Chapter 1 : The Interview From Hell

Sophia Miller tugged at the hem of her worn blazer, trying to make it look less cheap as she stared up at Blackwood Tower. Fifty floors of glass and steel that scraped the New York sky, reflecting the morning sun like a weapon. The building was so tall it made her dizzy. Cars honked loudly behind her, people in expensive suits rushed past her like she was invisible, but she stood frozen, clutching her daughter's hand.

This was her last chance.

In her purse was an eviction notice dated three days ago, stamped in angry red ink. In her bank account was $42.18, not even enough for a proper grocery run. Her rent was two months late, her fridge was empty except for Lily's milk, and the landlord had screamed at her yesterday that he would throw their things out on the street by Friday. And beside her, swinging her tiny hand, was the reason she couldn't give up, the only reason she woke up every morning.

"Mommy, you look pretty," Lily whispered beside her, clutching her tiny pink backpack with the broken unicorn keychain. Her four-year-old daughter with impossible blue eyes - his eyes. Those piercing, stormy blue eyes that had haunted Sophia's dreams for five years, eyes she saw every single day when she looked at her daughter. Lily was beautiful, too beautiful for their ugly life, with her golden curls and chubby cheeks.

"Thank you, baby. Remember what Mommy said? You sit quietly with Mrs. Jenkins at the daycare downstairs while Mommy goes for the interview, okay? Just for one hour, and then Mommy will buy you ice cream. Chocolate, your favorite."

Lily nodded solemnly, her blonde curls bouncing. "Is this where the prince lives, Mommy? Is he going to give us a castle? Is he nice?"

Sophia's heart clenched so hard she thought it would break into a thousand pieces. If only she knew how close to the truth she was. The prince did live here, but he was no longer a prince charming. He was a cold-hearted king now. "Something like that, sweetheart. Come on, my love."

The lobby of Blackwood Tower was everything Sophia was not. Cold marble floors so clean she could see her reflection, gold accents everywhere, a giant crystal chandelier that probably cost more than her entire life savings. People in suits that cost more than her yearly rent walked around with coffees that cost $8 each. The air smelled like expensive perfume and power, money and arrogance. She felt every eye on her cheap shoes from Payless, her thrifted blazer that was two sizes too big, her tired face with dark circles from working night shifts at the diner.

She held Lily tighter and walked to the front desk, trying to hold her head high even though she wanted to disappear.

The interview was for an Executive Assistant position at Blackwood Enterprises. Salary: $8,000 a month, plus health insurance and a housing allowance. Eight thousand dollars. That number had kept her awake all night. Enough to finally leave their tiny roach-infested studio in Queens where the heater never worked in winter. Enough to put Lily in a good kindergarten with real toys, not broken ones from the dollar store. Enough to stop choosing between paying for electricity and buying groceries. Enough to finally breathe.

She had applied online at 2 AM after Lily fell asleep, her hands shaking, never thinking they would call back. She had no Harvard degree, no connections, just desperation. When they did call yesterday, her phone almost dropped from her hand. She had cried for an hour in the bathroom so Lily wouldn't see.

What Sophia didn't know was that the CEO, Ethan Blackwood, personally conducted final interviews for anyone who would work on his floor. He trusted no one from HR, he trusted no one at all. He was known as the coldest, most ruthless billionaire in Manhattan, a man who fired people for looking at him wrong.

And Ethan Blackwood was Lily's father.

Five years ago, he was just Ethan - a charming, intense senior with a lopsided smile who sat next to her in Business Ethics at NYU. He wasn't a billionaire then, just a scholarship kid like her with big dreams and calloused hands from working construction summers to pay his tuition. He was funny, kind, he shared his fries with her, he tutored her for free. He took her virginity on a rainy night in his tiny dorm room, lit only by fairy lights, whispering that she was his forever, that he would love her until his last breath. He promised her the world, promised he'd come back after his father's sudden death forced him to fly home to Chicago for the funeral.

Then he disappeared without a trace. No note. No call. No text. Her number blocked. His social media deleted. His dorm empty. Just gone, like he never existed, like their love was just a dream she imagined.

She found out she was pregnant two weeks later. Two pink lines that changed her life forever. She was 20, alone, scared, vomiting every morning in the communal bathroom while her roommates laughed. She tried everything to find him, even went to his old dorm in the snow, begging. The RA said, "Ethan Blackwood? Oh, the heir? His family sent a private jet for him the night his father died. His father was Richard Blackwood, the billionaire. He's gone back to his real life now, honey. You should forget him."

Real life. A life that didn't include her. A life where she was just a dirty secret.

Now, the elevator doors opened to the 50th floor with a soft ding, and Sophia walked into a world of marble, gold, and cold silence. The entire floor was silent, intimidating, like a palace made of ice. A beautiful blonde receptionist with a headset and red lips looked her up and down with thinly veiled disgust, like she was trash that wandered in.

"Name?" she said, chewing gum loudly.

"Sophia Miller for Mr. Blackwood. 10 AM interview," Sophia said, her voice shaking.