr. Colitz.”

A brief silence followed.

The tension in the room shifted again—but this time, it was structured. Professional. Clean.

Victor pressed a final command on his desk system.

“Send her to the assessment division.”

Rafael checked the tablet. “Written evaluation and case analysis?”

“Yes.”

Victor’s eyes stayed on Kathleen.

“And include behavioral observation.”

Kathleen stiffened slightly. “Behavioral… observation?”

Victor answered without hesitation.

“How you think. How you work. How you respond under pressure.”

Then, colder:

“Because in this company, personality is not enough. Neither is beauty.”

That last word landed lightly—but deliberately.

Kathleen’s ears warmed again, but she kept her posture steady.

“Yes, Mr. Colitz.”

Victor rose slightly from his seat, signaling the interview was over.

“Go and prove you belong here.”

Kathleen stood, gripping her folder tightly.

For the first time since stepping into the building, she felt something clear and grounding.

Not intimidation.

Challenge.

And as she left the office, Victor’s gaze followed her—not softened, not distracted, but measuring.

Strict standards.

No exceptions.

Even for someone who had briefly made him lose focus.

Kathleen walked out of the office with controlled steps, even though her heart was no longer as calm as her face suggested.

The doors closed behind her with a quiet, final click.

Only then did she exhale.

“Strict,” she murmured under her breath, adjusting her grip on the folder. “Very strict.”

That was fine. She preferred it that way. Clear rules were easier than unpredictable charm.

Inside the office, Victor Colitz remained standing for a moment longer than necessary.

Rafael Sarmiento waited near the desk, silent.

Victor finally spoke without looking away from the door.

“She’s composed.”

Rafael hesitated. “Yes, sir.”

“Too composed for someone applying for entry-level work.”

Rafael chose his words carefully. “Her background is clean. But there are gaps in public information before university years. Nothing illegal, but… unusually private for someone her age.”

Victor turned slightly.

“Family?”

“Prominent business ties, but not publicly active. Pajate International Ventures has discreet holdings. Nothing that suggests she needs employment here.”

That detail lingered in the air.

Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

So she wasn’t here because she needed to survive.

She was here because she wanted something else.

That was more interesting—and more unpredictable.

“Keep the evaluation strict,” Victor said again. “I don’t want bias. Not from the board. Not from you. Not from me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Victor finally sat back down.

His tone remained firm.

“And ensure she is treated like every other applicant.”

Rafael nodded. “Understood.”

But as he turned to leave, Victor added one more line—colder, controlled, final:

“If she fails, she fails like everyone else.”

No exceptions.

No matter how briefly she had unsettled him.

Down in the assessment floor, Kathleen was already being guided into a testing room.

White walls. Long desk. Computer terminal. Silent observers behind mirrored glass.

A staff member handed her instructions.

“Three parts,” the examiner said. “Logical analysis, case resolution, and timed decision-making under pressure. You will not be assisted.”

Kathleen nodded once.

“Begin when ready.”

She sat down.

Typed her name.

And for the first time that day, everything else disappeared.

No Victor Colitz.

No rumors.

No eyes.

Just work.

Behind the mirror, Victor watched the live feed.

Strict standards.

No exceptions.

But as Kathleen’s fingers began moving confidently across the keyboard, his gaze remained steady—calculated, unreadable.

Because discipline mattered.

And so did the quiet realization forming in the back of his mind:

She was not struggling to keep up.

She was already ahead of most of them.