004 - Plot Twist in the Lobby

The name he mentioned flung me straight into self-doubt.

“Daniel Brooks," Everett's throaty voice haunted my thoughts.

It's been minutes he said that, but it bounced around my head like it had nowhere else to land.

I bit my lip. There was nothing to do but nod. No one argues their way out of a room like this. I kept my face neutral, pretending I didn’t care, while my brain spiraled through a dozen thoughts at once. Maybe job hunting would just have to continue. Maybe this was another polite rejection dressed up in arrogance and sharp suits.

The man who had pointed out my excesses earlier looked briefly distraught, his shoulders sagged before he quickly straightened and followed the two chosen candidates toward the exit.

I hesitated, fingers tightening around my bag strap. Somehow, I tried to maintain some semblance of dignity, but Everett’s eyes darted to me briefly before he looked away like I had already been filed under irrelevant.

Then he stood, slipping the envelopes into his inner pocket.

That should have been the end of it, but something surprising happened.

Just as the three candidates left and I reached for the door, he cleared his throat. It was subtle, barely noticeable, yet it broke the silence.

“Miss—Andrea, was it?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as he pick his cellphone from the table.

I froze.

“Your résumé," he said swiftly, thrusting his hand out.

I handed it over, and he nodded once as if confirming something only he could see.

“The psychology minor." He said.

A wave of confusion flushed through me. “Yes?”

“You didn’t exaggerate it."

It wasn’t a question, so I replied. “No," still stunned.

Then he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small white slip, he scribbled for some seconds, placing it on the table instead of handing it to me.

“HR will reach out to you.” he said casually. “Hopefully, tomorrow morning"

I blinked. “I—sorry. About… what?"

“Onboarding," he answered lightly, raising one of his brows like I had said something silly.

I let out a low gasp, and before I could ask another question or demand clarity.

He quickly said, “We’re done here," already halfway toward the door. And just like that, the room emptied. I stood for a moment, staring at the card.

Candidate ID: 041

Override Clearance Granted

Proceed with Onboarding

E.L.

~ ~ ~

The hallway outside buzzed faintly with office noise. I leaned against the wall of the executive lounge, taking deep long breaths.

“What just happened?” I whispered to myself, too exhausted even when I had only spent a little over thirty minutes in there.

I felt my cheeks redden, and I was pretty sure someone was staring right through me.

I turned to the left. There he was, standing near the coffee station, arms crossed, while he watched me with mild amusement. Kylian looked like he’d been there for a while. With a smug smile, he immediately dropped his arms, making his way over.

“Hey.” he started when he finally got close. “You look like someone who just found a plot twist in their own life."

I let out a breath that was half laugh, half groan. “That’s uncomfortably accurate."

He grinned. “So?"

“So,” I said slowly, staring at his face. “I didn’t get picked. Except, I later did?”

He pouted, shaking his head. “That's not reassuring. Tell me about it."

Then, as if just remembering, he added, “The VIP — what’s his name again?"

“Everett Langston."

Kylian whistled. “Yeah. Him. He’s known for being intense.”

“That’s one word for it,” I muttered, pressing my lips together. “He basically implied I had no sense because my phone buzzed.”

Kylian chuckled. “Welcome to Love Incorporated, but you left notifications on? That's flirting with disaster...”

“I had a broken car, Kylian!"

“Sure, sure. Rookie mistake,” he teased with a grin. “Congrats anyway, I guess?”

“I don’t even know what I’m congratulating myself for.”

“He was awful.” I added.

“Oh, he’s famous for that.” Kylian sounded amused.

“He literally insulted everyone.” I snapped.

“Also famous."

“But then he—" I licked my lower lip and stopped. “Never mind. I guess I’m supposed to hope HR contacts me by tomorrow morning."

Kylian studied my face. “Mr. Langston doesn’t change his mind often."

That didn’t reassure me. I only shrugged.

“Well, HR doesn’t just ‘reach out’ for fun," he convinced further. “Trust me."

“Thanks for the ride earlier. Seriously, I mean that.”

“Anytime,” he replied, smiling again. “Just know you owe me coffee, but first, you’ve got to survive your first week."

My smile freezed as my phone starts to ring. Kylian swiftly lifted a hand in goodbye and turned to leave.

I exhaled hard, waving back as I accepted the call. While stepping into the elevator lobby, I could feel the strain in my legs.

God! I wasn’t entirely built for stress.

“Tahlia,” I said into the phone, stopping at a closed elevator.

“Okay,” she cut in without greeting, “start talking. I fixed your car, by the way. She’s alive. Barely. But alive."

“Oh my God," I exclaimed. “You’re an angel!"

“I know. Now tell me everything."

“He was unbearable." I went on, rolling my eyes.

I hit the call button, and it light up.

“Who?" Tahlia asked.

“The VIP client. Everett. Tall. Arrogant. Looks like he’s never apologized in his life.”

She chuckled. “I already hate him… well, almost. But Everett? Ugh! That name's so appealing..! Wait a minute... a VIP client? For our interview?”

I let out a dramatic sigh, shaking my head. “You're hopeless, Tahlia. Only you would find his name appealing."

“Some admin said he'd be the one, I had no idea why. Can you believe he said my phone was punctual… yeah, my phone, not me. And then he lectures me to keep it quiet during meetings, like I’m some clueless intern!"

“You’re kidding.” Tahlia burst into laughter.

“I wish. And then he picked this young woman who was throwing herself at him like it was an Olympic sport, and he was the gold medal.”

“You don't say!.”

“Her job's to personally manage his love life. Like, per-so-na-lly. Meetings, schedules, the whole thing."

Tahlia gasped. “That’s not a job, that’s a rom-com setup!”

“Right? But she volunteered like it was her destiny."

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I was too busy being humiliated.” I quickly said.

The elevator dinged, arriving slowly.

“And so,” I continued, “he picked a guy for client accounts, said the interview was over, and I thought that was it.”

“But it wasn’t?” Tahlia asked, as if she knew.

“Yeah... it wasn’t,” I confirmed. “HR is apparently reaching out to me."

She squealed. “Andrea! I'm so emotional, right now...”

“I don’t even know what I’m hired for!”

“Details. We’ll unpack later. I’m outside with your car. Hurry!”

“I’m coming down now.” I muttered.

The door starts sliding open.

“I hate him already. And just so you know,” I added, lowering my voice, “if I ever have to work directly with that man, I might actually—”

I stopped mid-step, phone still pressed to my ear, when my words died in my throat. His gaze lifted, slow, deliberate, before it landed on me.

Our eyes met.

It's Everett Langston standing inside. Alone. Hands in his pockets.

“What? Hello?" Tahlia said faintly through the phone. “…Andrea?”

I could feel my heart hammering, a lump formed in my throat and I swallowed.

From the look on his face, he certainly had caught the last line.

God, Andrea… what have you done now?